GECs
Buena Vista intl TV inks Vod, IPTV deal with Anytime
SINGAPORE: Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP), the international television distribution arm of US media conglomerate Disney has concluded a multi-year movie video-on-demand (VOD) IPTV agreement with Asia Pacific’s leading Video on-Demand Channel Anytime.
This agreement will make available a range of current and library features on the Anytime channel in Australia through TransACT and Regional Internet Australia (RIA), Buddy Broadband in Thailand and TDMC in Taiwan. This agreement is in line with Disney’s focus on the application of technology to enhance its content and expand its distribution to deliver anytime, anywhere.
Through this agreement, IPTV customers in Australia, Taiwan and Thailand will be able to enjoy a films from Disney, Touchstone and Miramax. Titles include Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Cinderella Man, Eight Below and Flightplan. The selection also includes the thriller Face/Off and family comedies Herbie: Fully Loaded and Freaky Friday.
The agreement also includes provisions for cooperation against piracy of BVITV’s content, while at the same time safeguarding the privacy of end users and remaining consistent with local law and industry practice.
BVITV-AP senior VP, MD Steve Macallister says, “We are very pleased to have concluded this pan-regional VOD deal with Anytime to offer our top movie titles ‘on-demand’ to IPTV subscribers across the region. As flexibility and choice of viewing become increasingly important, our focus will continue to be on finding innovative and convenient ways for consumers to access our content.”
Anytime president and CEO Craig Zimbulis said, “We are delighted to be able to add BVITV to existing Anytime deployments. The appeal of BVITV content is indisputable and its inclusion for us greatly enhances Anytime’s ability to present the very best in entertainment to all age groups. BVITV’s award-winning line-up of entertainment further establishes ANYTIME as the pre-eminent Video on-Demand channel in Asia Pacific.”
Anytime provides video content owners, such as BVITV, with a streamlined process for getting product to market, giving fast access to new audiences and revenue streams. It provides carriers with a complete programming solution covering content and metadata, data encoding and encryption, interface development and marketing support.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
