News Broadcasting
Spikes Asia 2020 cancelled
MUMBAI: Spikes Asia has announced that The Festival of Creativity, Spikes Awards and Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards will not take place in October 2020 as planned. It will be held in 2021 in Singapore and new dates will be announced shortly.
The impact of the COVID-19 virus continues to affect the Asia Pacific region and the world. Health, economic, and societal concerns are determining the priorities of societies and businesses globally. Our community, across the creative marketing and media industries, is facing unparalleled challenges. The need to protect companies and people, and to support consumers, is taking precedence during this challenging time.
“The difficult decision to cancel Spikes Asia was made after in-depth consultations with partners and customers and in response to the unprecedented global situation. We, therefore, felt it important to remove uncertainty and provide clear communications to our community around the delivery of Spikes Asia Festival and the Awards, as quickly as possible,” said a press release.
Spikes Asia festival director Joe Pullos commented: "Spikes Asia celebrates the extraordinary creativity of the Asia Pacific creative community. We want to ensure that we respond to the needs of our customers and partners across the region and support the marketing and creative industries through this global crisis. We are announcing the change today so that we can bolster our community with clear communication and begin preparing for 2021. Spikes Asia, working alongside our customers and partners, will return next year stronger than ever. We look forward to celebrating and honouring the very best creative work with our community, as we all look ahead to a more positive future."
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.
