Network18 Q2 revenue up over 9%

Network18 Media & Investments Ltd has reported a 9.4% year-on-year increase in consolidated operating revenue to Rs 545 crore in the September quarter, compared with Rs 498 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. 

Advertising inventory consumption in the news genre declined approximately 13%, while corporate advertising spends remained impacted by the West Asia conflict, weak monsoon and television ratings blackout, according to the company.

Demand for government-linked advertising, including campaigns by the Centre and state governments, public sector undertakings and political parties, remained strong for the second consecutive quarter.

Consolidated operating revenue for the quarter increased to Rs 545 crore, as compared Rs 498 crore for the same quarter a year earlier.

The revenue growth for the company has come at a time when the overall advertising inventory consumption for the news genre declined by 13% as corporate spends continued to be impacted by the West Asia conflict, weak monsoon and television ratings blackout.

For the first half of FY27, consolidated operating revenue increased 10% to Rs 1,061 crore from Rs 966 crore in the corresponding period last year. The EBITDA margin stood at 2.5%.

Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of Network18, said, “We delivered a resilient operating performance during the quarter despite a challenging and dynamic macroeconomic environment. While external factors continued to influence industry sentiment and consumer demand, our focus remained firmly on strengthening our core offerings, enhancing audience engagement, and driving execution across our businesses. Our continued progress across key operating metrics reflects the strength of our strategy, the quality of our brands, and the commitment of our teams. We believe our strong portfolio, growing digital presence, and disciplined approach to growth position us well to capitalize on emerging opportunities and create long-term value for all stakeholders.”

Network18 reported approximately 330 million monthly users across its digital properties. Its YouTube properties recorded more than 15 billion video views during the quarter, up 17% year-on-year, while combined video consumption across YouTube and Facebook increased 30%. Its total social media following crossed 470 million.

Connected TV engagement grew 27% year-on-year. Moneycontrol Pro maintained a paid subscriber base of more than one million users, while Moneycontrol recorded more than three times the page views and time spent of its nearest competitor.

News18.com reported a 7% sequential increase in unique users. Its hyperlocal platform, Local18, contributed nearly a quarter of the website’s overall traffic.

Firstpost’s main YouTube channel was approaching 10 million subscribers, while its wider social media ecosystem generated more than 700 million views during the quarter. Its subscriber base across platforms reached 21.5 million.

Network18 said the television ratings blackout had continued for more than six months for news channels and over three months for other television genres. Before the suspension, its portfolio of 20 news channels had an all-India viewership share of 13.8% and a monthly reach of approximately 230 million viewers, 35% higher than its nearest competitor.

According to the last available television ratings, CNBC-TV18 held a 63.3% share in business news, News18 India had a 12.8% share in Hindi news, and CNN-News18 commanded a 36% share in English news.