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Oz-SA batting blitz ODI gets ESPN high eyeballs
NEW DELHI: The epic one day international between South Africa and Australia, which saw eight records tumble during the record run chase by the Proteas, registered a very impressive TVR of 3.1 in India on 12 March, 2006.
Sports broadcaster ESPN garnered highest channel share of 16.5 pr cent during South Africa’s historic run chase against the world Champion. ESPN Star Sports is broadcasting Australia’s tour of South Africa covering the five one day internationals and three test series between the two cricketing giants.
ESPN’s share was almost thrice than the next competing channel Star Plus during the time 1743 -2203 hrs on 12 March. Star Plus garnered 6.1 pr cent, Zee Cinema 4.9 per cent, Sony 3.2 per cent and DD National 2.7 per cent during the time period, an official statement from ESS said today, basing it on TAM figures (Males, 15+, SEC ABC all-India).
The simulcast of India-England Test match on the same day garnered a rating of 3.1 (DD1) and 1.8 (Sahara One).
And it’s not just once-in-a-lifetime matches like the one witnessed in Johanesburg that are getting in the viewer numbers, according to ESPN. Non-India cricket ratings have been on a rise, the channel claims. ESPN’s channel share surged ahead of all satellite channels during the victorious run chase of Bangladesh against Australia on 18 June, 2005, the statement avers.
ESPN registered a channel share of 8.1 which was way ahead of other channels including Star Plus (6.9), Sony (5.7) and Zee TV (4.6).
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
