News Broadcasting
Times Prime joins hands with MUBI to offer hand-picked cinema to its members
MUMBAI: Times Prime, a premium lifestyle membership, has entered into a strategic partnership with the curated film streaming service, MUBI, to bring Indian and international cinema to its members through its two film channels MUBI INDIA and MUBI WORLD. Times Bridge, the global investments and partnerships arm of the Times Group, sculpted this partnership between Times Prime and MUBI to expand MUBI’s reach among India’s digitally-savvy populace. MUBI is part of Times Bridge’s portfolio of global companies that includes Uber, Airbnb, Coursera, Smule, Headspace, Houzz, Wattpad among others. Through this collaboration, Times Prime members will get to savour MUBI’s distinguished content of internationally acclaimed, hand-picked cinema for 90 days.
Times Prime business head Vivek Jain said, “MUBI introduces a new exquisite movie every day on each of its film channels, and its ever-changing line up resonates well with Times Prime’s vision of improving the everyday lives of its members. Our members will gain access to MUBI’s collection of hand-picked films from new directors to award winners from around the world, including films that can’t be found elsewhere.”
MUBI founder and CEO Efe Cakarel said, “We’re thrilled that MUBI is now part of the Times Prime membership. This collaboration will add great value to Times Prime’s members, allowing them to discover incredible and interesting movies from India and around the world every day.”
Times Bridge investment operations SVP Viral Jani said, “Indians are embracing subscription-based services and their willingness to pay for truly unique and high-quality content is at an all-time high. Enabling MUBI’s partnership with India’s most prominent digital membership will keep us at the top of this trend and fuel MUBI’s growth further in the world’s second-largest internet market.”
At an introductory price of Rs 999, Times Prime’s premium lifestyle membership now offers exclusive access to 13 premium memberships. In addition to MUBI, these include a Zee5 subscription worth Rs 599, HBR Ascend worth Rs 1699, Gaana+ by Gaana worth Rs 399, exclusive access to TOI+ the ad-free online version of the world’s largest circulating newspaper, ETPrime membership worth Rs 399, FreshClub subscription worth Rs 399, Healthify Smart Plan worth Rs 1498 and FitCoach membership worth Rs 999. Customers can easily recover their membership fee within the first week and save up to Rs 60,000 every year, making Times Prime the most comprehensive and cost-effective premium subscription service available in India.
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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.
