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Disney ties up with CinemaNow to offer films online
MUMBAI: CinemaNow, which provides on-demand movies online, has announced an agreement with Buena Vista Home Entertainment. CinemaNow will offer select movies on a download-to-own basis through its website (www.cinemanow.com).
Buena Vista Home Entertainment will also offer select new movies beginning with Glory Road on 6 June, which will coincide with the timing of its home entertainment window. This agreement will also allow on-demand viewers to move their content onto approved portable devices for a broader digital experience.
Movies initially offered on a download-to-own basis will include Flightplan, The Insider. Additional movies available the same day as their DVD release will include Eight Below on 20 June and Annapolis on 27 June. Customers can purchase and download a legal, permanent copy of a Buena Vista Home Entertainment movie for unlimited playback on the download device.
CinemaNow president Bruce Eisen says, “We are very proud to have been selected by Buena Vista Home Entertainment as an Internet company to distribute its movies on a download-to-own basis.
“Buena Vista Home Entertainment not only produces and distributes some of the highest quality movies in the world, but they have also been a leading force in the adoption of new distribution platforms and we are excited that they recognize CinemaNow as a leader in this emerging space.”
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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.
