News Broadcasting
ET NOW launches ‘Budget for Bharat’, an exclusive programming line-up
MUMBAI: Setting the agenda for the first full-year budget of the new Government ET NOW, India’s leading English Business News channel launches ‘Budget for Bharat’, a comprehensive budget special programming line-up. Capturing the opportunities, challenges in the backdrop of current economy and growth rate, ET NOW with its battalion of think tanks and experts will analyse the impact and implications of Budget 2019 for the consumers.
Amplified by real time market data and data intelligence, ET NOW brings industry leaders across sectors to examine and decode Union Budget 2019 and put forth the nation’s economic priorities. Programming details below,
INDIA DEVELOPMENT DEBATE – BUDGET SPECIAL: ET NOW brings the eminent voices to discuss economy, markets and every subject that matters to the consumers.
BUDGET HOTLINE: With the special call in show, ET NOW decodes every jargon, tax instruments and the nitty-gritties for the viewers. With the queries addressed by the top experts in the industry, the show aims to help consumers with their investments in line with the Budget.
CII BUDGET WISHLIST: A roundtable grasping the Budget expectations from the India Inc– CII.
STATE OF THE ECONOMY POLL: With a detailed discussion with the country’s top economists, ET NOW brings the on-ground report of the State of the Economy in tie-up with Confederation of India Industry (CII).
AGENDA FOR FM: On the eve of the Union Budget 2019, ET NOW presents the agenda that is set ahead of the Nirmala Sitharaman Finance Minister on July 05, as she tables her maiden Union Budget.
CAMPUS BUDGET: ET NOW brings the voice of the millennials across Indian campuses on their expectations from the Union Budget.
THE MUTUAL FUND SHOW: Ahead of the Union Budget, ET NOW will help the viewers understand how to brace the storm of volatile moves, keeping their investment safe for a long term via MFs.
BUDGET DAY: Commencing with the LIVE coverage of the FM speech, think tanks- Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, Mythili Bhusnurmath, R Gopalan will analyse and dissect the Budget and give real-time views as its being delivered. Tracking the economic and political impact of Budget, ET NOW will feature a series of series of in-depth discussions and interviews of various secretaries involved in the Budget making process.
BUDGET 2019 – THE DAY AFTER: With a LIVE programming from Bombay Stock Exchange with market veterans, ET NOW will bring an all-encompassing analysis of Union Budget 2019 and guide viewers decipher the markets.
With a platform agnostic approach ET NOW has also lined up a series of digital originals on the channels social media platforms, educating viewers through informative videos in the run up to the Budget.
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.
