News Broadcasting
DD to telecast 5 matches from Champions Trophy
NEW DELHI: It’s small comfort but some comfort for Sony Entertainment TV India. Talk in the trade that Nimbus Communications, which is doing the marketing of the ICC Champions Trophy cricket matches being telecast on DD, has opened talks with Prasar Bharati to increase the number of matches to be telecast on national broadcaster Doordarshan from the present five to eight or nine is not happening.
DD, as announced, will be telecasting five matches that include two pool matches featuring India, two semi finals and the final. The two India matches airing on DD will be telecast on 14 and 22 September.
A Nimbus source earlier said: “Prasar Bharati is talking to us to see if DD can telecast more than five matches even now. But both the parties did not want to take a chance on marketing which was to have been done at short notice and thought it best to stick to five matches which would definitely attract advertising.”
Discussions between Prasar Bharati and Nimbus apart, such a scenario would have further eroded the Sony’s negotiating capacity on both the advertising and distribution front.
Meanwhile, a sizeable number of cable viewers in Delhi and surrounding areas had to do without the opening match of the Champions Trophy being telecast live on SET MAX as multi-system operator Hathaway-Win’s feed for Sony channels has been cut off because of an on-going payment controversy. Hathway-Win services about 40 per cent of the Delhi and neighbourhood’s cable homes.
For Prasar Bharati, it is not only Doordarshan that will be providing live coverage of the event. All-India Radio (AIR) will broadcast live commentary of nine important matches.
The matches that will be broadcast live on the AIR Network are:
1. The opening match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan (Day / Night) on 12 September.
2. South Africa vs The West Indies (Day match) on 13 September.
3. India vs Zimbabwe (Day/Night) on 14 September.
4. Australia vs. New Zealand (Day match) on 15 September.
5. England vs. Zimbabwe (Day / Night) on 18 September.
6. India vs. England (Day /Night) on 22 September.
7. First Semi-Final (Day / Night) on 25 September.
8. Second Semi-Final (Day/Night) on 27 September.
9. Final (Day / Night) on 29 September.
The running commentary of the day matches begins at 9:20 am while that of day /night encounters at 1:50 pm. The Delhi Station of All India Radio will broadcast special radio reports in addition to the live coverage. The 12 participating teams have been divided into four pools of three teams each.
Pool 1: Australia, New Zealand, Bangla Desh.
Pool 2: India, Zimbabwe, England.
Pool 3: South Africa, West Indies, Kenya
Pool 4: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Holland.
The toppers from each pool will clash in the semi-finals for a berth in the final. With the top players confirming their participation, the ICC Champions Trophy, is expected to deliver some engrossing cricket over the next fortnight.
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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.
