GECs

Zee Entertainment Q3 net up 179 per cent at Rs 958 million

Published

19 years ago

January 22, 2007

MUMBAI: Having gained market share in the TV ratings game, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) is seeing a surge in earnings with third-quarter consolidated revenues growing 53 per cent to touch Rs 4.18 billion.

Net profit also saw robust growth for the fiscal third quarter ended 31 December, jumping 179 per cent to Rs 958 million.

The consolidated operating profit stood at Rs 1.36 billion, after expensing of initial investments in new activities (Zee Sports, Arabia) amounting to Rs 232 million. These are higher by 187 per cent as compared to the year-ago period.

The results include the financials of Taj TV Ltd (Ten Sports) with effect from 13 November, ETC, international and educational businesses of Zee.

Zee will separately announce the results of its other demerged entities – Zee News Ltd (ZNL), Wire & Wireless India Ltd (WWIL) and Dish TV. While ZNL and WWIL are already listed, Dish TV is likely to be listed by February.

Fuelling ZEEL’s third-quarter growth has been a 59 per cent rise in advertising revenues to Rs 2.1 billion, benefitting largely from Zee TV’s prime time ratings gain and higher average rates on most of the network channels.

“Zee Entertainment finished the third quarter with outstanding performance, highlighted by strong advertising revenue growth of 59 per cent, extremely robust operating profit growth of 187 per cent and 179 per cent growth in net earnings. Our television broadcasting business continues to lead industry in converting rating success into strong growth in revenues and operating profits. The performance reflects our success in delivering superior content to viewers and stronger relationship with our consumers,” says Zee chairman Subhash Chandra.

Adds Zee wholetime director Punit Goenka, “Zee TV continued to increase its viewership share from 28 per cent in 2Q FY2007 to 29 per cent during 3Q FY2007, along with growth in time spent. During the quarter, average gross ratings points (GRPs) of Zee TV grew to 250 levels, with gains coming mainly from prime time. The growth has been led by continued success of ‘ Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ , Saat Phere’ and ‘ Kasamh Se’, while our new launches ‘ Dulhan’ and ‘Betiyan’ have helped bolster the prime time shares. Zee TV now has five programmes in top 20 and 11 programmes in top 50.”

Zee also saw gains in the other channels. “Zee Cinema continues to be the No. 1 movie channel, and increasingly is becoming a reach channel for the advertisers. Zee Café and Zee Studio have gained shares. We will continue to reinforce our competitive advantage and deliver more value to viewers and shareholders,” says Goenka.

Contributing to the strong third-quarter performance was a 55 per cent surge in subscription revenues at Rs 1.96 billion. This was bolstered by new revenue streams coming from direct-to-home (DTH) services and digital cable. Other sales and services was Rs 116 million.

“We are extremely pleased to see the steady steps towards digitization of the Indian cable and satellite industry. Conditional access system (Cas) has been successfully implemented in the notified areas of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. With more subscribers opting for digital services even in other parts of the country, it will give a big boost to our subscription revenues in the near future. Our investment in Ten Sports is doing well. All these have extremely positive and long term impact on our business,” says Chandra.

Elaborating on the performance, ZEEL CEO Pradeep Guha says, “We are pleased with the strong operating results in the third quarter. We have outperformed the market locking in higher advertising rates which would continue to help us in the future. Looking ahead, we are confident that continued execution of our content strategy would result in a revenue growth faster than that of industry. Additionally, with digitization of Indian cable and satellite industry, we expect to reap a rich harvest from subscription based revenues.”

Sports business adds Rs 610 million to kitty

The sports business revenue during the third quarter was Rs 610 million, after consolidating the results of Taj TV from 13 November 2006. EBITDA from Sports business during this quarter was Rs 133 million.

“The main event for Ten Sports during the quarter was the Pakistan-West Indies series, which helped it garner significant revenues from the Pakistan and the Middle East beams. This was in addition to its other lead programs such as WWE, UEFA and Champions League. Ten Sports has also begun the telecast of the South Africa-Pakistan series on its Pakistan beam,” Zee says in a statement.

“Zee Sports continued to grow on the Indian football opportunities; it covered the Asian Football Confederation under 20 championships in Kolkata in November and the Federation Cup in December. India is fast becoming a focus area for the world football governing body FIFA as well. Among some of the other events that Zee Sports covered was the Delhi Marathon, WTA tennis and the Italian Serie A. Zee Sports also bagged a three-year deal for the UEFA Cup,” the release adds.

On a standalone basis, ZEEL posted a net profit of Rs 793.70 million for the quarter ended 31 December 2006 from Rs 341.60 a year earlier. Total income stood at Rs 2.46 billion as against Rs 2.4 billion during the same period.

Condensed statement of operations

The table below presents the condensed statement of operations for ZEEL and its subsidiaries for the third quarter of FY2007 versus FY2006, as published. The FY2006 numbers also include the cable, news and direct consumer business undertakings, which have now been demerged. Hence the numbers are not comparable.

Comparable figures with FY06

For better understanding of performance of ZEEL, the table below presents the proforma FY2006 numbers of ZEEL, on a comparable basis. These numbers are illustrative of the performance on a like to like basis.

Segment-wise revenue streams

The following table sets forth the percentage of revenues that each type contribute to consolidated revenues for the third quarter of 2007 and 2006.

Comparable figures with FY06

For better understanding of performance of ZEEL, the table below presents the proforma FY2006 numbers of ZEEL, on a comparable basis.

Expenses account

The following table sets forth the percentage of costs that each type contributes to consolidated expenses for the third quarter of 2007 and 2006.

FY06 Expense chart

For better understanding of performance of ZEEL, the table below presents the proforma FY2006 numbers of ZEEL, on a comparable basis. These numbers are illustrative.

Segment-wise performance

ZEEL is a diversified entertainment company with a multi-pillar approach to business. Its operations lie in three segments: (i) Content and broadcasting, (ii) Film Production and distribution and (iii) Education.

The table below presents Zee’s third quarter performance for FY2007 in the key segments.

Related Topics:million Taj TV Ltd Ten Sports TV ratings Zee Entertainment.ZNL

Up Next

Star World celebrates world of ‘Heroes’ from Wednesday

Don't Miss

Moser Baer acquires home video rights for Telugu movies from Baba Arts

Click to comment

GECs

Sun TV posts steady revenue, profit dips amid rising costs

Published

1 week ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CHENNAI: It appears there is still plenty of Sun to go around in the Indian broadcasting landscape, even if a few clouds have drifted across the financial horizon. Sun TV Network Limited, the Chennai-based behemoth that dominates airwaves across seven languages, has tuned into a steady frequency for the quarter ending 31 December 2025. While the numbers show a resilient revenue stream, the company’s latest broadcast reveals a few static-filled spots in its profit margins.

For the quarter in question, Sun TV’s total income climbed by approximately 3.31 per cent, reaching Rs 958.39 crores compared to Rs 927.66 crores in the same period last year. Revenue from operations also saw a healthy bump, rising 4.32 per cent to Rs 827.87 crores.

The real star of the show, however, was domestic subscription revenue, which surged by 8.86 per cent to Rs 472.99 crores. This growth highlights the enduring appetite for Sun’s diverse content, which spans everything from daily soaps in Tamil and Telugu to its burgeoning OTT platform, Sun NXT.

Despite the revenue growth, the picture quality of the profits was slightly blurred by rising costs. Eitda for the quarter stood at Rs 409.79 crores, a dip from the Rs 432.14 crores recorded in the corresponding 2024 quarter.

The profit after tax followed a similar downward trend, settling at Rs 316.44 crores against the previous year’s Rs 347.17 crores. Advertisers also seemed to have switched channels slightly, with advertisement revenues sliding to Rs 291.94 crores from Rs 332.17 crores.

Sun TV isn’t just playing on home turf; its sporting ambitions are becoming increasingly global. The network now owns three major cricket franchises: SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, SunRisers Eastern Cape in SA20, and SunRisers Leeds Limited in The Hundred (UK).

The foray into British cricket saw the company acquire a 100 per cent stake in Northern Superchargers Limited (now SunRisers Leeds) for approximately £100 million. While these franchises brought in Rs 14.61 crores this quarter, they also incurred corresponding costs of Rs 19.89 crores. Over the nine-month period, however, the cricket business is a major player, contributing Rs 487.64 crores in income.

The company’s bottom line took a minor hit from exceptional items, including a Rs 4.23 crore charge related to India’s new Labour Codes, which consolidated 29 existing labour laws. Additionally, the consolidated results reflect the amalgamation of Kal Radio Limited with Udaya FM, a move that became effective in May 2025 and required a restatement of previous figures.

To keep investors from reaching for the remote, the Board has declared an interim dividend of 50 per cent, that’s Rs 2.50 per equity share. This comes on top of earlier dividends of 100 per cent (Rs 5.00) and 75 per cent (Rs 3.75) declared in August and November 2025, respectively.

With a massive cash reserve and a dominant position in the South Indian market, Sun TV continues to shine, even if the current quarter required a bit of fine-tuning. For now, shareholders can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

GECs

SPNI hires Pradeep M with responsibility for standards and practices in the south

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has hired Pradeep M to handle standards and practices for its southern market, bolstering its compliance bench as content rules tighten across platforms.

Pradeep, who has nearly 13 years in the entertainment media industry, takes on responsibility for content standards in a region that is both linguistically diverse and regulatorily sensitive. His brief spans television, OTT, sports and digital platforms.

He specialises in content review and compliance across shows, commercials, on-air promotions and international feeds, ensuring alignment with broadcast, OTT and advertising codes. He has also handled brand approvals and sponsorship integrations for heavily regulated categories—including online gaming, cryptocurrency, NFTs and lottery brands—offering guidance shaped by fast-evolving rules.

Before Sony, Pradeep worked at Jiostar as assistant manager for content regulation from November 2024 to January 2026. Earlier, he spent nearly seven years at Viacom18 Media, rising from senior executive to assistant manager in content regulation between 2018 and 2024. There he served as a key compliance touchpoint for the network.

His career began on the creative side. Between 2013 and 2018, he worked as executive producer on feature films and television shows, gaining hands-on exposure to production. He also had a stint as a non-fiction show director at Star TV Network in 2017. That mix of creative and regulatory experience gives him a dual lens—how content is made and how it must be managed.

As regulators, platforms and advertisers all tighten the screws, broadcasters are investing more in gatekeepers who can keep creativity within the lines. Sony’s latest hire shows where the industry is heading: in the streaming age, compliance is content’s quiet co-star.

GECs

Colors Gujarati rolls out two new shows from 2nd February

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Colors Gujarati has unveiled two new prime-time shows as part of its push to strengthen culturally rooted storytelling for regional audiences. The channel will premiere the devotional saga Gangasati–Paanbai at 7.30 pm, followed by the romantic family drama Manmelo at 9.30 pm from February 2.

Inspired by Gujarat’s spiritual and literary heritage, Gangasati–Paanbai: Shyam Dhun No Navo Adhyay draws from the timeless bhajans and poetry of saint-poetesses Gangasati and Paanbai, weaving devotion and human values into a contemporary narrative aimed at younger viewers.

In contrast, Manmelo explores love and responsibility across social divides, tracing the lives of three middle-class sisters whose relationships with three affluent brothers reshape their futures. The show delves into ambition, emotional conflict and the realities of married life, offering a layered family drama.

A Colors Gujarati spokesperson said the new launches reflect the channel’s commitment to authentic Gujarati entertainment that blends cultural values with modern storytelling.