News Broadcasting
Times TV Network to launch another entertainment channel?
MUMBAI: Thanks to the new government, the Times Television Network has reasons to rejoice.
The network had applied for a number of channel licences to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry which included for both entertainment and news channels.
“Thanks to the quickness of the current government, we have got the three news licences, which were old applications,” says the network managing director and CEO MK Anand while adding that a number of licences are still pending.
The three news channel licences are for Times Now 2, Times Now 3 and ET Now 3.
The network currently has Times Now, ET Now, Zoom TV, Movies Now and Romedy Now channels in its kitty.
Anand goes on to say that though the new licences have been awarded, the current plan will go on as it is. “These licences don’t impact our current strategy or my plans for the network.”
After the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came out with its deaggregation paper, a number of networks have applied for new licences while some have even launched a new set of channels.
The year also saw the launch of three new Hindi entertainment channels – Zindagi, Sony Pal and Epic. TTN is the only network which doesn’t have a Hindi general entertainment channel to its list. And with a few entertainment licenses applied by TTN pending with the MIB, one can see possibilities of a new GEC entrant in the market.
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.
