News Broadcasting
MAX confident of selling inventory by mid-Jan ’03
MUMBAI: Indecisive advertisers and ad agencies had better watch out as there might not be any available spots during the World Cup 2003 cricket matches being aired on television! MAX officials have claimed that it will be able to sell 75 per cent of its World Cup cricket inventory by the first week of January. Nimbus officials have also claimed to have sold 91 percent of their total inventory.
SET executive vice president, sales and revenue management Rohit Gupta confirms: “We are very much on target as far as the sales of inventories as well as the revenues are concerned. The large sponsorship categories will be finalised by 5 January 2003. The remaining inventories (around 25 per cent) relating to the small-spender categories will also be finalised by mid-January 2003.”
Gupta also confirms that five out of the six major properties such as Action Replays, Fours, Sixes, Fall of Wickets have already been sold. “Predikta, the interactive game, had various levels of sponsorship. Pepsi is the principal sponsor of Predikta, whereas the other advertisers will offer prizes,” he adds.
Media sources claim that these smaller categories include credit card companies, banks, insurance companies, cement companies, food companies and batteries, among others. Such companies need not necessarily have large budgets and could make do with buying lesser spots.
MAX’s Gupta insists that the channel has carefully designed the advertising sales package so that advertisers will experience minimal clutter and viewers will have an enriching and satisfying experience. MAX has 4500-4800 spots whereas DD has around 6000 spots.
Channels Qualifying stage Super Sixes stage
DD 210 spots 170 spots
MAX 140 spots 60 spots
However, the MAX team is pretty bullish on expanding the base of advertisers for the cricket matches. MAX has devised an entertainment package that comprises several ‘softer’ and ‘not-necessarily cricket’ programmes.
Says Gupta, “Although the purists will be interested only in viewing the matches, there could be others who could be interested in knowing more about South Africa; the culinary delights of South Africa; or the personal details of cricketers and other celebrities. “
Gupta also feels that ‘out of home’ (OOH) viewing will increase substantially during the forthcoming World Cup. “Research agencies must make an effort to monitor the viewing patterns. These findings must eventually be shared with media planners,” he adds.
Industry sources claim that MAX is poised to garner nearly Rs two billion out of the possible Rs 3.7 billion ad spend during the forthcoming World Cup.
Meanwhile, Nimbus chairman and MD Harish Thawani has also claimed that the DD-Nimbus combine is on course to attaining its determined target. He however refused to give away figures of the revenues garnered thus far.
Media planners claim that C&S channels have traditionally bagged 82 to 87 per cent of the total ad spend, whereas DD has bagged 13 to 18 per cent, a trend that has stayed constant in the last four years.
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.
