News Broadcasting
Star makes open offer for 20 % stake in Balaji
MUMBAI: Following up on the announcement made last week that Star Group affiliate Asian Broadcasting FZ LLC (ABF) was to take a 25.1 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms, an open offer has been made by ABF to the shareholders of the production major.
ABF is to make an open offer to Balaji shareholders for acquiring a 20 per cent stake in India’s leading television soap factory at a price of Rs 90 per share aggregating Rs 1173.8 million payable in cash.
The open offer is for 13,042,089 fully paid up equity shares of Rs 2 each, representing 20 per cent of the voting post issue equity capital of Balaji at a price of Rs 90 per share, fund manager to the offer DSP Merrill Lynch informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today. The offer opens on 18 October 18 and closes on 16 November.
No other person is acting in concert with the ABF for the offer, DSP Merrill Lynch said, adding the offer was not conditional on any minimum level of acceptance by the share holders.
In a related development meanwhile, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has initiated an investigation into charges of insider trading against Balaji in the run up to the announcement of the deal with Star, Sebi officials confirmed to indiantelevision.com. Sebi officials admitted to having initiated the process of gathering data but declined to divulge any further developments.
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.
