News Broadcasting
16 teams for World Cup 2007, final format to be agreed
MUMBAI: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will feature 16 teams but the final format for the event is still to be agreed after the ICC Board discussed the issue in Barbados on Thursday.
While the board agreed to expand the tournament to 16 teams (from the 14-team format at this year’s event) divided into four groups of four, there was no consensus on the most effective format for the tournament beyond the group stage and the meeting considered the request from its commercial partner, Global Cricket Corporation to play more games than the originally proposed 42 matches.
An increase in the number of games would probably benefit Sony Entertainment Television India, which has the cable and satellite broadcast rights for the subcontinent.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said, “The Board decided that expanding the tournament to 16 teams was an appropriate step but wanted to further investigate the best structure for the tournament beyond the group stage before making a final decision on format.”
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said, “The Board decided that expanding the tournament to 16 teams was an appropriate step but wanted to further investigate the best structure for the tournament beyond the group stage before making a final decision on format.”
“Given the complex logistical associated with holding this event in the West Indies, there needs to be a further analysis of the impact of these formats,” Speed said.
ICC refuses to relent on money withheld to BCCI
No money currently withheld by the ICC to deal with the claim for compensation by Global Cricket Corporation will be returned to countries until a series of strict conditions are met the ICC has announced.
These conditions will include:
The ICC’s independent auditors and lawyers agreeing that the release of any money is a prudent and appropriate action;
The independent advisors agreeing to the appropriate amount of money, if any, that should be released;
That any member country wishing to access any money that is freed following this professional advice must give an unconditional and irrevocable legal undertaking to pay back the money if required. This may take the form of a bank guarantee.
ICC President, Ehsan Mani, said that these conditions were put in place with the unanimous support of the board in order to provide those countries that wished to access their money for their own reasons with a mechanism that would allow this to occur while also protecting the overall interests of international cricket.
“Before the ICC can contemplate allowing any country to access the money currently being withheld, it is important that we have the necessary external professional advice to establish if this action is appropriate. This will be obtained in the coming weeks,” said Mani.
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.
