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Fox(FOX) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-30 13:02
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth of 5% and EBITDA growth of 2% in Q1 fiscal 2026 [4][12] - Advertising revenue increased by 6%, despite the absence of last year's political revenue [4][12] - Net income attributable to stockholders was $599 million or $1.32 per share, compared to $827 million or $1.78 per share in the previous year [13] - Adjusted net income was $686 million and adjusted EPS was $1.51, a year-over-year increase of 4% [13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cable Networks revenue grew by 4%, with advertising revenues up 7% driven by Fox News [13][14] - Television segment revenue increased by 5%, with advertising revenues up 6% due to Tubi's growth and strong sports pricing [14][15] - Tubi achieved 27% revenue growth, driven by an 18% increase in total view time, and reached profitability [9][12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscriber declines remained below 7% for the third consecutive quarter [4] - Fox Sports averaged almost 22 million viewers for NFL games, a 12% increase over last season [7] - Fox News maintained its status as the most watched cable network, achieving the highest first quarter ad revenue in its history [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company launched Fox One, with strong early subscriber uptake and engagement [5][22] - Focus on distribution agnosticism, ensuring content reaches as many households as possible [5] - Plans for M&A activity in the future, with a disciplined approach to investment [51] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the positive outlook for Fox, supported by a strong advertising market and leadership in news and sports [10][11] - The company anticipates continued total company distribution revenue growth for the full year [15] - Management highlighted the importance of partnerships in driving growth for Fox One [62] Other Important Information - The company announced a $1.5 billion accelerated share repurchase (ASR) transaction [11][16] - Free cash flow was negative $234 million in the quarter, consistent with seasonal working capital cycles [16][17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Fox One's subscriber uptake and engagement - Management noted that early subscriber uptake has exceeded expectations, with a healthy mix of sports and news viewing driving engagement [22][23] Question: Strength in Fox News pricing and advertising potential - Management highlighted a 63% share in total day and 65% in prime time for Fox News, with strong pricing driven by new national clients [30][31] Question: Key drivers of stable subscriber erosion trends - Management indicated that reduced subscriber erosion is due to the flexibility of skinny bundles and the success of digital distributors [42][43] Question: Details on the accelerated share repurchase program - The ASR will involve buying back shares with a split between Class A and B stocks, taking advantage of pricing efficiencies [44][45]
Fox(FOX) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-30 13:02
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth of 5% and EBITDA growth of 2% for Q1 Fiscal 2026 [4][12] - Advertising revenue increased by 6%, despite the absence of last year's political revenue [4][12] - Net income attributable to stockholders was $599 million or $1.32 per share, compared to $827 million or $1.78 per share in the prior year [13] - Adjusted net income was $686 million and adjusted EPS was $1.51, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4% [13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cable Networks revenue grew by 4%, with advertising revenues up 7% driven by Fox News [13][14] - Television segment revenue increased by 5%, with advertising revenues up 6% due to Tubi's growth and strong sports pricing [14][15] - Tubi achieved 27% revenue growth, driven by an 18% increase in total view time, and reached profitability [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Distribution revenue grew by 3%, with subscriber declines remaining below 7% for the third consecutive quarter [4][12] - Fox News maintained its status as the most watched cable network, achieving the highest first quarter ad revenue in its history [10][11] - Engagement in live sports increased, with NFL viewership averaging almost 22 million, a 12% increase over last season [7][8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company launched Fox One, with positive early subscriber trends and engagement [5][24] - Focus on distribution agnosticism, ensuring content reaches as many households as possible [5] - Commitment to shareholder value through a $1.5 billion accelerated share repurchase transaction [11][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the positive outlook for Fox, supported by a strong advertising market and leadership in news and sports [10][11] - The company anticipates continued revenue growth driven by stable to improving subscriber erosion trends [12][44] - Management highlighted the importance of M&A activity for future growth, while maintaining a disciplined approach [52] Other Important Information - Total company expenses increased by 6% year-over-year, primarily due to investments in digital initiatives [12] - Free cash flow was negative $234 million, consistent with the seasonality of the working capital cycle [16][17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Fox One's subscriber uptake and engagement - Management noted that early subscriber uptake has exceeded expectations, with a healthy mix of sports and news viewing driving engagement [24] Question: Strength in Fox News pricing and advertising potential - Management indicated that Fox News pricing strength comes from high market share and increased spending from new national clients [31][36] Question: Key drivers of distribution growth and impact of Fox One - Management highlighted that early benefits from skinny bundles and digital distributors are contributing to reduced subscriber erosion [43][44] Question: Use of balance sheet flexibility and potential M&A activity - Management confirmed plans for future M&A activity while maintaining a strong balance sheet and disciplined investment strategy [51][52] Question: Update on investment levels for the year - Management reiterated that the previously mentioned investment estimate of $350 million for FY 2026 remains conservative, but it is too early to adjust the figure [66]
Fox(FOX) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-30 13:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fox Corporation reported a revenue growth of 5% and EBITDA growth of 2% for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [4][12] - Advertising revenue increased by 6%, while distribution revenue grew by 3% [4][12] - Net income attributable to stockholders was $599 million, or $1.32 per share, compared to $827 million, or $1.78 per share, in the previous year [13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cable Networks revenue grew by 4%, with advertising revenues up 7% driven by strong pricing at Fox News [13][15] - Television segment revenue increased by 5%, with advertising revenues up 6% due to growth at Tubi and strong sports pricing [15][16] - Tubi achieved 27% revenue growth, driven by an 18% increase in total view time, and reached profitability [8][9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fox News maintained its status as the most-watched cable network, achieving the highest first-quarter ad revenue in its history [9][10] - The NFL on Fox averaged almost 22 million viewers, a 12% increase over last season, marking Fox's best start to an NFL season ever [6][7] - College football viewership also increased, with Fox's Big Noon Saturday averaging over 6 million viewers, up 22% from the previous season [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company launched Fox One, which has seen strong early subscriber uptake and engagement, indicating a positive outlook for its direct-to-consumer strategy [5][24] - Fox Corporation is focused on ensuring its content reaches as many households as possible, emphasizing a distribution-agnostic approach [5] - The company plans to continue investing in digital initiatives while moderating overall net investment due to Tubi's profitability [8][10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the positive outlook for Fox, supported by a strong advertising market and leadership in news and sports [10] - The company anticipates continued distribution revenue growth, driven by stable to improving subscriber erosion trends [16][70] - Management highlighted the importance of M&A activity for future growth, while maintaining a disciplined approach to investments [81] Other Important Information - The company announced a $1.5 billion accelerated share repurchase (ASR) transaction, reflecting confidence in its business outlook [10][17] - Free cash flow was reported as negative $234 million, consistent with the seasonality of the working capital cycle [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Fox One's subscriber uptake and engagement - Management noted that Fox One's early uptake has exceeded expectations, with a healthy mix of sports and news viewing driving engagement [24][26] Question: Strength in Fox News pricing and advertising - The strength in Fox News pricing is attributed to a significant market share and the efficiency of advertising costs compared to broadcast networks [40][44] Question: Key drivers of distribution growth and subscriber erosion trends - Management indicated that reduced subscriber erosion is benefiting from skinny bundles and digital distributors, with Fox One being additive to subscriber numbers [64][66] Question: Details on the accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program - The ASR program will involve a mix of Class A and Class B shares, with the decision based on trading efficiencies [70][72]
Fox Revenue Rises on Higher Ad Sales
WSJ· 2025-10-30 11:58
Core Insights - Fox reported increased revenue in its fiscal first quarter, attributed to higher engagement and advertising demand across its portfolio [1] Group 1 - The revenue growth was driven by enhanced audience engagement [1] - There was a notable increase in advertising demand, contributing to the overall revenue boost [1]
Fox Surges Past Wall Street Expectations In September Quarter Despite Modest Ad Revenue Gains
Deadline· 2025-10-30 11:55
Core Insights - Fox Corp. exceeded Wall Street analysts' expectations in its fiscal first quarter, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $1.51 and total revenue of $3.7 billion, compared to analysts' consensus of $1.06 EPS and $3.58 billion in revenue [1] Financial Performance - The overall quarter performance was solid despite sluggish growth in the advertising business, with ad revenue in the Television unit rising 6% to $1.07 billion and in the Cable Network Programming division increasing 7% to $345 million [2] Strategic Developments - The company launched Fox One, entering the subscription streaming market, which offers access to various linear networks along with sports, news, entertainment, and weather content [3] Audience Engagement - Fox averaged 5.9 million viewers for its Big Noon Saturday telecasts of Big Ten games, with the NFL matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs attracting 33.8 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched events of the week [4] Corporate Governance - A significant development during the quarter was the resolution of a family drama, with Rupert Murdoch designating his son, Lachlan, as the principal heir to his media empire, which included substantial payouts to other children [5]
人工智能重塑视听产业:技术赋能与人文价值双轮驱动精品创作革新
Yang Shi Wang· 2025-10-30 03:03
Core Insights - The 2025 China Broadcasting and Television Quality Creation Conference emphasizes the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the audiovisual industry as a key topic for high-quality development [1][2] - The conference features discussions on how AI can enhance creative processes and improve production quality, with a focus on storytelling and artistic impact [2] Group 1: Policy and Industry Consensus - The National Radio and Television Administration highlights the necessity of AI technology for survival and development in the broadcasting industry, advocating for enhanced data resource construction and content innovation [2] - The convergence of policy guidance and AI breakthroughs is creating strategic opportunities for the audiovisual sector, transitioning from pilot projects to large-scale applications [2] Group 2: Technological Breakthroughs and Recognition - The release of the 2025 "Mirage" AI audiovisual evaluation season results showcases significant achievements in the industry, assessing 250 works through a combination of objective algorithms and subjective reviews [3] - The Kuaishou Keling AI model has gained attention for its near-film-level quality in video generation, positioning itself as a comprehensive digital partner in film creation [3] Group 3: Industry Transformation - AI technology is reshaping traditional production processes, making them more flexible and efficient, with creators reporting significant reductions in design time [4] - Research indicates that content creators using AIGC tools experience an average efficiency increase of about 50%, effectively doubling their output frequency [4] Group 4: Humanistic Core - Experts agree that AI should empower rather than replace creators, emphasizing the importance of maintaining creative agency and aligning technology with social values [5] Group 5: Building an Innovative Ecosystem - The industry aims to establish a healthy and orderly AIGC creation ecosystem, with ongoing improvements to evaluation systems to support innovation [6] Group 6: Global Outlook - The continuous advancement of domestic AI technology is expected to drive a new wave of innovation in the audiovisual industry, facilitating the creation of high-quality content that combines artistic value with technological innovation for global storytelling [7]
Nexstar Media Group Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend of $1.86 Per Share
Businesswire· 2025-10-29 11:04
Core Points - Nexstar Media Group's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.86 per share of its common stock [1] Company Summary - The declared dividend of $1.86 per share indicates the company's commitment to returning value to its shareholders [1]
FOXA Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?
ZACKS· 2025-10-28 17:01
Core Insights - Fox Corporation (FOXA) is scheduled to report its first-quarter fiscal 2025 results on October 30, with earnings estimated at $1.06 per share, reflecting a 26.9% year-over-year decline, while revenues are projected at $3.58 billion, indicating a marginal growth of 0.4% from the previous year [1][9] Financial Performance - The company has consistently beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 30.29% [2] - FOXA entered the first quarter of fiscal 2026 with strong operational and financial momentum, benefiting from a diversified portfolio across news, sports, and digital entertainment [3] Revenue Drivers - The performance of FOX News and steady affiliate fee trends are expected to have positively impacted results, alongside investments to expand its direct-to-consumer offerings [3] - The launch of FOX One, a unified streaming platform priced at $19.99 per month, is a significant step in the company's digital evolution, although initial marketing and content integration costs may have affected profitability [4] Advertising Revenue - Advertising revenues are anticipated to have moderated due to the absence of $270 million in political advertising from the prior year, but strong engagement at FOX News likely provided some offset [5][9] - Key shows and events, including the return of NFL on FOX and college football, are expected to have boosted viewership and pricing power [5] Challenges - FOXA is likely facing near-term headwinds from increased programming and production costs, softer entertainment ad demand, and additional digital spending related to FOX One, which may limit margin expansion [6] Earnings Expectations - According to the Zacks model, FOXA has an Earnings ESP of -7.55% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a lower likelihood of an earnings beat [7]
Scripps agrees to sell WRTV in Indianapolis to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million
Globenewswire· 2025-10-28 14:30
Core Viewpoint - The E.W. Scripps Company has agreed to sell its local ABC-affiliated station WRTV in Indianapolis to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million, aiming to reduce debt and enhance the durability of its local station portfolio [1][3]. Company Overview - The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified media entity and one of the largest local TV broadcasters in the U.S., operating over 60 stations across more than 40 markets [6][7]. - Scripps also manages national news outlets such as Scripps News and Court TV, along with entertainment brands like ION, Bounce, and Grit [6][7]. Transaction Details - Circle City Broadcasting, led by DuJuan McCoy, currently operates two television properties in Indianapolis and aims to expand its service to local communities through this acquisition [2][3]. - The transaction is subject to regulatory and customary approvals before closing [2]. Strategic Context - This sale follows other strategic moves by Scripps, including the planned sale of WFTX in Ft. Myers/Naples to Sun Broadcasting and a station swap with Gray Media, indicating a broader strategy to optimize its local station portfolio [4].
Scripps agrees to sell WRTV in Indianapolis to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million
Globenewswire· 2025-10-28 14:30
Core Viewpoint - The E.W. Scripps Company has agreed to sell its local ABC-affiliated station WRTV in Indianapolis to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million, aiming to reduce debt and enhance the sustainability of its local station portfolio [1][3]. Company Overview - The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified media entity and one of the largest local TV broadcasters in the U.S., operating over 60 stations across more than 40 markets [6][7]. - Scripps also manages national news outlets such as Scripps News and Court TV, along with various entertainment brands [6][7]. Transaction Details - The sale of WRTV is part of a strategic move by Scripps, which has also announced the sale of WFTX in Ft. Myers/Naples to Sun Broadcasting and a station swap with Gray Media [4]. - Circle City Broadcasting, led by DuJuan McCoy, operates two other television properties in the Indianapolis market and aims to enhance its service to local communities through this acquisition [2][3]. Strategic Implications - The transaction is expected to allow Circle City Broadcasting to expand its local news offerings while enabling Scripps to improve its financial position by reducing debt [3]. - The deal is pending regulatory and customary approvals before finalization [2].