News Broadcasting
Jubilant Chandra promises an exciting sports fest
MumbaiI: Zee Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra was in a jubilant mood at his Worli Mumbai office on Sunday evening even as the network bagged the BCCI cricket telecast rights for the next four years.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com Chandra accepted the congratulations graciously and said that all formalities that the BCCI had asked for would be completed. Even the initial amount of $20 million.
“We will be signing a letter of intent with the BCCI,” he said.
He added that his network would be speaking to Turner Broadcasting Asia about a proposed collaborative effort to launch a sports channel tomorrow. “Today is a Sunday,” he said. “We will be moving ahead aggressively.”
Earlier while speaking to Zee News Chandra said that his network was well geared up to get the channel off the ground by 2 October for the Australian series. “The channel will be youthful,” he told Zee News. “Sports is entertainment. We will provide more excitement than before. Our network infrastructure is strong and we will get adequate distribution.”
He added: “Cricket has become a religion in India. We will give a boost to other sports also through our channel. We will work hard on improving the production quality.”
Earlier, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya had told media persons in Chennai that the contract had not yet been awarded to Zee TV, but they had accepted Zee TV’s revised bid. “Formalities have to be completed,” Dalmiya said. “Bank guarantees have to be furnished, who will be doing the production etc has to be clarified..”
He, however, added that he had no doubt that Zee would be able to meet with the conditions the board had set for it.
BCCI spokesperson Amrit Mathur, while speaking to Zee News, added that the board expected domestic cricket to get a spurt. The Ranji Trophy, junior cricket…” he said.
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.
