News Broadcasting
Cartoon Network buys two series from Toonz Animation
MUMBAI: With Fox Kids due to launch in the country soon Cartoon Network’s gameplan is clear! Reaffirm commitment and maintain numero uno position among childrens channels by acquiring locally relevant content for India, Cartoon Network has announced the acquisition of the 13 half-hour episode series titled The Adventures Of Tenali Raman produced by Trivandrum based Toonz Animation Studios. The Network has also signed a pre-buy agreement with Toonz Animation for a second series called The Adventures of Hanuman, currently under production.
An official release informs that The Adventures of Tenali Raman was produced using 2-D animation. The series revolves around the clever adventures of the popular folklore character, Tenali Raman, and is scheduled for world premiere on the channel in the second quarter of the year. The 13 half-hour episodes of action adventure series The Adventures of Hanuman are expected to be ready for telecast on Cartoon Network by early next year.
Senior VP and GM Turner Entertainment Networks Asia Ian Diamond said, “Providing content based on the Indian story-telling heritage is a critical mandate for Cartoon Network in its mission to contextualise the Network for our Indian audiences.”
Tenali Raman is the intellectual royal court jester and among the eight wise men who adorn Vijaynagaras King Krishna Deva Rayas court. The Kings court is the arena where most of the outrageous battles of wit between Tenali Raman and his adversaries take place. Tenali is the Kings favourite and can never resist challenges verbal or otherwise – and one-way or the other wins out in the end!
Opened in 1999, Toonz Animation India occupies more than 18,000 square feet of space inside Technopark in Trivandrum, Kerala. Toonz Animation claims to be the most advanced studio to open in India since the country emerged as a potential player in the international animation industry. With a staff of over 450 Indian and international artists.
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.
