The E.W. Scripps Company (NasdaqGS:SSP) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 26, 2026 09:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAdam Symson - President and CEOCarolyn Micheli - Head of Investor RelationsCraig Huber - CEO and FounderJason Combs - CFOConference Call ParticipantsDaniel Kurnos - Senior Research AnalystKen Silver - AnalystMichael Kupinski - AnalystShanna Qiu - High Yield Credit Research Senior AnalystSteven Cahall - Managing Director and Senior Equity Research AnalystOperatorThank you for standing by, welcome t ...

The E.W. Scripps Company (NasdaqGS:SSP) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 26, 2026 09:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAdam Symson - President and CEOCarolyn Micheli - Head of Investor RelationsCraig Huber - CEO and FounderJason Combs - CFOConference Call ParticipantsDaniel Kurnos - Senior Research AnalystKen Silver - AnalystMichael Kupinski - AnalystShanna Qiu - High Yield Credit Research Senior AnalystSteven Cahall - Managing Director and Senior Equity Research AnalystOperatorThank you for standing by, welcome t ...

The E.W. Scripps Company (NasdaqGS:SSP) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 26, 2026 09:00 AM ET Speaker7Thank you for standing by, welcome to The E.W. Scripps Company's fourth quarter 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. To ask a question during the session, you will need to press star one one on your telephone. To remove yourself from the queue, you may press star one one again. I wo ...

Financial Performance - Scripps reported Q4 2025 revenue of $560 million, a decrease of 23% or $168 million from the prior-year quarter[7]. - Loss attributable to shareholders was $44.9 million or 51 cents per share, compared to income of $80.3 million or 92 cents per share in the prior-year quarter[8]. - Operating revenues for Q4 2025 were $560,258, a decrease of 23.1% from $728,379 in Q4 2024[26]. - Total operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $2,150,585, a decline of 14.3% from $2,509,772 in 2024[26]. - Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was a loss of $28,501 compared to a profit of $95,387 in 2024, representing a significant decrease[38]. - Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $86,374, down from $229,347 in 2024, indicating a decline of approximately 62.3%[41]. Revenue Segments - Core advertising revenue increased by 12% to $165 million in Q4 2025, with the largest category, services, up 20%[14]. - Scripps Networks segment revenue was $199 million, down 7.7% from the prior-year quarter, while segment profit increased to $63.5 million[12]. - Local Media segment revenues fell by 29.6% to $359,952 in Q4 2025, compared to $511,003 in Q4 2024[34]. - Scripps Networks segment revenues decreased by 7.7% to $199,489 in Q4 2025, down from $216,139 in Q4 2024[34]. - Political advertising revenue in the Local Media segment plummeted by 94.8% to $9,009 in Q4 2025, down from $174,359 in Q4 2024[35]. Costs and Expenses - Employee compensation and benefits in the Scripps Networks segment decreased by 26.7% to $21,807 in Q4 2025, compared to $29,736 in Q4 2024[35]. - Restructuring costs for Q4 2025 were $2,353, significantly lower than $14,872 in Q4 2024[34]. - Interest expense increased to $59,346 for the three months ended December 31, 2025, compared to $48,862 in 2024, an increase of about 21.4%[41]. - Capital expenditures for the three months ended December 31, 2025, were $13,748, compared to $10,980 in 2024, reflecting an increase of approximately 25.4%[42]. Debt and Liabilities - Total debt as of December 31 was $2.6 billion, with cash and cash equivalents totaling $27.9 million[14]. - Total current liabilities decreased from $482,394 in 2024 to $453,601 in 2025, a reduction of approximately 5.97%[36]. - Long-term debt (less current portion) increased slightly from $2,560,560 in 2024 to $2,585,534 in 2025, an increase of about 0.98%[36]. - The company did not declare or provide payment for any of the 2025 quarterly preferred stock dividends, totaling $117 million in undeclared and unpaid cumulative dividends[16]. Future Outlook - The company expects political advertising revenue to reach nearly $11 billion in the 2026 midterm election cycle, with Scripps well-positioned to capture a significant share[4]. - The transformation plan targets annualized enterprise EBITDA growth of $125-$150 million by 2028, with early benefits expected in the second half of 2026[5]. - For the full year 2026, Scripps anticipates interest payments of $180-$190 million and capital expenditures of $60-$70 million[20]. Assets and Shareholder Information - Total assets decreased from $5,198,575 in 2024 to $5,008,628 in 2025, a decline of approximately 3.65%[36]. - Basic weighted-average shares outstanding increased to 88,757 in 2025 from 86,312 in 2024, an increase of approximately 2.83%[38]. - The company reported a loss on extinguishment of debt of $2,404 for the three months ended December 31, 2025, with no such loss reported in 2024[41].

CINCINNATI, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) delivered $560 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025. Loss attributable to the shareholders of Scripps was $44.9 million or 51 cents per share. Business notes: The company has launched a transformation plan that targets annualized enterprise EBITDA growth of $125-$150 million by 2028 through cost savings and revenue growth initiatives that will leverage technology including AI and automation to increase the yiel ...

CINCINNATI, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The board of directors of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has approved a new contract for Scripps President and CEO Adam P. Symson that runs through Dec. 31, 2029. The new agreement replaces a five-year contract that began Aug. 2, 2022, and was set to expire at the end of 2027. Symson has served as Scripps’ president and CEO since August 2017, building enterprise value through key acquisitions and divestitures as well as organic growth. Symson foresaw the ...

CINCINNATI, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Scripps Howard Fund and Scripps Howard Foundation, nonprofit organizations, awarded $11 million to community and journalism programs during 2025, a 12% increase from 2024. The Scripps Howard Fund and Scripps Howard Foundation support communities where The E.W. Scripps Company does business, while their journalism programs and funding reach people across the country. The Fund and Foundation also partner with the Scripps and Howard families to support causes i ...

Core Insights - The E.W. Scripps Company has appointed Oliver Gray as vice president of network sports and client partnerships to enhance growth in its sports and entertainment platforms [1][2] Group 1: Appointment and Role - Oliver Gray will lead initiatives to connect national advertisers with Scripps' platforms, particularly its expanding sports portfolio [2] - He will collaborate with Scripps' network sales and Scripps Sports teams to create integrated brand partnerships aimed at increasing revenue [2] Group 2: Background and Experience - Gray has over 15 years of experience in sports sponsorship and national media advertising sales, with a proven track record in driving revenue growth [4] - His previous role at Overtime involved leading a sales team that surpassed revenue goals and secured business from major brands such as Dunkin, Hershey, and Coca-Cola [4][5] - Gray has also been involved in Amazon's partnership with the NFL for "Thursday Night Football" and has held leadership positions at CNN and Discovery Communications [5] Group 3: Company Overview - The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified media entity, operating over 60 stations across more than 40 markets in the U.S. [6] - Scripps is recognized as the largest local TV broadcaster in the nation and has a significant presence in national news and entertainment [6] - The company also serves professional and college sports leagues, with a national broadcast reach of up to 100% of TV households [6]

Core Viewpoint - Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI.US) is currently involved in multiple developments that have attracted market attention, including potential mergers and acquisitions, industry policies, financial conditions, and technological transformations [1] Recent Events - In November 2025, Sinclair proposed to acquire E.W. Scripps Company (SSP.US) for approximately $538 million in cash and stock, aiming to expand its broadcast television coverage. The transaction is currently under regulatory review, which may impact the company's business scale and stock price [2] Industry Policies and Environment - The regulatory environment is expected to loosen, with the Federal Communications Commission planning to relax broadcasting industry rules. This trend may lead to increased consolidation activities among local television stations, providing expansion opportunities for large broadcast operators like Sinclair [3] Performance and Operating Conditions - The company's Q3 2025 financial report indicated a 15.70% year-over-year decline in revenue, with a net loss reported. As of November 15, 2025, institutional target prices range from $8.50 to $27.00, reflecting differing opinions. Future performance improvements and potential adjustments in institutional ratings require close monitoring [4] Business and Technological Development - In March 2025, the company launched the commercial deployment of ATSC 3.0 technology in Las Vegas to enhance broadcast quality and explore new business opportunities. The effectiveness of this technology implementation and its impact on business growth should be tracked [5]

Core Insights - The E.W. Scripps Company has initiated a transformation plan aimed at enhancing operating performance and achieving annualized enterprise EBITDA growth of $125 million to $150 million by 2028 [1][2][3] Group 1: Transformation Plan - The transformation plan will focus on cost savings and revenue growth initiatives, utilizing technology such as AI and automation to improve revenue yield [1][2] - A team of 200 leaders has been assembled to implement the transformation, which aims to expand into new and profitable marketplaces [4] Group 2: Commitment to Programming - Scripps reaffirms its dedication to local and national news, sports, and entertainment programming, emphasizing the importance of connection for communities [2][4] - The company’s new vision, "We Create Connection," aligns with its founding mission and values, adapting them to modern operational principles [2][4] Group 3: Financial Outlook - Scripps anticipates that its financial performance in 2026 will be supported by significant mid-term election spending, the Winter Olympics, and World Cup competitions [2] - The company will provide further details on its transformation plan and financial expectations during its earnings call on February 26 [4]