News Broadcasting
Europe, ME, SA offer satellite ops ray of hope
CALIFORNIA: Amidst unfavourable economic conditions and the melt down in the telecommunications industry, the satellite transponder capacity leasing market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa represents a ray of hope, as it continues to experience consistent growth and significant profits.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan Commercial Geostationary Satellite Transponder Markets for Europe, the Middle East and Africa – ‘Opportunities for growth in an uncertain world’, reveals that revenues in this industry totaled $3.79 billion in 2002 and are projected to reach $4.88 billion by 2009.
However, satellite operators face numerous challenges that threaten to obstruct their path to greater profitability. Optimistic demand growth projections that led many operators to launch new transponders failed to materialise, leaving them with excess capacity and compelling them to reduce lease rates.
Further compounding this problem is the migration of video broadcasting from analog to digital signals. Increased efficiency allows for more content to be broadcast per transponder.
This cuts into the demand for new capacity. Moreover, the merger of major capacity lessors such as in the direct-to-home television sector is negatively affecting the demand for transponder capacity to relay programming.
Operators must squarely address these issues or face the risk of significant price competition as market participants stoop to any means to get their transponders sold.
While operators must compete with terrestrial networks to increase the use of satellites in fast growing networking applications, they must not lose sight of their biggest revenue generator, namely, video applications. Locking in the key video market is more important for long-term success than overemphasising the networking market.
Frost & Sullivan claims to be a global leader in strategic growth consulting. This ongoing growth opportunity analysis is part of the Satellite Communications Subscription, which also includes market insights on Latin American DTH Satellite Television Services and World Ka-band Satellite Broadband Services.
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.
