Cable TV
Paula Malai Ali to host a sports show for men on ESS
MUMBAI: Asian television personality Paula Malai Ali has joined ESPN Star Sports (ESS). She will host a new magazine show on Star Sports – For Men Only.
From 6 October the show will be broadcast on Star Sports every Friday night at 7 pm. For Men Only is dedicated to men and their lifestyle. It will cover topics from fashion, electronics, sports, film, music and motoring – all things bright and shiny that matter to men.
Paula and co-host Kui Jien will anchor the show with a refreshing new take. Guests will also be invited onto the show to share their views across a range of subjects that are of interest to men. It may be recalled that AXN had done a similar initiative in India called The Man’s World.
ESS senior VP, production, Huw Bevan said, “Paula is a great addition to ESPN Star Sports, which already has a strong pool of talents. The unique positioning for the two channels – ESPN and Star Sports, paves the way for us to find personalities that fit each brand.”
“Paula’s popularity, and her invaluable experience and passion for working in television made her the obvious choice to present the new show on Star Sports.”
Over the past nine years, Ali has worked for various channels, the last being Channel [v]. Besides her work on TV, Paula has also presented several radio programmes in Malaysia. One of the highlights of her career was being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Known for her consummate professionalism, Paula is a hot favourite with everyone in the industry. Her celebrity status has also seen her become the ‘face’ of many international brands.
She says, “Having hosted a variety of programmes on Channel [v], this exciting move into the arena of sports broadcast will be a welcome challenge – I am looking forward to my new assignment. Sports is fast becoming a very popular form of entertainment in Asia and ESPN Star Sports is at the forefront of sports broadcasting. This is a fantastic opportunity and I know I will enjoy my new role.”
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.
