News Broadcasting
ITV acquires ‘Six Degrees’ from BVITV
MUMBAI: ITV has inked an exclusive UK deal with Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) for the licensing of Six Degrees, a new drama series from J.J. Abrams (creator of Lost) to air on its flagship channels ITV1 and 2. This makes Six Degrees the first US series to be aired in primetime on ITV1 in nine years.
Six Degrees follows New Yorkers from all walks of life, whose lives unexpectedly become intertwined. The show will air in the US on the ABC Television Network this autumn in a primetime slot, following Grey’s Anatomy. Six Degrees is a story that underlines just how small the world really is, and how someone, just five metres away might be shaping our future right now.
The show stars Jay Hernandez (Friday Night Lights), Erika Christensen (Flightplan), Bridget Moynahan (Sex and the City), Dorian Missick (Lucky Number Slevin), Hope Davis (About Schmidt) and Campbell Scott (The Secret Lives of Dentists). Its executive producers are J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk (Lost, Alias), Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner (Elektra), and it is produced by Touchstone Television.
ITV director of acquisitions Jay Kandola said, “My aim was to get brand defining shows for the ITV Network. I am delighted that Six Degrees will be a contemporary exciting new addition to the ITV1 and ITV2 offering.”
BVITV EMEA executive vice president and managing director Tom Toumazis added, “As US series continue to return to primetime around the world, we are delighted to be working with ITV to launch Six Degrees in primetime on ITV1. We are sure that the series’ production pedigree and strong cast will appeal strongly to a UK audience.”
The agreement was closed by ITV’s Kandola and BVITV executive director sales, UK and Ireland Catherine Powell.
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.
