News Broadcasting
mobile2win inks deal for ‘Philippine Idol’
MUMBAI: mobile2win, wireless value added services enabler, has bagged the contract as the exclusive and official wireless aggregator for reality show Philippine Idol.
Under the terms of the agreement, mobile2win will handle the entire connectivity with all operators, back-end infrastructure, voting, collation and vote management for the 14 weeks of the show that’s being aired from 3 September 2006 on ABC 5, informs an official release.
The deal was inked with FremantleMedia, creators and producers of programme brands in the world and owner of the Idols format, after a pitch and selection process amongst several wireless aggregators in Asia.
mobile2win worked previously with FremantleMedia on Indian Idol, the local Indian version of the Idols format, and was responsible for creating a distinct mobile platform with distribution of all the latest and regularly updated content week after week across operators in India. mobile2win conceptualized and created the entire content for Indian Idol, including wall papers, animation, true tones, polytones, videos, colour logos, themes and an Indian Idol mobile game, adds the release.
mobile2win India country head Rajiv Hiranandani says, “The Idols format has always been tremendously popular the world over and the show’s interactivity gives viewers and even greater chance to participate in their favourite programme. Indian Idol was a huge success and winning the contract for Philippine Idol is indeed a great milestone for the company and mobile2win will strive to provide the best in terms of backend infrastructure.”
FremantleMedia’s VP licensing and interactive Asia Pacific Jon Penn said, “We chose mobile2win as they have done a fantastic job over several years for the voting and interactivity on Indian Idol. Their approach is systematic and professional and we know they will do a great job for us in the Philippines, one of the most “interactive” markets in the world.”
Based on the international award-winning Idols format the Philippine Idol judges include the famous trio, Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales and Francis Magalona, and the show promises a positive blend of humour, drama, action and suspense.
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.
