News Broadcasting
Percept bags three BCCI tenders for Malaysian Tri-series
MUMBAI: Percept has bagged three tenders floated by the BCCI totaling a deal that’s around Rs 750 million. BCCI had earlier invited tenders for the official provider of the Indian team’s formal wear and accessories, the BCCI ratings and awards and the ground rights for the Malayasian tri-series to be held between India, West Indies and Australia from 12 – 24 September 2006.
The BCCI Ratings and Awards was bagged at an overall price of $ 6.41 million spread over a period of five years. Percept Holdings president – corporate affairs Ajay Upadhyay said, “We believe there is an opportunity in the market. This kind of a rating system will drive more enthusiasm and participation towards this game and ensure higher competitive levels and bring about excellence in the game. The intent is to have a strong public participation in the ratings.”
Percept will be announcing their partners very shortly. According to the deal, it would create, conceptualise and manage the ratings in consultation with BCCI.
Percept assisted Pantaloons to bag the rights to formal wear and accessories at a deal that is pegged around Rs 200 million over a period of four years. Pantaloons would have the rights to provide these garments and market them as the official team clothing for five years and will cover the Under-19 and Women’s Cricket as well.
Percept Holdings joint managing director Shailendra Singh said, “Future Group (Pantaloons) has emerged as one of the biggest players in the Retail business today. I am sure that the partnership with BCCI will be the start of a very long relationship. It is a company of international standing with a wide network across the country. Cricket is a religion in India and high quality fashion endorsed by the team will find popular acceptance through the Pantaloons retail network.”
PDM International, a Percept Group Company, has also bagged the exclusive ground rights for the Malayasian Tri-series. The tournament rights were awarded to PDM International by the BCCI Marketing Committee headed by Sharad Pawar at Delhi, on 20 August, 2006 for a price of $ 5.14 million.
PDM International beat five other bidders to bag the rights for the series. Nimbus, 21st Century Management, Laqshya Media, Right Angle and Reliance (who chose not to bid) were the other bidders in the fray for the exclusive ground rights to the series.
The initial bid of $ 4.15 by PDM International was raised to $ 5.14 million after news of cancellation of the bi-lateral series in Sri Lanka due to the inclement weather. The reason cited in an official release was that this would definitely ensure greater viewer interest in the forthcoming Malaysian tri-series and hence increases the value of the series further.
The bagging of ground rights is not a first for PDM International. It had earlier bagged the bid for sponsorship rights for the India-Pakistan one-day series held in Abu Dhabi on 18 and 19 April, 2006.
Added Singh, “We understand the sport and the potential it has. Our cumulative business in cricket over the past decade has exceeded Rs 10 billion through sponsorships, ground rights, events, celebrity management services and coverage. Percept Holdings is utilizing various opportunities to enter new markets overseas. We entered the Middle East when we bagged the rights for the Indo-Pak series in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and the Malaysian Tri-series gives us a strategic opportunity to venture into the Asia-Pacific region and showcase our expertise in the media and sports entertainment domain. “
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.
