News Broadcasting
MAX brand ambassador Kapil to play ‘Gully Cricket’ with fans in 5 cities
MUMBAI:With the countdown to the Champions Trophy that kicks off in Sri Lanka 12 September well and truely on, SET MAX today announced a promotion for cricket fans in India.
MAX and World Cup Network brand ambassador Kapil Dev will travel to 5 cities in India and gives local cricket fans the opportunity to play cricket with him.
The promotion, beginning tomorrow kicks off in Nagpur and will then move to Pune (10 August), Bangalore (17 August), Kanpur (25 August) and Ludhiana (8 September).
‘Gully Cricket’ is one of the initiatives to be undertaken by MAX to promote the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka 2002 and the ICC Cricket World Cup, South Africa 2003, which will be aired on MAX.
‘Gully Cricket’ will feature Kapil Dev on a preplanned tour of each of the 5 cities. He will visit several locations in each city during the day and will play a game of cricket with his fans. Fans get an opportunity to bowl out their favourite cricketer and win autographed prizes.
The entire promotion is supported by a print, broadcast, radio and outdoor campaign in each city.
“Gully Cricket is the first in a series of unique initiatives being undertaken by MAX for the ICC Cricket tournaments. Our aim is to build the excitement of cricket in every corner of India beginning now to the end of the World Cup,” said Rajat Jain, executive V-P & business head, MAX.
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.
