News Broadcasting
News Corp, Nielsen sign eight-year contract
MUMBAI: Nielsen Media Research and US media conglomerate News Corp have announced an eight-year agreement under which Nielsen will provide audience measurement services for 49 News Corp. television entities.
The pact consolidates more than 150 individual agreements between the companies. Financial terms were not disclosed.ovie channels.
News Corp executive VP corporate affairs Gary Ginsberg says, “This agreement, which was more than a year in the making, affords us much greater efficiencies and simplicity in our relationship with Nielsen. We are very pleased to put our differences with Nielsen behind us and to usher in a new era of constructive and even deeper relations between our two companies.
“Nielsen’s willingness to take concrete and ongoing steps to ensure that its measurement systems accurately count all viewers was critical to achieving this deal.”
Nielsen Media Research senior VP business strategy Dave Thomas says, “In an era of digital television and multiple delivery platforms, we believe it makes sense for our clients to take an integrated approach for audience measurement.
“News Corp. has long been a valued Nielsen client and we have worked tirelessly for months to craft a landmark agreement ensuring that Nielsen will continue to provide News Corp. with the highest quality measurement services for their many television platforms.”
News Corp entities and affiliates covered under the agreement include Fox, Fox News Channel, FX, Speed, National Geographic Channel, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports en Espanol, DirecTV, Twentieth Television and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
Nielsen Media Research also will provide News Corp with local television audience estimates for 35 Fox-owned local television stations, including Local People Meter (LPM) service for Fox television stations in markets measured by LPMs.
As part of the agreement, Nielsen is investing approximately $50 million in programs designed to enhance the response rates of participants in its samples, with special emphasis on younger demographics and communities of color.
Nielsen adds that it will continue its successful community outreach programs that include a variety of initiatives that promote broader awareness of the company and its role in the television industry.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
