Network18 Media Reports Q1 FY27 Earnings Amid Ad Revenue Boost and Digital Market Dominance
Network18 Media & Investments Limited announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The consolidated operating revenue grew by 10.3% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 516 crores. While the company maintained significant market leadership in digital media and advertising consumption during state elections, operational costs resulted in a sequential decline in Consolidated Operating EBITDA.The earnings release highlights Network18's strong performance in capturing advertising spends during simultaneous multi-state elections, such as those held in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The network saw its ad inventory consumption increase by 10% YoY, significantly outpacing the industry average of 3%.
"State elections gave a boost to advertising revenue," noted Mr Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of Network18 Media & Investments Limited. However, the macroeconomic mood was dampened by the ongoing geopolitical conflict and the forecast of a weak monsoon, leading to reduced corporate advertising spend across the sector.
Financial Performance Overview (Consolidated)
For the quarter ending June 30, 2026, the consolidated operating revenue stood at Rs 516.3 crore. Total expenses amounted to Rs 596.5 crore.The financial structure for Network18 Consolidated entity included performance across its various subsidiaries and businesses, including News18 Marathi and Fintech business Moneycontrol Dot Com India Limited.
| Metric | Q1 FY27 (Rs cr) | Q4 FY26 (Rs cr) | Q1 FY26 (Rs cr) | YoY Change | QoQ Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Operating Revenue | 516 | 616 | 468 | 10.3% | -16.2% |
| Consolidated Operating Expense | 509 | 585 | 464 | 9.7% | -13.1% |
| Consolidated Operating EBITDA | 8 | 30 | 4 | 80.3% | -75.3% |
| Operating EBITDA margin | 1.5% | 4.9% | 0.9% |
Digital Reach and Advertising Momentum
Network18 continues to hold the position of India's number one digital news/information network, reporting a monthly reach exceeding 350 million across the digital ecosystem. The company maintained clear dominance as the biggest news network on YouTube, achieving over 6 billion video views in June—more than double that of its nearest competitor.The growth trajectory was bolstered by effective consumption across various platforms. Network18's non-government advertising inventory grew approximately 2%, allowing the company to perform better than the industry amid declines in corporate spending. The network also saw a strong uptake in monetization on Connected TV screens, which is becoming an increasingly important revenue stream.
Business Vertical Highlights
The digital portfolio of Network18—which includes Moneycontrol, News18, Firstpost, and CNBCTV18—demonstrates deep market penetration across various news genres.- Financial Intelligence: Moneycontrol maintained its status as a leading financial intelligence platform in India, showing over 3x Time-Spent and 2x Page Views compared to the nearest competitor. The subscription service, Moneycontrol Pro, recorded more than one million paid subscribers.
- News18.com Performance: The core news website saw an 8% increase in unique users sequentially. A revamped Election Analytics Centre was launched during state elections, featuring constituency-level insights and AI-powered multilingual content generation, leading to a 2.5x engagement time on the homepage.
- Global Affairs and Video Views: Firstpost has established itself as a leading destination for global affairs coverage with an Indian perspective. The channel amassed nearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube and delivered over 270 million video views during the quarter, with more than 50% of those views originating outside India.
Viewership Ratings Status
The industry is currently facing uncertainty regarding television ratings. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to pause publishing television ratings across both news and non-news genres until BARC's license is renewed under the Television Ratings Policy, 2026.Prior to this suspension, Network18 held a dominant position in TV news, possessing the largest portfolio of 20 channels in India. The network was the leader in key markets, including CNBC Awaaz (with a market share exceeding 63.3%), News18 India (12.8% share), and CNN-News18 (36.0% share).
Mr Zainulbhai concluded that while the quarter presented mixed results—a positive boost from state elections counterbalanced by geopolitical concerns—the company remains focused on product improvement to capitalize when the macroeconomic environment improves.
NETWORK18 Stock Price Movement
Network18 Media & Investments Limited shares slipped by 0.72% in trading today to settle at ₹31.76. The stock saw a volume of 2.73 million shares, having traded within an intraday range between a low of ₹31.56 and a high of ₹32.25.Disclaimer: Due care and diligence have been taken in compiling and presenting news and market-related content. However, errors or omissions may arise despite such efforts.
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