MUMBAI: Den Networks may have seen revenues tread water this quarter, but profits took the express lane. Den Networks has posted a standalone profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 508.2 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2025, marking a 41 per cent year-on-year jump from Rs 359.3 million in the same period last year even as total revenue growth stayed modest at just 6 per cent.
According to the company’s unaudited financials approved by the board of directors on 14 July 2025, total income for the quarter stood at Rs 3,150.8 million, up from Rs 2,959.6 million in Q1 FY24. This includes revenue from operations at Rs 2,456.1 million and other income largely investment returns at Rs 694.8 million.
Cost-consciousness appears to have paid off. Total expenses declined 3.5 per cent sequentially to Rs 2,566.1 million. Notably, Den reduced its placement fees from Rs 484.1 million in Q4 FY25 to Rs 361.3 million this quarter. Content costs held steady at Rs 1,487.9 million.
While finance costs remained negligible at Rs 5.5 million, a sharper tax outgo up 113 per cent year-on-year to Rs 76.6 million chipped at the bottom line, although it didn’t stop PAT from soaring past Rs 500 million. Earnings per share (EPS) came in at Rs 1.07, up from Rs 0.75 in Q1 FY24.
Den’s consolidated results which include its 24 subsidiaries and five associate entities also painted a strong picture. Consolidated PAT stood at Rs 536.4 million, while total income was pegged at Rs 3,119.5 million. The group’s broadband business, however, saw a dip in revenue to Rs 104.6 million from Rs 121.2 million a year ago.
The cable distribution segment continues to be the mainstay, accounting for Rs 2,353.1 million of gross revenue this quarter. Interestingly, other income (largely interest and investment income) surpassed Rs 700 million on the consolidated books, nearly 23 per cent of total income.
Even as broadband and cable network operations posted minor operating losses, the group's strong treasury returns and cost containment measures seem to have steadied the ship.
Den Networks, now a part of the Reliance Industries-backed media ecosystem, continues to operate with healthy cash reserves. As of June 30, 2025, total consolidated assets stood at Rs 42,246.3 million, up from Rs 40,084.5 million in Q1 FY24, signalling long-term stability despite a flattish top line.
For now, while India’s cable industry battles disruption from OTT and broadband wars, Den’s Q1 scorecard shows that fiscal discipline and high-yield investments can still keep the books in the black.