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HBO Asia’s James Marturano retires; Chua to replace
MUMBAI: HBO Asia executive vice president and HBO South Asia managing director James Paul Marturano has retired, thus ending his two decade long tenure at the company.
Marturano will be succeeded by HBO Asia senior vice president sales and marketing Suarina Chua, who has been with the company for the last 12 years. She joined HBO in 1994.
Marturano will continue to work with HBO as a consultant. He played an integral role in establishing the channel in Asia. HBO is now available in 22 countries across the Asian region.
HBO Asia CEO Jonathan Spink said, “Jim has been a pivotal figure in driving the company’s long term growth in the region since our operations began in 1992. There’s nobody who’s done as much for the growth and development of HBO Asia. He leaves behind a significant legacy.”
As executive vice president of HBO Asia, Marturano headed the sales and marketing division and also looked after the company’s business development. He was also responsible for managing the operations of HBO ventures in South Asia that included India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Beginning his tenure with HBO in 1986, Marturano relocated to Singapore in October 1991 as director, international operations, and was responsible for overseeing the developmental work for the HBO Asia project. He was promoted to vice-president, sales and marketing in April 1992 and as senior vice-president, sales and marketing, for HBO Asia in January 1997, overseeing the distribution and marketing of HBO and Cinemax throughout Asia.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
