Network18 reports ₹430 cr revenue in Q1, maintains digital & TV leadership
On the TV front, Network18 retained its crown as the largest TV news network in India, with a 13.5% all-India viewership share, according to BARC data.
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Network18 Media & Investments Limited reported consolidated operating revenue of ₹430 crore for the first quarter of FY2025-26. The media group displayed resilience by maintaining strong audience leadership across digital and television platforms.
Despite a high base from last year’s election-linked advertising and subdued consumer demand, Network18's tight control over costs allowed it to maintain profitability. Operating EBITDA nearly doubled to ₹4 crore from ₹2 crore a year ago, while EBITDA margin improved to 1.0%.
Network18 became the #1 digital news network in India, reaching over 300 million users monthly across its native and social platforms, capturing 67% of the total digital news audience, according to Comscore. Flagship brands like Moneycontrol, News18, Firstpost, and CNBCTV18.com continued to lead engagement metrics.
Moneycontrol Pro remained India’s top financial subscription platform, surpassing 1 million paid subscribers. The platform expanded its fintech offerings, including new secured credit cards and partnerships with lending providers.
Firstpost witnessed a 120% YoY growth in video views, with its coverage of Operation Sindoor drawing over 800 million views and 40 million hours of watch time on YouTube.
Commenting on the results, Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of Network18, said,“Another quarter of strong operating performance, however, persisting macro-economic headwinds meant that it did not translate into a commensurate financial performance. Our steady progress across operating metrics over the last few quarters is a testimony to our vision for the business and the strategic execution of our plans. Our new product launches highlight our forward-looking approach and our endeavor to continue diversifying our business and build new avenues of growth.”
Network18’s overall YouTube viewership soared to nearly 19 billion views, nearly doubling compared to last year.
On the TV front, Network18 retained its crown as the largest TV news network in India, with a 13.5% all-India viewership share, according to BARC data. It maintained leadership positions across multiple categories:
News18 India: #1 Hindi news channel (12.9% share)
CNBC-TV18: #1 English business channel (72.5%+ share)
CNN-News18: #1 English general news channel (33.1% share)
The network also led in regional markets like Marathi and Gujarati, and held strong #2 rankings in Bengali and Kannada.
Network18 deepened its focus on paid products with the launch of three new services:
CNBC TV18 ACCESS: Exclusive member content, analyst interactions, and masterclasses.
Moneycontrol Super Pro: Premium investing insights, AI-powered stock alerts, and real-time guidance.
CNBC TV18 Prime: A global business news channel targeting CXOs and India’s expanding global enterprise class.
The company reported a standalone net profit of ₹516.2 crore, significantly aided by an exceptional income of ₹587 crore from the fair valuation of its 24.5% stake in Eenadu Television Private Limited (ETPL), which ceased to be an associate in July 2025.
Without this one-time gain, the core financials reflected the pressures of a soft ad market, with consolidated revenue down sharply from ₹3,141 crore in Q1FY25 to ₹468 crore this quarter, due in part to the deconsolidation of Viacom18 and other media units.
