News Broadcasting
Australian series Wentworth set for a German remake
MUMBAI: The Australian prison drama, Wentworth that has won millions of fans will now be adapted into German. The series will be produced by UFA Serial Drama, FremantleMedia’s German production arm UFA and RTL.
FremantleMedia has always been known for hit formats like Idol and The X Factor that has been adapted in several languages. For the current deal, the commission will have 10 episodes of the German version which goes into production in Berlin in March next year.
Based on FremantleMedia’s Australia series, the compelling and emotional Wentworth will follow the same gritty story of survival, rivalry, power struggles and unlikely allegiances within a female prison.
The original series that was launched in Australia earlier this year became the most watched non-sports programme in the Australian subscription television history ever. Even in the UK, the series became the number one primetime Australian drama in the UK since 2002.
Talking about the deal, RTL head of fiction Barbara Thielen said in a press release: “The stories and characters of Wentworth will polarise and initiate discussions among the audience. Many women whose fates we are telling are certainly guilty in a legal sense, but if you can condemn them in a moral sense as well, everyone will judge differently.”
UFA Serial Drama chief creative officer Guido Reinhardt commented: “Wentworth is dynamic, controversial as well as emphatic. In this field of tension we present an uncompromising world, where friendship, trust and loyalty means everything and the question whether law and justice are actually the same is repeatedly raised. The answer to this is more than complex and thus a fascinating subject – packed in a highly emotional series.”
The Australian drama airs on Foxtel Australia and the second season of the show is currently under production in Melbourne. The Australian version has been sold to Africa (MNET), Eire (TV3), Sweden (TV4), Scandinavia (CMORE), New Zealand (TVNZ) and UK (FIVE). It is also available in 15 markets through a pan-Eastern Europe deal with SPI. Additionally, deals for season two have been concluded for UK, Eire, Scandinavia, Sweden and New Zealand.
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.
