News Broadcasting
FIH signs four year partnership with Indian broadcaster Viacom18
Mumbai: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that it has signed a major media rights agreement with Indian broadcaster Viacom18. This agreement runs for a four year cycle (2023-2027) and includes all FIH events, except the FIH Nations Cup.
Thanks to this partnership, the numerous Indian hockey fans will be able to watch on Viacom18 channels the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, the first ever FIH Hockey5s World Cup, the FIH Hockey Pro League, the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup and many more events!
With India being such a historic powerhouse of global hockey, this agreement is a great asset to boost the popularity of the game in the country even further.
Matches will be available on OTT platform JioCinema and Viacom18’s linear channels network Sports18.
Viacom18 Sports head of strategy, partnerships & acquisitions Hursh Shrivastava said, “Hockey has been one of the most loved, followed and storied sports in India. The recent success of the Indian Men’s and Women’s National Team bodes well for the continuous growth of Hockey, and we are excited to bring unbridled access to millions of sports fans in India. The addition of world-class Hockey coverage reiterates our commitment to provide fans all-inclusive offerings of globally-acclaimed sports events.”
Commenting on the agreement, FIH president Tayyab Ikram said: “As we’re enhancing our commercial and broadcast approach, this agreement with Viacom18 is a major step forward. It’s great support to be partnering with such a strong broadcaster in a country where hockey is so fundamentally and historically anchored, and where we continuously want to develop the game. On behalf of FIH, I would like to thank Viacom18 for joining our efforts to promote hockey in India even further.”
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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.
