News Broadcasting
Reliance Capital to pick up 18% in Bloomberg UTV
MUMBAI: Reliance Capital, part of billionaire Anil Ambani’s empire, is snapping up an 18 per cent interest in business news channel Bloomberg UTV for an undisclosed amount.
Bloomberg has already applied to the FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) for a 15 per cent stake in the channel.
Reliance Capital is buying the stake from the promoters of Bloomberg UTV. Founder-promoter Ronnie Screwvala and associates will, thus, hold the remaining 67 per cent stake.
Meanwhile, rumours spread that Ambit would also be picking up a stake. Ambit Group CEO Ashok Wadhwa, however, denied such a move. “We acted as the advisor to the transaction. We are not picking up any stake in Bloomberg UTV. That is not a business we are in,” Wadhwa told Indiantelevision.com.
Reliance Capital has existing investments in Network18 (which operates CNBC TV18, CNN-IBN, IBN7, Colors and Awaaz channels) and TV Today network (which operates Aaj Tak and Headlines Today).
The Reliance Group has 15.49 per cent stake in TV Today, according to data available till 31 March 2010. It also holds 2.09 per cent in Network18 and 4.99 per cent in IBN18.
The investment will form part of Reliance Capital’s exposure to the fast growing and high potential media sector.
Bloomberg UTV is a strategic partnership between Bloomberg L.P., the global leader in business information, and the founders of UTV, one of India’s leading integrated media and entertainment enterprises.
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.
