News Broadcasting
Merger mania may rock Sony, Pixar
MUMBAI: Looks like merger mania is on! Only days after Comcast made it’s bid for the Walt Disney Company, comes the news that Sony may be eyeing Pixar.
One media report said that the shares of Pixar climbed more than three per cent as a result of a rumor that Sony was planning to make a bid for the computer animation company.
Pixar has made box office hits like Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and Toy Story. The media report said that Pixar’s shares jumped $2.30 to $68.11 in heavy trading that saw it surge at mid-day to $70.50, as Wall Street talked up the possibility of a $4.1 billion bid from Sony. On the other hand, Sony rose 76 cents to close at $42.15.
As nearly every media giant is being looked at as a match-up partner these days, Comcast’s hostile bid for Disney may just be the first of more such show biz deals to come.
It is being speculated that the rumors may have erupted because Sony Pictures had very recently opened up talks with Pixar about striking a distribution agreement.
Pixar has been eyed by nearly every studio in Hollywood ever since it abruptly broke off talks with Disney over handling its distribution.
The report said that there were no official comments Sony and Pixar over the rumours afloat in the market.
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.
