News Broadcasting
Sony ready to don World Cup Network look
The World Cup Network (not the Fifa World Cup, please note. We are talking cricket here) is what Sony Entertainment now calls itself.
Post-acquisition of the India cable and satellite cricket telecast rights for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) tournaments until 2007, including the 2003 and 2007 cricket World Cups, that is.
Some reflection of that is about to become visible on sister channels SET and MAX within the next ten days or so. The first week of July (1 July is the tentative date) will see the first phase of Sonys efforts to spin off as much as it can out of the expensive property (at a reported $255 million thats some serious money) it has bought for itself, says Rajat Jain, executive V-P, SET MAX.
As Jain puts it, the lead up to the World Cup in March 2003 is being divided essentially into two phases – the first phase will see the rollout of short form programming across the network while the second phase will see long form programmes (mainly half-hour shows).
The programming, while being cricket oriented, will also have lighter elements to it, Jain says without elaborating. What the viewer will get to see in larger and larger doses in the coming months across the network are programme vignettes covering team, player, country profiles, big rivalries, classic duels, greatest games, etc. For each of these categories, 15 to 20 vignettes are being prepared, Jain said.
The test run as it were for Sonys World Cup plans will be provided by the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that kicks off 12 September. Also known as the mini-World Cup, the tournament features all the test playing nations and will provide some clues as to how far Sony is successful in broadbasing its cricket tale.
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.
