Zee Media Q4 loss widens to Rs 36.76 crore, FY25 loss nears Rs 120 crore

New Delhi: Zee Media reported widening of its consolidated net loss to Rs 36.76 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 2025.

The company had posted a net loss of Rs 6.51 crore during the January-March period of the previous fiscal, according to a regulatory filing from Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL).

Revenue from operations was down 13 per cent to Rs 155.80 crore in March quarter. Total expenses were at Rs 200.21 crore, up 6.4 per cent from the year-ago period.

In the quarter, ZMCL's advertising revenue was down 13.5 per cent to Rs 145.44 crore. Its subscription revenue was also down 6.9 per cent to Rs 10 crore.

Total income of Zee Media, which includes other income, was also down 16.8 per cent to Rs 161.72 crore.

In FY25, ZMCL's loss widened to Rs 119.42 crore from Rs 98.43 crore a year ago. Total consolidated income was at Rs 632.97 crore, down 4.53 per cent.

Declining trend

Zee Media continues to decline significantly for three years in a row. For the fiscal year ending March 2023, its consolidated revenues plunged by over 21% and the company went back into the red after two consecutive years of profitability.

Annual revenue dropped to Rs 516.93 crore in FY23 from rs 654.88 crore in FY22, a sharp decline of 21%.

The company’s net profit also turned negative, with Zee Media posting a loss of Rs 44.99 crore in FY23, in stark contrast to the Rs 83.55 crore profit it had recorded in the previous financial year. 

This marked a reversal of the recovery trajectory the company had charted between FY2021 and FY2022.

Operating margins shrank drastically, with operating profit margin slipping from 32.62% in FY22 to just 8.68% in FY23. Net profit margin dropped from 12.76% to -8.70% during the same period, signalling a significant erosion of profitability.

Zee Media had made a recovery in FY21 with a profit of Rs 59.14 crore, following a massive Rs 288.51 crore loss in FY20. However, the FY23 performance indicates renewed financial stress. The company also recorded a pre-tax loss of Rs 44.69 crore in FY23, compared to a pre-tax profit of Rs 109.47 crore the year before.

ZMCL is one of the leading news networks in India. Formerly known as Zee News Ltd, it operates a cluster of 20 TV news channels.

Shares of ZMCL on Monday settled at Rs 14.38 apiece on BSE, up 2.93 per cent from the previous close.