Cable TV
Spike TV to adapt vampire film ‘Blade’ for TV
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate Viacom’s cable network dedicated to men Spike TV will adapt the Vampire movie Blade for a television film.
The television movie based on the cult favourite Marvel Super Hero will air next year. Blade is Spike TV president Doug Herzog’s first original scripted programming announcement since he took over the network earlier this year.
He said, “The action-adventure genre is largely ignored in today’s television landscape, and we know it is something that our male viewers really want. Blade is a great movie franchise with an established brand that men already recognise and identify with.”
Blade tells the story of an immortal warrior who battles a thriving underworld of vampires seeking to decimate the human race. Half man and half vampire, Blade uses his fierce powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night and carry on a blood-drenched crusade to prevent the ascendance of vampires over mankind.
The theatrical film starred actor Wesley Snipes and spawned two sequels. Combined, the films have earned more than $400 million worldwide. In India the first two films aired on HBO.
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.
