News Broadcasting
Zee TV banks on religious serials to revive flagging viewership
When Zee TV announced its relaunch in August group broadcast CEO Sandeep Goyal had stated that what the Indian viewer wanted in the shows that she/he would like to watch were exotic overseas locations, other marital relationships, music-based shows, tangled love stories and interactive show formats.
All the 24 shows that were launched at the time incorporated one or more of the above factors.
That formula fell flat and now Zee is hoping that two heavy-duty mythological shows that it is launching today will be showered with blessings from viewers who have hitherto been ignoring its programming initiatives.
Jai Santoshi Maa is a half-hour programme airing at 8 pm, while Mahabharat produced by film actor Sanjay Khan’s Numero Uno productions is a one-hour show going on air at 10 pm. The strategy: capitalise on Jai Santoshi Maa worshippers on Fridays and create a tune-in viewership for the expensive programme Mahabharat.
Industry sources confirmed that the per episode cost of Mahabharat is Rs 1.4 million, which indicates that Zee is sparing no expense to offer a new age series. Additionally, it is using religion – which is close to most Indian’s hearts – as a tool of programming differentiation. And it is being innovative about the time that it is dishing out the religious fare: Friday evenings and prime time.
Its chief rivals – market leader Star and No 2 Sony – are at loggerheads on Fridays with similar programming genres. Both the channels have game shows in the 8 PM slot culminating in a thriller at the 10:30 – 11 PM slot.
Zee TV on its part has also taken to off-air promotions in the form of road shows with vehicles carrying the cast of characters from the series beating the streets. Hoardings, ads in the print media and an internet promotion with indiatimes.com, are some of the devices it is using to tease viewers to sample its mythological programmes.
Now it’s up to viewers to fall in line. Are you listening, King Viewer?
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.
