News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide in licensing deal with Character Options
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has awarded the master toy licence for the show Primeval to Character Options, the trading subsidiary of The Character Group.
Since its appointment by Impossible as the programme’s international distributor and merchandising agent, BBC Worldwide has secured television sales for the Primeval series in 20 territories, with further deals still to be announced.
BBC head of UK Licensing Richard Hollis said, “Character’s ability at modelling and marketing monstrous creatures using amazing technology makes them the ideal partner for us on Primeval and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Impossible Pictures on this exciting series.”
Primeval is a science fiction drama, which has been renewed for a second series in 2008, and follows a team of scientists battling terrifying prehistoric creatures that are slipping into the modern world through anomalies in time.
Character Options is one of UK’s largest toy companies and has enjoyed success alongside BBC Worldwide through a Doctor Who range of products, winning a number of awards and selling well over 1.7 million figures last year alone.
The first series of Primeval which started earlier this year, achieved an average rating of almost 6.5 million viewers for each of the first six episodes and this success is expected to continue next year.
Character Group MD Jon Diver says, “We are delighted to have been awarded the Master licence for the toys relating to this successful series for which, the ratings speak for themselves, reflecting the show’s success as great Saturday night family viewing.
“We will be producing an extensive line of exciting products that will include a Dragonfly Rex and Agnurognathus which will be available from this October and will be TV advertised, followed by a number of other action figures and creatures from series one and two being released in January 2008.”
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.
