News Broadcasting
TV9 Bharatvarsh leads HSM market in week 10 of BARC news ratings
Mumbai: TV9 Bharatvarsh claims to be the leading Hindi news channel in week 10 (5-11 April) in terms of market share.
According to the data provided by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India to TV9 Bharatvarsh, the popular Hindi news channel leads the Hindi-speaking market (HSM) with a 16.9 per cent market share for the target audience of 15+ all adults.
Last week was an important period for news channels as the assembly elections for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa were concluded and the results were declared on 10 March.
Barc India has released data for individual news channels after a 17-month hiatus.
The TV audience measurement agency had also agreed to release the past 13 weeks’ data after consultation with industry stakeholders.
However, many news channels including India TV, News18 India, ABP News, Good News Today, News 24 and NDTV India have opted out of past data.
NDTV India has completely pulled out of Barc ratings.
Aaj Tak had a market share of 15.5 per cent market share followed by India TV at 13 per cent, Republic Bharat at 12.8 per cent, Zee News at 11.4 per cent and remaining channels including News18 India, ABP News, News 24, News Nation, Zee Hindustan, Good News Today and DD News in single digits.
Source: Barc data | 15+ All Adults | HSM market | Wk 10’22
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.
