News Broadcasting
BSkyB tightens grip on UK sports telecast with 4-year cricket deal
MUMBAI: One more of Britains crown jewel sports is set to fall completely off UKs terrestrial television map and into the all-encompassing embrace of BSkyB.
The £200 million that Rupert Murdochs DTH operator has put on the table in a deal announced yesterday will give Sky Sports exclusivity to all live international as well as domestic cricket action in the UK.
Englands cricket chiefs announced a four-year deal running from 2006 to 2010 that will make next summer’s Ashes series against Australia the last time that viewers in Britain get to see their national Test team live on FTA TV.
The four-year deal running from 2006 to 2010 that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has entered into – which includes television, radio, mobile and internet rights to domestic and international cricket – will bring in a total of £220 million ($425.6 million). This is an effective increase of about 10 per cent on the current three-year deal when Channel Four and BSkyB had a joint contract to cover England home matches live. The ECB has signed deals with BSkyB, Channel Five, BBC Radio and TalkSPORT.
While the deal is being decried by many commentators in Britain as long sighted on the cash component and shortsighted on the long term future of the game, there is no getting away from one bald truth. And that is that it was only BSkyB that was willing to offer terms that actually increased the amount going into ECBs coffers. Channel 4 had as good as declared itself incapable of offering even what it has been doing thus far after reporting an operating loss of £2m-£3m a year on the game. As for the BBC, which realistically speaking was the only FTA broadcaster with the financial muscle to take on BSkyB, it had reportedly withdrawn from the bidding as early as October.
BBC Radio retains exclusive radio commentary rights while the Wireless Group, owner of Talksport, gets non-exclusive rights to provide live commentary of Twenty20 Cup matches.
While making its announcement yesterday, the ECB chose to stress the point that terrestrial TV was not totally excluded from cricket telecast. The softener as it were is that Channel Five gets to telecast a daily highlights package. The hitch of course is that Britain’s most recent mainstream channel is serious small fry when it comes to accessibility in comparison to the Beeb or 4.
And a point brought up by Lord MacLaurin, the former chairman of the board is worth noting. Cricinfo quotes MacLaurin as saying that he had promised the government in 1998 that coverage of Test matches would be kept evenly split between satellite and terrestrial television in return for them dislisting cricket. According to the Cricinfo report, until that time, TV coverage of Tests had to be on mainstream television as one of the so-called “crown-jewel” events that include Wimbledon, the Derby and the FA Cup final.
Taking the the cricket tale as a case study, it is not too far fetched to visualise a situation in 2010 wherein Murdoch has managed to get Wimbledon, the Derby and the FA Cup final onto his exclusive list.
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.
