Asianet News sees profit in digital business
Benefiting from notable revenue expansion and meticulous cost management, AMEL's digital business achieved a positive EBITDA for the inaugural time. Throughout the year, the organization underwent comprehensive business restructuring efforts, centred around augmenting Average Revenue Per User (ARPUs) and fostering favourable unit economics.
Asianet News Media and Entertainment, a prominent figure in the Indian media sector, has achieved a positive EBITDA for its digital business in the financial year 2021-22. With a diverse media presence spanning multiple languages, Asianet News operates through various platforms, including its digital platform (asianetnews.com, indigomusic.com), television channels (Asianet News and Asianet Suvarna News), print publication (Kannada Prabha), and radio channels (Indigo).
Through a combination of substantial revenue growth and effective cost management, the digital arm of AMEL has realized a positive EBITDA for the first time.
Over the past year, the company has undertaken strategic reorganizations across multiple areas of its business, emphasizing the enhancement of Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and the achievement of positive unit economics.
Rajesh Kalra, Executive Chairman of the group, lauded the collective effort of the teams, highlighting their remarkable performance amidst challenging circumstances. He noted, "It has been phenomenal to witness how our teams came together during the most trying times to optimize and grow at a record rate. The determination and discipline that our hands-on leadership team and our immensely talented colleagues have tirelessly demonstrated have resulted in this outstanding performance. I am confident that this is just the start of much greater things to come for the group."
Ruchir Khanna, Chief Operating Officer at Asianet News, commended the collaborative spirit and focus displayed by the teams in a challenging year. "FY-22 was a tough year on multiple fronts. Many of us lost near and dear ones, but the way our teams with complementary skill sets have supported each other and remained focused towards our common goal was heartening to see. Top/bottom line growth is only a reflection of a healthy ecosystem that we have been able to form in the last year. We will continue to pull on our P&L levers in the coming year, and launch several new products that will drive our audience reach, engagement and retention," he said.
Samarth Sharma, Chief Business Officer, reflecting on this accomplishment, noted that the previous fiscal year presented multifaceted challenges. "The last FY posed several challenges at both personal and professional levels. The synergies drawn from the adversity that the teams witnessed last year have translated into our digital business delivering record revenue There have been several innovative revenue initiatives from our teams across the globe that contributed to this success and we’d like to thank our client, agency, data and intelligence partners for showing faith in us in our journey," he said.
Beyond fortifying its regional presence across India, Asianet News has also made substantial investments in English and Hindi segments, further expanding its influence on a national scale.