News Broadcasting
TV9 Network to launch new digital video magazine platform
Mumbai: TV9 Network is gearing up to launch an English language online platform for long shelf-life narratives and news-based factual content.
According to sources, the platform’s beta version will be launched in December, followed by a formal launch in January 2022.
This will be a first-of-its-kind digital offering built along the lines of over-the-top (OTT) streaming services that help audiences choose the content they wish to consume. Incidentally, CNN+ has been reported to be working on a similar plan with a rollout expected later in 2022. TV9’s new platform will offer news-driven content with the depth of magazine coverage and the high production quality of OTT streaming services.
The focus will be on providing narratives and multiple perspectives to news events. “We want to create news-driven content that has a long shelf life and host it in an OTT environment,” said a source on condition of anonymity. “The user experience will be that of an OTT platform but the editorial richness will be that of a magazine. We are calling this industry-first platform a Digital Video Magazine or V-Mag.”
This new offering will be built on TV9’s legacy brand News9 that continues to have a recall as a news channel that TV9 ran from Bengaluru earlier. TV9 currently also operates an English news website called News9 Live. Though this new video platform – is likely to use a similar brand name, it will be a separate, standalone platform.
“While videos are the most popular medium of consumption, digital is where that consumption will happen. That’s why we decided to revive the News9 brand and bring it in a brand new avatar for the English-speaking audience that is now used to a certain quality that entertainment OTT platforms offer,” said the source.
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.
