News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide sells Dancing with the Stars to Cambodian Broadcasting Service
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has announced that hit entertainment TV format Dancing with the Stars has been licensed to Cambodian Broadcasting Service (CBS). The series will air on CTN, Cambodia’s most watched terrestrial channel.
The announcement marks the debut of Dancing with the Stars in Cambodia. It is also BBC Worldwide’s first format sale in the country.
One of BBC Worldwide’s most popular global brands, Dancing with the Stars has been licensed in 49 countries, and a version of the show has been seen in over 75 countries, with over 220 series to date. Local versions of Dancing with the Stars air in countries as diverse as Lebanon, India and Russia.
The brand has also extended into live events, gaming and digital properties. In Asia, the format has been sold in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, South Korea and two versions in India. In India, the sixth and latest season of the Hindi version, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has achieved its best audience figures to date for Colors. The grand finale pushed the show to the top of weekend programming nearly doubling the ratings from 2012.
The company thinks that Cambodia is an important market to grow in terms of business in Asia and thus it is looking at expanding there. Earlier, BBC World News, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Knowledge were launched in the country.
The series is set to premiere in mid 2014.
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.
