News Broadcasting
TVPlayer adds Aaj Tak to its Desi pack
MUMBAI: Aaj Tak, the number one Hindi News channel in India, is the latest channel to join the DESI pack on TVPlayer.
The launch of Aaj Tak on TVPlayer will enhance its channel reach via multi-platform viewing opportunities across web, mobile and tablet, making the channel available to a wider audience of the Indian population residing in the UK.
Aaj Tak was launched in India in December 2000 as a 24-hour Hindi News channel, which coversIndia with insight, courage and plenty of local flavors. Within 6 months of its launch, Aaj Takemerged as India’s number one news channel. Beginning with an impressive connectivity of 5.2 million homes when launched, Aaj Tak today boasts of a reach of over 50 million homes and a channel share of more than 55% among the news channels. Its unique style of passionate storytelling and live coverage has become its hallmark.
Aaj Tak telecasts programmes viz Dharam, Movie Masala, Mumbai Metro, Seedhi Baat, Saas Bahu aur betiyaan etc. The editorial panel of Aaj Tak includes many renowned journalists including Anjana Kashyap, Shams Tahir Khan, Sweta Singh,Punya Prasun Vajpayee and many more.
Speaking on the occasion India Today Group Digital COO Salil Kumar said, “It is great to expand our offering on to a new OTT/ IPTV platform in the United Kingdom. This partnership will engage more audiences globally. “
TVPlayer platform manager Lewis Arthur says, “Our Desi pack has been an incredible success since it launched this year; its content often representing over 10 per cent of all total viewing, in any given day. Our new partnership with India Today means that we have topical and breaking news from Aaj Tak, further strengthening our overall channel offering.”
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.
