GECs
Q2-17: Zee Media operating profit up
BENGALURU: The Essel Group’s news network Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) reported more than double (2.47 times) year-over-year (y-o-y) operating profit (Simple EBIDTA) for the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q2-17, current quarter) . The company reported EBIDTA of Rs 18 crore (14.3 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) in Q2-17 as compared to Rs 7.28 crore (5.7 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter. The company’s EBIDTA grew 1.6 per cent quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) from Rs 17.71 crore (13.8 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.
Revenue breakup
ZMCL’s TIO in the current quarter was almost flat y-o-y as well as q-o-q. The company reported 0.7 per cent y-o-y decline in Q2-17 at Rs 126.15 crore as compared to Rs 127.05 crore and a 1.6 per cent q-o-q decline from Rs 128.24 crore.
ZMCL reported an 8.3 per cent y-o-y growth in advertising revenue in Q2-17 at Rs 98.24 crore (77.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to Rs 90.69 crore, but a 4 per cent q-o-q decline from Rs 102.35 crore. Advertising revenue from ZMCL’s existing channels increased 17.7 per cent y-o-y in Q2-17 to Rs 77.63 crore from Rs 65.93 crore but declined 3 per cent q-o-q from Rs 80.01 crore. Advertising revenue from new channels increased 6.3 per cent y-o-y in Q2-17 to Rs 7.08 crore from Rs 6.66 crore, but declined 2.9 per cent q-o-q from Rs 7.29 crore
Since 1 June, 2016, the company’s flagship channel Zee News became free-to-air (FTA). Subscription revenue in the current quarter declined 39.9 per cent y-o-y to Rs 16.37 crore (13 per cent of TIO) from Rs 27.24 crore (21.4 per cent of TIO) and declined 8.4 per cent q-o-q from Rs 17.89 crore (14 per cent of TIO).
Subscription revenues from Existing channels declined 42.3 per cent y-o-y to Rs 14.09 crore from Rs 24.44 crore and declined 9 per cent q-o-q from Rs 15.48 crore.
Other sales and services revenue increased 26.8 per cent q-o-q to Rs 11.55 crore (9.2 per cent of TIO) from Rs 9.11 crore (7.2 per cent of TIO) and increased 44.4 per cent from Rs 8 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. Other revenues for existing channels declined 45.9 per cent y-o-y to Rs 1.77 crore from Rs 3.27 crore, but increased 14.2 per cent from Rs 1.55 crore.
Business Revenue breakup
Revenue from ZMCL’s Television Broadcasting Busin ess (TV Business) was flat y-o-y (increased by 0.3 per cent) at Rs 100.57 crore as compared to Rs 100.30 crore, but declined 3.6 per cent q-o-q from Rs 104.34 crore. The TV Business reported more than sevenfold (7.41 times) y-o-y increase in operating profit at Rs 13.89 crore as compared to Rs1.88 crore, but a 6.1 per cent q-o-q decline from Rs 104.34 crore.
Revenue from ZMCL’s print business was almost flat (increased 0.7 per cent) y-o-y at Rs 30.26 crore vis-à-vis Rs 30.03 crore and increased 4.3 per cent q-o-q from Rs 29 crore. The business reported lower y-o-y operating loss of Rs 5.88 crore as compared to Rs 6.86 crore. ZMCL’s print business had reported a lower operating loss of Rs 3.79 crore in Q1-17.
A look at the other numbers reported by ZMCL
ZMCL reported a lower y-o-y loss of Rs 18.04 crore in the current quarter as compared to a loss of Rs 19.86 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. The company had reported a profit after tax of Rs 0.09 crore for the immediate trailing quarter. In may be noted that ZMCL has incurred an exceptional loss of Rs 18.88 crore due to sale of land and buildings of a subsidiary in the current quarter.
The company has controlled its total expenditure in Q2-17, which declined 11 per cent y-o-y to Rs 118.22 crore (93.7 per cent of TIO) as compared to Rs 132.79 crore (104.5 per cent of TIO) and was 2.2 per cent lower q-o-q as compared to Rs 120.83 crore.
Cost of Raw materials consumed in the current quarter declined 18 per cent y-o-y to Rs 10.32 crore (8.2 per cent of TIO) as compared to Rs 12.59 crore (9.9 per cent of TIO) but was 2.1 per cent more q-o-q than Rs 10.11 crore (7.9 per cent of TIO).
Employee Benefits Expenses in the current quarter declined 19.8 per cent y-o-y to Rs 30.45 crore (24.1 per cent ofTIO) from Rs 31.92 crore (29.9 per cent of TIO) and was 4.6 per cent lower q-o-q than the Rs 38.60 crore (24.9 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.
ZMCL’s Marketing, Distribution and Business Promotion Expenses (Marketing expenses) in the current quarter declined 45.9 per cent y-o-y to Rs 13.52 crore (10.7 per cent of TIO) from Rs 24.97 crore (19.6 per cent of TIO) and declined 15.8 per cent q-o-q from Rs 16.05 crore (12.5 per cent of TIO).
Operational costs in Q2-17 increased 11.4 per cent y-o-y to Rs 23.55 crore (18.7 per cent of TIO) from Rs 21.14 crore (16.6 per cent of TIO) and increased 26.1 per cent q-o-q from Rs 18.67 crore (14.6 per cent of TIO).
Other expense in Q2-17 increased 31.3 per cent y-o-y to Rs 30.31 crore (24 per cent of TIO) from Rs 23.08 crore (18.2 per cent of TIO) but declined 21.3 per cent q-o-q from Rs 38.51 crore (30 per cent of TIO).
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
