News Broadcasting
After ABC; NBC & CBS to offer prime time shows on demand
MUMBAI: The move towards time shifted television consumption is gathering pace. Rival US networks NBC Universal and Viacom’s CBS separately announced on Monday they would be making some of their lead prime-time entertainment series available on demand and commercial-free for 99 cents per episode.
The developments follow ABC’s announcement last month that it will offer ad-free Internet downloads of its biggest hits, Lost and Desperate Housewives, for $1.99 per episode.
The NBC and CBS announcements marks a new phase for video on demand and further emphasises the changing landscape of providing prime-time content to viewers whenever they choose. While CBS is partnering with cable powerhouse Comcast, NBC has teamed up with the News Corp controlled satellite platform DirecTV for its VoD offering.
NBC and DirecTV will give consumers access to the top programs of NBC and its cable entertainment networks, USA, Sci Fi and Bravo, within hours after they air, commercial free. The programs will be available on demand through the new DirecTV Plus interactive DVR.
The multi-year agreement between NBC and DirecTV will give the primetime on demand rights to NBC Universal TV programs, such as Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: CI, The Office, Monk, Surface and Battlestar Galactica. The programs will be available until the following week’s episode airs. NBC Universal’s movies and TV events will also be available through DirecTV Plus, and on pay-per-view (PPV).
The CBS-Comcast deal, meanwhile, begins in January. Comcast Digital Cable customers in markets served by CBS owned-and-operated television stations (including the top seven US markets) will be able to view episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Survivor and The Amazing Race on Comcast’s On Demand service. The on-demand programs will be available as early as midnight following their broadcast on the CBS television network.
Customers will be able to view the episodes anytime they want for up to 24 hours from the time they order them. Certain Comcast systems also may make CSI and NCIS available On Demand in high-definition for customers with HD-enabled Comcast digital cable set-top boxes. Prior to the March debut of new episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race, viewers will be able to order episodes of the fall 2005 editions (Survivor: Guatemala and The Amazing Race 8).
The deal combines Comcast with the new CBS Corporation with preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online.
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.
