News Broadcasting
Zee TV’s ‘Banoo Main Teri Dulhan’ breaks into Tam top 100
MUMBAI: Zee TV has kicked off its pre-Diwali campaign on a confident note with its brand new prime time property Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan (8 pm) establishing its presence in the Tam (CS4+ C&S-Hindi Speaking Markets) top 100 list.
Another key property Saregama Lil Champs has also improved its position in the line up as per the latest data.
As per the Tam data for week 35 (27 August to 2 September), Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan delivered an above 2 TVR (average) performance on 28, 29, 30 and 31 August. The best performance came on 31 August, when the soap was positioned in the 62 spot with a rating of 3.57 TVR. On 29 August came the next best score – 3.06 TVR, followed by a 2.79 TVR performance on 28 August and a 2.69 TVR performance on 30 August. The soap, launched on 14 August, had recorded an average rating of 1.9 TVR in the opening week.
“Banoo Main Teri Dulhaan is showing good signs of becoming another hot property for Zee TV. The soap has improved its performance really well over the period, thanks to the extremely strong and innovative content. We are expecting much better results in the coming weeks. In Banoo Main…, we have tried to portray how an uneducated girl fights life’s adverse situations with so much grit and determination,” states Zee TV marketing head Tarun Mehra.
Saregama Lil Champs is positioned in the 23rd spot in the top 100 with a score of 5.72 TVR on 1 September. This was followed by a 5.12 TVR performance on 31 August. Mehra expects the show to deliver even better ratings as it has entered the final phase now. “Lil Champs has entered the interactivity round and even the audience is involved in selecting the winners. Hence we expect the show to better its performance in the coming weeks,” he says.
The top drivers of Zee TV, Saath Phere and Kasamh Se, continue to deliver good ratings for the channel as per the data. Saat Phere leads the 9:30 pm slot with 6.55 TVR (recorded on 1 September). Karam Apna Apna, which Star Plus launched to counter Saath Phere, has recorded its week’s best rating of 6.25 TVR on 29 August.
Meanwhile, the 9 pm Zee soap Kasamh Se is positioned ahead of its Star Plus counterpart Prithviraj Chauhan as per the latest Tam data. The scorecard reads 6.16 TVR (Kasamah Se 30 August) versus 5.59 TVR (Prithviraj Chauhan 28 August).
The pre-Diwali phase will also see Zee TV celebrating its 14th anniversary on 2 October. To spice up the occasion, the channel has announced a marketing campaign-contest Jeeto Zee Bhar Ke. The contest, which promises jewellery worth Rs 1.4 million for a mere Rs 14, is also aimed at promoting the channel’s prime time properties.
The participant has to guess a secret five digit code to win the prize. The channel will endeavor to reward the viewer while at the same time also integrate the contest with programming content. Hence Zee TV will be giving out the clues to crack the secret code. Every week starting 18 September, the prime time soap characters Bani (Kasamh Se, 9.00 pm), followed by Saloni (Saath Phere, 9.30 pm) in week II and Vidya (Dulhann, 8.00 pm) in week III, will the viewer a number that will be a part of the five digits. Every week one winner, from amongst those who have guessed the code, will be able to buy Eros Jewellery worth Rs 14 Lacs for Rs 14 only, the release further adds.
“This is our way of gratifying those people, who have been with us for long. We have integrated marketing and programming aspects into the campaign,” says Mehra.
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.
