News Broadcasting
US-based Channel Nine bags India C&S rights for movie ‘American Desi’
MUMBAI: Channel Nine Entertainment, the US based production house, has bagged the Indian theatrical, satellite and video rights of the Hollywood blockbuster American Desi.
The film is slated for a simultaneous release in India, Australia and South Africa following its release in the US, Canada and UK markets. Films like Monsoon Wedding and Bend It Like Beckham have paved the way for audience appreciating films in the same genre as “American Desi”, says a company spokesperson. Audiences identify with contemporary films and style of film making that are close to reality unlike the melodramas of yesteryears.”
American Desi, directed by Piyush Dinker Pandya is a romantic comedy reminiscent of the great teen films of the eighties like 16 Candles and Pretty in Pink, mixed with the fresh hip-hop style of House Party with a uniquely Indian flavour. From Kris, an All-American boy from India, to Ajay, an Afro-Centric Hindu homeboy, to Farah, a devoutly religious but modern Muslim girl, American Desi tells the story of a unique set of characters and their culture from a decidedly hip and youthful point of view.
The Indian-American comedy has become one of the top-grossing limited-release films in the UK market, says the company, with several multiplexes reporting that American Desi was their biggest picture on the weekend of 28 September 2001, trailing only Steven Spielberg’s A.I. which was the nation’s number one film during that period. Channel Nine Entertainment which debuted in the Hollywood film distribution business with American Desi, plans to release more Hollywood films.
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.
