GECs
Interactive TV portal solution for Dutch channel launched this football season
MUMBAI: chellomedia Interactive Services has launched a new interactive TV portal in the Netherlands on Sport1, this soccer season.
Digital premium channel Sport1 now offers its subscribers on the UPC cable platform (UPC Digital TV) the option to switch between four Sport1 channels presented on one TV screen.
The launch of the interactive portal fits in with chellomedia’s strategy to offer new digital services to cable network operators in Europe as well as to broadcasters and other platform owners.
While watching a match, viewers are able to call up for extra information such as match results, current scores, player statistics, an interactive quiz and a dedicated World Cup section.
chellomedia Interactive Services exwecutive VP Noel Leslie says, “We are developing these kind of interactive solutions for operators and broadcasters in order to help them increase and retain channel audiences and to create opportunities for new revenue streams. These converged TV and internet solutions give viewers more and more control: they have more to choose from, can access content on-demand and even participate in programmes.”
Sport1 GM Jeroen Oerlemans says, “The launch of our Sport1 TV portal will provide great added value to our premium sports channel in the Netherlands. With this easily accessible interactivity and the possibility to view a mosaic with multiple live channels, the viewer becomes more powerful and gets more choices. We think this portal will fulfil a great need.”
chellomedia develops and facilitates these services using its authoring and deployment solution chello mistral. This solution enables quick and simple development by members of a creative team across multiple platforms and middlewares. It is also accredited by BSkyB to deliver interactive advertising, for which chellomedia has partnerships with leading UK broadcasters and ad agencies.
chellomedia interactive services delivers entertainment-focused, interactive applications and content which strengthen digital TV and PC-based, broadband Internet offerings.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
