News Broadcasting
DirecTV adds Bangladesh to its ESS cricket package
MUMBAI: A month after News Corp controlled digital television platform DirecTV launched its CricketTicket subscription package targeting South Asian expats in the US, it has added some Bangladeshi spice to its menu.
DirecTV announced on Wednesday that it has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for all international cricket matches to be played in Bangladesh till 2008.
The Bangladesh deal makes the cricket licensing agreements DirecTV has the same as what ESPN Star Sports has in India. DirecTV had already completed licensing agreements with the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB), the New Zealand Cricket Board (NZCB) and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), which gives it access to all international cricket being played in those countries over the next four years. CricketTicket, which is the first-ever season-long subscription TV package for international cricket in the US, was launched last month.
As had been reported last month by indiantelevision.com, four Star channels – Star Plus, Star One, Star News and Star Vijay – launched in the US on 2 November on DirecTV.
The cricket matches from Bangladesh will be available to all CricketTicket customers at no extra charge. DirecTV’s CricketTicket package, which runs till March 2005, is available for $199.
As a special promotion valid till 31 December, customers can get the first season of CricketTicket for free with a one-year commitment to any South Asian package, DirecTV customers could also purchase the Indian tour of Bangladesh a la carte for $99.99.
DirecTV Intl VP Aaron McNally said, “We are delighted to add the Bangladesh national team to our roster of cricket nations for which we’ve acquired host match broadcast rights. This is an unprecedented offer for cricket fans and we are excited to begin the broadcast with the Indian tour, which is certain to attract wide viewership among our South Asian customers and cricket enthusiasts throughout the US.”
Last year News Corp had taken a 34 per cent stake in DirecTV through its subsidiary The Fox Entertainment Group.
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.
