Zee Entertainment's ad revenue drops 16.7% YoY in Q1 FY26
Zee Entertainment's subscription revenue saw a marginal dip in the June quarter--from Rs 987 crore (Q1 FY25) to Rs 982 crore in Q1 FY26.
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Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Tuesday announced its first-quarter earnings for the fiscal year 2026. The media company posted a 21.7% increase in profit in Q1 FY26, while the advertisement revenue saw a slump of 16.7% year-on-year. The drop marks a nearly 17% year-on-year decline and a 9.4% quarter-on-quarter decline.
According to the BSE filing, ZEEL's profit increased from Rs 118 crore in Q1 FY25 to Rs 143.7 crore in Q1 FY26, with EBITDA of Rs 228 crore.
The ad revenue of the company declined to Rs 758.5 crore in the quarter ended on June 30, 2025, compared to Rs 911 crore in the same duration last fiscal. The domestic advertising revenue declined by 19% YoY. ZEEL attributed the decline to the extended sports calendar and the slowdown in FMCG spending. The entertainment firm has expected the advertising environment to remain soft, but a healthy monsoon and festive pick-up could be the revenue booster.
Subscription revenue saw a marginal dip in the June quarter--from Rs 987 crore (Q1 FY25) to Rs 982 crore in Q1 FY26. "Increase in digital subscription revenue was offset by decline in linear subscription revenue due to fall in PayTV subscribers," ZEEL stated.
On the international front, Zee Entertainment's advertising revenue stood at Rs 56 crore, subscription revenue at Rs 88.6 crore, and other sales and services at Rs 23 crore in Q1 FY26.
Overall, the total income of ZEEL stood at Rs 1,849.8 crore in Q1 FY26--a drop of 14% year-on-year (Rs 2,149.5 crore).
ZEEL also made a major cut in its expenses in the April-June quarter FY2026 versus corresponding quarter last fiscal year. The media company's expenses declined from Rs 1,941 crore in Q1 FY25 to Rs 1,652 crore in Q1 FY26.
The advertisement and publicity expenses of ZEEL plunged to Rs 275 crore compared to Rs 289 crore in Q1 FY25.
Streaming platform ZEE5 clocked a revenue growth of 30% year-on-year to Rs 290 crore in Q1 FY26, with an EBITDA loss of Rs 65 crore.
In Q1 FY25, ZEE5 clocked a revenue of Rs 274 crore and an EBITDA loss of Rs 75.3 crore
