News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati mulls making DD Sports FTA
MUMBAI: The Prasar Bharati appears to have decided to let DD Sports go free.
CEO KS Sarma told the press on Monday while in Chennai that the public broadcaster is talking to Modi Entertainment Network with which it has an agreement for distribution, to change the pay channel into a free one, as the channel is currently drawing in revenues hardly touching Rs 200 million.
Conceived to promote local sports, DD Sports has about 27 days of cricket allotted by the Board of Cricket Control in India. That apart, the channel has only a few more fortnights of cricket whenever there is a World Cup or ICC tournament. Sarma, on a visit to meet cable operators, reportedly told newspersons that Prasar Bharati has entered into a joint venture agreement with the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) for terrestrial broadcast rights for the Champions Trophy and World Cup 2003. The agreement stipulates that Prasar Bharati would receive a payment of Rs 10 million per match; the revenue earned from the match would be shared on 80:20 basis in favour of GCC.
As part of a plan to bolster its finances, Prasar Bharti was also looking at possibilities of exploiting prime properties on which its stations were located in 272 cities and towns across the country, Sarma said.
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.
