News Broadcasting
Dic Entertainment & Thomopoulos Productions form JV
MUMBAI: DIC Entertainment and Thomopoulos Productions have joined forces to launch Promise Media Productions, a new venture focused on developing, marketing and distributing properties for children and families under the positive value-based Promise Media brand for both the faith-based and secular markets.
The announcement was made by Thomopoulos Productions president Tony Thomopoulos and DIC Entertainment chairman and CEO Andy Heyward.
Promise Media Productions will develop original live-action and animated Promise Media-branded content, as well as acquire properties with strong brand recognition for distribution across film, television, home entertainment, new media and consumer products platforms. In addition to developing comprehensive licensing and merchandising campaigns, it will build an online community to reach an audience interested in positive value entertainment that will serve as an information and entertainment destination.
The Promise Media-branded content will incorporate virtues such as faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance to create product that ranges from an animated version of Black Beauty to a classic remake of Ben Hur and an original live-action theatrical production Angel Flight For Life. The programming will avoid all gratuitous sex and violence and will offer parents a safe environment to entertain and inform their children.
“The multi-billion dollar market for positive values entertainment continues to rapidly grow, and Andy and I recognised a tremendous opportunity in this underserved marketplace to create and deliver high-quality product that resonates with faith-based values. DIC has built a solid reputation in the brand management of family and children’s properties, and I look forward to working with Andy and his team to develop unique entertaining and inspirational family fare,” said Thomopoulous.
“We know there is a vast demand for content that showcases positive values and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, and we plan to apply our entertainment and consumer products’ expertise to promote positive values for kids. Tony is a respected industry veteran whose patina of quality and stature of his career is unparalleled, and we plan to set the gold standard in this market with the Promise Media label,” added Heyward.
Promise Media Productions is currently forming an Advisory Board which will comprise leading media experts and educators who can develop program guidelines that ensure positive values are incorporated into the content. The board will include clinical psychologist, author and leadership consultant, Dr. Henry Cloud.
Promise Media Productions is currently in development on a slate of animated and live-action projects for theatrical, home entertainment and television. By returning to the literary roots of Lew Wallace’s original novel, Ben-Hur, A Tale of the Christ is an animated film that revitalises the classic story of one man’s journey from loss and betrayal to forgiveness and salvation.
Angel, Flight for Life is a feature film based on a true story of how a loving father, restricted by his financial limitations and reeling from a devastating loss, must rely on the generosity and ingenuity of his small town community to provide the miracle that will save his gravely ill daughter and renew his faith.
The live-action children’s DVD series, Zakland, produced in association with Jay Silverman Productions, showcases the multi-talented Zak Norman, an award winning musical performer and writer. Zakland entertains, inspires and encourages young viewers to explore the world through the magic of their imaginations.
Based on the illustrated children’s book, Sophie and Sam, by Tori Cloud and rooted in the principles of the bestselling book, Boundaries, by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, The Animated Adventures of Sophie and Sam delivers fun, often comical, lessons on how to set and keep boundaries.
The Jammies of Harmonyville, a television series produced in association with Believe Entertainment, is an innovative series that utilizes original music and CGI animation to teach valuable life lessons while introducing young audiences to a wide range of musical style.
The animated comedy adventure, Noah’s Hope, stars Noah, a hip, nineteen-year-old scientist, and his animal friends, who are concerned about environmental issues such as global warming, deforestation, pollution, etc.
Black Beauty, an animated version of Anna Sewell’s classic novel, encompasses its universal and timeless message that all animals deserve to be treated with consideration and respect.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
