News Broadcasting
ARY Digital Network bags Bollywood Awards telecast rights
MUMBAI: ARY Digital Network has bagged the Bollywood Awards and Bollywood Fashion Awards exclusive telecast rights.
The network will be airing the ceremony to be held at the Xanadu in Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on 30 April and 1 May 2004.
This year the event boasts of international stars line up including Hollywood star Sharon Stone along with notable stars from Bollywood including Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Mira Nair, Sanjay Dutt, Kareena Kapoor, Urmilla Matondkar and Bipasha Basu.
In a bid to felicitate Stone’s dedication and support for charitable organizations like Amfar and The Bridge Fund, the organisers will be honouring her with Woman of Conscience Award, says a company release.
With India and Pakistan’s relations at an all time high this year, the Bollywood Awards will be presenting two special awards for excellence in Pakistani Cinema. The ceremony will also feature ace Indian designers Neeta Lulla and Ritu Beri collections. Besides, a Supermodel will also be honoured as International Model of the Year.
ARY Digital Network President and CEO Salman Iqbal says, “We are proud to be a part of these awards, which will further our commitment in providing quality television entertainment to viewers all over the world. Special shows such as these, will complement the popular sitcoms, serials and highly interactive lifestyle and music programs, talk shows, religious programs, and top notch ICC cricketing action on ARY Digital”,
He further says, “As a network which has spanned into over 130 countries globally, we are building bridges for cultural exchange and eliminating geographical distances and boundaries through T.V”.
ARY Digital will also be hosting and telecasting the coveted Bollywood Music Awards in the city of Dubai at the end of this year. This event will bring together over two dozen performances from artists from India, Pakistan and two pop and rock legends from the US and UK, adds the release.
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.
