News Broadcasting
Fifa, TWI working on television programmes
MUMBAI: As part of their 2004 Centennial celebrations, Fifa is working in conjunction with TWI on the production and distribution of a series of television programmes and special features. These highlight the work and development of football’s governing body over the last 100 years.
Two programmes have been produced. One is a four part half hour documentary. It uses four themes to trace the development of the game worldwide: The other comprises of 30 one-minute vignettes called Fifa: 100 years of Timeless Moments. These are available for worldwide distribution on all television platforms. In addition, a further 52 one-minute vignettes will be featured in a regular weekly slot on Futbol Mundial throughout Fifa’s 2004 Centenary year.
In India Futbol Mundial airs on ESPN Star Sports. The first of these features is dedicated to the German goalkeeping legend Sepp Maier.
A company release informs that each part of the documentary series fuses rarely seen footage from the Fifa archive with specialist footage from TWI’s archive. The first of these programmes, The Beautiful Century: 100 Years of Fifa celebrates the growth of football from a popular but fragmented pastime to the sport we know today.
Fifa president Joseph S Blatter added, ” The two products highlight the passion that players and fans have for the game. It gives us immense satisfaction to learn that these programmes have already proved to be highly successful, with television stations on every continent having already signed up to broadcast and distribute both products.”
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.
