News Broadcasting
UTVi in content tie up with Business Standard
MUMBAI: UTVi, the soon to be launched English business news channel, has announced a content tie-up with financial daily Business Standard.
Aimed at augmenting the news content supply, UTVi will air BS Wire, BS Alerts and BS Breaking News along with the business bytes throughout the day, based on the merit of the news.
The strategic alliance will help UTVi to keep its audiences updated with the latest developments on the business news front, with inputs from Business Standard bureaus.
Business Standard editor TN Ninan says, “We are happy to partner with UTVi in this venture. This alliance gives us an excellent opportunity to combine the quality content of a business newspaper with the immediacy of television news.”
UTVi will get into the Business Standard news room to showcase senior journalists and subject experts. The views of these journalists and experts will be captured on air through programs such as a stock market preview in the morning, an edit page review or overview, and news items like “Tomorrow’s Headlines Tonight”.
The business channel can also showcase Business Standard’s research information. Business Standard in turn will publish extracts of interviews and stories telecast on UTVi , as well as occasionally print the highlights of big shows and interviews shown on the channel.
UTVi editor-in-chief Govindraj Ethiraj says, “We see considerable synergy and learning for us.”
UTVi already has a strategic content tie-up with Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), the international TV distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, for ABC News programming and services.
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.
