News Broadcasting
Yahoo!, Seven Network combines online, mobile & IPTV
MUMBAI: Australian television firm Seven Network and Yahoo have announced that they will combine their online, mobile and IPTV enterprises in Australia and New Zealand.
The strategic partnership brings together Yahoo!’s Australian internet business, Yahoo! Australia and NZ, and the online assets and television and magazine content of Seven Network.The vision for the combined teams is to create the best entertainment, information and communications experience for Australian internet and mobile users.
Under the terms of the agreement, Seven and Yahoo! will form a new 50-50 holding company that will own Yahoo! Australia and NZ. Seven and Yahoo! will each hold three of the six board seats in the entity.
The combined strengths of Yahoo!’s search and communications capabilities and its global Internet network, with Seven’s rich media and entertainment content and marketing capabilities will create one of the most comprehensive and engaging online experiences for Australian consumers and advertisers.
Seven Network executive chairman Kerry Stokes said, “We are building on our strengths to create a broad media company focused on the delivery of relevant content to all Australians across a number of delivery platforms. Yahoo! is the global Internet leader and their focus on developing compelling content to engage with online audiences complements our strategy.”
Yahoo! chairman and CEO Terry Semel, said: “Yahoo! and Seven have very complementary businesses and brands, and we see this as a tremendous opportunity to build a leadership position in Australia. This is the best combination to benefit from increased broadband penetration, rich media consumption, and the growing cross-media advertising spend. Together, I believe we can deliver the most engaging and innovative rich media experience for Australian audiences and advertisers.”
Yahoo! Australia & NZ and Seven will be combining their online teams and are expected to launch a new name and an exciting online presence in late January 2006. This will coincide with Seven’s coverage of the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam and the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, as well as the opening weeks of the 2006 television season.
As a result of the agreement, Yahoo! Australia & NZ becomes the key platform for Seven’s ongoing development beyond broadcast television and magazine publishing as it builds its digital media division leveraging its strengths in the creation and marketing of content into new and rapidly evolving forms of technology.
Additionally, Yahoo! will combine its global content, products and technology with Seven-owned content to create a truly Australian online media and entertainment experience rich in video and locally relevant content.
New consumer offerings will ultimately be available across online, mobile and IPTV in areas such as news, sports, entertainment, TV, games, music, and travel.
Seven will also contribute AUD$10 million to match the existing development capital in the business, offline promotion through the Seven Network and Pacific Magazines, as well as Seven’s 33 per cent stake in mobile solutions provider m.Net Corporation Ltd, which is subject to obtaining required consents.
Advertisers will also be able to purchase combined offline and online sponsorships across Yahoo! Australia & NZ, the Seven Network and Pacific Magazines. Yahoo!’s online targeting capabilities, which helped it be named the online media seller of the year by AdAge, will enable both partners to create differentiated advertising packages for Australian marketers.
Seven claims to be the largest television company in Australia reaching 98 per cent of Australians through its owned and operated stations and affiliate agreements. Seven’s publishing company, Pacific Magazines, is the second largest magazine company in Australia, with more than 6.6 million readers each month across its 15 publications.
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.
