News Broadcasting
Mobile Media launches interactive TV programs on China’s HTV1
MUMBAI: The Mobile Media Company announced a three-year agreement with China’s Hunan Movie and Television Channel (HTV1), to provide mobile interactive TV shows and services to over 64 million people.
Under the agreement, HTV1 will launch a series of interactive mobile applications from Mobile Media ranging from mobile “Jukebox” type applications to participation TV show formats.
The range of “Jukebox” applications include SMS and MMS chat and poll services that will incorporate content from Hunan TV. A three-hour program format will encourage its audience to interact with each other via SMS, with the messages being screened live during the show.
“Mobile phone to TV screen interaction provides new opportunities to generate revenues and relationships with audiences, and is a great use of non-prime airtime for broadcasters. We see many opportunities for broadcasters to generate one-to-one dialogue with their audiences via the provision of compelling content and interactive TV program formats and services,” said Mobile Media executive vice president and Asia Pacific general manager David J Wong.
According to studies by McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s leading management consulting firms, adding SMS interactivity within certain TV programs not only strengthens viewer loyalty but also boosts the ratings of popular free-to-air programs.
“We have seen first hand the possibilities of Mobile Media’s interactive TV platform. We are excited by the possibilities of enabling our viewers to interact and participate with our programs,” said Hunan Movie and Entertainment Channel CEO Mr Mu.
Commenting on the importance of the China market to Mobile Media, Mobile Media CEO Karsten Hauge said, “In China, there are over 300 million mobile phone users and close to nine million new handsets coming into the market per month. This project represents a critical stage in the development of our business in China and we are pleased to partner with a leading TV station such as Hunan Television.”
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.
