Network18 posts 7% revenue growth amid tough ad market

Network18

Network18 Media & Investments Ltd reported a 7 percent rise in standalone operating revenue to Rs 477 crore for the quarter ended September 30 from a year earlier, even as the broader television ad market remained subdued.

The company attributed the growth to stronger pricing yields and steady viewership gains across its national and regional news networks, which offset the 7 percent decline in TV news industry ad inventory during the quarter.

The Network18 board also approved the acquisition of the remaining 50 percent stake in its Marathi joint venture, IBN Lokmat News Pvt. Ltd, for Rs 25 crore, making it a wholly owned subsidiary, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. The channel, which leads the Marathi news market, has delivered strong revenue growth over the past three years and will now be integrated into Network18’s portfolio. Network18 will also leverage the channel's position to consolidate its regional leadership further, it said.

“The acquisition of the balance stake in News18 Lokmat further strengthens our market-leading portfolio of national and regional news channels. Our mission is to be the one-stop news destination for audiences around the country, and this is another step in that direction," said Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman of Network18.

Network18 is also investing heavily in building digital and non-news revenue streams. Moneycontrol’s fintech business continued to gain traction, with a lending partnership announced with India's largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank, at the Global Fintech Festival.

Consumers will be able to get curated personal loan offers from HDFC Bank via the Moneycontrol platform. The platform’s new subscription products, including Moneycontrol Super Pro, have seen strong interest from subscribers.

Creator18, a new vertical focused on influencer and content marketing, has already engaged more than 1,000 creators, expanding the company’s advertising reach into adjacent categories of culture, commerce, and fashion.

Together with Moneycontrol Fintech and Firstpost’s growing global footprint, these ventures represent new levers of growth for Network18.

Chairman Adil Zainulbhai said the company is “well-positioned to benefit from the upside potential” as economic conditions improve. With digital traction strengthening and ad spending expected to recover, the company expects green shoots to translate into stronger performance in the second half of the year.

Network18's television channels maintained leadership in key markets -- CNBC-TV18 in business, News18 India in Hindi, and CNN-News18 in English -- while regional channels such as News18 Lokmat and News18 Bangla helped boost its viewership share.

Moneycontrol continued to build strength, combining sharp news coverage, deep market analysis, and advanced investor tools to deliver industry-leading engagement. The platform had 1.8 times more page views and over three times higher time spent than its closest rival.

Network18’s broader digital ecosystem, spanning Moneycontrol, News18, Firstpost, and CNBCTV18, now reaches 270 million monthly users, covering 62 percent of India’s digital audience. The group also dominated YouTube with over 13 billion video views in the quarter, more than three times that of its nearest competitor.

"Our multi-lingual bouquet of TV and Digital platforms continues to strengthen their positions across markets, putting us in a strong position to benefit from the upside potential of the initiatives recently undertaken by the government to boost consumer demand,” Zainulbhai added.