Network18’s Operating Revenue Grows 10% in Q4; EBITDA Jumps 60%

Mumbai, April 18: Network18 Media & Investments on Saturday posted operating revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 (Q4 FY26), that grew a strong 9.7% year-on-year to ₹615.8 crore from ₹561.3 crore in the year-ago period, while on a sequential basis the revenue rose 14.2% from ₹539.4 crore in Q3 FY26, reflecting a meaningful acceleration in the final quarter of the fiscal year.

India’s largest TV news network that has 20 channels across 10-plus languages and leading digital platforms such as Moneycontrol, News18 and Firstpost reported consolidated net loss of ₹30.5 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, similar to ₹30.3 crore in Q4 FY25.

Operating EBITDA grew 59.5% year-on-year to ₹30 crore from ₹19 crore in Q4 FY25, while the operating EBITDA margin improved to 4.9% from 3.4% in Q4 FY25. The growth in EBITDA came even as the TV news advertising industry continued to witness headwinds with overall industry ad inventory dipping over 10% YoY — Network18’s TV advertising inventory grew 4.5% YoY, significantly outpacing the industry that the company attributed to strength of its channel bouquet and the growing contribution of events and other new businesses. Network18 pointed out that while TV news advertising revenues grew 19% YoY, there was a notable diversification in its revenue streams.

Total expenses during the quarter were at ₹670.9 crore as compared to ₹630.1 crore in Q4 FY25. There were exceptional items of ₹12.1 crore during the quarter relating to additional liabilities towards Employees for implementation of the new Labour Codes which came into effect from November 2025.

Consolidated operating revenue grew 4.7% to ₹2,121 crore for FY26. Operating EBITDA was ₹44 crore, flat as compared to the previous year, with operating expenses growing broadly in line with the revenues. The operating EBITDA margin was 2.1% for FY26. The company recorded a net profit of ₹152.2 crore for FY26 as against a loss of ₹1,687 crore in the previous year helped by exceptional income of ₹150.6 crore from fair valuation of investment in Eenadu Television.

Commenting on the results, Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman, Network18, said: “We closed the year on a strong note despite the geopolitical crisis that continues to grip the world today. In a year which saw consistently high news flow volumes, we have focused on staying ahead of the curve in delivering news over noise, period. We are pleased with the operating progress made during the year and are encouraged by the rapid scale-up of our new businesses in such a short time-frame, that are now beginning to contribute to diversify our revenue streams. We continue to focus on building our core news business while expanding into adjacent categories.”

On digital, Network18’s YouTube channels recorded over 17.5 billion video views during the quarter and over 65 billion views for FY26 — more than double that of its nearest competitor — taking Network18’s YouTube reach past 175 million subscribers. The company’s consolidated digital reach across all its platforms now exceeds 360 million monthly users. Moneycontrol Pro crossed the landmark 1 million paid subscribers during the year. Network18’s fintech business, which was launched during the year, recorded one of the fastest scale-ups amongst new-age businesses in its first full year of operations.

On the corporate and brand front, CNBC TV18 debuted its new look on all digital platforms at the 21st India Business Leader Awards on April 13, moving on from its iconic peacock logo to a new look signalling the brand’s digital-first, multi-platform future. Network18 announced News18 Delhi-NCR/Jammu/Kashmir at the ‘Rising Delhi’ conclave on April 14, 2026. News18 Marathi will merge with Network18 vide a scheme of amalgamation, to reduce levels in the group.

Source:

https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/b17a4e06-50b8-47fc-95d0-35d6e78a9b50.pdf