News Broadcasting
Bloomberg UTV readies for season 2 of ‘The Pitch’
MUMBAI: Bloomberg UTV is gearing up to launch the second season of its business reality show, The Pitch.
The business news channel is inviting potential entrepreneurs with sound business ideas to send in their entries to win a funding of Rs 50 million to execute their business plan. The last date to submit your entries is 23 October.
The Pitch aims to identify, evaluate and encourage potential entrepreneurs who not only have the most deserving business ideas, but also possess the critical skills required to execute them successfully. Following the nationwide call-for-entries, a jury comprising renowned professionals will shortlist the participants who will be called to make their elevator pitches in Mumbai. The jury and angel investors will closely evaluate these shortlisted aspirants not only on the merit of their business pitches, but also on their individual brilliance and identify the finalists who will appear on The Pitch.
Bloomberg UTV business head Deepak Lamba said, “Through this show, BloombergUTV continues to strengthen its commitment to enrich the business news viewing experience. We encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country and the response to Season 1 of the Pitch goes to prove that there is no dearth of ideas in the country. We will not only identify the next big business idea but also the most deserving entrepreneur who has the right balance of all the necessary elements required to succeed out there.”
During the show the aspirants will face challenges thrown to them by prominent business leaders. Each week on a fresh episode, a new business leader will design and assign tasks to the participants. The tasks will challenge the aspirants on the most critical skills required to be a successful entrepreneur and by eliminating the weakest performer, narrow down to the most competent and deserving aspirant who goes on to receive the funding of up to Rs 50 million from the investors to start their business.
This season of The Pitch is presented by Samsung Electronics.
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.
