News Broadcasting
BBC plans special programming around Fifa World Cup
MUMBAI: As Africa plays host to the Fifa World Cup for the first time this June, the BBC’s international news services will offer a global perspective on events in the build-up to, and during, the tournament.
From within this continent and beyond, special interactive programming will connect fans around the world, while the BBC’s multi-lingual services will offer comprehensive sporting analysis, a mix of news and current affairs and local, regional and international insights.
Pre-tournament programming highlights include Africa Kicks, a journey through the region of West Africa that has produced a wealth of international football talent. The Power and the Passion is a new four part series on BBC World Service English in which writer and broadcaster David Goldblatt examines the relationship between football and fans, as he travels to four fiercely contested local derby games in Ghana, Italy, Egypt and the UK.
George Weah and Didier Drogba’s exploits off the pitch are the focus of Life on the Edge on BBC World News. BBC Swahili will be producing a special series on the ‘health’ of football in East Africa, while BBC Hausa will examine the significance of the World Cup for Africa.
Over the course of the tournament, BBC World Service will have a special daily multimedia show, World Cup Have Your Say, which moves the football pundits aside to let fans air their views. The World Today, presented by Komla Dumor and Ros Atkins, will be live from Soweto, and special editions of Sportsworld with Russell Fuller will feature interviews, analysis and insight covering the full spectrum of international teams. World Football will have a special focus on football in South Africa and the impact of apartheid on the game.
On BBC World News, Football Focus will bring audiences contributions and analysis from four times Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf, World Cup winner Juergen Klinsmann, England legend Alan Shearer and Togolese international and Manchester City star Emmanuel Adebayor. Sport Today with Sean Fletcher will provide daily news and updates on all the stories from the tournament.
Fast Track, the flagship sports show presented by Farayi Mungazi on BBC World Service, will feature news, interviews and special reports around the tournament.
A range of the BBC’s international non English-language services will be bringing the atmosphere, stories and news to audiences around the world. For BBC Arabic, Sherif El-Sherif is hosting a multimedia show, while BBC Persian will be examining the cultural, social and economic impact of the tournament on South Africa. BBC Brasil will be following the fortunes of the Brazilian team and finding out what the Brazilian organisation for the 2014 tournament can learn from South Africa. Other services offering daily news, stories and updates include BBC Hausa, BBC Swahili, BBC Hindi, BBC Para Africa and BBC Mundo.
BBC.com/worldcup is offering an extensive range of video and interactive content to ensure football fans are kept fully up to date with the competition online. Video collections will include Road to South Africa, featuring the qualifying goals that won teams their place in the tournament, as well as 32 team profile vignettes of the teams themselves.
BBC.com/worldcup will include blogs and insight, as well as live text commentary of all the games from morning to midnight. It will also include interviews, a World Cup daily gossip column and interactive areas where fans can contribute their voice to events through mobile, SMS and social media.
In addition, a search for international football memorabilia will be the focus of Fans’ Football Favourites, while My First World Cup will bring together a unique international squad – players all taking part in their first World Cup.
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.
