News Broadcasting
Zone Vision, Minotaur sign extensive licensing agreement
MUMBAI: Zone Vision Enterprises has signed an extensive licensing agreement with Minotaur International which will bring 10 new series to its Reality TV channels around the world.
Under the terms of the agreement, Zone Vision will gain the rights to the series for three years. Six of the series in the deal will air in the US for the first time beginning February 2005. The announcement was made by Zone Vision chief programming officer and general manager Chris Sharp.
“This is one of our most significant licensing agreements in terms of quantity and quality,” said Reality TV vice president Steve Cole. “We are especially delighted to be able to provide our US feed with so many first-run series from the UK. Minotaur has been a fantastic programming partner and we look forward to working with them in the future.”
Among the premiere series for the US are Jane Goldman Investigates (16 one-hour episodes), Sixth Sense with Colin Fry (40 half hours), Medics of the Glen (15 half hours), Baby ER (20 half hours), Drama School (nine half hours) and Don’t Drop the Coffin (six half hours). These series will also air on Reality TV’s various other feeds around the world. Other series in the deal include: Urban Angels of Medicine (13 half hours), LA Cops (five one-hour episodes), Honolulu PD (six half hours), and Club Reps (30 half hours for EMEA only).
“Our focus moving forward is to aggressively pursue more deals like this one,” said Cole. “For the US and the UK especially, we are continually on the lookout for break-through programming that will help us further distinguish ourselves in the increasingly competitive digital channel environment.”
“Reality TV is the natural home for these shows. Following the success of these series worldwide, we are extremely excited on behalf of our producers to have them premiere in the States, and for Colin Fry and Jane Goldman, among others, to become household names in America,” added Minotaur senior sales executive Dayna Donaldson.
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.
