News Broadcasting
Zee Sports to telecast AFC U-20 championship live
MUMBAI: Zee Sports, the television partner to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), will produce and telecast the AFC Youth Championship from Kolkata and Bangalore starting 29 October to 12 November 2006.
In Kolkatta the matches will played at the Salt Lake Stadium and in Bangalore the matches will be held at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Zee Sports is also the host broadcaster for the entire Asian region for the event and the feed will be going out to 25 Asian countries.
The AFC U-20 Championship is held every two years and is open to players under the age of 19. According to an official statement, the future stars of Asian football will be playing in this tournament and most of them will in all likelihood represent their countries in the 2010 Fifa World Cup. This tournament also acts as a qualifying tournament for the Fifa U-20 World Cup.
The top four sides in the AFC Youth Championship will advance to the Fifa U-20 World Cup to be played in Canada from 30 June 2007 to 22 July 2007.
The Korea Republic claimed the AFC Youth Championship crown in 2004 with a 2-0 win over China in Kuala Lumpur.
Countries competing in this edition of championship are Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, China, UAE, Thailand, Australia, Japan, North Korea, Iran, Tajikistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Vietnam and hosts India.
Telecast Schedule of the AFC Youth Championship
Match
Date
Time
Korea Republic vs. Jordan 29 Oct 15:30 onwards
India vs. Kyrgyzthan 29 Oct 18:30 onwards
China PR vs. Australia 30 Oct 15:30 onwards
Thailand vs. UAE 30 Oct 18:30 onwards
Jordan vs. India 31 Oct 15:30 onwards
Kyrgyzthan vs. Korea Rep 31 Oct 18:30 onwards
Saudi Arabia vs Malaysia 1 Nov 15:30 onwards
UAE vs China PR 1 Nov 18:30 onwards
Korea Republic vs India 2 Nov 14:30 onwards
China PR vs Thailand 3 Nov 14:30 onwards
Quarter Finals 6 Nov 15:30 onwards
Quarter Finals 6 Nov 18:30 onwards
Semi Finals 9 Nov 15:30 onwards
Semi Finals 9 Nov 17:00 onwards
Third Place Play Off 12 Nov 15:30 onwards
Finals 12 Nov 17:00 onwards
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.
