News Broadcasting
IBC’s deal with Asia Ent Group for series on Hollywood
MUMBAI: International Broadcast Communication (IBC) has concluded a distribution agreement with Asia Entertainment Group for the show Cinenews.
This is an insider’s guide to filmmaking and filmmakers, and includes movie news geared toward film lovers worldwide.
In China, the Asia Entertainment Group will have access to all the segments in the show. It will use the material to produce a daily magazine show First Touch with Movie & TV. This is a co-production venture with the Shanghai Media Group and the China Film Group.
IBC president Jon Helmrich was quoted in a company release saying, “China is an important market for us and we look to conclude similar programming agreements with our other broadcast partners in this region of the world. As the market continues to mature, there’s more of a demand for Western style programming. We have the ideal catalogue to meet this growing demand.”
Helmrich adds that Australia’s Foxtel and New Zealand’s Sky TV recently renewed agreements to air the show in their markets. Cinenews features interviews with the biggest stars in front of and behind the camera. The series also explores the past, present and future of film with Hollywood’s top executives and behind-the-scenes experts.
IBC focusses on global programming distribution and channel development. It represents Entertainment News Service (ENS), The Tennis Channel, Chum Television International, KCW Productions and other companies.
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.
