News Broadcasting
ABC in mobile content deal with Proteus
MUMBAI: US broadcaster ABC has entered into an agreement with mobile content provider Proteus. The deal will allow viewers to personalise their mobile phones with premium content.
Content on offer will be the action packed Alias the soaps One Life to Live, All My Children and General Hospital and the late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live.
ABC senior VP business development Bruce Gersh was quoted by media reports as saying, “We are very excited to offer our viewers the ability to customise their mobile phones with assets from their favourite ABC shows. The new suite of ABC mobile products that we are developing with Proteus will provide innovative ways to deliver show-related mobile content.”The content offering initially includes ringtones, graphics and premium text messaging applications.
Viewers will be able to browse, preview and order content that goes directly to their mobile phone via a web based storefront promoted directly on ABC.com.
Moving forward, ABC and Proteus will work together to provide advanced downloadable content, including trivia games, chat applications and video clips.
The mobile content is presently available online at abc.com/mobile for the widest possible selection of devices across the leading U.S. mobile carriers, and will also be available for ordering via ABC’s text messaging short code, 22288 (ABCTV), creating the potential for on-air, print and other promotional methods.
Proteus CEO Ken Krushel said, “Through our partnership, ABC is able to quickly deliver a broad range of content directly to fans of ABC shows, creating a new revenue opportunity and furthering audience loyalty. More and more consumers are downloading content using their mobile phones, and we are thrilled that ABC has partnered with Proteus on this ambitious and innovative mobile content initiative.”
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.
