News Broadcasting
Video game industry grows at 35 per cent: report
MUMBAI: The global video game industry had a 35 per cent aggregate revenue growth for the past fiscal year. It also had an aggregate operating income in 2002 of 11.5 per cent of revenue compared with an aggregate loss in 2001.
In its latest report research company Research and Markets however noted that these gains have not translated into stock price increases. The company estimated that the average video game company’s stock was down 51 per cent from January 2000 to January 2003.
The report is titled Market Leaders in the Video Game and Interactive Entertainment Industry. The company went on to note that there was a significant difference in the prospects of companies in the interactive entertainment industry. The report divides the companies into four categories.
The first category consists of the four market leaders: Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. These are the dominant companies in the industry.
The report noted that in the past five years, Sony had emerged as the leading force in the video game industry. From fiscal 1995 to fiscal 2002, Sony reported $36 billion in revenue from video games, compared with $32 billion for Nintendo. On the other hand, Nintendo has reported significantly higher operating income.
Nevertheless, the momentum is clearly on Sony’s side. Nintendo has been consistently profitable, but their revenue has not significantly grown in the past ten years.
The report also examined the performance of European companies that have grown rapidly through expansion. They are Eidos Interactive, Infogrames, Ubi Soft and Vivendi Universal Games. These companies have large product lines but face the challenge of absorbing acquisitions, managing debt and building up a solid marketing infrastructure outside Europe.
The report also stated that Japanese-based companies Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega are faced with the problems of a declining arcade business and a slow Japanese economy. Their biggest challenge will be expanding on an international basis.
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.
