News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak announces hike in Ad Rates
MUMBAI: Aaj Tak raises the bar on performance, and on monetisation! Come this September, 2018, the number one news channel for the last 17 years recalibrated its rates after indexing inventory and latest leadership performance across parameters.
In the latest few weeks Aajtak has seen tremendous upside with stories like Vajpayee ji’s demise, Kerala Floods, Independence Day among others setting the nations agenda. During the period of three days 15th to 17th August, the heightened news environment helped Aaj Tak cross even leading Hindi GECs channels like Star plus, Zee TV, Colors & Sony TV on Coverage . (Source: BARC, TG:15+,Mkt:HSM, TB:0200-2600 Hrs, Period: 15th Aug to 17th Aug’18,Cov’000s)
Aaj Tak has always enjoyed highest market share and viewership numbers in its category almost every week this year. In fact, it is the only channel with 25 crore monthly viewers in the news category.
(Source: BARC, TG:2+,Mkt:HSM,Period:W29’18-W32’18,Cov in Cr)
On market share in 15+ HSM, Latest 4 weeks Aaj tak has 45% Mkt Share Margin over no.2 Channel ( Source: BARC,TG:15+,Mkt: HSM,TB:0200-2600 Hrs, Period: 2018,4 weeks -21st July’18-17 Aug’18,Shr% Based on 12 channels)
Rahul Shaw, CRO , TV Today summarized,”Given its unchallenged viewership and unparalleled following, Aaj Tak is now strategically looking at lowering inventory and compensating it with a premium pricing. With leadership across hsm, all india, urban, rural, coverage and prime time and almost a quarter of news viewership with only one news channel on big news time bands, it is important that the leader helps the genre improve yields “
Group CEO , India Today Group, Vivek Khanna adds, “The most influential news brand of the country has been a role model for many to follow. Truth , integrity & unconventional methods of news reporting really leave no competition in sight. The no1 news channel is also India’s no.1 news Facebook page, is global no1 news channel on Youtube by subscribers, is no1 Hindi news website, no1 hindi news twitter handle and no.1 Hindi news app. To top it, it is not just India’s no1 news channel, it is India’s no1 TV channel on IRS—hence the campaign-“Aajtak ka muqabla koi no2 se nahi, sirf aajtak se hai”
Rahul Shaw adds, “With lower inventory levels, every ad on the channel will get better uncluttered visibility, a better ROI and hence more effective use of ad spends. There is a rollout plan for innovative ad options that will be global firsts. In keeping with the reputation, Aajtak will redefine the value news can unlock for viewers and advertisers “
Here are some records held by Aaj Tak
• India’s No. 1 Hindi news channel for past 17 years- the only news channel with more than 25 crore viewers monthly
· India’s No.1 TV Channel – Source: IRS 2017
• World’s No. 1 YouTube News Channel with 9 million subscribers (Source : Socialbakers)
• India’s No. 1 News Facebook Page with 21 million page likes (Source : Facebook)
• India’s No. 1 Hindi News Twitter Handle with 7 million followers (Source : Twitter)
• Aaj Tak has 2 times more viewership than the No. 2 Hindi News channel (Source- IRS 2017, Most Watched Television)
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.
