News Broadcasting
The Q India unveils summer 2021 line-up
MUMBAI: With summer vacations around the corner, The Q is all set to bring forth an array of animated original content with stories of the bravest heroes, most iconic villains, noblest kings and their treacherous enemies, the biggest battles and the most captivating conspiracies.
Expanding its animation genre with the addition of new shows, The Q’s fresh line-up of animated content will include some of the most riveting stories of legendary characters from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panchatantra stories, as well as tales of Akbar Birbal and Vikram Betal in a fresh and unique format, making it interesting for the young and old to watch together.
The Q India programming head Tanya Shukla said, “At The Q, we are committed to infusing the broadcast universe with fresh concepts and a unique lineup of content that engages the youth and also makes their world inclusive for the whole family. Television, in Indian homes, is the last frontier where the family still gathers. With a bouquet of shows from varied genres that is perfect for new India’s homes, we will bring the very best of entertainment from an expanded horizon of new age online content creators.”
With the entire family staying home amidst the unprecedented situation, The Q’s upcoming content line-up starting with the animated version of Ramayana, went on-air on 17 April, 2021, Saturday. The show airs every Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 am onwards with multiple telecasts throughout the day.
The Q India is an advertiser and influencer marketing supported Hindi language content brand, channel and VOD provider delivering hit digital programming from social media stars and leading digital video creators targeting Young Indian audiences. The channel has recently become one of India’s fastest growing youth entertainment brands reaching 46.42 Gross Rating Points (GRP) on BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) as of week 14. It has reached an audience of over 712 million via 100 million television homes with partners including DD Free Dish, Tata Sky, Dish TV and Siti Networks; 380 million OTT users via platforms including ShemarooMe, MX Player, ZEE5, and Dish Watcho; and 232 million users on mobile and digital platforms including Snap, JioTV, Airtel Xstream, Amazon Fire TV, Chingari and Samsung TV Plus.
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.
