News Broadcasting
HBO trains sights on housewives with ‘Time Out’
MUMBAI: HBO is set to target the housewife from September with Time Out, an alternative to the routine morning fare trotted out on other channels.
An official release informs that the channel will bring two movies, back-to-back every weekday afternoon, starting 11 am in the programme band HBO Time Out. The films run the gamut from period pieces, to family films to serial killer thrillers. The entertainment saga begins 2 September with Poison. Other films that will be screened include Sense and Sensibility, Beethovens 2nd, The Bone Collector, Outbreak and Striptease. The last one, the Demi Moore starrer, comes a surprise as one associates that kind of film with late night viewing.
In addition, the channel has announced that to coincide with the Emmy season, it will have the programme block HBO Original Movies – Emmy Stunt. The films will air next month every Monday at 9:30 pm. The treat begins on 2 September with the Triple Emmy award winning, HBO Original film examining the war against aids And The Band Played On. Starring Richard Gere, Matthew Modine and Alan Alda, the real-life drama chronicles the tragic, time-consuming battles among government agencies, gay groups and scientists that hindered the discovery and research on the AIDS virus. The film shows how the gay population in San Francisco came to be at risk in the early 1980s.
Speaking on the programming initiative MD HBO South Asia James P. Marturano said: “HBO Original productions are a strong differentiator for the channel to create extra value for our viewers since these are programs that are not released theatrically and premiere exclusively on HBO channel.”
Currently, HBO claims to produce an average of six original films per year.
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.
