News Broadcasting
Zee to promote ‘Mitr – My Friend’ in US
Everyone in television is talking movies. If not making them then promoting them. After the 2002’s biggest blockbuster by a mile, Gadar, Zee Telefilms is now all set to promote Telephoto Entertainments latest film Mitr – My Friend in the US.
Mitr is southern star Revathi’s first directorial venture and is shot largely in Freemont, US.
Telephoto informed the Bombay Stock Exchange today that the feature film, which is scheduled for worldwide release on 14 February, has made a strategic tie-up with Zee TV (USA) for the promotion of the film in the US. The music rights of Mitr have been sold to Universal Music.
It was on Monday that it was reported that Zee hopes to be the first film production company in India to make a live-cum-animation movie Bhagmati. Made with a budget of Rs 430 million, Bhagmati is slated for a May 2002 release and will be the world’s third such film, after Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam. Bhagmati involves a team of over 100 animators who have been appointed to create over 7,00,000 animated sketches for the film. The purpose, according to Zee officials, is to make the Western audience aware of India’s rich heritage and culture.
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.
