News Broadcasting
Star Chinese Movies to launch in Singapore on StarHub CableTV
MUMBAI: The Star Group is expanding and how! It today announced that Star Chinese Movies will be launched in Singapore on StarHub CableTV Channel 62 on 21 January.
The new channel claims to have the most current movie line-up of any Chinese movie channel in the world. It will feature over 100 movies including at least 20 exclusive premieres a month. The movies aired will be in Mandarin and are commercial-free.
To celebrate the launch, the channel will showcase the exclusive premiere of The Lion Roars, starring Louis Koo and Cecilia Cheung. The channel has also lined up a series of blockbusters for the Chinese New Year, including Andy Lau and Gigi Leung’s Fat Choi Spirit, Anita Mui, Sammi Cheng starrer Wu Yen, Michelle Reis and Francis Ng’s Beauty and the Breast and Ekin Cheng and Cecilia Cheung’s Legend of Zu.
Star’s CEO Michelle Guthrie said, “We are excited to expand and strengthen our distribution in the key market of Singapore with our strongest Chinese language channel. Star Chinese Movies’ unbeatable movie line-up has consistently driven its performance as the No. 1 movie channel in Taiwan and we are confident that Singapore audiences will love it!”
Added StarHub’s senior VP for cable TV services Sandie Lee, “Star Chinese Movies further strengthens our already strong suite of Chinese channels, which offer viewers the best in Chinese news, entertainment and movies. Singapore viewers are known to be ardent movie lovers so the addition of Star Chinese Movies will definitely excite them. Star Chinese Movies offers many exclusive premieres and blockbusters. We are confident that the channel will do well in Singapore.”
According to an official release, all StarHub customers can sample the programmes on Star Chinese Movies during the free preview of the channel from 21 January, 9 pm till 22 February midnight, after which the channel will be available on the Asia Tier at a monthly fee of S$8 (S$8.40 with GST).
Upcoming blockbusters on Star Chinese Movies include Infernal Affairs, Running on Karma, Cat & Mouse, Homerun and Heroic Duo.
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.
