Q1-2016: Sun TV results sunny; PAT up 19%; ad revenue up 16%

Q1-2016: Sun TV results sunny; PAT up 19%; ad revenue up 16%

BENGALURU: Despite being in trouble recently with the Ministry of Home Affairs over security clearance for its channels, the Marans' media behemoth Sun TV Network Limited (Sun TV) reported 9.1 per cent growth in standalone revenue (Total income from operations or TIO) in Q1-2016 (quarter ended 01 June, 2015) at Rs 691.09 crore as compared to the Rs 633.58 crore in Q1-2015 and 26 per cent more than the Rs 548.58 crore in Q4-2015. The company's advertisement revenue in the current quarter increased 16 per cent to Rs 323.89 crores.

 

The company reported 19.1 per cent higher profit after tax (PAT) in the current quarter at Rs 197.28 crore (28.5 per cent margin) as compared to the Rs 165.64 crore (26.1 per cent margin ) in the corresponding year ago quarter. PAT in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4-2015) was 2.8 per cent higher than Q1-2016 at Rs 202.99 crore (37 per cent PAT margin)

 

PAT in Q1-2016 would have been higher, but for the operating loss of Rs 56.61 crore by the company’s IPL franchisee SunRisers Hyderabad in the current quarter. The company’s Broadcasting segment reported EBIDTA of Rs 465.77 crore (78.3 per cent margin) on revenue of Rs 594.54 crore in Q1-2016. The company’s EBIDTA was Rs 409.61 crore (59.21 margin) because of the negative EBIDTA by Sun TV’s SunRisers segment.

 

Note: 100,00,000 = 100 Lakhs = 10 million = 1 crore

 

All figures in this report are standalone.

 

The company's subscription revenues continued to grow with cable TV revenue growing q-o-q by about 13 per cent and DTH revenue growing q-o-q by nine per cent. 

 

The board of directors of the company has declared an interim dividend of Rs 6 (120 per cent) per equity share of face value Rs 5 per equity share.

 

Let us look at the other numbers reported by Sun TV

 

Sun TV’s total expenses (TE) in the current quarter at Rs 412.10 crore (59.6 per cent of TIO) was 1.8 per cent more than the Rs 405.00 crore (63.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and 56.3 per cent more than the Rs 263.74 crore in Q4-2015.

 

The company’s TE in Q1 includes IPL Franchisee of Rs 85.05 crore (12.3 per cent of TIO), which is a non-recurring item during the other three quarters of the year. Sun TV’s ‘Other Expenditure’ (OE) is a major expense head that has changed q-o-q by a huge margin. OE in Q1-2016 at Rs 91.65 crore (13.3 per cent of TIO) declined 1.8 per cent as compared to the Rs 93.33 crore (14.7 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was more than three times (3.2 times) the Rs 28.26 crore (5.2 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

 

Sun TV’s Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) in Q1-2016 increased 19.1 per cent to Rs 54.51 crore (7.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 45.77 crore (7.2 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and increased 4.5 per cent as compared to the Rs 52.16 crore (9.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.