Cable TV
Time Warner shareholders to vote today for share swap and Comcast merger
BENGALURU: Comcast Corporation (Comcast) announced yesterday that, at its special meeting of shareholders held at The Kimmel Centre for The Performing Arts in Philadelphia, more than 99 per cent of Comcast shareholders voting supported Comcast’s proposal to issue 2.875 shares of Comcast class A common stock for every one share of Time Warner Cable common stock in connection with Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner Cable.
The merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is subject to various regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and also requires approval by Time Warner Cable shareholders, who are expected to vote on the merger today, 9 October 2014. Subject to satisfaction of these conditions, the merger is expected to close in early 2015, says Comcast.
If the deal closes, the combined firm would serve 30 per cent of US cable TV households and about 40 per cent of US homes that have broadband internet service.
In addition, Comcast will sell 1.4 million Time Warner Cable subscribers to Charter Communications for about $7.3 billion. Comcast would also divest 2.5 million subscribers to a new public company which will be owned 66 per cent by Comcast shareholders, and 33 per cent by Charter, which will manage its network and customers. Finally, Comcast and Charter will swap about 1.6 million subscribers with each other.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
