News Broadcasting
BVITV concludes deal with Australian pay TV platform Foxtel
MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP), which distributes television shows of Disney, ABC has concluded a multi-year multi-genre volume agreement with Australian pay TV provider Foxtel for subscription TV rights to live action and reality series, ABC News documentaries, daytime programming and TV specials.
Foxtel channels will access shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, My Wife and Kids, Hope and Faith and Extreme Makeover, and renewals of comedies like Home Improvement and Scrubs.
This agreement also continues to provide Foxtel’s channels rights to 19 time Emmy award-winning talk show The View, which recently announced the addition of new co-host Rosie O’Donnell, as well as a portfolio of ABC News documentaries such as Haunted Town and Toughest Jail.
BVITV-AP senior vice president and managing director Steve Macallister said, “Commitment to our clients drives BVITV’s business and the conclusion of this agreement, which builds on an already successful decade-long relationship with Foxtel is a prime example of that commitment. BVITV programming continues to have strong international appeal and we are delighted to be providing some of the hottest programs on television, including Lost and Desperate Housewives to pay TV viewers in Australia.”
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.
