News Broadcasting
Tamil channels snap up big ticket film rights
MUMBAI: The Tamil channels are really quick on the uptake. Within a few days of release, some of the big ticket Tamil New Year movies have been snapped up by them.
So if Sun TV bagged the satellite rights of Rajanikant’s Chandramukhi, rival channel Jaya TV has whipped up the rights of the other two releases – Kamal Hassan’s Mumbai Express and Vijay’s Sachien.
Confirming the developments, Sun TV vice president, programming, Hansraj W Saxena told Indiantelevision.com that the channel went for Chandramukhi as it was doing well in the box office.
“The movie is the top perfomer among the New Year releases. Also, Rajanikant is the biggest crowdpuller of Tamil cinema. So we went for it,” he says.
Jaya TV’s acquisition of Mumbai Xpress and Sachien reveals the channel’s aggressive plans to strengthen its movie library. “Yes, this is part of our plans to beef up film content,” agrees Jaya TV VP programmes and operation Murali Raman.
The release of Chandramukhi and Mumbai Xpress saw Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan back on the silver screen after a long gap. According to the weekly box office report, Chandramukhi has collected distributors share of Rs 320 million during the Tamil New Year weekend from eight Chennai screens. Sachien and Mumbai Xpress, which have also managed to get an impressive opening, are now trailing as per reports.
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.
