News Broadcasting
Reliance picks up 7.98% in TV18
MUMBAI: Reliance Capital Asset Management Limited has acquired 7.98 per cent of the total paid up capital of Television Eighteen Limited.
According to a notice put out on the National Stock Exchange today, the company said that Reliance Vision Fund and Reliance Growth Fund, Schemes of Reliance Capital Mutual Fund, have purchased 9,70,000 shares representing 7.98% of the total paid up capital of Television Eighteen Limited. The date of acquisition has been given as November 7, 2003.
The mode of acquisition is Open Market Purchase. After acquisition, the acquirer holds 11,45,000 shares representing 9.43% of the paid up capital of the target company, the notice says.
The Raghav Bahl promoted TV18, which went public in 1999, is now contemplating foraying into feature filmmaking. The company, which has created a range of business news features, game shows, talk shows and music programmes for several television channels include sister company CNBC India, is toying with three film scripts as of now, according to CNBC TV18 executive director Vandana Malik. While one of the films is expected to be a big budget film, one will be a low budget experimental film, and teh third is scheduled as a medium budget film, Malik said recently.
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.
