DB Corp Q1 FY26 ad revenue down 7% YoY on high FY25 election base; rises 3.5% QoQ

New Delhi: DB Corp’s print business recorded a 7.8% year-on-year (YoY) decline in ad revenue, dropping to Rs 358.9 crore in Q1 FY2026. 

However, it showed sequential improvement, rising 3.5% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) from Rs 346.7 crore in Q4 FY2025.

DB Corp said that the decline in ad revenue was primarily due to a high base effect from election-driven ad spends in Q1 FY25.

DB Corp’s circulation revenue marginally increased by 1% YoY to Rs 120.3 crore from Rs 119.2 crore.

DB Corp reported a 31.5% year-on-year (YoY) decline in net profit to Rs 80.8 crore from Rs 117.9 crore in Q1 FY25, and a 4.7% YoY drop in total revenue to Rs 587.2 crore from Rs 616.3 crore.

Its EBITDA fell 27.5% YoY to Rs 138.4 crore from Rs 190.9 crore. However, sequentially, DB Corp’s EBITDA rose 36.1% from Rs 101.7 crore in Q4 FY25. 

The conglomerate registered a CAGR growth of 13% in the advertisement revenue in the last 3 years. According to the BSE filings, the publication’s ad revenue saw an uptick from Rs 1182.7 crore in FY22 to Rs 1689.9 crore in FY25. 

Print EBITDA margins expanded by 800 basis points QoQ to 31%, with EBITDA rising 45% QoQ to Rs 164.7 crore.

When it comes to the radio business, its ad revenue grew 1.2% YoY to Rs 39.2 crore, while EBITDA dropped 13.1% to Rs 11.5 crore from Rs 13.2 crore.

The company also highlighted the newsprint prices softening by 1%. “Newsprint prices continued to remain soft in Q1FY26, with our average cost declining to Rs 47,100 per metric tonne, compared to Rs 47,400 per metric tonne in Q4 FY25, a QoQ reduction of 1%. 

As anticipated, global newsprint prices remained stable/lowered in dollar terms and are expected to stay benign over the next few quarters, subject to exchange rate fluctuations,” the company noted. 

Commenting on the performance for Q1FY26, Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp, said, “Despite a high base effect from last year’s general elections, which had driven a temporary surge in advertising revenues, our core performance remained steady, supported by stable advertising trends, soft newsprint prices, and disciplined cost structures. Our digital business continues to scale rapidly, with Monthly Active Users reaching the 22 million mark this quarter.”