News Broadcasting
Warner Bros inks deal with CinemaNow for download of TV content
MUMBAI: For the first time, television content from the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group has been made available on a download-to-own basis in the US.
The company has entered into a licensing agreement with CinemaNow Inc. Under this agreement, CinemaNow will be able to sell Warner Bros. TV’s products electronically. Customers can legally purchase and download content from Warner Bros. through the website, www.cinemanow.com.
“We’re very excited to add Warner Bros.’ content to our electronic-sell-through offering and to be the first to make Warner Bros. Television’s product available on the open Internet for purchase,” said CinemaNow president Bruce Eisen.
CinemaNow recently struck a licensing deal with Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
The Warner Bros. TV series already available from 1 June include Babylon 5 and Dukes of Hazzard, with additional titles to be added soon. In addition, movies such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Matrix and 2001: A Space Odyssey are also available through this facility , informs an official release.
Also, as soon as DVD releases hit retail stores, they will simultaneously be available on the site. These include, Firewall and 16 Blocks to be out on 6 and 13 June respectively. All content will be copy protected by Microsoft’s Windows Digital Rights Management software, adds the release.
“This is an important step for our US distribution efforts,” said Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group SVP Digital Distribution Jim Wuthrich. “This is one more way for consumers to enjoy Warner Bros. high quality digital entertainment.”
Besides Warner Bros., and Buena Vista, CinemaNow has agreements in place with content providers including 20th Century Fox Corp., ABC News, The Walt Disney Co., HDNet, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., Miramax Films, NBC Universal, Sony Entertainment Corp. and Sundance Channel.
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.
