Summary of USA TODAY Co. Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: USA TODAY Co. - **Industry**: Media and Communications - **Key Operations**: Operates over 200 local, regional, and national newspapers in the U.S., Newsquest in the U.K., and LOCALiQ, a digital marketing services business [1][3] Core Strategies and Priorities - **Mission**: To inform, inspire, and connect communities through unbiased journalism [3] - **Digital Audience**: Achieves 187 million unique digital visitors monthly, the largest among local and national media providers [3] - **Revenue Focus**: Aiming for over 50% of revenue to come from digital sources by 2026, currently at 47% in Q3 [6][49] Revenue Streams and Monetization - **Digital Revenue Growth**: Emphasis on monetizing through digital advertising, subscriptions, e-commerce, and licensing [4][6] - **LOCALiQ**: A $500 million digital marketing solutions business aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses grow [4] - **AI Licensing**: Engaged in significant AI licensing deals, including partnerships with Perplexity, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon [15][16] - **Advertising Strategy**: Focus on leveraging the large digital audience for advertising revenue, with a strong programmatic channel [24][25] AI and Content Licensing - **AI Impact**: Acknowledges potential disruption from AI but sees growth in audience engagement [10] - **Content Protection**: Actively blocking AI scraping bots, with 75 million attempts blocked monthly [11][12] - **Licensing Opportunities**: Exploring monetization of archives and real-time content licensing for AI companies [16] Financial Performance and Cost Management - **Cost Savings**: Implemented a $100 million cost savings program, focusing on efficiencies in print operations and technology automation [45][46] - **Debt Reduction**: Prioritizing debt paydown, with plans to reduce debt by over $135 million in 2025 [52][53] - **EBITDA Growth**: Anticipates year-over-year EBITDA growth in Q4 and a strong outlook for 2026 [47][49] New Initiatives and Market Expansion - **Play Launch**: Introduced a new gaming hub, "Play," to enhance engagement and offer new monetization avenues [35][39] - **Vertical Expansion**: Plans to expand into new content verticals such as sports, entertainment, and finance, focusing on video-first content [41][42][43] - **Newsquest Performance**: Newsquest, the second-largest publisher in the U.K., is performing well and contributes to overall growth [57] Market Outlook and Investor Confidence - **Digital Transition**: Transitioning to a predominantly digital business model by 2026, with expectations of revenue growth and improved EBITDA [58][59] - **Shareholder Value**: Anticipates significant opportunities for shareholder value through digital advertising and AI licensing [59] Conclusion - **Pivotal Moment**: USA TODAY Co. is at a critical juncture with a strong digital audience, diverse revenue streams, and a focus on innovation and efficiency, positioning itself for future growth and profitability [58][59]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues for Q3 2025 were $560.8 million, a decrease of 8.4% year-over-year, or 6.8% on a same-store basis [27] - Adjusted EBITDA was $57.2 million, representing a 10.2% margin, impacted by revenue timing shifts and incremental expenses [28] - Total digital revenues were $262.7 million, a decrease of 5.3% year-over-year, representing 47% of total company revenue [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Digital-only subscription revenues totaled $43.7 million, reflecting sequential growth of 2.4% [29] - Digital-only ARPU reached a record high of $8.80, up approximately 8% year-over-year [30] - Core platform revenue in the Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS) segment was $114 million, with segment adjusted EBITDA at $9.8 million [32] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved an average of 187 million monthly unique visitors, growing more than 3% compared to Q2 [11] - Digital advertising revenues increased by 2.9%, driven by improved client retention and a large audience base [29] - The company anticipates stronger results in Q4, fueled by strong advertiser response in high engagement verticals [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its digital audience and maximizing monetization across the customer journey [11] - A $100 million cost reduction program is fully implemented, expected to drive significant year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA in Q4 [5][28] - The company is optimistic about the potential of AI licensing deals, including partnerships with Microsoft and Perplexity [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in a strong Q4, driven by the realization of delayed revenues and the full benefit of cost reduction measures [28][80] - The recent ruling in the Google antitrust lawsuit is seen as a significant win, establishing liability and moving the case towards damages [40][80] - The company expects to achieve full-year growth in adjusted EBITDA and a 30% increase in free cash flow [33] Other Important Information - Total debt fell below $1 billion for the first time since the merger in 2019, marking a significant milestone [5][33] - The company blocked 75 million AI bots in September, primarily from OpenAI, indicating the value of its content [21][63] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you share the recent developments in the Google antitrust lawsuit? - Management highlighted a positive ruling from Judge Castell, establishing liability for Google and focusing the case on damages [40] Question: What is driving the shift of large revenue drivers from Q3 to Q4? - Management clarified that the shift was primarily due to timing related to product launches and advertising deals, not broader trends [42] Question: Can you elaborate on the incremental expenses incurred during Q3? - Incremental expenses were mainly tied to headcount reductions and associated benefits, which are not expected to continue in Q4 [44] Question: How do you see the digital revenue mix evolving into 2026? - The company expects digital revenue to surpass 50% in 2026, supported by diverse revenue streams and strong audience engagement [48] Question: Can you elaborate on the AI partnerships and their monetization? - Management discussed the importance of high-quality content and the evolving monetization models with AI partners, emphasizing the need for fair compensation [51] Question: What is the current status of traffic from AI platforms? - Management noted that there is currently no meaningful traffic from AI search companies, highlighting the importance of licensing deals for monetization [60]

Core Points - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to halt key parts of a judge's order that requires Alphabet's Google to implement significant changes to its app store, Play [1] - This decision comes as Google prepares to appeal a ruling in a lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, the maker of "Fortnite" [1] Company Impact - Alphabet's Google is facing legal challenges that may lead to substantial modifications in its app store operations [1] - The ongoing lawsuit from Epic Games could set a precedent affecting how app stores operate and their revenue models [1] Industry Context - The ruling may influence the broader app store ecosystem, potentially impacting other companies in the tech industry [1] - Changes mandated by the court could reshape competitive dynamics within the app distribution market [1]

Core Points - Google is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to halt significant parts of a judge's order that would require major changes to its Play app store as it prepares to appeal a decision in an ongoing lawsuit [1] Group 1 - Google is seeking to prevent the implementation of a judge's order that could alter its app store operations significantly [1] - The company is in the process of appealing a decision related to a lawsuit that may impact its business model [1]