News Broadcasting
World Snooker signs five year deal with BBC
MUMBAI: World Snooker has announced a new deal which will keep the sport on UK pubcaster BBC Television until May 2011.
The BBC will continue to screen full coverage of four major tournaments – currently the Grand Prix, the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship – for the next five years. The BBC states that snooker is among the most popular television sports. Viewing figures for the World Championship final in May between Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens peaked at 7.8 million.
World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker said, “In an era when many sports are turning to satellite networks for coverage, we are very pleased to be keeping snooker on terrestrial television until at least 2011. This is excellent news for the many millions of snooker fans in Britain. The new deal is also very positive news for our players and for the sport as a whole. The BBC and their production company TWI have set exceptional standards in the way they have broadcast snooker and this has been a key factor behind the sport’s enduring appeal to the public. “
BBC head of general sports Barbara Slater said: “Snooker continues to be one of the most popular televised sports and we’re delighted it’s going to continue on the BBC. Snooker has been pioneering in terms of offering new technology, particularly with the introduction of interactive and broadband rights.
Snooker world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan said, “I know how many people watch snooker on the BBC so it great news for them that they can keep watching us. I can’t imagine the big tournaments being televised on any channel other than BBC.”
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.
