News Broadcasting
TV18 to hive off its internet biz; Q4 net up 112% at Rs 219 million
MUMBAI: Television Eighteen has decided to hive off its internet ventures and consolidate it into a new wholly owned subsidiary to bring sharper focus and growth momentum to these operations.
The internet subsidiary plans to raise capital from financial or strategic investors. TV18 board, which met today, has authorised the subsidiary of any such exercises to raise capital.
TV18 has been acquiring internet properties to create a bouquet. The company recently acquired a 50 per cent stake in the Indian arm of Jobstreet.com. Eariler in the year, it had invested in Yatra Online where other investors included Anil Ambani’s Reliance Capital and Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) – Promod Haque’s leading venture capital firm.
The company also manages online platforms which include moneycontrol.com, commoditiescontrol.com, poweryourtrade.com and ibnlive.com.
The board of TV18 also announced the results. The company’s consolidated net profit is up 112 per cent to Rs 219.15 million for the quarter ended 31 March 2006 as against Rs 103.36 million a year ago.
The company’s revenues rose 66 per cent to Rs 535.10 million in the last quarter of the fiscal with news operations contributing Rs 474.75 million (up from Rs 310.96 million). The earnings from the internet and software operations were at Rs 60.35 million, up six times from a year ago period.
The revenues from Awaaz and CNN-IBN channels are not reflected in the Q4 result. The company’s operating profit stands at Rs 306.59 million while operating margins are at 57 per cent.
The group is all set to re-launch Channel 7 in new avatar in June. The group has recently, acquired a 50 per cent interest in Indian arm of Jobstreet.com.
Commenting on the result Television Eighteen promoter Raghav Bahl said, “We are delighted to report a record quarter for the company – in terms of revenue performance and the spectacular success of CNN-IBN – which in just five months of launch has become the dominant player in the English General News category, firmly establishing the TV18 Group as India’s Premier News Network. We believe our new initiatives in the internet and home shopping spaces too will contribute significantly to our future growth.”
TV18 opened at Rs 609.85 and closed the trading day at Rs 627.60, after touching a high of Rs 646 and a low od Rs 625.
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.
