Zee Media signals a strategic shift with a focus on integrating digital distribution alongside traditional broadcast television, aiming for sustained audience growth amidst evolving consumption habits.
Zee Media has opened the 2026-27 financial year with a sharper tone in its earnings and a clearer message from chief executive Raktim Das: the future of the business will be built around digital distribution as much as broadcast television.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the broadcaster reported operating revenue of Rs 190.85 crore, up 4.7% from a year earlier and about 21% higher than the previous quarter, according to the company. Operating expenses came in at Rs 174.59 crore, leaving earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of Rs 16.26 crore. That marked a swing from an operating loss of Rs 11 crore in the previous quarter, while net losses narrowed to Rs 12 crore from Rs 26 crore.
Das said in an interview with Zee Business that the company now views television and digital as part of one business rather than separate revenue streams. He said content must be adapted for different platforms and that the company needs to stay present across multiple audience touchpoints. The comments fit a wider message he has been pressing since taking charge: legacy media firms cannot simply tweak old models and expect to keep pace with changing viewing habits.
That stance mirrors remarks Das made at e4m TechManch 2026, where he argued that media businesses must be rebuilt for an omni-channel environment in which news is produced for television, mobile and social platforms at the same time. Industry reporting on his appointment in November 2025 shows he brought more than two decades of experience across major Indian media groups, including TV9 Network, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Network18, India Today and The Times of India, with a background in digital growth and monetisation.
The latest quarter suggests Zee Media is beginning to show some financial traction as it leans harder into that strategy, though the business remains loss-making. The broader test for Das will be whether the company can turn its integrated content approach into steadier audience growth and a more durable earnings base in a market where younger viewers are increasingly consuming news on phones rather than on television.
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