Mumbai: Network18 Media & Investments Limited has reported a resilient performance for the first quarter of FY2026-27, with consolidated operating revenue rising 10.3% year-on-year to ₹516 crore despite geopolitical uncertainties, a soft macroeconomic environment and challenges arising from the ratings blackout.
The company announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, marking its fourth consecutive quarter of growth. Network18 said its diversified portfolio, strong market positions and digital leadership helped it maintain momentum during a challenging period.
Advertising revenue remained a key growth driver during the quarter, supported by strong performance during multiple state elections. The company said its advertising inventory consumption grew 10% year-on-year, compared with 3% growth for the overall industry, highlighting its strong position across markets.
While industry advertising growth was largely driven by government spending, with non-government advertising volumes declining by 10%, Network18 said its non-government ad inventory consumption grew by around 2%, supported by its diversified portfolio across news, digital and financial information platforms.
Network18 reported consolidated operating expenses of ₹509 crore during Q1FY27, up 9.7% year-on-year, while consolidated operating EBITDA stood at ₹8 crore compared with ₹4 crore in the same quarter last year. EBITDA margin stood at 1.5%.
The company said the increase in operating costs was primarily due to the annual increments cycle being completed in the first quarter this year compared to the second quarter in the previous year. Other operating costs remained moderate, while EBITDA was impacted by higher employee costs.
Network18 continued to maintain its leadership position in digital news, reaching over 350 million monthly users across its digital ecosystem, according to Comscore Total Digital Population Report, May 2026. The company’s digital portfolio includes Moneycontrol, News18, Firstpost and CNBC-TV18.
The network recorded more than 32 billion views across social platforms during the quarter, representing a 31% sequential increase, while its social media footprint crossed 472 million followers. Network18 also maintained its position as India’s largest news network on YouTube, generating more than 1.5 times the video views of its nearest competitor, according to Playboard and Social Blade data for April-June 2026.
During the state election results, News18 India, CNN-News18 and News18 Bangla recorded the highest peak concurrencies and average live concurrent viewership in their respective markets. Fifteen Network18 channels ranked number one in their categories during June 2026, including CNBC Awaaz, Moneycontrol and several Hindi and regional news brands.
Moneycontrol continued to strengthen its position as India’s leading financial intelligence platform, with strong engagement metrics and growth in its fintech business. The platform recorded more than three times the time spent and twice the page views compared with its nearest competitor. Moneycontrol Pro maintained its position as India’s largest digital news subscription platform with over one million paid subscribers.
The platform also expanded its secured lending partner network during the quarter, adding names including Muthoot Finance, Muthoot Fincorp, Rupeek and DSP Finance, supporting growth across Gold Loans and Loan Against Mutual Funds (LAMF) offerings.
News18.com recorded an 8% sequential increase in unique users, while engagement improved with average session duration rising by more than 10%. Firstpost continued to expand its global audience, generating over 270 million YouTube video views during the quarter, with more than half of the views originating outside India.
Commenting on the quarterly performance, Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of Network18, said, “The quarter gone by was a mixed one, for us as well as the industry. While on one hand, state elections gave a boost to advertising revenue, the ongoing geopolitical conflict and weak monsoon forecast were dampeners for the macroeconomic mood. Government interventions on the viewership ratings have also been negative for the sentiments of the industry. Despite these developments, we are fully focused on making our products better by ensuring that they serve their consumers effectively, so that when the macro environment improves, we are in the right position to benefit from it.”
