News Broadcasting
NBC to maintain ‘Law & Order’ situation
MUMBAI: Fresh of the back of acquiring Universal, NBC and NBC Universal Television have completed a multi-tiered agreement with Wolf Films and executive producer Dick Wolf. This will extend Wolfs deal for his three Law And Order shows until the end of July 2008
Wolfs three NBC shows are Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent . In India the second one is currently airing on Star World. Filmed in New York it chronicles the life and crimes of the elite Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department. The show follows detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), a seasoned veteran of the unit and his partner, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), also a longtime detective in the unit. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, B.D. Wong and Diane Neal also star.
There is more good news for fans of the franchise. The agreement has added a fourth brand Law & Order: Trial by Jury for the 2004-05 season. The latest spin on the increasingly complex and controversial American legal system is set entirely in the arena of the courthouse.
Wolf added, “Ive been on the air at NBC continuously for the past 20 years and this new deal means that I could be as lucky for the next 20. Synergy has become an overused word, but the concept of a true partnership never goes out of style. I couldnt possibly have a better team than Bob, Jeff, Randy and Kevin to help me maximise the potential of the brand.
The deal means that Law & Order will have a 15th and 16th season. Likewise, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is assured of sixth and seventh seasons. The third member of the franchise Law & Order: Criminal Intent is currently in its third season and has been picked up for a fourth and fifth season.
NBC issued a release claiming that all the franchises were faring well in the ratings. On Wednesdays Law & Order is one of televisions top-four dramas among adults 18-49 for the fourth-consecutive season and is winning its hour by a 35 per cent margin. On Tuesdays, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has improved the time period by 26 per cent versus last season in 18-49 and claims to have won the hour with each of its last 24 telecasts.
On Sundays Law & Order: Criminal Intent is undefeated against regular competition this season in 18-49 and is the only NBC regular series to win this time slot in the last eight seasons.
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.
