News Broadcasting
Rainbow Media signs deals for Mag Rack Vod content
MUMBAI: US media firm Rainbow Media Holdings has added international broadcasters to the growing reach of its Mag Rack video-on-demand (Vod) content.
The latest round of deals delivers several Mag Rack titles into the UK, Sweden, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Continuing Rainbow’s international expansion, the deals represent 319 VOD segments.
Launched in 2001 in the US, Mag Rack is an on-demand television service, delivering made-for-Vod programming. Mag Rack is available to 12 million on-demand customers in 50 US markets, and several of its series were sold into Scandinavia, Hungary and Greece earlier this year.
iD MD Sally Miles says, “Our continued momentum with Rainbow’s stable of brands is truly a testament to the international appeal of this top-quality programming. With Mag Rack, buyers are getting a rich array of series that speak to the diverse tastes of their viewers’ evolving, on-the-go lifestyles. Mag Rack is a truly progressive brand to be working with in the VOD marketplace.”
The newest round of international Mag Rack deals includes:
Inside Weddings has been Sold to Wedding TV (UK), TV7 (Sweden), Club Channel (Poland & Hungary), CTC Domashy Network (Russia) and Spektrum (Czech Republic). The show has advice on everything from gowns and formal wear, flowers and photography to places to celebrate.
Mama Gena has been sold to TV7 (Sweden) and Club Channel (Central & Eastern Europe). In this “school of womanly arts,” Mama Gena’s lessons teach women to take control of their power of pleasure to have their way with the world and men, with each episode offering new tips and techniques.
Eight segments of Wild Wheels have been sold to TV4 (Sweden) and 24 sold to Prava/Prevodi (Bosnia & Herzegovina). This series takes viewers into a world of crazy cars—rock crawlers, aqua cars, modified stretch limos, mud/ice racers and more—for a drive on the wild side.
Let’s Go Garden has been sold to ACE (Russia). Let’s Go Garden, hosted by Jackie Albarella. This focusses on the practical side of gardening with projects real people can achieve whether a beginning gardener or a passionate green thumb.
Motorcycle Freedom has been sold to Ananey (Israel). These short segment programs take viewers onto the open road with a virtual ride on some of the latest superbikes.
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.
