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ICC Champions Trophy: Standard Chartered Bank signed as regional official sponsor
MUMBAI: Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), the commercial partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has roped in Standard Chartered Bank as the regional official sponsor of the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 for various territories in Asia including India.
As regional official sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank will receive on-ground sponsorship benefits like category exclusivity in all the relevant territories, branding and signage, tickets and hospitality, benefits and protections, informs an official release.
ICC president Percy Sonn says, “We are thrilled that Standard Chartered Bank has joined the ICC’s family of supporters by becoming an Official Sponsor. Cricket’s ability to attract a world-renowned brand such as Standard Chartered to become an Official Sponsor is a demonstration of the game’s global appeal and health.”
GCC MD Ian Frykberg says, “We are delighted to welcome Standard Chartered Bank to the family of ICC Champions Trophy 2006 sponsors and their support demonstrates their ongoing commitment to sports.”
Standard Chartered Bank India CEO Neeraj Swaroop adds, “With Partnership and Teamwork being core values of the Standard Chartered brand, and given our track record of sponsoring sports events across the world we believe this is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to our stakeholders cutting across boundaries, age groups and socio economic classes.”
Says Nimbus Sport CEO Digvijay Singh, “This is Standard Chartered Bank’s second major sponsorship in cricket and Nimbus is pleased to have played a key role in bringing them into cricket sponsorships and into the ICC sponsor family.”
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.
