News Broadcasting
E! Networks inks licensing deal with Times of India Group
MUMBAI: E! Networks signed a major licensing deal with The Times of India to create branded programming blocks, which will air on Zoom Television. This was announced by E! Networks international senior vice president Kevin MacLellan at Casbaa.
“E! is the world’s definitive source for entertainment-themed programming, a genre that translates extremely well globally and appeals to everyone’s fascination with Hollywood and celebrity,” said MacLellan. “We eventually plan to launch a fully-branded, 24-hour E! channel in India, and the creation of an E!-branded programming block on Zoom is a significant first step to establishing and expanding the brand in this important territory.”
Beginning this month, E! branded blocks will air on Zoom featuring such premier titles as The E! True Hollywood Story, E! News Live, Dr. 90210, High Price of Fame mini-series, E! Entertainment Specials, It’s Good To Be, Revealed, Mysteries & Scandals, Miss Hawaiian Tropic and Celebrity Homes.
E! Networks Asia managing director Christine Fellowes negotiated the deal for the network.
E! is the world’s largest producer and distributor of entertainment news and lifestyle- related programming, creating over 1000 hours each year from its LA headquarters. E!’s state-of-the-art post production facilities houses one of the industry’s most extensive entertainment libraries with over 200,000 video tapes in its archives.
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.
