News Broadcasting
BBC World news launches in US with RealNetworks
MUMBAI: BBC World chairman Michael Grade has announced that BBC World News, the international news and information channel, will be launched in the US. The channel will be available as part of Real’s SuperPass broadband service.
In a statement issued, the agreement with RealNetworks is BBC World’s first step to giving US audiences a taste of the BBC World News schedule and will be available to RealNetworks’ subscribers. A 14-day free trial is available at www.real.com. Selected BBC World News programming is already broadcast in around 86 million US homes daily on PBS, and at breakfast-time and at 1800 ET on BBC America.
BBC World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide and reaches 270 million households (127 million 24-hour homes).
BBC World’s Editorial director, Sian Kevill says: “Independent research has shown a 40 per cent increase in the US audience demand for international news recently. BBC World News can deliver this, and has a worldwide reputation for impartial and accurate reporting, and this is at the core of what our teams do to ensure we bring the stories behind the headlines to our audience.”
“We are extremely pleased to bring BBC World News to our US subscribers,” adds RealNetworks Director international video services Douglas Glen. “This extension of our long-standing partnership in Europe demonstrates the great demand for timely, relevant and global news at your fingertips.”
“We are thrilled with the opportunity to offer our US SuperPass members the highly regarded coverage of BBC World News,” said Dan Sheeran, Senior Vice President, Music & Video, RealNetworks. “Our members will now have access to live coverage of world events and programming 24/7.”
BBC World’s director of distribution and business development Jeff Hazell says: “We have received great interest from a number of US operators looking to take the BBC World News channel on a full-time basis. Our partnership with RealNetworks in the US is a first for BBC World News and we believe that it will generate further audience demand for the channel and bring us closer to launching a 24-hour offer on US cable, satellite and other digital platforms in the United States.”
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.
