Cable TV
Nick US’ Dora takes a trip down memory lane
MUMBAI: Nick US has announced that on its show Dora The Explorer, preschoolers will join Dora on her first adventure ever and discover how she met her best friend Boots on
a new episode called Dora’s First Trip.
The special flashback episode will premiere on 7 April. On Dora’s First Trip, at the dinner table, Dora tells her parents, grandma and her cousins Diego and Daisy the story of her very first adventure through the forest. Without the help of her trusty backpack, Dora embarks on her earliest trip with a simple messenger bag — her first explorer kit from her parents. She travels through the Nutty Forest and across the Rio Grande to return the Fiesta Trio’s lost instruments so they can play for the cranky Queen Bee.
Along the way, Dora meets her sidekick Boots and they soon befriend Tico, Isa and Benny. Dora continues her journey with her new pals, and they travel together by car, boat and airplane until they finally return the instruments to the musical trio. Before long, they learn that they must watch out for that sneaky fox, Swiper.
On 11 April, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment will release a DVD and VHS Dora’s First Trip, which will feature the title episode in addition to three other Dora the Explorer adventures. The DVD will also feature a music video, Best Friends.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
