News Broadcasting
Spike TV to take awards shows to the next level
NEW YORK: It is Game Over for traditional awards shows. Viacom’s all male network Spike TV presents the first annual Video Game Awards (VGAs) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
This unprecedented and non-traditional awards show hosted by actor/comedian David Spade Just Shoot Me will celebrate the many accomplishments of the past year in video gamedom. It will also look to the future of games in 2004 and beyond. The show premieres on Spike TV on 4 December.
Spike TV president Albie Hecht added, “The VGAs celebrate those games that have blistered our fingers poised on the joystick and kept us up all night. We are throwing out all the boring and stagnant elements of traditional awards shows and focusing on what matters — the characters, game play, animation, music and performances that have made an impact on the video game community throughout the past year.”
In a major departure from the norm the VGAs will not feature podiums, presenters and long, boring acceptance speeches. The VGAs will replace drawn-out presenter-reading-prompter segments with advocate introductions. These advocates are fans of the nominated video game, and that can mean a celebrity, musician or actual character featured within the game itself.
As advocates they can bash and/or brag all they want in support of their game. This will immediately be followed by an intimate look at the nominated game itself. When winners are announced, the awards will come to the Winners Circle of tables where celebrity toastmasters will offer boasts and roasts to the newly minted winners.
Awards in 16 wide-ranging categories will be presented in the culmination of Spike TVs first annual Video Game Awards. Nominees and winners of Spike TVs VGAs are tallied from gaming industry experts, public opinion via Spike TVs website (www.spiketv.com) and Spike TVs editorial board. Some of the categories are Game of Year; Best Sports Game; Best Action Game; Best Animation; Best Driving Game; Best Game Based on a Movie.
The VGAs will take place in a futuristic setting reminiscent of what was seen in the Tom Cruise blockbuster Minority Report. The show will seamlessly blend real and animated worlds into a dynamic show presentation. Nominee presentations will combine cinematic animation sequences to intercut with actual game play performed by top-notch game players.
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.
