News Broadcasting
TV Today’s FY 25 financials: The quarter’s triumph and the year’s windfall!
MUMBAI: The bean counters at TV Today Network have been busy, and their meticulous work has unearthed some rather telling figures for both the quarter and the full financial year ending March 31, 2025. It seems the broadcast bigwigs are truly raking it in, with revenues and profits looking healthier than a freshly minted pundit on prime time.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the network saw its revenue from operations climb to Rs 249.17 crores, up from Rs 247.37 crores in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 261.26 crores, a neat bump from Rs 256.47 crores in the prior year’s comparable period. Despite a slight uptick in total expenses to Rs 253.28 crores from Rs 233.31 crores, the company still managed a respectable profit before tax from continuing operations of Rs 7.98 crores, though it was a dip from Rs 23.16 crores reported in the same quarter of the previous year. The net profit for the quarter, however, took a bit of a tumble, landing at Rs 6.23 crores compared to Rs 11.20 crores last year. Basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the quarter were Rs 1.04, down from Rs 2.84 previously.
Looking at the full financial year ended March 31, 2025, TV Today has certainly been on a roll. Revenue from operations soared to Rs 993.02 crores, a significant jump from Rs 935.91 crores in the previous financial year. The total income followed suit, hitting Rs 1,038.73 crores compared to Rs 973.56 crores in the year prior. While total expenses nudged up to Rs 927.61 crores from Rs 876.97 crores, the company still reported a strapping profit before tax from continuing operations of Rs 111.12 crores, a noticeable improvement from Rs 96.59 crores. The net profit for the year was Rs 74.83 crores, quite the spectacle when pitted against Rs 56.39 crores in the last financial year. This translates to basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of Rs 13.86, a rise from Rs 11.90.
It’s worth noting the discontinued radio broadcasting operations, which saw a pre-tax loss of Rs 0.03 crores for the quarter and a yearly loss of Rs 10.54 crores, though this is an improvement from the Rs 19.53 crores loss last year. The after-tax loss from these operations was Rs 0.02 crores for the quarter and Rs 7.89 crores for the year, a marked improvement from the previous year’s loss of Rs 14.61 crores. This means the radio business, which is being sold for Rs 20 crores, is no longer broadcasting negative vibes on the balance sheet.
The chaps at the company are certainly dialling up the good vibes, as their board of directors — led by the ever-present chairman and whole time director Aroon Purie — has just given the nod to a rather fetching final dividend for the financial year ended March 31, 2025. Shareholders are set to pocket a handsome Rs 3 per equity share, a 60 per cent return on the Rs 5 face value. Talk about a cracking payout!
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.
