However, the company’s revenue from operations declined 14% to Rs 1,825 crore, down from Rs 2,130 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.
The profit after tax (PAT) attributable to shareholders declined 24% sequentially, down from Rs 188 crore in Q4FY25.
Meanwhile, revenue also saw a 16% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) drop, falling from Rs 2,184 crore in the January–March quarter of FY25.
Zee shares fell over 4% following the Q1 results announcement, hitting the day’s low of Rs 135.66 on NSE.
Segment revenue
The drop in overall revenue was triggered by a significant YoY and QoQ drop in revenue from its ‘Other sales and services’ segment. — Advertisement revenue: The company earned Rs 758 crore in Q1FY26 versus Rs 837 crore in Q4FY25 and Rs 911 crore in Q1FY25.
— Subscription revenue: The company earned Rs 982 crore in Q1FY26 versus Rs 986 crore in Q4FY25 and Rs 987 crore in Q1FY25
— Other sales and services: The company earned Rs 85 crore in Q1FY26 versus Rs 360 crore in Q4FY25 and Rs 232 crore in Q1FY25.
The company managed to post double-digit YoY profit growth by reducing its expenses during the quarter under review. It spent Rs 1,653 crore in Q1FY26, compared to Rs 1,941 crore in the same period last year — a 15% decline. In the January–March quarter, expenses stood at Rs 1,958 crore.
The expenses were incurred under categories such as operational costs, employee benefits, and finance costs, among others.
