News Broadcasting
Ten Sports gets its press drive going on Indo-Pak series, uncertainty notwithstanding
MUMBAI: It is shaping up to be the cricket series of the year and could be even bigger than last year’s World Cup. The schedule of India’s face off with Pakistan on the cricket grounds in March may not have been finalised, but Ten Sports has initiated the publicity campaign around the event.
On Sunday it released it put ads in major publications. The ad highlights the fact that the broadcaster has live and exclusive coverage of the event. The distribution contact details have been given.
There have been concerns expressed some of which are justified. The players are keen on the tour to be delayed by a week. That is because they will suffer fatigue after a gruelling tour of Australia. While that is fine the personal security concerns raised by some senior players in some media pub lications, none of which has been attributed directly to any player, has raised some questions as to the motives behind the “whisper campaign”.
Meanwhile, a report in Pakistan’s The Daily Times stated that in order to put fears to rest the Indian cricket board would send a team of security experts to Pakistan next month to review arrangements. The Pakistan Cricket Board has already guaranteed tight security for Indias tour in light of last week’s bomb blast near an Anglican cathedral in Karachi. If the Indian board is satisfied then the tour should proceed as scheduled.
A possible change in the itinerary could be that the the tour will start from Lahore. India will play three Tests and five one-day internationals between early March and mid-April. The last time we visited our neighbours was way back in 1989-1990. The Bukhatir broadcaster is firming up marketing and promotional plans.
Another report in Sify has stated that India, Pakistan and world champions Australia are expected to play a triangular series in Holland in August. This will act as a prelude to the Champions Trophy in England in September. Max will have live coverage of the Champions Trophy. If the Holland event proceeds as scheduled expect a round of fierce bidding from rival broadcasters.
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.
