News Broadcasting
ESPN’s ‘Super Selector’ set to become live, interactive
MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports’ Super Selector, the popular cricket game show that set world records in online participation, is coming up with a new format from September. It will become “India’s first live and interactive game show” once the new series kicks off.
An interactive element has been added to the show where randomly selected participants in Super Selector will be contacted live over the phone and quizzed about their knowledge of cricket. The Super Selector participants will have to be at home to take the live call from the hosts. Correct answers offers the chance to win exciting prizes such as a car, motorbike and the like.
The winner of the monthly Super Selector gets the mega prize, which is an opportunity to share the commentary box with other cricket legends, an official release states
The entry mechanism has been extended to accommodate more cricket enthusiasts whereby apart from the online entry, the participants will now have an option to enter simply by sending a competition post card or fax.
The concept of mini Super Selector has been introduced whereby in addition to selecting their favourite cricket teams, the participants can now opt to select only the top three players – best batsman, best bowler, best wicket-keeper – for the month.
The weekly live show will be hosted by Darain Shahidi and Poonam Sharma, and will be joined by host of cricket experts and celebrities from India and around the world, including Geoffrey Boycott, Navjyot Singh Siddhu, Naseeruddin Shah, Cyrus Broacha and Harsha Bhogle.
“The new live and interactive Super Selector will be more accessible, more rewarding and will offer a more enriched experience to the millions of cricket fans across the sub-continent,” Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESPN Software India was quoted as saying in the release.
The Super Selector September game entries start from 1 September and closes on 12 September. The first on-air game show will take place on 19 September.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
