Cable TV
Den Networks consolidated numbers grow in Q2-17; tests OTT platform
BENGALURU: Indian multi system operator (MSO) Den Networks Ltd (Den) Cable business segment consolidated total revenue (pre-activation) increased 18 percent in in the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q2-17, current quarter) to Rs 258 crore from Rs231 crore in Q2-16. The company reported consolidated EBIDTA of Rs 34 crore in Q2-17 as compared to Rs 1 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Consolidated net loss in Q2-17 more than halved to Rs 48 crore as compared to a loss of Rs 99 crore in Q2-16.
Twomain segments currently contribute to Den’s revenue: Cable distribution network segment (Cable, Cable business) and Broadband internet segment (Boomband). It has two other segments – TV Commerce and soccer. Den says that its OTT platform is undergoing tests and will be launched soon. The company says further that it has divested another 25 percent of its soccer business.
Cable segment
Cable subscription revenue increased 31 percent y-o-y to Rs140 crore in Q2-17 from Rs115 crore in Q2-16. Cable activation revenue increased 17 percent y-o-y to Rs 32 crore from Rs 27 crore. Placement revenue declined 13 percent y-o-y to Rs86 crore from Rs98 crore.
The company reported 101 lakh DAS subscribers, of which 51 lakh were from DAS phases III and IV for Q2-17. The company had 76 lakh digital subscribers in Q2-16.Den has a cable subscriber base of 1.3 crore.
Broadband segment
Den’s Broadband segment revenue more than doubled (2.6 times) in Q2-17 to Rs 21 crore from Rs 8 crore in Q2-16. Please refer to the figure below for Den’s revenue break-up for Q2-17 and Q2-16.
The company says that it has added about 25,000 subscribers in the current quarter, hence bringing its broadband internet subscriber base to 140,000.
Broadband segment’s operating loss (EBIDTA) in Q2-17 was lower at Rs 2 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 11 crore in Q2-16 and an operating loss of Rs 9 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
Other numbers for Q2-17
Den’s consolidated total expenditure in the current quarter declined 4 percent to Rs 244 crore from Rs 256 crore in Q2-16.
Content costs are a major component of Den’s expenditure- Content costs in the current quarter declined 8 percent in the current quarter to Rs 118 crore from Rs 128 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Employee(Personnel) costs increased2 percent in the current quarter to Rs33 crore from Rs 34 crore in Q2-16. Other operating expenses in Q2-17 declined4 percent to Rs 84 crore from Rs88 crore.
Note: (1.1) The above report is based on Den’s investor presentation for Q2-17.
(1.2) All numbers mentioned are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
(1.3) The figures mentioned above have been rounded off and based on the numbers presented by Den in the public domain.
(2) The numbers in this paper are as per Indian Accounting System. (Ind AS)
(3) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
