News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak ropes in Bhajji & Abbas for crick special
MUMBAI: Cricket fever is on. As India and Pakistan finish two nail biting matches the excitement around the country only grows further as both countries equal their score against each other.
To match the excitement, Aaj Tak like all other news channel has come up with their special programming bowled round the series called Superhit Muqabala which will provide viewers with the best cricketing moments of the Indo-Pak series.
The programming which is already on-air would continue till the end of the series. Aaj Tak has roped in veteran cricketers to provide in-depth analysis of the series. The expert panel comprising Harbhajan Singh (India), Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan), Saba Kareem and Sameep Rajguru (Aaj Tak’s in-house expert) will analyze the issues and performances of the various players, as well as the strategies that would be employed by the two countries.
Aaj Tak hopes that Harbhajan Singh who is a member of the current Indian cricket team will stimulate the cricket lovers in the country by providing valuable inputs on the strategy and psyche of the various players. Bhajji will also provide interesting nuggets of trivia related to all the players.
Aaj Tak has also tied up with cricket magazine Wisden, through which the channel will provide relevant information, statistics and factoids on the various matches that have been played between the two countries in the past, analysis of individual players, their performances on the various pitches.
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.
