News Broadcasting
Zee posts turnaround; reports profit of Rs 118 crore
Mumbai: Subhash Chandra’s use of the axe at Zee Entertainment Enterprises seems to be yielding results. The goateed entrepreneur has taken charge over the past six months and has been focusing on reducing costs and getting Zee ship into shipshape. This is showing up in the first quarter 2025 accounts released earlier today.
EBITDA margins at 12.8 per cent; year on year increased by 500bps, aided by effective cost management and lower interests costs and rise in other income (Rs 19 crore vs Rs 14.5 crore). Net profit during the quarter was at Rs 118.1 crore which is a 784.16 per cent increase quarter on quarter.
Overall Q1 FY25 revenue rose to Rs 2130.5 crore (as against Rs 1983.8 crores in previous year’s corresponding quarter.
Thanks to the surfeit of cricket and elections, the network share fell from 16.8 per cent to 16.4 per cent in the latest quarter. In keeping with the drop, domestic advertising fell 3.6 per cent at Rs 911.3 crore (Rs 940.9 crore), even as subscription revenue rose to Rs 987.2 crore (Rs 907.5 crore). International advertising revenue was at Rs 424 crore whereas subscription revenue was at Rs 102.4 crore. Its domestic weekly impressions grew from 28.5 billion to 28.7 billion.
The company in its earnings release has stated that it expects its margins to improve through the rest of the year even as it keeps a tight eye on costs. It however has cautioned that the amount margins improve will depend on how ad revenue picks up in the second half.
On the digital front, its streaming platform Zee5’s revenue increased 15.3 percent to Rs 223.7 crore in Q1 from Rs 193.9 crore in the year-ago period.
The Zee share price is quoted around the Rs 151 mark at the time of writing.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
