MAM
GfK to continue as ratings measurement agency in Germany
MUMBAI: The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung (AGF), the partnership of the TV stations ARD, ProSiebenSat.1, RTL Media Group Germany and ZDF, has commissioned GfK to continue monitoring TV viewing in Germany, initially until 2018.
The contracts are worth around €130 million.
TV usage in German households will be measured via a panel of 5,000 reporting households using the GfK TC score measurement device, which will be supplemented by the GfK UMX measurement technology based on the principle of audio-matching. These data will be made available to TV stations, their advertising sales organisations, media agencies and advertisers every single day.
In addition to the introduction of the supplementary measurement technology GfK UMX, the system includes further innovations, which future-proof television audience measurement in Germany.
For example, by doing away with conurbations – also West Berlin and East Berlin have now been com-bined as Berlin – the regional distribution of the panel households has been optimised. The process for recruiting households to replace those that leave the panel is adjusted to reflect the diverging options for receiving TV.
Households and those who inhabit them now have the option of recording their changing personal characteristics online. The measurement of TV consumption in IPTV households was also introduced a few months ago.
The absolute anonymity of the panel members, the highest data security and the quality of the audience share and market share determining the German TV market remain central to the operation of the system. GfK has been operating the TV research system in Germany for the AGF since 1985 and this is consequently the sixth successive contractual period.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
