News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide secures first S-DMB deal in Asia
MUMBAI: To say that BBC is bullish on Asia would be stating the obvious. Continuing to mark its presence in the region, BBC Worldwide has become one of the first UK distributors to provide entertainment content to an Asian mobile television broadcaster’s S-DMB (Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) service.
The deal was announced at the BBC Showcase in Brighton and allows the customers of Tu Media to watch 39 hours of Top Gear programming through in-car devices or gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, and personal digital cameras. Launched in May 2005, Tu Media’s S-DMB service is said to attract over one million subscribers.
The deal with Tu Media includes all programmes from Top Gear’s 2004-05 and 2005-2006 series.BBC show Top Gear is available in well over 100 countries worldwide, reaching more than 138 million households globally.
BBC Worldwide Senior TV Sales Manager, Asia Linfield Ng, said: “Digital media is a huge growth area for our business. I’m delighted that BBC Worldwide has brokered this exciting deal, which combines one of South Korea’s most important new broadcasting technologies with one of the BBC’s most popular titles.”
TU Media Contents Acquisition Director Gidu Kim added: “As the high quality our S-DMB service continues to attract over 1000 new subscribers every day, it’s crucial that TU Media consistently offers our customers the best programming available. Today’s deal does exactly that – 43 hours of what we believe to be the world’s premier motoring programme, and just the start of what I hope will be a long relationship with BBC Worldwide.”
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.
