Network18 Media & Investments Limited reported a consolidated net loss of ₹38.71 crore in Q1 FY27, a significant reversal from the net profit of ₹148.03 crore recorded in the corresponding quarter last year. Despite this profitability challenge, the company delivered robust operational performance with consolidated operating revenue increasing 10.34% year-on-year to ₹516.26 crore compared with ₹467.86 crore in Q1 FY26. The company's operating profit margin (OPM) improved to 1.45% during the quarter, while profit before tax (PBT) stood at a loss of ₹38.36 crore compared with a profit of ₹1.79 crore in the year-ago period.
Network18's advertising business demonstrated strong resilience with ad inventory consumption growing 10% YoY, significantly outperforming the industry's 3% growth during the quarter. The company attributed this performance to strong election-led advertising demand, particularly in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where political campaigns and government advertising led to a surge in media spending. While government advertising—including campaigns by the Centre, state governments, public sector enterprises and political parties—remained the primary growth driver, corporate advertising demand weakened amid concerns over the ongoing geopolitical conflict and expectations of a weak monsoon. For Network18 specifically, non-government advertising inventory consumption still grew by around 2% YoY, supported by its diversified portfolio and strong market presence across television and digital platforms. The company also saw a strong uptick in monetisation on Connected TV screens, which is emerging as an important revenue stream.
The company maintained its digital leadership position across multiple platforms during the quarter. According to Comscore's Total Digital Population report for May 2026, Network18's digital news and information portfolio reached around 360 million monthly users, representing a 76% reach within the segment. Network18's total video views across social platforms crossed 32 billion, representing a 31% sequential increase, while the company's social media footprint exceeded 472 million followers. On YouTube, Network18 said it maintained a significant lead over competitors, generating more than 1.5 times the video views of its nearest competitor during the quarter. During election results day, News18 India, CNN-News18 and News18 Bangla recorded the highest live concurrent viewership within their respective markets, with 15 of Network18 channels ranking #1 in their respective categories in June 2026, including CNBC AWAAZ, Moneycontrol, and multiple Hindi and regional news brands. News18.com recorded an 8% sequential increase in unique users, while its average session length grew by more than 10%.
Network18's diversified business portfolio showed strong performance across segments. The company's lending business maintained strong momentum with the secured lending partner network expanding to include Muthoot Finance, Muthoot Fincorp, Rupeek and DSP Finance. Moneycontrol continued to be one of the company's biggest growth engines, with Moneycontrol Pro crossing one million paid subscribers, making it India's largest digital news subscription platform. The platform recorded more than three times the time spent and twice the page views of its nearest competitor, with the company introducing Portfolio X-Ray, a new analytical tool that evaluates stock portfolios and expanding its AI-driven premium offering, Super Pro. The company also launched a dedicated FIFA World Cup microsite featuring real-time updates, interactive data, and shareable visual content, and relaunched Tech2 with an AI-powered experience. Hyperlocal coverage of Local18 contributed to nearly a quarter of the overall traffic, while Firstpost generated more than 270 million YouTube views, with over half of those views coming from outside India, and its YouTube subscriber base was nearing 10 million.
Despite strong financial performance, shares of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd ended at ₹31.71, down by ₹0.24, or 0.75%, on the BSE. Chairman Adil Zainulbhai acknowledged the mixed quarter, noting that while election spending provided a meaningful boost to advertising revenues, geopolitical tensions, concerns over the monsoon and regulatory intervention in television viewership ratings continued to weigh on business sentiment. He emphasized the company's focus on improving products to serve consumers effectively, positioning for better performance when macro conditions improve. Government interventions on the viewership ratings have also been negative for the sentiments of the industry, but the company remains focused on product enhancement. The company operates 20 television channels in more than 12 languages and seven digital news platforms across 13 languages, with investments in JioStar, BookMyShow and ETV.
