News Broadcasting
News18 Odia gears up for divine drive with all-out coverage of Puri Rath Yatra 2025
MUMBAI: If Odisha has a beating heart, it thunders along the Grand Road of Puri every year as Lord Jagannath’s chariot rolls forward. This time, News18 Odia is hitching its cameras to the axle of faith with a sweeping 15-day coverage of the Puri Rath Yatra 2025, promising a devotional deep dive from every spiritual, cultural and visual angle.
Starting 27 June, the channel will beam live coverage of key rituals straight from the city of Puri, including the highly anticipated Rath Yatra and its return procession, Bahuda Yatra, slated for 5 July. Beyond the headline events, viewers can also tune into a documentary-style series, Badadande Bije Jagannath, airing between 27 June and 5 July. The show will offer behind-the-scenes glimpses, exclusive interviews with seers and scholars, and never-before-seen festival preparations.
News18 Odia is also focusing on locations beyond Puri with special features on Kantilo Nilamadhab, Patali Srikhetra, and Chatiabata. These segments aim to offer both context and spiritual depth, connecting the dots between mythology and the lived experiences of pilgrims.
“News18 Odia’s Rath Yatra 2025 coverage is more than a telecast—it is a heartfelt cultural tribute and a spiritual journey reaching millions of homes across Odisha and beyond”, the channel said.
The broadcast, blending real-time devotion with editorial insight, is co-powered by Madhukunj Agarbatti, Evergreen Tea, Santanu English Medium School, and Nippo Swooper. The list of Special Partners includes Dynapar QPS Plus, Scan Steels Ltd, TBW Combook, Hari Plast, IMFA, Akash Education, TVS Raider, and Muthoot Finance. Associate Sponsors supporting the initiative are Ganesh Group of Institutions, Sri Sri University, Keshari Chatua, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Hi-Tech Medical College, Mountain Breeze, Tetrahedron, Nabakalebara Movie, and Airtel.
The all-day live coverage of Rath Yatra will begin on 27 June, capturing every moment of the divine spectacle for homes across the state and nation.
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.
