News Broadcasting
Viacom, Adobe forge alliance to deliver web, mobile content
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Viacom and Adobe Systems have announced a strategic alliance to develop and deliver Viacom’s branded content using the Adobe Engagement Platform.
Through this agreement, Adobe will become Viacom’s preferred technology provider for rich media authoring tools and interactive online video solutions. This will enable Viacom to deliver content from its television, motion picture and digital properties to online and mobile audiences in compelling ways. The two companies will also work together in developing new media applications leveraging Viacom’s exclusive content and using Adobe’s next-generation developer tools and ubiquitous cross-platform client software.
The Adobe Engagement Platform is a versatile foundation for capturing and holding audiences’ attention through more active and effective applications and media. Through the combined reach of the Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player clients, which are installed on more than 600 million connected PCs and devices worldwide, the Platform enables businesses to connect with customers, no matter which medium they choose.
Viacom president and CEO Tom Freston says, “This partnership with Adobe is an important step towards ensuring that our company has the most robust and state of the art online and mobile video applications. We are very excited to be working so closely with Adobe, which is a real innovator with a great track record”.
Viacom will utilise Flash video as an interactive online video solution and provide Viacom-branded content to mobile phone handsets via FlashCast™ channels. Flash video delivers secure, high-quality seamless video experiences. FlashCast is a flexible client-server solution that effectively delivers rich, intuitive branded experiences on mobile devices. Using Adobe technology, Viacom will also develop entirely new applications leveraging content from Viacom properties including MTV, Comedy Central, Spike TV and Nickelodeon.
Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen says, “Adobe and Viacom share a vision for how to bring Viacom’s world-class programming and content to online and mobile audiences in innovative ways. This relationship and the Adobe Engagement Platform will accelerate Viacom’s ability to create and deliver new kinds of digital entertainment across different mediums, regardless of which operating system, browser or device viewers are using. Our Engagement Platform is continuing to gain momentum as a powerful means of reaching and connecting with consumers on their terms, anytime, anyplace.”
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
