News Broadcasting
Premier League executive chairman, Richard Scudamore, addresses Reliance foundation young champs
MUMBAI: The twenty-two young Reliance Foundation Young Champs currently in England visited the Premier League headquarters in London as they entered the second week of their 11-day trip. The Young Champs have already visited the academies of Premier League outfits like Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Southampton since arriving in England on May 11 and will soon be visiting those of West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City and Liverpool before their scheduled departure on May 23.
After experiencing their first live premier league match at St, Mary’s Stadium on Sunday as Southampton hosted Crystal Palace, the youngsters travelled to the Premier League headquarters for a fun-and-educational session. The youngsters also received the opportunity to pose alongside the Premier League trophy and were addressed by Executive Chairman of the Premier League, Richard Scudamore.
Scudamore started his address by highlighting the world class youth development facilities on display at Premier League clubs. “You’ve already been to Chelsea, already been to Southampton, you’re here today and then travelling up the rest of the country, finally Manchester and Liverpool. You will see a complete spread of what’s best about Premier League Youth Development facilities,” he said.
However, Scudamore didn’t forget to emphasise that there was more to a footballer’s development than just excellent facilities. “But I don’t want you to leave your tour here thinking that it’s all about facilities. Your career development, youth development is primarily down to you as individuals. It is of course, not only about how good you are physically but also how good you are mentally,” he said.
He also stressed the need for top quality coaches to help the young budding talents further their footballing education. “Probably the most important thing is your coaching and the quality of your coaches and the coaches as mentors in the way they develop you. Realistically, it will be difficult in the next couple of years in terms of your development, to have an enormous amount of facilities in India like you’ll see this week.”
Scudamore ended his address to the Reliance Foundation Young Champs by stating that it was a privilege to have the young champs in England and encouraged the talented youngsters to enjoy their stay in England. “Most importantly, this week and next week just ensure you have fun and it’s really been a privilege of ours to host you, to be involved in your visit and it’s really great to see you,” he concluded.
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.
