GECs
IPL 10 ramps up Sony channels ratings to numero uno position
BENGALURU: IPL 10 commenced on 5 April 2017. Just three days of the tenth season of the Indian Premier League cricket had catapulted Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPN) Hindi Movies channel Sony max to numero uno postion in the Hindi Movies genre for week 14 of 2017 (Broadcast Audience Research Council of India – BARC ratings for week 14 -Saturday, April 2017 to Friday, 7 April 2017). Further, the cricket extravaganza pushed the channel to second place in terms of ratings across genres in that week. Among the other SPN channels that benefitted was Sony Six in week 14.
BARC week 15 (Saturday, 8 April 2017 to Friday, 14 April 2017) has been even better for SPN channels. Sony Max was the most watched channel across genres during the week with weekly impressions of 14,29,479 (000s) sums, followed by the Sun Network’s Tamil GEC flagship channel Sun TV with weekly impressions 12,47,460 (000s) sums (BARC Data for Top 10 Channels *Across Genre : All India (U+R) : 2+ Individuals). Star Plus (Hindi GEC), Gemini TV (Telugu GEC), Colors (Hindi GEC), Sony Pal (Hindi GEC) were at third, fourth fifth and sixth spots respectively across genres. The last four places across genres were occupied by Zee TV (Hindi GEC), Rishtey (Hindi GEC), ETV Telugu (Telugu GEC) and Zee Telugu (Telugu GEC) in that order.
During the preceding weeks of 2017, it was Sun TV which had held pole position with weekly impressions of 12,06,478 (000s) sums in week 14, followed far behind by Sony Max with weekly impressions of 8,53,494 (000s) sums at second place.
In week 15, Sony Max topped the ratings in Hindi Movies HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals, Hindi Movies Rural HSM NCCS All : 2+ Individuals and Hindi Movies Urban HSM NCCS All : 2+ Individuals markets, with IPL matches being the top 5 most watched programmes in these markets.
In the Hindi Movies market, Sony Max had phenomenal weekly impressions of 13,34,063 (000s) sums, followed far behind by its peer channel Sony Wah which had weekly impressions of 4,27,231 (000s) sums. The Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders match was the most watched programme in the genre with impressions of 19,303 (000s) followed by the Mumbai Indians- Sunrisers Hyderabad (The Sun Network owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad team) match with impressions of 18,969 (000s). All the other five most watched programmes in the Hindi Movies market were IPL matches on Sony Max
Sony Max’s ratings in the Hindi Movies-Rural market – weekly impressions of 6,16,227 (000s) sums. In this market, the Mumbai Indians- Sunrisers Hyderabad was the most watched programme with impressions of 8,828 (000s), while the Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders match was the second most watched programme with impressions of 8,231 (000s). All the other five most watched programmes in the Hindi Movies-Rural market were IPL matches on Sony Max.
Sony Max’s had weekly impressions of 7,17,835 (000s) sums in the Hindi Movies-Urban market. All the top five most watched programmes in this market were IPL matches on Sony Max. Like in the case of the Hindi Movies market, the Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders match was the most watched programme in this market with impressions of 11,071 (000s) followed by the Mumbai Indians- Sunrisers Hyderabad match with impressions of 10,140 (000s).
In the sports genre, Sony Six was the most watched Sports channel in week 15 with weekly impressions of 4,58,932 (000s) sums followed by an SPN peer channel – Sony ESPN which had weekly impressions of 1,14,119 (000s) sums. The top five programs in the Sports genre were IPL matches on Sony Six– with the Mumbai Indian’s Sunrisers Hyderabad fixture with Impressions of 7,392 (000s) being the most watched sports programme in week 15.
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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.
