News Broadcasting
WRC motor action premieres on AXN
MUMBAI: Vroom vroom must the theme music at AXN these day. Starting today, 22 January 2004, the channel will flag off the action with the preview show ofThe World Rally Championship.
The preview show for the action from the terrains in Mexico will be held on 22 January at 9:30, while the first race, debut at Monte Carlo, will premier on 30 January 2004 at 9 pm.
The edge of the seat, pacy and action packed entertainment, the 2004 World Rally Championship marks AXN foray into the genre of lifestyle sports.
The WRC race, unlike most other races, does not lay emphasis on who crosses the finish line. Drivers start off at one or two minute interval and are timed on a fixed route. The team that takes the least amount of time to finish the various stages of the competition wins, informs a company release.
The World Rally Championship, this year, spans across 12 exotic locations from the open roads of Spain to the hills of Argentina. The drivers will navigate through asphalt, gravel, snow, and mud. Besides getting and exclusive telecast for its viewers, the channel plans to offer in-depth information on the cars, as well as profiles on every team and driver.
The cars making apearance in the race range from the Subaru Impreza to the Ford Focus RS to the Citroen Xsara. Manufactured in all different parts of the world, they are souped up with the latest automotive gadgets for maximum power. The profiles of WRC models hitting the tracks this year, include cars are put together by sophisticated engineering and state-of-the-art technology, 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.
