News Broadcasting
CNN, iBN in co-branding, content sharing news deal
MUMBAI: A rumour is finally turning into a reality as CNN stitches up a deal with an Indian news broadcaster.
India Broadcast News or iBN, whose shareholders include the Television Eighteen Group, Rajdeep Sardesai and Sameer Manchanda, has managed to swing a licencing agreement with Time Warner group’s CNN, beating other Indian suitors.
The CNN deal, likely to be announced soon when formally inked, will enable the proposed English language general news channel iBN to go in for co-branding with the American news broadcaster on the lines of CNBC TV18 business channel.
Apart from co-branding, iBN will have access to CNN’s global content and presence. What is not clear at this juncture is whether this deal would also hold good for other general news channels, apart from iBN, that Global Broadcast News Pvt Ltd proposes to launch in Indian languages.
Under the terms of agreements, being hammered into a final shape in Delhi over the last few days, iBN will pay a mutually agreed upon royalty to CNN for using the American news brand, started by Ted Turner few decades back.
However, CNN will not have any equity stake and/or editorial control in the proposed English news channel, which is wholly promoted by Indians at present, to facilitate easy regulatory clearances.
The Indian government last week announced stringent media norms to regulate TV content and ensure foreign owned companies do not hold beyond 26 per cent stake in news channels uplinking from the country.
The publicly traded Television Eighteen group, which recently underwent a complex restructuring to comply with government norms to continue uplinking CNBC TV18 channel from India, was unavailable for comments.
Clarifications sought from CNN’s parent company via an email, sent yesterday, elicited no response till the time of writing this report.
Over the last 18 months, Indian broadcast industry has been abuzz with rumours of CNN flirting with Indian news broadcasters, including the Prannoy Roy promoted NDTV LTD, to strike up a local deal that would enable it to tap the growing Indian news market in a better fashion.
According to broadcast industry estimates the Indian news market is presently worth Rs 5 billion. Three years back, the segment was pegged at RS 1 billion.
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.
