Cable TV
Sky Italia brings interactive TV version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’
MUMBAI: The popular international television format Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has been adopted by Italian television for an interactive game show. HTTV, Celador International and Sky Italia have partnered up to launch the Italian version of the show on Sky Italia.
Subscribers to Sky Italia in Italy will now be able to take the hot seat at any time of day and play an interactive game based on the hit television quiz. Interactive players can ask the audience, phone a friend or take a 50:50 as they climb the money tree to the million Euro question, states an official release.
In 2003, HTTV launched with eTF1 (first French Channel) and TPS (2nd French satellite operator), the French version of the game where it continues to be a large success in France.
“The iTV version of the most popular TV show ever was a huge success in the UK and in France and will undoubtedly be a success in Italy. HTTV and Celador International will extend this partnership to other significant digital TV operators which will provide great revenue opportunities to both companies,” states HTTV sales & marketing director Jean-Christophe Jubin.
Interactive Media head Selma Turajlic says, “HTTV’s Sky Italia version of the interactive Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?game is another example of how this hugely successful TV quiz format continues to grow into a global digital brand.”
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
