News Broadcasting
SDC unveils innovative mobile media product strategy for 2007
MUMBAI: SDC (Secure Digital Container), the leading, fully label-approved provider of technology for Digital Rights Management (DRM), today announces its vision and new product strategy for the mobile music market in 2007.
SDC’s next-generation mobile DRM technology is supported on over 100 mobile devices and is able to simplify the user experience and reduce cost and complexity for carriers by using one unique application and one DRM system for all music and video related services.
New SDC products scheduled for launch in early 2007 include updated Mobile Players and its new PC Player Version 2.0 for various carriers around the world.
With music-enabled handsets currently outshipping iPods at a ratio of two-to-one*, SDC predicts that pay-per-download, over-the-air, full-track music and video mobile services will soon be deployed throughout all major markets worldwide, while subscription-based “all you can eat” services will grow in popularity with both carriers and consumers. The integration of existing WAP services into player applications will continue to create an easy browsing and purchasing experience for consumers.
A vital element of such services will be a mobile media solution that can consolidate a number of functions – music and video player, web browser, download manager, search and recommendation functionalities, radio player and device content management – into a single, carrier-branded application, while also offering the ability to seamlessly sideload content to PCs and other devices.
This solution is able to simplify usage of different types of rich-media content such as music and video for consumers by integrating all services into a single user interface. It is also able to reduce cost and complexity for carriers by using one unique application and one DRM system for all music and video related services, and is a vital tool in helping carriers achieve significant uplift in ARPU from next generation data services.
SDC has already rolled-out an integrated service with Telus Mobility in Canada by integrating Shazam Entertainment’s music recognition application into SDC’s Java Music Player. SDC developed players combining both pay-per-download and subscription services for Telus and French operator SFR in 2006.
SDC’s new PC Player Version 2.0, due for launch in the first quarter of next year, will offer carriers a highly-customisable, white label player and single DRM technology for both PCs and mobile devices that will be compatible with all common mobile operating systems (Brew, Java, Symbian and Windows) and codec formats (AAC/AAC+, MP3, MPEG4 and WMA).
“2007 is set to be a high-growth year for the mobile music industry, as more and more consumers choose to download music to their phones, rather than traditional media players,” says Michael Bornhäusser, CEO, SDC. “In order to maintain ease-of-use for consumers it is vital that carriers use a single application and user interface for all entertainment services and content. Only SDC is truly able to deliver this today.“
SDC’s unique mobile DRM solution, which enables secure video, full length music and other rich media content distribution across wireless devices and PCs, has been adopted and deployed by an unprecedented 16 major carriers worldwide to date.
Current customers include T-Mobile (Germany, UK and Czech Republic), O2 (UK & Ireland), 3 (UK), SFR (France), Amena (Spain), TELUS (Canada), Telstra (Australia) and Hutch (India).
SDC also has partnerships with all of the world’s major handset manufacturers, including Nokia, Motorola, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung.
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.
