News Broadcasting
Bollywood makes its mark on South African TV
MUMBAI: After the news of US cable outfits offering Bollywood video-on-demand, comes the news that our filmi fare is eagerly lapped up in springbok country too.
Bollywood on 3″, a new slot on SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) commercial channel SABC 3 has gone into the second season of airing Bollywood movies on prime time every weekend.
SABC Regional Manager, Laurence Michelle
SABC regional manager Laurence Michelle, speaking to Indiantelevision.com said, “The Indian diaspora in SA is fairly influential, two things that we follow very closely about India are – the Indian cricket team and Bollywood.”
Here in Mumbai to attend the 2nd India International Film Convention, the exhibition floor of which has been taken up completely by the South African delegation, Laurence in an address to the audience stated, “The South African national broadcaster, SABC through its commercial TV Channel SABC 3 prides itself in its strategy of being locally rooted and globally connected. We aspire to our commitment of being bold trendsetters in broadcasting and offer our viewers appointment viewing. In line with these strategies, Bollywood was recognised as a product that has impacted greatly on Western culture for example, London’s channel 4 has a successful Bollywood slot, then there is the successfulKumars.”
Continuing he said, “The International success of the Bollywood phenomenon prompted the channel to associate itself with the global Bollywood brand and we decided to offer our viewers something completely different on a Saturday night. Bollywood affords viewers around the world an appetite of movies that offer pure escapist value. It takes viewers into a world away from our ordinary daily lives and offers us 2-3 hours of pure fun, glamour and entertainment.”
Talking about how successful Bollywood was in drawing viewership, Laurence told the audience,”The first season of Bollywood on 3 increased viewership in the slot by 30 per cent in the LSM 8-10 audiences, 110 per cent in all adults; 20 per cent in Afrikaans-speaking audiences and 670 per cent in the most popular recent Bollywood titles like Devdas, Baghban, Munnabhai MBBS, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Dil Se. Apart from the overwhelming positive response received from audiences across the board, the media supported the venture incredibly well and continues to do so.”
“This is, of course, great news for you all” added Laurence speaking to the gathering of film producers.
“We have recently launched the second season of Bollywood on 3 and the audience response after the first 3 movies has yet again reflected a phenomenal increase in viewership. We experienced a 30 per cent increase in LSM 8-10, 110 per cent in English-speaking adults and a 770 per cent increase in Indian audiences.” he informed.
“At SABC we are looking forward to working closely with India,” concluded Laurence.
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.
