News Broadcasting
FremantleMedia promotes Olivier Gers
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW), the licensing division of FremantleMedia announced the promotion of Olivier Gers to FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas executive vice president, as part of the continuing evolution of its ancillary rights business in the US.
In this newly created position, Gers will be responsible for all ancillary rights activities for the Americas (including North America and Latin America) including interactive, consumer products, telephony, live entertainment and sponsorship. Gers was promoted to this position from his current role of senior vice president, licensing and will continue to report to FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide CEO Simon Spalding.
Spalding said, “This is an extremely exciting time for us in the US and Olivier’s promotion marks the growing importance of this market for the division and the further opportunities offered by the broader territory. Olivier has made a significant impact on the growth of the business and I am confident that, with his great talent and experience, he and his team will be able to build upon FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide’s existing reputation and success and further strengthen our position as leading ancillary rights experts in the region.”
Prior to joining FremantleMedia, Gers founded and led two different start-ups. The first, Odaddy.Com, was a website that put parenting in ‘guy-speak’ and provided the first ever online community for fathers. Gers also founded and set up Fulcrum Group, a consultancy offering opportunity assessment, strategic repositioning and interim management services to overseas companies looking to increase their presence in North America. Among his clients were BBC Worldwide Americas, Broadway Video and the French online sports venture, Sport4fun SA.
From 1995 to 2000 Gers served as Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Manager for the internet, entertainment and novelty divisions of Golden Books Family Entertainment. Under his direction these divisions became the company’s most profitable business areas, generating more than $50 million in revenue.
In addition, Gers revitalised some of the company’s most popular yet under-utilised properties, including Pat the Bunny and Poky Little Puppy, by beefing up merchandising, licensing, video and music.
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.
