News Broadcasting
Battle to be world’s #1 news site hots up as BBC numbers soar
MUMBAI: New research from ComScore* has revealed that the BBC’s global audience has grown by 30% since 2012 to 73.4m unique browsers – just 200,000 (0.27%) short of CNN’s 73.6m.
The competition to claim the top spot in online news intensified in July as the BBC outpaced the market to overtake all other international rivals.
The BBC puts its sustained growth down to a programme of product investment, enhanced feature content on bbc.com, the increasing popularity of the BBC’s suite of language sites and its continued commitment to first-hand reporting from an unmatched network of international correspondents.
In a period of unprecedented industry change the BBC has retained its position as the most trusted international news broadcaster and continues to take market share. Studies** have shown the BBC to be the leader in global breaking news with stories from a wider geographical spread of places and journalists in more countries than any other international news provider.
Separate research also showed that the BBC is by far the most shared news brand on Twitter, with the latest figures*** revealing that its stories were shared a record-breaking 3.5 million times in July – over a million more than its nearest competitor.
Peter Horrocks, Director of the World Service Group, said, “In a year that has seen wave after wave of fast-moving and constantly evolving breaking news stories from all corners of the world we are delighted that audiences are increasingly turning to the BBC for up-to-the-minute coverage from a trusted and impartial source.
“As the world gets smaller and big stories affect us all, our worldwide network of journalists and uniquely global perspective are increasingly valuable. Our aim is to become the leaders in global news online. It’s a bold ambition and we do not underestimate the competition, but the game is on.”
The BBC enjoyed particular success in North America – the home market of many of the BBC’s competitors and one of only a handful of regions in the world where it does not already take the top spot. July saw its unique desktop users grow 6% month on month and 16% year on year, bucking the trend and moving the BBC up to 4th place.
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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.
