News Broadcasting
Sony cuts profit forecast for the year
MUMBAI: Japanese electronics major Sony CEO Howard Stringer has his hands full in his attempts to turn the company’s fortunes around.
The firm has cut its annual profit outlook. This is because of poor sales, rising costs at its games unit and a recall of millions of batteries.
Media reports quote Sony stating that net income for the year ending 31 March 31 will drop 35 per cent to $675 million. Sony also revised its net profit for the year to $673 million. This marks a decline of 38 per cent from the $1.1 billion it had projected in July 2006.
Earnings in the second quarter slid 93 per cent to ¥2 billion after the company recalled notebook batteries because several burst into flames. Sony maintained its sales forecast at ¥8.23 trillion.
Media reports state that Sony has already delayed the PlayStation 3 next-generation video game console for the European market by four months. It is also delaying the sales date of LocationFree TV Box LF-Box1. The product streams television shows wirelessly to other gadgets.
The number of battery packs being recalled globally by Sony is 9.6 million. This means a cost of $429 million. Reports however add that the scene might become worse as this figure doesn’t cover the damage compensation that companies may demand. Toshiba has said it may demand compensation.
The battery problem stemmed from lithium-ion batteries that can short-circuit, causing some computers to overheat or burst into flames. On the video game side last month, Sony said that it had run into production problems for its PlayStation 3 video game console. It was expected to start selling the product in the US and Japan next month.
Reports adds that Sony is equipping the console with the Blu-ray high-definition DVD player and the cell chip. This enables more lifelike graphics by making the console about 35 times faster than the previous edition of the product PlayStation 2. The company hopes that these features will justify the price and that the perception will be that the PlayStation is more than just a toy.
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.
