iWorld
Paramount and Netflix storm November’s streaming wars
NEW YORK: Paramount and Netflix have delivered knockout performances in November’s streaming battle, each posting double-digit growth that has reshuffled the media distributor rankings and left rivals scrambling.
Paramount charged up 14 per cent to claim 8.9 per cent of total television viewing, its largest share since April, according to Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge released today. The entertainment giant jumped to third place overall, powered equally by its broadcast and streaming arms. CBS affiliates and Paramount+ each surged more than 18 per cent, adding 0.5 and 0.2 share points respectively—making Paramount’s 0.7-point gain the largest among all distributors.
Netflix wasn’t far behind, notching a 10 per cent increase to capture 8.3 per cent of TV viewing. The streaming titan’s success rested on the return of Stranger Things, which alone racked up nearly 12 billion viewing minutes. New entries The Beast in Me and Guillermo del Toro’s reimagined Frankenstein added nearly 7 billion more minutes between them, proving Netflix’s content depth remains its secret weapon.
The month’s real overachiever was Hallmark, which posted a 28 per cent viewing bump—the highest percentage increase across all distributors. The network’s signature holiday film slate and original series Mistletoe Murders delivered an additional 0.2 share points for a total 1.2 per cent of TV time.
Despite the shake-up below them, YouTube and Disney held the top two spots with 12.9 per cent and 10.5 per cent respectively. YouTube’s share remained flat, whilst Disney dropped 0.9 share points, bruised by ABC and ESPN declines stemming from a carriage dispute with YouTube TV.
NBCUniversal climbed 7 per cent to 8.8 per cent of viewing, its strongest showing since October 2024. Peacock led the charge with a 22 per cent streaming surge, fuelled by NFL Sunday Night Football, Thanksgiving Day programming and new drama All Her Fault. The streamer hit a non-Olympic record of 1.9 per cent share.
Fox navigated choppier waters, with broadcast affiliates jumping 22 per cent on Thanksgiving NFL coverage and World Series games, whilst Fox News Channel slipped 9 per cent and FS1 suffered from the absence of MLB playoffs. Overall, Fox gained 2.4 per cent but lost 0.3 share points to finish with 8.1 per cent of TV.
The numbers, spanning five weeks from October 27th through November 30th, paint a picture of an industry where content is king, sports remain currency, and the fight for eyeballs grows fiercer by the month. In streaming’s gladiatorial arena, November belonged to those who came armed with the sharpest content and the smartest timing.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
