First post
Firstpost is an Indian digital news platform owned by Network18/Reliance, delivering free multi-vertical news, analysis, video, and live TV to general Indian and global audiences via advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What First post does
Firstpost is an Indian digital news platform founded in 2011 and headquartered in Mumbai, operating as part of Network18 Media and Entertainment, which itself sits within the Reliance Industries conglomerate. The platform serves general Indian and global news audiences with comprehensive coverage across nine primary verticals: World, India, Cricket, Entertainment, Sports, Tech, Business, Health, and Opinion. Beyond core editorial articles, Firstpost operates an extended product ecosystem including dedicated cricket coverage (First Cricket), analysis shows (Vantage), diaspora-focused verticals (Firstpost America, Firstpost Africa), sports programming (First Sports), short-form video (Impact Shorts), visual storytelling (Web Stories), live television streaming (Live TV), and an interactive Games section.
Underlying the editorial layer is a multi-format digital publishing infrastructure delivering text, video, live streaming, web stories, and interactive elements across website and mobile surfaces, supplemented by distribution on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter/X, WhatsApp, and email newsletters. An AI Search feature has been integrated into the site navigation, indicating early-stage deployment of AI-assisted content discovery.
Firstpost generates revenue almost exclusively through digital advertising — banner ads and sponsored content placements on its owned properties. The platform is free to users, requires no registration or subscription, and does not operate a paywall. It does not disclose revenue figures, and no enterprise customers or named advertisers are listed. Leadership includes R Jagannathan as Editor in Chief and a recent CEO departure (Angad Bhatia, April 2026) introduces short-term execution uncertainty, though operations remain active and content publishing continues across all verticals.
First post firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First post
- Legal name
- Firstpost
- Website
- https://firstpost.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Firstpost is an Indian digital news platform owned by Network18/Reliance, delivering free multi-vertical news, analysis, video, and live TV to general Indian and global audiences via advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First post industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online News Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications (MPACAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Content Distribution & Syndication Services (BPAFAIAK)
Keywords
Where First post is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
First post business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digital advertising: Firstpost generates revenue through display advertising on its website and digital properties, including banner ads and sponsored content placements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
First post product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Firstpost is a digital-first news platform that publishes breaking news, in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, explainers, live blogs, web stories, video content, and live TV streams across categories including India, World, Cricket, Entertainment, Sports, Tech, Business, Auto, Health, and Lifestyle. The platform also operates specialized shows (Vantage, Firstpost America, Firstpost Africa, First Sports, Fast and Factual), a dedicated cricket section (First Cricket), short-form videos (Impact Shorts), and a casual games section, all accessible for free to general readers.
Product overview
Firstpost is a comprehensive digital news platform owned by Network18, offering a unified news media ecosystem with a main website/app and multiple specialized sub-products. The core platform delivers breaking news and in-depth coverage across India, World, Cricket, Entertainment, Sports, Tech, Business, Auto, Health, and more. Supporting the main platform are thematic shows including Vantage (analysis), Firstpost America (US/global news), Firstpost Africa (African news), and First Sports (sports coverage), along with specialized sections like First Cricket for cricket-specific content, Impact Shorts for short-form video, Web Stories for visual narratives, Live TV for streaming, and Games for interactive content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Firstpost Website
Companies that use First post
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
First post technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
First post partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Network18 (Parent Company)coreFirstpost is owned by Network18 (Network18 Media and Entertainment Ltd), a major Indian media conglomerate. Creator18 is described as a creator economy venture incubated within Network18. Angad Bhatia served as CEO of Firstpost and Creator18 before departing to launch his own creator fund after securing investor backing.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First post competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NDTV (now NDTV Worldwide / Adani-owned): One of India's leading English-language digital and broadcast news brands covering politics, business, sports, and entertainment. Direct competitor to Firstpost for English-speaking Indian news audiences and digital ad spend.
- India Today Group (IndiaToday.in): India's large multi-platform news group spanning print, TV, and digital with extensive category coverage similar to Firstpost. Competes for the same digital news audience and advertising budgets in India.
- The Hindu Group (TheHindu.com): Major English-language Indian newspaper and digital news publisher with strong opinion and analysis content. Closely comparable to Firstpost's editorial positioning in news, opinion, and explainers.
- Hindustan Times (HT.com): Large English-language Indian news publisher with a strong digital footprint across news, entertainment, and opinion. Competes with Firstpost for the same premium English-speaking news audience in India.
- News18 (Network18 sibling property): Network18's flagship English and Hindi digital news brand, sibling to Firstpost. Shares the same parent, newsroom infrastructure, and ad sales; competes for the same readers and advertisers in the Indian digital news market.
- Republic World (Republic TV digital): English-language Indian digital news outlet known for breaking news, opinion, and analysis. Competes head-to-head with Firstpost for digital news audiences and YouTube-driven video viewership.
- Livemint (HT Media): Business and general news digital property from HT Media covering markets, policy, tech, and lifestyle. Overlaps meaningfully with Firstpost's Business and Tech verticals for premium Indian digital news audiences.
Broad incumbents
- Times of India (TimesOfIndia.com / TOI): India's largest English-language newspaper and one of the highest-traffic digital news properties globally. Operates broadly across news, entertainment, and cricket — directly overlapping Firstpost's verticals but with substantially larger scale.
Emerging players
- Scroll.in: Digital-first Indian news publication focused on explanatory journalism, opinion, and long-form analysis. Comparable to Firstpost's Vantage and Explainers verticals, but with a niche, more reader-focused positioning.
- The Wire: Independent digital news outlet covering Indian politics, policy, and investigative journalism. Comparable in digital-first news positioning and opinion-driven content mix, though smaller in scale than Firstpost.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
First post social profiles
Digital presenceFirst post financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First post leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
First post funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First post M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First post
What does First post do?
Firstpost is a digital-first news platform that publishes breaking news, in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, explainers, live blogs, web stories, video content, and live TV streams across categories including India, World, Cricket, Entertainment, Sports, Tech, Business, Auto, Health, and Lifestyle. The platform also operates specialized shows (Vantage, Firstpost America, Firstpost Africa, First Sports, Fast and Factual), a dedicated cricket section (First Cricket), short-form videos (Impact Shorts), and a casual games section, all accessible for free to general readers.
Is First post a public or private company?
First post is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was First post founded?
First post was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is First post based?
First post is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does First post make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital advertising.
Who are First post's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NDTV (now NDTV Worldwide / Adani-owned), India Today Group (IndiaToday.in), The Hindu Group (TheHindu.com), Hindustan Times (HT.com), News18 (Network18 sibling property), Republic World (Republic TV digital) and Livemint (HT Media). Times of India (TimesOfIndia.com / TOI) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Scroll.in and The Wire.
Does First post have an API?
No public API is recorded for First post.
What industry is First post in?
First post's product category is Online News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAIAG, Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAK, Content Distribution & Syndication Services. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.