iWorld
FanCode locks exclusive Formula 1 India rights in deal running to 2028
INDIA: FanCode has extended its exclusive broadcast partnership with Formula 1, securing rights in India until the end of the 2028 season and tightening its grip on one of the country’s fastest-growing sports audiences.
Under the renewed multi-year deal, FanCode will stream every Formula 1 practice session, qualifying hour, sprint race and Grand Prix, offering wall-to-wall coverage tailored for Indian fans. The agreement also brings F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Premium directly onto the FanCode platform, widening access to onboard cameras, team radios and deeper race analytics.
The extension builds on a partnership that began in 2024 and coincides with Formula 1’s rapid rise in India, where the sport now claims a fanbase of about 79 million. FanCode said it will continue to invest in community-led initiatives, including live fan screenings and interactive viewing formats, to deepen engagement.
FanCode will also retain broadcast rights in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, reinforcing its position as Formula 1’s digital home across the Indian subcontinent.
The timing is opportune. From 2026, Formula 1 enters a new regulatory era, with fresh technical rules and the arrival of Audi and Cadillac as new teams. The debut of Arvid Lindblad, a driver of Indian heritage, is expected to further energise local interest.
Formula 1 chief media rights and broadcasting officer Ian Holmes, said the partnership had strengthened the sport’s reach in India and helped deliver a more immersive race-weekend experience. FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco, said the renewal underlined the platform’s ambition to serve India’s most passionate sports communities with premium, fan-first coverage.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
