NDTV's revenue improves further in third quarter

NDTV's revenue improves further in third quarter

BENGALURU: Though New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) reported lower year-on-year (y-o-y) numbers across all important parameters in the quarter ended 31 December 2017 (Q3-17, current quarter), the company’s quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) numbers have improved further. NDTV’s consolidated Total Income from Operations (TIO, revenue) in the current quarter declined 10.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 132.20 crore from Rs 148.41 crore, but increased 7.2 percent q-o-q from Rs 123.31 crore.  The company’s Q2-17 revenue numbers were better than those in Q1-17.

However, net loss in Q3-17 was higher both y-o-y and q-o-q. NDTV reported loss of Rs 18.49 crore in Q3-16; Rs 12.54 crore in Q3-16; and Rs 17.22 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q2-17.

NDTV had negative EBIDTA (operating loss) of Rs 6.67 crore in the current quarter; negative EBIDTA of Rs 4.45 crore in Q2-16; negative EBIDTA of Rs 3.64 crore in Q2-17.

Segment numbers

NDTV’s Television Media and related operations (Television) segment reported 12.4 percent y-o-y decline in revenue in Q3-17 at Rs 129,53 crore from Rs 147.86 crore but 7 percent more y-o-y as compared to Rs 121.03 crore. The segment’s operating loss has been mentioned above.

Television segment reported higher loss at Rs 7.39 crore in the current quarter; Rs 3.44 crore in Q3-16 and Rs 3.94 crore for Q2-17, current quarter. as compared to the operating loss of Rs 8.41 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous year (y-o-y).

NDTV’s Retail/eCommerce (eCommerce) segment reported 2.3 percent y-o-y decline in revenue at Rs 3.76 crore from Rs 3.85 crore, but 17.5 percent q-o-q increase from Rs 3.20 crore in Q2-17.  The eCommerce segment reported lower y-o-y operating loss in Q3-17 at Rs 4.29 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 6.50 crore in Q3-16, and lower q-o-q than the Rs 4.98 crore in Q2-17.

Let us look at the other numbers reported by NDTV

Total Expenditure (TE) in the current quarter declined 9.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 144.92 crore (109.6 percent of TIO)  from Rs 159.89 crore (107.7 percent of TIO) but was 7.5 percent more  q-o-q than Rs 134.84 crore (109.4 percent of TIO).

NDTV’s consolidated Production Expense (PE) reduced 5.8 percent y-o-y in Q3-17 to Rs 30.54 crore (23.1 percent of TIO) from Rs 32.43 crore (21.8 percent of TIO), but increased 3.1 percent q-o-q from Rs 28.62 crore (23.2 percent of TIO).

The company’s Marketing, distribution and promotional expense (Marketing expense) in the current quarter reduced 35 percent y-o-y to Rs 22.44 crore (17 percent of TIO) from Rs 34.50 crore (23.2 percent of TIO) but increased 14.1 percent q-o-q from Rs 19.67 crore (16 percent of TIO).

NDTV’s Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) in Q3-17 increased 8.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 54.85 crore (41.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 50.72 crore (34.2 percent of TIO) and increased 21.4 percent from Rs 45.19 crore (36.6 percent of TIO).

Operating and administration expenses (Admin expenses) in Q3-17 reduced 8.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 31.76 crore (24 percent of TIO) from Rs 34.60 crore (23.3 percent of TIO) and reduced 8.5 percent q-o-q from Rs 34.71 crore (28.1 percent of TIO).

Finance Costs in the current year increased 4.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 5.52 crore (4.2 percent of TIO) from Rs 5.29 crore (3.6 percent of TIO) and declined 16.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 6.63 crore (5.4 percent of TIO).

NDTV’s Digital Business: www.ndtv.com

The company says that Ndtv.com posted strong results with an EBITDA profit of Rs 7 crore vs 2 crore in the previous year, driven by revenues which grew by 25 percent y-o-y.

NDTV’s Ecommerce Business: www.Gadgets360.com

NDTV says that Gadgets 360 becomes profitable in third quarter after a break-even second quarter and posted a PAT of Rs. 73 lacs in Q3-17

The total GMV Moved (marketplace e-commerce + Affiliate) since April 2016 – was Rs.100 crore

NDTV claims that Gadgets 360 is now ranked among top 20 technology news websites in the world.

Note: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee - Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

(2) The numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.