Cable TV
Nimbus signs on Geo for Pakistan, ARY for Europe & StarHub for Singapore
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: It’s match on in Nagpur for the first Test between Indian and England and the deals are still being done. India cricket rights holder Nimbus has just signed four-year broadcast deals for the Europe region and the Pakistan and Bangladesh territories with ARY Digital and Pakistan’s Geo TV respectively. It has also locked in the Pay TV rights for the territory of Singapore with StarHub.
While the Europe deal is exclusively with ARY Digital, an agreement has also been signed with ARY for the UK territory for cricket feeds with Urdu and Hindi commentary. Sky Broadcasting has exclusive rights for the two England series that come in the four year rights package, one of which is presently on.
Nimbus has also signed on Geo TV, affiliate of Pakistan’s largest media conglomerate Jang Group, for the Pakistan and Bangladesh territories. The deal is worth $ 11 million. Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that the contract terms were finalised in Mumbai today.
Commenting on the three new deals, Nimbus Sport CEO Digvijay Singh said, “The global appeal of Indian cricket is further demonstrated by the growing family of international licensees. In the days to come we shall announce more licensing deals such that eventually every continent on earth shall have the ability to view the TV pictures of international cricket in India.”
For Geo TV, the “BIG ONE” will be Pakistan’s tour to India next year. It is pertinent to note that the four-year package that Nimbus has rights to (2006 to 2010) includes only one tour by Pakistan to India.
The Nimbus-ARY deal, reached Tuesday night, will enable ARY Digital to broadcast exclusively in Europe to a sizeable cricket-loving people in places like Italy and Germany. ARY Digital broadcasts through the Hotbird for the Europe region.
For the ongoing India-England cricket series, ARY Digital is likely to do with English commentary for some of the matches, but will go full steam for other series.
The Dubai-based broadcaster, which had originally bid over $ 50 million for the combined UK, Middle East and Pakistan territories, is said to be in the process of putting together a team for the Urdu and Hindi commentary for the UK market, sources familiar with the developments said.
For Geo TV, meanwhile, the strategy for the Bangladesh territory is not clear as yet since Geo has no deals or tie-ups in place with any Bangladeshi broadcaster, informed sources told Indiantelevision.com.
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.
