News Broadcasting
Mip Junior puts spotlight on VOD
CANNES: Mip Junior took off on 5 October at the tony Carlton Hotel in Cannes.
The spotlight was on children’s content as delegates discussed everything from tight budgets to the change in focus to Video on Demand (VOD) to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The first session ‘Money Matters: Finding Finance in New and Different Ways’, moderated by Debbie Macdonald consultant Debbie Macdonald and presided over by Snow River Media chief executive Angus Flethcher, concentrated on new business models, opportunities and challenges facing the independent creative and producing world.
“Technology has changed and so has the audience. The audience is moving dramatically from one platform to the other. There is an extraordinary revolution going on, and it’s exciting to be in the middle of that change,” said Flethcher, adding that though television could be scary, the good part is: “We can directly speak to our audience. Producers today need not make a half an hour or one hour series. Instead they can create a one minute video for the internet and get immediate feedback.”
He said content producers now had both newer entry points and people to talk to. Citing the example of Angry Birds, he elaborated: “The character was developed with a story, not as a series, but as a game, and it has done tremendously well.”
The first session stressed on the importance of the VOD platform. While it was the success of Netflix that made everyone think of VOD as a medium to reach out to audiences, BRB Internacional CEO Carlos Biern said, “Most important is the audience (kids), who can, with VOD, be glued to animation 24X7.”
Whereas the second session, ‘New Content Deal-Making: get the most of your VOD rights’, spoke about how the VOD platform could be utilised to reach out to audiences. Biern observed it could prove fruitful for advertisers as well while The Jim Henson Company executive vice president, global distribution Richard Goldsmith informed: “VOD is quickly becoming television. So while we look at VOD as a separate source of income, every time we have a conversation with channels, they also want to buy the VOD rights. This shows how important it is becoming for all of us.”
What emerged is that while Netflix and Amazon may continue to rule the roost, the remaining VOD players had to stand out from the crowd. “We want to become the only option in children’s tablets and smart phones. We all need to involve with our brands to be able to connect with our target group,” said Toon Goggles managing director Stephen L Hodge.
The key takeaways of the talks seemed to be that every show will sooner than later turn into an app and that SVOD will soon replace standard linear television.
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.
