News Broadcasting
NewsX partners with Aidem Ventures to recalibrate pricing with improved performance
India’s leading HD-ready English News Channel, NewsX has awarded its advertising sales duties to Aidem Ventures.
Part of ITV Network, NewsX is now India’s No. 1 English News Channel on the basis of 21 week combined GVTs. Even in terms of stickiness the channel has been witnessing more Time Spent Per Viewer than any other English News Channel in India. [Source: TAM | All India (1 Mn+) (incl. 6 Metros) | CS M 25-44 AB | Wk 19 -Wk 39’13, combined GVTs and average TSPV]. To monetize its current position, it has partnered with India’s leading independent advertising sales company – Aidem Ventures.
The channel’s leadership is well established over the last 21 weeks as per the TAM ratings. With its clean presentation and unbiased content, NewsX targets the younger, aspirational audiences who appreciate and demand well-researched, thought-provoking news. With its focus on ‘News. Not Noise’, NewsX differentiates itself from its competitors in staying away from hysteria and sensationalism.
Post digitization in 38 cities, NewsX has augmented its viewership by 260%. This performance has been consistently growing since the markets have gone digital. Research showcased a void in the offering in super prime bands for pure news dissemination resulting in high performance amongst the large part of younger audiences in addition to the other age groups. NewsX stands by its tagline and with its unassuming presentation style has managed to come across as a breath of fresh air. NewsX didn’t want to tread up any existing pathways in terms of style and news delivery and wanted a completely independent identity. This strategy has paid off said Vikas Khanchandani, Director, Aidem Ventures while discussing the new business win.
“This association reflects our vision to pursue NewsX’s successful positioning as a strong, robust media platform among Indian advertisers & agencies. NewsX’s high-quality content, well-established reputation, latest video technology and rising TAM numbers will have a synergistic effect on the channel’s revenue generation. NewsX has been focusing on interactive shows and intend to introduce other new exciting formats in the near future. Aidem has been managing Ad Sales some of the biggest News brands from India and abroad. We are very optimistic about their sales infrastructure and their professional management team working in favor of our plan for NewsX” added RK Arora, CEO, ITV Network.
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.
