News Broadcasting
Hallmark plumps for MediaScope as ad sales partner
It’s a tie-up which has ample scope. Crown Media, the parent company of made for TV movie channel Hallmark, has signed on media sales company the Rohinton Maloo run MediaScope to ramp up its ad sales in India.
Hallmark has been around in the Indian cable and satellite TV marketplace for two years. And it has been making gradual progress. The past year saw its penetration climbing 50 per cent to nine million homes, claims Hallmark parent company Crown Inc V-P & director ad sales Gregory Ang.
“Both (distribution and viewership) have reached critical mass and it is vital that we have the right advertising sales representatives to consolidate our position as an advertising vehicle that reaches a crucial demographic,” says Ang.
Ang says that MediaScope’s background makes it the ideal candidate for the two-year extendable deal. From 1992, it marketed ad sales for Star TV in India till the takeover by News Corp. MediaScope also launched Cartoon Network and re-launched CNN on behalf of Time Warner in India. In 2000, it kicked-off the ad sales for HBO in India for an initial six months.
MediaScope managing director Rohinton Maloo is all ready with his pitch to advertisers. Says he: “We are planning to capitalise on Hallmark’s unique positioning. Currently, it is the only channel that addresses children and parents simultaneously. Consequently, using it will be very cost effective for advertisers.”
Maloo also plans to leverage the 480 retail Hallmark outlets in Mumbai for promotions, the first of which will take off for Valentine’s Day. Something which has worked very well in Asia Pacific for the network, according to Ang.
From 13 million homes in the region last year, the channel now reaches 18 million homes. Ang attributes the success to an integrated marketing and an on-ground presence through Hallmark Cards’ extensive retail network – a unique tie-up that no other channel can boast of.
The rights holders of programmes including Sesame Street and Clifford – the Big Red Dog can also link into Hallmark Channel’s media sales, says Ang. The channel is distributed to more than 83 million homes in 100 markets worldwide, he claims.
Maloo is confident that MediaScope will be up to the task and make a mark on Hallmark’s ad sales graph. Says he: “The past few months have seen a spurt in advertising activity from the automobile, insurance and investment sectors, as well as growth in kid-focused advertising. This bodes well for the Hallmark Channel, which offers advertisers the perfect communication environment based on its world-class original movies, series and kids programme blocks.”
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.
