HT Media Limited newspaper revenue rises 8% in September quarter

HT Media Limited reported Rs 385.75 crore of newspaper-segment revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, up 8.2% from Rs 356.53 crore a year earlier, while digital returned to a Rs 61 lakh segment profit and radio’s loss narrowed to Rs 2.10 crore.

How did HT Media’s newspaper business perform in the September quarter?

HT Media’s printing and publishing of newspapers and periodicals segment generated Rs 385.75 crore of revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared with Rs 356.53 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and Rs 376.11 crore in the June 2026 quarter. It was the group’s largest reported segment by revenue, against total segment revenue of Rs 441.78 crore in the September 2026 quarter.

The newspaper segment’s result was Rs 21.84 crore, virtually unchanged from Rs 21.86 crore a year earlier but lower than Rs 36.50 crore in the preceding quarter. Thus, year-on-year revenue increased while the segment result was broadly flat; sequentially, revenue rose by Rs 9.64 crore but the segment result declined by Rs 14.66 crore.

For the six months ended September 30, 2026, newspaper revenue reached Rs 761.86 crore, compared with Rs 679.90 crore in the corresponding period of 2025. The segment result increased to Rs 58.34 crore from Rs 22.66 crore, while segment assets rose to Rs 858.95 crore as of September 30, 2026 from Rs 825.87 crore a year earlier.

What changed in HT Media’s radio and digital segments?

HT Media’s radio broadcast and entertainment segment reported revenue of Rs 24.88 crore in the September 2026 quarter, down from Rs 32.20 crore a year earlier and Rs 31.84 crore in the June 2026 quarter. Its segment loss narrowed to Rs 2.10 crore from Rs 11.15 crore in the prior-year quarter and Rs 8.02 crore in the preceding quarter, although the filing does not separately identify the operating or cost drivers for the change.

For the six months ended September 30, 2026, radio revenue declined to Rs 56.72 crore from Rs 63.20 crore in the comparable prior-year period. The six-month segment loss narrowed to Rs 10.12 crore from Rs 25.22 crore, while radio segment assets fell to Rs 146.35 crore from Rs 264.34 crore at September 30, 2025.

HT Media’s digital segment reported a Rs 61 lakh profit in the September 2026 quarter, reversing a Rs 1.33 crore loss in the September 2025 quarter and a Rs 3.39 crore loss in the June 2026 quarter. Digital revenue was Rs 28.23 crore, lower than Rs 40.25 crore a year earlier but above Rs 27.39 crore in the preceding quarter.

Digital remained loss-making over the first six months of fiscal 2027, with a segment loss of Rs 2.78 crore compared with a Rs 4.47 crore loss a year earlier. Six-month digital revenue fell to Rs 55.62 crore from Rs 78.34 crore, and digital segment assets decreased to Rs 11.47 crore at September 30, 2026 from Rs 24.25 crore a year before.

How did segment performance affect HT Media’s continuing operations?

HT Media reported total segment revenue of Rs 441.78 crore for the September 2026 quarter, up from Rs 431.25 crore in the prior-year quarter. After inter-segment revenue of Rs 19 lakh, net revenue from continuing operations was Rs 441.59 crore, compared with Rs 430.86 crore a year earlier.

The combined segment result turned to a Rs 7.98 crore profit from a Rs 2.18 crore loss in the September 2025 quarter. The newspaper segment contributed Rs 21.84 crore, radio lost Rs 2.10 crore, digital made Rs 61 lakh, and unallocated activities recorded a Rs 12.37 crore loss.

For the six months ended September 30, 2026, total segment revenue rose to Rs 879.34 crore from Rs 825.27 crore, while net revenue from continuing operations increased to Rs 878.89 crore from Rs 824.62 crore. The combined segment result was a Rs 18.71 crore profit, compared with a Rs 36.91 crore loss in the corresponding six months of 2025.

Profit before tax from continuing operations was Rs 54.38 crore in the September 2026 quarter, versus Rs 28.88 crore a year earlier. The reconciliation included Rs 60.12 crore of other income and Rs 13.72 crore of finance cost, compared with Rs 46.90 crore and Rs 15.45 crore respectively in the prior-year quarter; the current quarter had no exceptional item.

What do HT Media’s assets and liabilities show?

HT Media’s consolidated total assets stood at Rs 3,888.96 crore at September 30, 2026, down from Rs 3,969.18 crore at March 31, 2026 and Rs 4,007.61 crore a year earlier. Reportable segment assets totalled Rs 1,016.77 crore, comprising Rs 858.95 crore for newspaper publishing, Rs 146.35 crore for radio and Rs 11.47 crore for digital, while unallocated assets were Rs 2,872.19 crore.

Total liabilities were Rs 1,775.37 crore at September 30, 2026, compared with Rs 1,960.21 crore at March 31, 2026 and Rs 1,970.95 crore a year earlier. Current borrowings declined to Rs 582.86 crore from Rs 661.66 crore at March 31, 2026, while commercial papers outstanding at face value were Rs 300 crore on September 30, 2026.

The filing states that unallocated assets and liabilities include discontinued operations. It also says that unallocated figures relate to activities not meeting the criteria for reportable segments under Indian Accounting Standard 108, Operating Segments, and that goods and services tax balances were classified under the unallocated segment, with September 2025 comparatives reclassified for comparability.

Conclusion

HT Media’s September 2026 segment disclosure shows that newspaper publishing remained the principal revenue contributor, with quarterly revenue rising to Rs 385.75 crore. Radio reduced its quarterly loss despite lower revenue, while digital returned to a quarterly segment profit, helping combined segment results move from a loss in the prior-year quarter to a Rs 7.98 crore profit.

The disclosed matter to watch is the August 20, 2026 preferential warrant allotment of 3,87,87,137 warrants at Rs 24.57 each, aggregating to Rs 95.30 crore. Warrant holders must pay the remaining 75% of the issue price to subscribe for equity shares under the stated terms.