News Broadcasting
Must share: Prasar Bharati eyes F1, Fifa World Cup, Grand Slams
MUMBAI: After the government doctored the pitch in its favour, the Indian pubcaster now wants a share of more than just cricket under new media norms that mandate private broadcasters share listed events with Prasar Bharati.
This, coupled with stringent downlink norms, has forced at least two sports broadcasters — Ten Sports and ESPN Star Sports — to move the courts on the ground that such an environment would not only start telling on their bottomlines, but also breach their rights to carry on fair business.
Even as industry-government consultations are on to pinpoint sporting events, Prasar Bharati has conveyed to the information and broadcasting ministry that it would like properties such as the Football World Cup 2006, Formula One and the Tennis Grand Slams to be included in the list.
It is pertinent to note that the government is looking to see which properties should be included in that list and has had some talks with the sports ministry and private broadcasters in this regard.
A private sports broadcaster grudgingly admitted to Indiantelevision.com that the demands of Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, is making things tricky as the pubcaster gets more greedy.
The concerns of sports broadcasters get accentuated as some big non-cricket events are to be held over the next few months, which includes the Australian Open tennis, and the telecast rights of which are with a private broadcaster.
The next meeting of representatives from the broadcast industry and the I&B ministry is scheduled to be held this week
Meanwhile, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has joined hands with rival Ten Sports in taking the government to court over the matter of sharing feeds with Prasar Bharati, including those events also for which telecast agreements had been concluded before the new law came into effect recently.
On Friday, ESS moved the Delhi High Court challenging some of the clauses in the downlink guidelines.
After an initial hearing, the matter has been kept for further arguments after the court’s winter vacation finishes early next year.
The ESS petition has made the Prasar Bharati too a party to the case.
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.
