Film Production
FY-2015: Eros PAT up 24%; operating income up 25% due to portfolio approach
BENGALURU: The portfolio approach to movie making by the Sunil Lulla led Indian motion picture production and distribution company Eros International Media has resulted in it posting an increase of 24 per cent in profit after tax (PAT) in FY-2015 (year ended 31 March, 2015, current year) at Rs 247.06 crore (17.6 per cent of Total Income from Operations excluding Other Income, or TIO) as compared to the Rs 199.69 crore (17.6 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014. The company’s TIO in FY-2015 increased 25.3 per cent to Rs 1421.17 crore as compared to the Rs 1134.66 crore in FY-2014.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
All numbers in this are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
The company’s diversified revenue mix comprises theatrical revenue, which contributed 38 per cent to total revenues, television and others, which contributed 31.3 per cent to total revenues, and overseas revenue, which contributed 30.7 per cent to total revenues. Eros says that its extensive film library of over 2,000 plus films has been increasing its contribution year on year with FY-2015 catalogue revenue at 22 per cent of Total Income as compared to 15 per cent in the previous year and 12 per cent in FY-2013.
Eros managing director Sunil Lulla said, “We have concluded the fiscal on an excellent note based on our strategy of investing in content backed Hindi and regional movies and extensively monetizing it across all platforms such as theatrical, television and digital. The year has reinforced our belief in the portfolio approach to movie-making, which enables us to deliver sustained growth supported by consistently strong presales. Our footprint in the regional market, in particular, has worked very well for us. Along with the healthy performance of our new movie releases, we witnessed a strong upswing in revenue contribution from our 2,000 plus movie library. We are excited about our new venture Trinity Pictures that will build franchise films and look forward towards capitalizing on digital revenue opportunity through ErosNow.”
In FY-2015, Eros released 64 films (44 Hindi and 30 Tamil/Telugu) as compared to 69 (37 Hindi, 30 Tamil/Telugu and two regional language) in FY-2014. Of the 64 films released in FY-2015, 47 were low budget, 10 medium budget and seven high budget films as compared to 44 low budget, 21 medium budget and four high budget films in FY-2014.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Eros:
The TIO numbers for FY-2015 and FY-2014 have been mentioned above. Eros TIO in Q4-2015 at Rs 449.05 crore was 42.7 per cent more than the Rs 314.62 crore in Q4-2014, but 8.5 per cent lower than the Rs 490.73 crore in Q3-2015.
Eros EBIDTA including other income in FY-2015 at Rs 368.08 crore (25.5 per cent margin), which was 20.8 per cent more than the Rs 304.73 crore (26.7 per cent margin) in FY-2014. EBIDTA including other income in Q4-2015 at Rs 84.74 crore (18.2 per cent margin) was 24.6 per cent more than the Rs 68.01 crore (21.9 per cent margin) in Q4-2014, but 42.9 per cent lower than the Rs 148.43 crore (30.2 per cent margin) in the immediate trailing quarter.
The company’s total expenses (TE) in FY-2015 at Rs 1079.84 crore (76 per cent of TIO) was 28.6 percent more than the Rs 839.93 crore (74 per cent of TIO). TE in Q4-2015 at Rs 382.71 crore (85.2 percent of TIO) was 57.9 per cent more than the Rs 242.31crore (77 per cent of TIO) and 10.8 per cent more than the Rs 345.34 crore (70.4 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015.
The company’s other expense in FY-2015 almost tripled (2.89 times) to Rs 96.74 crore (6.8 percent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 33.46 crore (2.9 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014. Other Expense in Q4-2015 more than quadrupled (4.05 times) at Rs 56.14 crore (12.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 13.87 crore (4.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 and more than doubled (2.54 times) the Rs 22.13 crore (4.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.
Lulla added, “The Indian entertainment industry is in midst of a structural shift and has potential to multiply revenue streams with multiplexing, digital addressability, broadband and mobile penetration as driving themes. Eros has been anticipating and preparing for these changes for many years. We have started FY-2016 on an extremely positive note with the resounding success of Tanu Weds Manu Returns to be followed by Bajarangi Bhaijaan on Eid and Bajirao Mastani on Christmas as our tent pole films for the year. We believe we can continue this growth momentum into FY-2016 as well.”
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Film Production
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs under new chief executive
The entertainment giant’s freshly installed boss inherits a restructuring already in motion, with marketing and corporate roles bearing the brunt
CALIFORNIA: Walt Disney is preparing to slash up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the entertainment giant’s freshly installed chief executive moves swiftly to trim fat and tighten the ship.
The cuts, less than 1 per cent of Disney’s global workforce of 231,000, will fall hardest on marketing and corporate roles. The planning, notably, began before D’Amaro formally took the top job in March, suggesting the new boss inherited a restructuring already in motion rather than one of his own making.
Driving the push is Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed chief marketing officer, who in January assumed command of a unified, company-wide marketing operation spanning film, television and streaming. His consolidation drive has been given a suitably cinematic internal name: Project Imagine.
The move is modest by Disney’s recent standards. Between 2023 and 2025, under former chief executive Bob Iger, the company eliminated roughly 8,000 positions across several brutal rounds of cuts, saving $7.5 billion, comfortably exceeding its own targets. As recently as June 2025, several hundred more jobs were axed across Disney Entertainment, hitting film and television marketing, publicity, casting, development and corporate finance.
Disney’s structural headaches are well-documented: shrinking streaming margins, a weakened box office, and fierce competition from Amazon and YouTube gnawing at its flanks. The company is merging its Disney+ and Hulu teams into a single app, has brought in consultants from Bain & Co to guide its broader cost strategy, and is betting heavily on digital growth.
The wider entertainment industry offers little comfort. Sony Pictures, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have all taken the knife to their workforces in recent years, and further cuts loom if Paramount’s acquisition of Warner goes through.
For D’Amaro, the message is clear: there will be no honeymoon period. The magic kingdom still has some cost-cutting spells left to cast.
