News Broadcasting
News18’s Mega Opinion Poll results to be unveiled at 6 PM on March 13
Mumbai: News18 Network is set to unveil the results of its Mega Opinion Poll, featuring an extensive survey covering 518 Lok Sabha constituencies across 21 major states.
The poll, airing on 13 March and 14 March, features a massive sample size of over 1,18,616 respondents, representing 95 per cent of Lok Sabha constituencies and making it one of the largest surveys in the country.
The survey, which goes live at 6 pm on 13 March, will provide valuable insights into the political landscape of India, offering a detailed analysis of voter sentiment and preferences ahead of the upcoming general elections.
The poll findings will also be projected as a vote and seat share for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with individual projections for all major states and for regions within states.
Utilizing a structured questionnaire translated into 11 regional languages, the survey employed personal face-to-face interviews conducted at homes selected via random sampling. Each Lok Sabha constituency was meticulously covered, with 3 Assembly constituencies and 5 polling booths selected in each, ensuring a representative and unbiased sampling process.
Fieldwork for the survey was carried out by trained investigators from ten different fieldwork agencies, with strict quality control measures in place. Before going into the field, the teams underwent detailed briefing sessions to ensure adherence to the sampling plan and questionnaire. Senior field managers and executives conducted on-the-spot quality checks, and each interview was geo-tagged to verify its authenticity.
The results of the News18 Mega Opinion Poll will be covered extensively across all 20 News18 network channels including News18 India, CNN-News18 and News18 regional channels in 16 languages. The results will also feature on News18’s 16 websites in various languages, ensuring wide-reaching and inclusive coverage of the landmark survey.
The News18 Mega Opinion Poll was conducted by News18 Poll Hub. Detailed responses and methodology of the survey will be made available on News18.com, providing transparency and accountability to the process.
For more information, please visit News18.com or tune in to the special programming, starting at 6 pm on 13 March and 14 March across all News18 channels.
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.
