News Broadcasting
Disney Channel launches in Indonesia
The arrival of the Big Mouse in India may be delayed but it is setting up shop in other parts of the region. AsiaNet-ABC Cable Networks Group today announced plans to launch the Disney Channel in Indonesia beginning this month. The channel will launch on cable via PT Broadband Multimedia’s Kabelvision and on DTH through PT Matahari Lintas Cakrawala’s Indovision Digital. The announcement was made by David Hulbert, president of Walt Disney Television International.
“Asia is an important region for the growth of Disney Channels throughout the world,” an official release quoted Hulbert as saying. “Launching the channel into Indonesia is another major step in expanding our presence throughout the region,” he added.
The agreements were signed in Jakarta in June and the channel will be made available this month on the basic tier of both platforms.
“With this launch, our Disney Channel Asia feed has expanded into six countries in just over two years,” says Jon Niermann, managing director for branded television – Asia Pacific for Walt Disney Television International. “After launching in South Korea in April, we’re very pleased to bring the magic of Disney into more homes in the region with the addition of Indonesia.”
Disney Channel Asia is headed by managing director Raymund Miranda and is now available in Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Launched in January 2000, it is a multi-language feed with both dubbing and subtitling in Mandarin, a Korean feed with subtitling, and a main feed in English. The Indonesian feed will launch in English with plans to dub into Bahasa Indonesia in the future. From launch, Disney Channel will reach 70 per cent of Pay TV households throughout Indonesia, the release says.
The Asia feed is one of three feeds dedicated to the Asia market, the two others being Taiwan and Australia. There are 15 Disney Channels worldwide now covering 54 countries.
ABC Cable Networks Group is based in Burbank, California and manages The Walt Disney Company’s interest in global television businesses, including the wholly-owned international Disney Channels and the company’s majority interest in the international Fox Kids channels. ABC Cable Networks Group also manages the Disney-branded and Fox Kids-branded kids programming on television platforms around the world.
Walt Disney Television International – Asia Pacific is responsible for the consolidated international free and pay television activities of the Walt Disney Company and ABC Inc. in the region. These activities include program sales (Buena Vista International Television), production and the development and management of Disney Channels and other international broadcasting investments in Asia Pacific.
The Disney Channel is currently available on pay TV in eight Asia-Pacific markets: Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Disney branded programs are broadcast on local free-to-air networks in 12 countries around the region, reaching a total audience of 300 million in Asia-Pacific, the release says.
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.
