News Broadcasting
Ericsson and NRK launch interactive mobile TV
MUMBAI: Ericsson and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) have conducted the world’s first live trial of interactive mobile TV. The trial demonstrates a new way of using mobile TV, which allows mobile phone users to vote, chat and communicate with a television presenter while watching their favorite show – all at the same time on their mobile.
Together, Ericsson and NRK launched a downloadable client for the existing interactive TV format, Svisj. For example, viewers can vote for which music video is to be played next by the touch of a button and may also chat with each other or the host of the program, states an official release.
Gunnar Garfors, director of Mobile Services, NRK Development Division, says: “This is interactivity with a vengeance. We are making it easier for our audiences to view mobile TV and participate in shows, no matter where they are.”
Ericsson Mobility World VP Kurt Sillén says: “Our solution makes it possible for viewers to interact with a show that they are watching on their mobile device in a whole new way, creating a much richer TV experience with the help of the mobile channel.”
The new interactive mobile TV application is an end-to-end solution based on existing technology, which enables mobile phone users to watch streamed TV programs live and at the same time interact with the show, the release adds.
For TV networks, this means increased traffic and new revenues from content fees, additional advertising and paid interactions such as voting, chatting and greetings. This opens the way to new TV formats, widens target groups and builds customer loyalty while giving end-users an advanced and enhanced TV experience.
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.
