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Earnings documents stored for GTN.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-16The 5 Most Interesting Analyst Questions From Gray Television’s Q2 Earnings Call
StockStory
The 5 Most Interesting Analyst Questions From Gray Television’s Q2 Earnings Call
Gray Television’s second quarter saw a strong market response, as the company delivered revenue and adjusted profitability above Wall Street expectations. Management pointed to outsized political advertising, successful integration of recently acquired stations, and growth in digital advertising as the main drivers of performance. CEO Hilton Howell highlighted that political revenue exceeded projections, aided by Gray’s significant presence in key battleground states. Additionally, recurring retransmission revenue showed stability, further supporting the company’s deleveraging efforts. Howell noted, “Growth in this recurring revenue stream remains a foundational pillar in our deleveraging plan.” Is now the time to buy GTN? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $839 million vs analyst estimates of $795.1 million (8.7% year-on-year growth, 5.5% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.26 vs analyst estimates of $0.25 (5% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $211 million vs analyst estimates of $189.6 million (25.1% margin, 11.3% beat) Revenue Guidance for Q3 CY2026 is $950 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $896.4 million Operating Margin: 16.2%, up from 10.6% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $502.4 million While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls is the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Steven Cahall (Wells Fargo) asked about the outlook for net retransmission revenue and margin trends. CFO Jeff Gignac explained margins should remain stable, with incremental growth from acquisitions and organic trends, expecting continued dollar acceleration into next year. Steven Cahall (Wells Fargo) questioned whether 2027 EBITDA will surpass 2025 levels, given recent M&A. Gignac said EBITDA should be up slightly, but emphasized the need to watch core trends and macro conditions. Daniel Kurnos (StoneX) inquired about how changes in FCC ownership rules could affect M&A and industry consolidation. CEO Hilton Howell emphasized openness to further deals but reiterated that debt reduction is the short-term priority. Aaron Watts (Deutsche Bank) asked about the near-term impact of debt repurchases and refinancing on leverage and interest expense.…Read full documentShow less
Gray Television’s second quarter saw a strong market response, as the company delivered revenue and adjusted profitability above Wall Street expectations. Management pointed to outsized political advertising, successful integration of recently acquired stations, and growth in digital advertising as the main drivers of performance. CEO Hilton Howell highlighted that political revenue exceeded projections, aided by Gray’s significant presence in key battleground states. Additionally, recurring retransmission revenue showed stability, further supporting the company’s deleveraging efforts. Howell noted, “Growth in this recurring revenue stream remains a foundational pillar in our deleveraging plan.” Is now the time to buy GTN? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $839 million vs analyst estimates of $795.1 million (8.7% year-on-year growth, 5.5% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.26 vs analyst estimates of $0.25 (5% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $211 million vs analyst estimates of $189.6 million (25.1% margin, 11.3% beat) Revenue Guidance for Q3 CY2026 is $950 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $896.4 million Operating Margin: 16.2%, up from 10.6% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $502.4 million While we enjoy listening to the management’s commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls is the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Steven Cahall (Wells Fargo) asked about the outlook for net retransmission revenue and margin trends. CFO Jeff Gignac explained margins should remain stable, with incremental growth from acquisitions and organic trends, expecting continued dollar acceleration into next year. Steven Cahall (Wells Fargo) questioned whether 2027 EBITDA will surpass 2025 levels, given recent M&A. Gignac said EBITDA should be up slightly, but emphasized the need to watch core trends and macro conditions. Daniel Kurnos (StoneX) inquired about how changes in FCC ownership rules could affect M&A and industry consolidation. CEO Hilton Howell emphasized openness to further deals but reiterated that debt reduction is the short-term priority. Aaron Watts (Deutsche Bank) asked about the near-term impact of debt repurchases and refinancing on leverage and interest expense. Gignac said lowering interest costs by even $30 million would significantly boost free cash flow and accelerate deleveraging. Craig Huber (Huber Research Partners) queried the use of AI and cost-cutting in operations. COO Pat LaPlatney stated the company uses AI for efficiency but maintains human oversight, and Gray continues to operate lean while prioritizing its workforce. Going forward, the StockStory team will be watching (1) the pace and effectiveness of integrating newly acquired stations and realizing targeted synergies, (2) the magnitude and timing of political advertising as election season intensifies, and (3) ongoing progress in reducing leverage and interest expense. Execution in scaling digital platforms and expanding local sports content will also be important markers for Gray’s growth trajectory. Gray Television currently trades at $5.06, up from $4.28 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members). ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively. Find out which 5 stocks it’s flagging this month — FREE. Get Our Top 5 Growth Stocks for Free HERE. Stocks that have made our list include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-08Gray Media Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
MarketBeat
Gray Media Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
Interested in Gray Media Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Second-quarter revenue rose 9% to $839 million, beating the high end of guidance by roughly $9 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $214 million. Results benefited from stronger-than-expected political advertising and recent acquisitions. Political advertising generated $83 million in Q2, above the company’s $60 million–$70 million forecast, with management expecting $165 million–$185 million in Q3. Gray plans to direct essentially all incremental political cash flow toward debt reduction. Core advertising remained weak, declining 1% year over year on a reported basis, though digital revenue grew 12% and retransmission revenue reached $150 million. Gray reduced its 2026 capital-expenditure outlook to $120 million–$130 million and continued debt reduction through note repurchases and a new $250 million repurchase authorization. 3 Value Stocks Flying Under the Radar—For Now Gray Media (NYSE:GTN) reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $839 million, up 9% from a year earlier and about $9 million above the high end of its adjusted guidance range, as political advertising outperformed expectations and recently completed acquisitions contributed to results. Net income attributable to stockholders was $21 million, while adjusted EBITDA totaled $214 million. Chairman and CEO Hilton Howell said the quarter included the impact of three acquisitions and a station swap with E.W. Scripps that closed during the period. → Sandisk Just Delivered a Blowout Quarter—Here's Why the Stock Is Falling 3 TV And Radio Stocks Broadcast Their Growth Political revenue reached $83 million in the second quarter, exceeding Gray's guidance of $60 million to $70 million. The total included $3 million from stations acquired during the quarter. The company said second-quarter political revenue compared with $47 million in the 2024 presidential-election cycle and $90 million in the comparable quarter of the 2022 midterm cycle. For the third quarter, Gray expects political revenue of $165 million to $185 million. President and Co-CEO Pat LaPlatney said political spending is typically weighted toward the back half of the quarter, with September historically accounting for roughly half of quarterly political revenue. → 4 Oil and Gas ETF Plays as Prices Stay Sky-High Gray said its station footprint covers all 12 U.S. Senate race…Read full documentShow less
Interested in Gray Media Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Second-quarter revenue rose 9% to $839 million, beating the high end of guidance by roughly $9 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $214 million. Results benefited from stronger-than-expected political advertising and recent acquisitions. Political advertising generated $83 million in Q2, above the company’s $60 million–$70 million forecast, with management expecting $165 million–$185 million in Q3. Gray plans to direct essentially all incremental political cash flow toward debt reduction. Core advertising remained weak, declining 1% year over year on a reported basis, though digital revenue grew 12% and retransmission revenue reached $150 million. Gray reduced its 2026 capital-expenditure outlook to $120 million–$130 million and continued debt reduction through note repurchases and a new $250 million repurchase authorization. 3 Value Stocks Flying Under the Radar—For Now Gray Media (NYSE:GTN) reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $839 million, up 9% from a year earlier and about $9 million above the high end of its adjusted guidance range, as political advertising outperformed expectations and recently completed acquisitions contributed to results. Net income attributable to stockholders was $21 million, while adjusted EBITDA totaled $214 million. Chairman and CEO Hilton Howell said the quarter included the impact of three acquisitions and a station swap with E.W. Scripps that closed during the period. → Sandisk Just Delivered a Blowout Quarter—Here's Why the Stock Is Falling 3 TV And Radio Stocks Broadcast Their Growth Political revenue reached $83 million in the second quarter, exceeding Gray's guidance of $60 million to $70 million. The total included $3 million from stations acquired during the quarter. The company said second-quarter political revenue compared with $47 million in the 2024 presidential-election cycle and $90 million in the comparable quarter of the 2022 midterm cycle. For the third quarter, Gray expects political revenue of $165 million to $185 million. President and Co-CEO Pat LaPlatney said political spending is typically weighted toward the back half of the quarter, with September historically accounting for roughly half of quarterly political revenue. → 4 Oil and Gas ETF Plays as Prices Stay Sky-High Gray said its station footprint covers all 12 U.S. Senate races, all 11 gubernatorial races and 29 House races considered competitive by The Cook Political Report at the time of the call. Management cited primary spending in several states, including Tennessee, Kansas, Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Hawaii, as well as early general-election spending in Senate contests in Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Michigan. Howell said the company intends to direct essentially all incremental political advertising cash flow toward debt reduction. → No Hangover: Revisiting Microsoft One Week After Earnings Core advertising revenue declined 1% from a year earlier on a reported basis during the second quarter. Adjusted for the second-quarter acquisitions, core advertising would have declined in the mid-single digits, consistent with Gray's guidance. LaPlatney estimated that political advertising crowd-out accounted for about one percentage point of the core-advertising decline, while FIFA World Cup programming provided a tailwind. Gaming advertising remained strong and continued to show strength entering the third quarter, according to management. Communications services, including health and insurance, and consumer-related categories were softer. Automotive advertising declined 2% to 3% on a same-station basis in the second quarter but was pacing slightly higher in the third quarter. Digital revenue increased 12% year over year in the second quarter, while new local direct business rose 5%. Gray expects third-quarter core advertising to be flat year over year on an as-reported basis, including acquired stations. Excluding acquisitions, management expects a mid-single-digit decline, citing both political crowd-out and broader softness in core advertising demand. Gray closed transactions during the first half that added four new markets, 14 stations in existing markets and included the swap of three markets with Scripps. The company also completed acquisitions of the non-licensed assets of American Spirit Media and WHPM, a Fox affiliate in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on July 1 through local management agreements. Gray expects to close the licensed assets of those transactions during the fourth quarter. Net retransmission revenue was $150 million in the second quarter, including a $6 million contribution from the acquisitions completed during the period. The result exceeded the company’s adjusted guidance range despite a blackout with one of Gray's largest distributors that ended May 1. Howell said Gray has no further retransmission negotiations scheduled for the rest of 2026. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Gignac said Gray expects low-single-digit organic growth in net retransmission revenue, supplemented by acquired-station contributions. He said net retransmission margins should remain slightly above 40%, in line with the first and second quarters, and that total net retransmission dollars should begin to increase as acquired properties are integrated. As of June 30, Gray reported a consolidated first-lien net leverage ratio of 2.55 times, a consolidated secured net leverage ratio of 3.71 times and a consolidated total net leverage ratio of 5.73 times. Gignac said the total leverage ratio was down from 5.94 times in the first quarter. During and after the quarter, Gray took several balance-sheet actions. The company issued $70 million of 7.25% first-lien notes due 2033 on June 30. It used $30 million of proceeds to repurchase $50 million of liquidation preference on its Series A preferred equity and used the remaining proceeds to fund the July 1 transaction closings. On July 21, Gray repurchased $100 million of its 10.5% first-lien notes and $20 million of its 5.38% unsecured notes. The board also reauthorized up to $250 million of open-market debt repurchases. Gray ended the second quarter with more than $900 million in liquidity. The company lowered its full-year 2026 capital-expenditure outlook to $120 million to $130 million from a prior estimate of $140 million. It also reduced its full-year tax guidance to $80 million to $100 million. Beyond its television operations, Gray highlighted an agreement with the Atlanta Hawks running through the 2028-29 season. The deal will bring 70 to 75 Hawks regular-season games and more than 200 hours of programming to WANF and Peachtree Sports Network. Gray’s Raycom Sports unit will produce the non-national Hawks games. Gray Media (NYSE:GTN) is a U.S.-based broadcasting and digital media company that owns and operates a portfolio of local television stations and associated digital platforms. The company's core business centers on delivering local news, sports and entertainment programming through its network-affiliated broadcast outlets. In addition to traditional over-the-air distribution, Gray Media supports multi-platform video streaming and on-demand services for audiences across its markets. Gray Media's television stations carry network programming from major national broadcasters, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW, and often feature locally produced news and public affairs content. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "Gray Media Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
Associated Press
Gray Media: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
ATLANTA (AP) — ATLANTA (AP) — Gray Media, Inc. (GTN) on Friday reported profit of $14 million in its second quarter. On a per-share basis, the Atlanta-based company said it had net income of 21 cents. The broadcast television company posted revenue of $839 million in the period. For the current quarter ending in September, Gray Media said it expects revenue in the range of $935 million to $965 million. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on GTN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/GTN
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media Shares Gain as Political Advertising Fuels Second-Quarter Beat
InvestorsHub
Gray Media Shares Gain as Political Advertising Fuels Second-Quarter Beat
Gray Media (NYSE:GTN) delivered stronger-than-expected second-quarter results on Friday, with a surge in political advertising revenue helping the broadcaster comfortably exceed Wall Street forecasts. Investors welcomed the performance, sending the shares more than 3% higher. The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.21 per share, significantly outperforming analysts’ consensus forecast for a loss of $0.03 per share. Revenue increased 9% year over year to $839 million from $772 million, comfortably ahead of the market estimate of $794.13 million. The strong quarter was primarily driven by robust political advertising demand ahead of the election cycle. Political advertising revenue reached $83 million during the quarter, well above the company’s guidance of $70 million. The figure also compared with just $9 million in the second quarter of 2025 and exceeded the $47 million generated during the same period in 2024. Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hilton Howell, Jr. said, “We are particularly pleased with political advertising, which significantly exceeded our second quarter guidance, and is trending ahead of not only 2024 but also 2022 year-to-date levels.” Net retransmission revenue rose 10% year over year to $150 million, slightly above the top end of management’s guidance. Meanwhile, core advertising revenue declined 1% from the prior-year period to $357 million, reflecting ongoing softness outside the political advertising market. Broadcasting expenses totalled $569 million, increasing 1% year over year but remaining below the company’s guidance. Corporate expenses reached $37 million, exceeding expectations because of transaction-related costs. For the third quarter, Gray Media expects total revenue of between $935 million and $965 million. Political advertising revenue is forecast to reach between $165 million and $185 million, reflecting continued momentum from the election cycle. The company also expects net retransmission revenue to range between $147 million and $150 million. The strong outlook suggests political advertising will remain a key earnings driver through the remainder of 2026. Gray Media stock price
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media (GTN) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
Zacks
Gray Media (GTN) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
Gray Media (GTN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.21 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.08 per share. This compares to a loss of $0.42 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +362.50%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this broadcast television company would post a loss of $0.32 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.34, delivering a surprise of -6.25%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Gray Media, which belongs to the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry, posted revenues of $839 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.47%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $772 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Gray Media shares have lost about 11.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.6%. While Gray Media has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Gray Media was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Z…Read full documentShow less
Gray Media (GTN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.21 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.08 per share. This compares to a loss of $0.42 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +362.50%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this broadcast television company would post a loss of $0.32 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.34, delivering a surprise of -6.25%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Gray Media, which belongs to the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry, posted revenues of $839 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.47%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $772 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Gray Media shares have lost about 11.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.6%. While Gray Media has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Gray Media was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.68 on $874 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.85 on $3.46 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Broadcast Radio and Television is currently in the top 45% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Newsmax (NMAX), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 13. This media outlet known for its conservative following and views is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.02 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +96.6%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Newsmax's revenues are expected to be $52.5 million, up 13.1% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Gray Media Inc. (GTN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Newsmax Inc. (NMAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media Inc (GTN) (Q2 2026) Earnings Call Highlights: Political Revenue Surge and Strategic ...
GuruFocus.com
Gray Media Inc (GTN) (Q2 2026) Earnings Call Highlights: Political Revenue Surge and Strategic ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: August 07, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Total revenue in Q2 2026 reached $839 million, exceeding the high end of guidance by about $9 million and up 9% year-over-year. Political revenue significantly outperformed expectations at $83 million, well above the $60-70 million guidance range. Net retransmission revenue of $150 million came in above guidance, marking a key inflection point for the leverage ratio denominator. The company completed multiple accretive acquisitions and swaps, adding 4 new markets and 14 stations in existing markets, with synergies expected to drive further deleveraging. Management is actively reducing debt and interest costs through opportunistic repurchases, including $120 million of debt and $50 million of preferred equity, with a new $250 million authorization. Core advertising revenue declined 1% in Q2, and adjusted for acquisitions, it was down mid-single digits, with continued softness expected in Q3. Political crowd-out is negatively impacting core advertising, with an estimated 1 point decline in Q2 and further displacement expected in Q3. The macro environment remains turbulent, with uncertainty around tariffs, potential conflicts, and consumer-facing categories like restaurants and supermarkets showing softer demand. The company incurred elevated transaction costs in Q2, which negatively impacted corporate expenses. Leverage remains high at 5.73 times total net leverage, and the company faces a steep call price on its 10.5% notes, limiting some refinancing options. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with GTN. Is GTN fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: Can you provide more detail on the net retransmission revenue outlook, specifically whether the dollar growth will accelerate into 2027 including M&A contributions, and what the margin profile looks like given the slight quarter-over-quarter decline?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): The net retransmission margin should hold in the range we've seen in the first and second quarters, a little above 40%. We're lapping the WANF transition to independent, but with additional stations coming online from acquisitions, the total will start to ramp. Think of it as low single-digit growth on an organic basis plus the acquisitions…Read full documentShow less
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: August 07, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Total revenue in Q2 2026 reached $839 million, exceeding the high end of guidance by about $9 million and up 9% year-over-year. Political revenue significantly outperformed expectations at $83 million, well above the $60-70 million guidance range. Net retransmission revenue of $150 million came in above guidance, marking a key inflection point for the leverage ratio denominator. The company completed multiple accretive acquisitions and swaps, adding 4 new markets and 14 stations in existing markets, with synergies expected to drive further deleveraging. Management is actively reducing debt and interest costs through opportunistic repurchases, including $120 million of debt and $50 million of preferred equity, with a new $250 million authorization. Core advertising revenue declined 1% in Q2, and adjusted for acquisitions, it was down mid-single digits, with continued softness expected in Q3. Political crowd-out is negatively impacting core advertising, with an estimated 1 point decline in Q2 and further displacement expected in Q3. The macro environment remains turbulent, with uncertainty around tariffs, potential conflicts, and consumer-facing categories like restaurants and supermarkets showing softer demand. The company incurred elevated transaction costs in Q2, which negatively impacted corporate expenses. Leverage remains high at 5.73 times total net leverage, and the company faces a steep call price on its 10.5% notes, limiting some refinancing options. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with GTN. Is GTN fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: Can you provide more detail on the net retransmission revenue outlook, specifically whether the dollar growth will accelerate into 2027 including M&A contributions, and what the margin profile looks like given the slight quarter-over-quarter decline?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): The net retransmission margin should hold in the range we've seen in the first and second quarters, a little above 40%. We're lapping the WANF transition to independent, but with additional stations coming online from acquisitions, the total will start to ramp. Think of it as low single-digit growth on an organic basis plus the acquisitions on top of that on the net line. Q: With the FCC's repeal of the ownership cap, how do you think this changes the M&A landscape, and do you expect conversations to change given the potential for legal challenges?A: Hilton Howell (Chairman and CEO): We compliment the FCC for updating rules that were outdated and didn't account for competitors like Google. We are open for business, but our short-term priority is reducing debt using political revenue. We must also navigate the unique regulatory structure of state attorneys general and work to explain the benefits of TV station consolidation. Without consolidation over the last 30 years, there wouldn't be newsrooms in existence; Gray has local news in all 117 markets. Q: Given the strong political advertising performance, can you help us think directionally about how optimistic you are for the full political cycle, especially compared to 2022?A: Hilton Howell (Chairman and CEO) and Pat LaPlatney (President and co-CEO): The biggest indicator for robust political spending is the sheer amount of money both parties have. Democratic candidates have substantial funds, and Republicans have significant resources as well. Unlike 2022, where expensive primaries left candidates without funds for general elections, we're not seeing that this year. We have exposure to all 12 competitive Senate races and all 11 competitive gubernatorial races per Cook Political, with strong positioning in key battleground states like Maine, Alaska, Ohio, Texas, and Georgia. Q: Can you confirm that the flat third-quarter core advertising guide applies on an as-reported basis, and what does it look like excluding acquisitions?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): The flat guide is on an as-reported basis versus the prior year, including acquisitions. Essentially, the acquisition benefit offsets some drag on the portfolio between political crowd-out and softness in the business. Excluding acquisitions, core would be down mid single-digits, with some of that attributable to political crowd-out and some to general softness. Q: With the board authorizing $250 million for debt repurchases, what are you trying to accomplish with the capital stack, and what can that mean for leverage and interest costs going forward?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): We've been opportunistic and creative. Our bonds are trading relative to our current weighted average interest cost, and the shortest bond tranche is fairly expensive. We'd love to extend maturities and drive down the cost of debt. Our current full-year guide for interest expense is $440 million, which could come down by $30+ million through refinancing activities. Reducing interest expense is dollar-for-dollar beneficial to free cash flow given the 163J interest deductibility limitation, and combined with political cash flows, it will accelerate deleveraging. Q: Is there a lag between recognizing acquisition synergies in the leverage calculation and applying operating expense savings within your guidance?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): Yes, there is a lag. In our earnings release, we lay out the leverage ratio calculation with an add-back of $144 million divided by two, or $72 million. As we implement all of our synergies, that add-back will come down and the actual results will benefit, capitalizing into actual results rather than being an add-back. Q: How are you thinking about the use of AI to improve efficiency, and are you being more aggressive than peers in taking costs out of TV station operations?A: Hilton Howell (Chairman and CEO) and Pat LaPlatney (President and co-CEO): We've found use for AI in editorial, sales, and marketing, but anything published is reviewed by a human. We use AI as an efficiency tool to give our people better tool sets. Gray has always run lean, and our people are our most important asset. We're judicious about costs but operate in a very lean capacity 24/7, constantly looking for areas to tighten. Q: Regarding the Assembly Atlanta studio facility, are you seeing benefits from companies leaving California, and what's the current occupancy and production outlook?A: Hilton Howell (Chairman and CEO): Our studios will be 90% filled for the remainder of the year, with a large blockbuster expected to begin shooting in September. Georgia's film incentives remain the best structure because they are uncapped and pay rapidly, unlike other states with 7-8 year wait times. We're deeply involved with both gubernatorial campaigns and see no risk to the film tax credit, with potential for enhancements. Q: What is the share of gross retransmission coming through virtual MVPDs, and how does the dynamics differ from traditional channels?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): We don't break out individual contracts or streams between traditional and virtual MVPDs, and I don't believe anyone in the industry does. What matters is what we keep. On the virtual side, it's a fee we receive; on the traditional side, there's a fee and a network feedback, so the margin profiles are different, but we won't comment on the mix. Q: In the 2024 cycle, core advertising fell about 11% in Q4 due to political displacement. Given the changing portfolio mix, what kind of displacement can we expect in Q4 2026?A: Jeff Gennik (CFO): It will depend on how aggressive political spending gets later in the year. If political, which has higher margins, is gangbusters, the net will be better. There are only so many spots, so depending on when political ramps up and how aggressive spending is, that will drive displacement. We can't put a number on it where we sit today. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media, Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
Moby
Gray Media, Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Performance exceeded guidance driven by robust political spending and the successful integration of multiple acquisitions and swaps closed during the quarter. Management attributes the 9% year-over-year revenue growth to the strategic addition of 14 stations in existing markets and entry into four new markets, enhancing scale and synergy potential. The company is pivoting its local sports strategy by securing long-term broadcast rights for the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves, utilizing Raycom Sports' production expertise to capture high-value local content. Net retransmission revenue growth remains a foundational pillar for deleveraging, with management noting that all contracts are now secured through 2027, providing a stable, recurring revenue stream. Operational focus at Assembly Atlanta is shifting toward high-profile events and long-term studio renewals, such as the two-season extension for a CBS soap opera, to maintain high lot utilization. Management emphasized that industry consolidation is essential for maintaining journalistic excellence, citing their record 93 regional Edward Murrow Awards as evidence of the scale-driven investment in local news. Management expects third-quarter political revenue between $165 million and $185 million, with approximately half of the total historically occurring in September. The company intends to utilize the substantial majority of incremental cash flows from the back-half political season to aggressively reduce debt and lower fixed charges. Net retransmission revenue is projected to accelerate into 2027 as synergies from newly acquired stations are fully realized and organic growth continues under fixed contracts. Full-year capital expenditure guidance was lowered to $120 million to $130 million, reflecting a disciplined approach to cash preservation and operational efficiency. Strategic investments in technology include transitioning all digital video and mobile applications to the Quickplay platform to enhance viewer engagement and content discovery across screens. Gray redeemed $50 million of Series A preferred equity and repurchased $120 million of debt in private transactions to reduce total capital obligations and interest expense. The Board reauthorized t…Read full documentShow less
Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Performance exceeded guidance driven by robust political spending and the successful integration of multiple acquisitions and swaps closed during the quarter. Management attributes the 9% year-over-year revenue growth to the strategic addition of 14 stations in existing markets and entry into four new markets, enhancing scale and synergy potential. The company is pivoting its local sports strategy by securing long-term broadcast rights for the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Braves, utilizing Raycom Sports' production expertise to capture high-value local content. Net retransmission revenue growth remains a foundational pillar for deleveraging, with management noting that all contracts are now secured through 2027, providing a stable, recurring revenue stream. Operational focus at Assembly Atlanta is shifting toward high-profile events and long-term studio renewals, such as the two-season extension for a CBS soap opera, to maintain high lot utilization. Management emphasized that industry consolidation is essential for maintaining journalistic excellence, citing their record 93 regional Edward Murrow Awards as evidence of the scale-driven investment in local news. Management expects third-quarter political revenue between $165 million and $185 million, with approximately half of the total historically occurring in September. The company intends to utilize the substantial majority of incremental cash flows from the back-half political season to aggressively reduce debt and lower fixed charges. Net retransmission revenue is projected to accelerate into 2027 as synergies from newly acquired stations are fully realized and organic growth continues under fixed contracts. Full-year capital expenditure guidance was lowered to $120 million to $130 million, reflecting a disciplined approach to cash preservation and operational efficiency. Strategic investments in technology include transitioning all digital video and mobile applications to the Quickplay platform to enhance viewer engagement and content discovery across screens. Gray redeemed $50 million of Series A preferred equity and repurchased $120 million of debt in private transactions to reduce total capital obligations and interest expense. The Board reauthorized the purchase of up to $250 million of debt in the open market, signaling a commitment to opportunistic balance sheet optimization. Management identified 'political crowd out' as a primary driver for the mid-single-digit decline in core advertising, alongside macroeconomic turbulence affecting consumer-facing categories. The company noted a rare blackout with a large distributor ended on May 1, which impacted second-quarter results but has since been resolved with long-term contract stability. One stock. Nvidia-level potential. 30M+ investors trust Moby to find it first. Get the pick. Tap here. Management confirmed that net retransmission margins should hold above 40%, with total dollars ramping as acquisitions are fully integrated. Growth is expected to be driven by low single-digit organic increases supplemented by the full-year contribution of the 2026 station additions. Management sees potential for future spectrum reallocation auctions as mobile demand increases and ATSC 3.0 technology allows for more efficient 'repacking'. The transition could provide a national security benefit by serving as a robust, cost-efficient backup to the GPS timing system. While 'open for business' for future consolidation, management's immediate priority is debt reduction using political cash flows. Management noted that while federal rules may modernize, they must still navigate a 'third regulatory structure' involving state attorneys general. Automotive advertising is showing signs of stabilization, pacing slightly up in Q3 after a 2-3% decline in Q2. Management characterized the current macro environment as 'turbulent' due to geopolitical factors and interest rate uncertainty, leading to cautious ad buyer behavior.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07Gray Media Announces Second Quarter Financial Results
GlobeNewswire
Gray Media Announces Second Quarter Financial Results
ATLANTA, Aug. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY Hilton Howell, Jr., Executive Chairman and CEO, commented, “Our second quarter 2026 results are starting to reflect the benefits of our M&A activity. We met or exceeded our second quarter guidance across every metric except corporate expense, which was higher due to transaction-related costs, and our net leverage ratio improved during the quarter. We are particularly pleased with political advertising, which significantly exceeded our second quarter guidance, and is trending ahead of not only 2024 but also 2022 year-to-date levels. Our Net Retransmission Revenue returned to year-over-year growth even excluding the 2026 acquisitions, despite the blackout that ended on May 1. “Year-to-date, we have made progress on every front. We have added stations in 22 markets (net of dispositions) including stations in six markets from American Spirit Media. We continue to invest in our stations, people and communities to drive journalistic excellence, as reflected by our 93 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this year, up from 81 last year. We expanded our local professional sports portfolio by adding approximately 70 televised Atlanta Hawks regular season games on WANF in Atlanta and across our Peachtree Sports Network through the 2028-29 NBA season. We also made progress on our balance sheet through creative transactions that lower our cost of capital and enhance our cash flow. Our goal is to extend our market leadership as the largest owner of top-rated local television stations by prudently investing in our broadcast business, while also prioritizing balance sheet deleveraging.” FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS: Total Revenue - $839 million in the second quarter of 2026, or an increase of 9% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions(1) contributed $41 million in total revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Core Advertising Revenue – $357 million in the second quarter of 2026, or a decrease of 1% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $15 million of core advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Political Advertising Revenue – $83 million in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $9 million in the second quarter of 2025, and $47 million and $90 million in the second quart…Read full documentShow less
ATLANTA, Aug. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY Hilton Howell, Jr., Executive Chairman and CEO, commented, “Our second quarter 2026 results are starting to reflect the benefits of our M&A activity. We met or exceeded our second quarter guidance across every metric except corporate expense, which was higher due to transaction-related costs, and our net leverage ratio improved during the quarter. We are particularly pleased with political advertising, which significantly exceeded our second quarter guidance, and is trending ahead of not only 2024 but also 2022 year-to-date levels. Our Net Retransmission Revenue returned to year-over-year growth even excluding the 2026 acquisitions, despite the blackout that ended on May 1. “Year-to-date, we have made progress on every front. We have added stations in 22 markets (net of dispositions) including stations in six markets from American Spirit Media. We continue to invest in our stations, people and communities to drive journalistic excellence, as reflected by our 93 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this year, up from 81 last year. We expanded our local professional sports portfolio by adding approximately 70 televised Atlanta Hawks regular season games on WANF in Atlanta and across our Peachtree Sports Network through the 2028-29 NBA season. We also made progress on our balance sheet through creative transactions that lower our cost of capital and enhance our cash flow. Our goal is to extend our market leadership as the largest owner of top-rated local television stations by prudently investing in our broadcast business, while also prioritizing balance sheet deleveraging.” FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS: Total Revenue - $839 million in the second quarter of 2026, or an increase of 9% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions(1) contributed $41 million in total revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Core Advertising Revenue – $357 million in the second quarter of 2026, or a decrease of 1% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $15 million of core advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Political Advertising Revenue – $83 million in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $9 million in the second quarter of 2025, and $47 million and $90 million in the second quarters of 2024 and 2022, respectively, the previous “on-years” of the two-year election cycle. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $3 million of political advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Retransmission Consent Revenue – $359 million in the second quarter of 2026, or a decrease of 3% from $369 million in the second quarter of 2025. Retransmission consent revenue decreased due to continued subscriber declines, the transition of one station to independent status, and a resolved dispute with a distribution partner. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $23 million of retransmission consent revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Net Retransmission Revenue was $150 million in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 10% from $136 million in the second quarter of 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $9 million of Net Retransmission Revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Broadcasting Expenses – $569 million in the second quarter of 2026, or an increase of 1% compared to the second quarter of 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions increased broadcasting expenses by $30 million in the second quarter of 2026. Corporate Expenses – $37 million, above the high end of the $30 million to $35 million guidance range, primarily due to transaction-related expenses. (1) We define "2026 Acquisitions" as all of the acquisitions which closed between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026. This includes stations acquired from Bahakel Communications, Ltd. (WBBJ), all ten markets from Allen Media Group, Block Communications, Inc. and Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, Inc. The 2026 Acquisitions exclude the station swap with Scripps. Recent Financing Activities Additional 2033 1L Notes – On June 30, 2026, we issued $70 million in additional 7.250% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due in 2033 at par, plus accrued interest. The additional notes were used to fund $40 million of the purchase consideration for the first closing of American Spirit Media, LLC and $30 million to repurchase an aggregate liquidation preference of $50 million of Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock (50,000 shares). Repurchase of 2029 1L Notes and 2031 Notes – On July 21, 2026, we repurchased, in a privately negotiated transaction, $100 million of our 10.500% Senior Secured First Lien notes due in 2029 and $20 million of our 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2031, each at a price of par, plus accrued interest, using cash on hand and borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility. Debt Repurchase Authorization – On August 6, 2026, our Board of Directors authorized us to use up to $250 million of available liquidity to repurchase our outstanding indebtedness through December 31, 2027, replacing our prior authorization that expired on December 31, 2025. The extent of such repurchases, including the amount and timing of any repurchases, will depend on general market conditions, regulatory requirements, alternative investment opportunities and other considerations. This repurchase program does not require us to repurchase a minimum amount of debt, and it may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice. Leverage Metrics - As of June 30, 2026, calculated as set forth in our Senior Credit Agreement (unaudited): Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio 2.55 to 1.00 Consolidated Secured Net Leverage Ratio 3.71 to 1.00 Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio 5.73 to 1.00 Liquidity - As of June 30, 2026:Cash – $176 million Borrowing availability under our $750 million undrawn revolving credit facility - $745 million (reflecting only certain outstanding undrawn letters of credit) Accounts receivable securitization facility of $400 million was fully drawn Acquisitions During the three months ended June 30, 2026, we completed transactions involving television station acquisitions and divestitures with The E.W. Scripps Company (“Scripps”), Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, Inc. (“SGH”), Block Communications, Inc. (“BCI”) and Allen Media Group, Inc. (“Allen 7”) (collectively, the “2Q Acquisitions”). On July 1, 2026, we acquired the non-license assets of six television stations from American Spirit Media, LLC (“ASM”) and the non-license assets of WHPM-TV, LLC (“WHPM”) for $43 million in cash. The acquisition of the remaining assets of ASM and WHPM are pending regulatory approval; however, no assurance can be given that we will receive the required regulatory approvals. Guidance for the Quarter Ending September 30, 2026: Based on our current forecasts for the quarter ending September 30, 2026, we anticipate the following key financial results, as outlined below in approximate ranges and as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2025, as well as certain currently anticipated full-year financial results. Our guidance includes estimated results for all television stations that were fully acquired as of August 7, 2026, as well as the ASM and WHPM stations.As always, guidance may change in the future based on several factors and therefore may not reflect future actual results. The Company We are a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. We serve 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.Cautionary Statements for Purposes of the “Safe Harbor” Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform ActThis press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based largely on our current expectations and reflect various estimates and assumptions by us. These statements are statements other than those of historical fact and may be identified by words such as “estimates,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will,” “implied,” “assume” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks, trends and uncertainties, which in some instances are beyond our control, include: the inability to achieve estimates of future revenue, expenses, capital expenditures, and income tax payments, the inability to complete the pending acquisitions within the expected timeframes, or at all, including as a result of the failure to obtain necessary FCC or other regulatory approvals, and other future events. We are subject to additional risks and uncertainties described in our quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including in the “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections contained therein, which reports are made publicly available via our website, www.graymedia.com. Any forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. This press release reflects management’s views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Gray undertakes no obligation to update or revise any information contained in this press release beyond the published date, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information about certain potential factors that could affect our business and financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements are included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and may be contained in reports subsequently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.Conference Call InformationWe will host a conference call to discuss our operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, on Friday, August 7, 2026. The call will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The live dial-in number is 1-800-715-9871 or 1-646-307-1963 conference ID 3663076. The call will be webcast live and available for replay at www.graymedia.com. The taped replay of the conference call will be available at 1-800-770-2030 using conference ID 3663076 until September 4, 2026. Gray Contact:Web site: www.graymedia.comAlan Gould, Vice President, Investor Relations, (404) 266-8333, [email protected] Non-GAAP TermsThis earnings release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Net Retransmission Revenue.” We present these measures, in addition to results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), because management believes they are useful in evaluating the performance of the business. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net income (loss), adjusted for income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, gain or loss on extinguishment of debt, non-cash stock-based compensation costs, non-cash 401(k) expense, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, impairment of investments, loss (gain) on asset disposals and certain other miscellaneous items. Net Retransmission Revenue is calculated as retransmission consent revenue less broadcasting network affiliation fees. See “Selected Operating Data” above for a reconciliation of Net Retransmission Revenue to the most comparable GAAP metric. We consider Adjusted EBITDA and Net Retransmission Revenue to be indicators of our operating performance.In addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, “Leverage Ratio Denominator” is a metric that management uses to calculate our compliance with certain financial covenants in our indebtedness agreements. This metric is calculated as specified in our Senior Credit Agreement and is a significant measure that represents the denominator of a formula used to calculate compliance with certain material financial covenants within the Senior Credit Agreement that govern our ability to incur indebtedness, incur liens, make investments and make restricted payments, among other limitations usual and customary for credit agreements of this type. Accordingly, management believes this metric may be useful to investors to understand how we assess compliance with our Senior Credit Agreement. Leverage Ratio Denominator gives effect to the revenue and broadcast expenses of all completed acquisitions and divestitures as if they had been acquired or divested, respectively, on July 1, 2024. It also gives effect to certain operating synergies expected from the acquisitions and related financings and adds back professional fees incurred in completing the various transactions. Certain financial information related to the acquisitions, if applicable, has been derived from, and adjusted based on, unaudited, un-reviewed financial information prepared by other entities, which Gray cannot independently verify. We cannot assure you that such financial information would not be materially different if such information were audited or reviewed and no assurances can be provided as to the completeness or accuracy of such information, or that our actual results would not differ materially from this financial information if the acquisitions had been completed on the stated date. In addition, the presentation of Leverage Ratio Denominator as determined in the Senior Credit Agreement and the adjustments to such information, including expected synergies, if applicable, resulting from such transactions, may not comply with GAAP or the requirements for pro forma financial information under Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, and should not be relied upon as indicative of future results. Leverage Ratio Denominator, as determined in the Senior Credit Agreement, represents an average amount for the preceding eight quarters then ended. Our “Specified Transaction Costs and Expenses” are defined in our Senior Credit Agreement and include incremental expenses incurred specific to acquisitions and divestitures, including but not limited to legal and professional fees, severance and incentive compensation, and contract termination fees. We present certain line items from our selected operating data, net of Transaction Related Expenses, to enhance the comparability of our operating expenses and results of operations across periods.Our “Consolidated First Lien Net Debt”, “Consolidated Secured Net Debt” and “Consolidated Total Net Debt” in each case presented net of all cash, represents the amount of outstanding principal of our long-term debt, plus certain other obligations as defined in our Senior Credit Agreement for the applicable amount of indebtedness.These non-GAAP measures are not defined by GAAP, and our definitions may differ from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies, thereby limiting their usefulness. Such measures are used by management in addition to, and in conjunction with, results presented in accordance with GAAP and should be considered as supplements to, and not as substitutes for, net income and cash flows reported in accordance with GAAP.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-07GRAY ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.08 PER SHARE
GlobeNewswire
GRAY ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.08 PER SHARE
ATLANTA, Aug. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media, Inc. (“Gray”) (NYSE: GTN) announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share of its common stock and Class A common stock. The dividend is payable on September 30, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2026. About Gray Media: We are a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. We serve 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. For more information, please visit www.graymedia.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based largely on Gray’s current expectations and reflect various estimates and assumptions by Gray. These statements are statements other than those of historical fact and may be identified by words such as “estimates”, “expect,” “anticipate,” “will,” “implied,” “assume” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks, trends and uncertainties, which in some instances are beyond Gray’s control include Gray’s inability to provide expected future payment of dividends, and other future events. Gray is subject to additional risks and uncertainties described in Gray’s quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including in the “Risk Factors,” and management’s disc…Read full documentShow less
ATLANTA, Aug. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media, Inc. (“Gray”) (NYSE: GTN) announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share of its common stock and Class A common stock. The dividend is payable on September 30, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2026. About Gray Media: We are a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. We serve 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. For more information, please visit www.graymedia.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based largely on Gray’s current expectations and reflect various estimates and assumptions by Gray. These statements are statements other than those of historical fact and may be identified by words such as “estimates”, “expect,” “anticipate,” “will,” “implied,” “assume” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks, trends and uncertainties, which in some instances are beyond Gray’s control include Gray’s inability to provide expected future payment of dividends, and other future events. Gray is subject to additional risks and uncertainties described in Gray’s quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including in the “Risk Factors,” and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations sections contained therein, which reports are made publicly available via its website, www.graymedia.com. Any forward-looking statements in this communication should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. This press release reflects management’s views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Gray undertakes no obligation to update or revise any information contained in this communication beyond the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. # # # Gray Contacts: Alan Gould, Vice President, Investor Relations, (404) 266-8333, [email protected]
TranscriptFY2026 Q22026-08-07FY2026 Q2 earnings call transcript
Earnings source - 103 paragraphs
FY2026 Q2 earnings call transcript
Good day, everyone. Welcome to Gray Media's second quarter 2026 earnings call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. If you would like to ask a question during this time, press star one on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, press star one again. I will now turn the call over to Gray's President and CEO, Hilton Howell Jr. Sir, please go ahead.
Hi, this is Alan Gould from Investor Relations. I'm going to lead off. Thank you, Lacey. Welcome everyone. Joining us on today's call are Hilton Howell, our Chairman and CEO, Pat LaPlatney, our President and Co-CEO, Sandy Breland, our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Latek, our Chief Legal and Development Officer, and Jeff Gignac, our Chief Financial Officer. Today, we filed on Form 8-K our second quarter earnings release and updated investor presentation with the SEC, and later today, we will file our quarterly report on Form 10-Q. These materials are all available on our website, graymedia.com, where we recently updated our investor relations section to make this site more comprehensive and easier to navigate. Included on the call may be a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, and in particular, adjusted EBITDA, leverage ratio denominator, net retransmission revenue, and certain net leverage ratios.
These metrics are not meant to replace GAAP measurements but are provided as supplements to assist the public in its analysis and valuation of our company. Further discussions and reconciliation of the company's non-GAAP financial measures to comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in our latest investor presentation on the website. All statements and comments made by management during this conference call, other than statements of historical fact, should be deemed forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.
Actual results in the future could differ from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors that are described in our most recent filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. It is now my pleasure to introduce Gray's Executive Chairman and CEO, Hilton Howell.
Thank you, Alan. Today, we are very pleased to share our results for the second quarter of 2026 that were overall quite favorable to our previously issued guidance. Keep in mind that our second quarter reported results include three acquisitions and the Scripps swap that closed during the quarter. To provide everyone with a more meaningful comparison, our earnings release presents adjusted guidance reflecting the results of the second quarter acquisitions. The second quarter results reflect the benefits that we expected when we signed those transactions now nearly a year ago. Total revenue in the second quarter of 2026 was $839 million. This exceeded the high end of our adjusted guidance range by about $9 million, and total revenue increased 9% on a year-over-year basis. Political revenue in the second quarter reached $83 million, well above our guidance range of $60 million-$70 million.
Our second quarter acquisitions contributed $3 million to this total. As Pat will detail in a moment, with our third quarter outlook, we are trending ahead of both 2024, a presidential year, and 2022, a non-presidential year, on year-to-date levels with or without the impact of our 2026 acquisitions. Our net retransmission revenue was $150 million for the quarter, landing above our guidance range, adjusted for all of our acquisitions. Please remember, our second quarter net retransmission revenue included the very rare for Gray Media blackout with one of our largest distributors that ended on May 1st. I am highly encouraged by the continued progress we have made on our net retransmission revenue. Growth in this recurring revenue stream remains a foundational pillar in our deleveraging plan. Jeff Gignac will provide additional color on the leverage benefits.
Also remember that we have no further retransmission negotiations for the remainder of 2026. Broadcast expenses before depreciation, amortization, and gain or loss on disposal of assets in the second quarter of 2026 was $569 million, in the middle of our guidance range, and increased $6 million compared to the second quarter of last year. This included $30 million of operating expenses from our newly closed 2026 transactions. Net income attributable to our stockholders was $21 million for the quarter, and adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter was $214 million. A few comments now on our operations. I am exceptionally proud of our team for remaining focused on our business. We are well underway integrating all of our closed 2026 acquisitions and swap transactions. At the same time, we continue to invest in our stations, our people, and our communities to drive journalistic excellence.
I am exceptionally proud that our efforts have been reflected with 93 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in 2026, up from 81 last year, and candidly, well ahead of our peers. Our station's commitment to local news, local sports, and weather is of significant value to the communities we serve and to our investors. I am particularly excited as a longtime season ticket holder about strategically expanding our local professional sports portfolio. Right here in our hometown of Atlanta, we reached a fabulous agreement with the Atlanta Hawks that goes through the 2028-2029 season. Our deal will bring 70-75 Atlanta Hawks regular season games and over 200 hours of program information to WANF, our local affiliate in Atlanta, and across our Peachtree Sports Networks, which really means it will reach every market in Georgia and a number of markets in Alabama, including Birmingham.
The team at Raycom Sports will produce the games just like they currently do with BravesVision and the Atlanta Braves. It is a great example of our production expertise supplementing our TV business. If you have seen the broadcast, it's truly world-class. At Assembly Atlanta, Investigate Tennis is wrapping up a three-month run that has raised Assembly's profile by hosting tennis matches with a live audience. We were able to broadcast some key matches on WANF and Peachtree Sports in Atlanta. Beyond the Gates, the CBS soap opera that premiered two years ago, was renewed for two additional seasons, and we're exceptionally excited that they will be keeping the studio lot active for years to come.
Also, of significance to us, Assembly and Gray will be hosting both the senatorial and the gubernatorial debates at Assembly and carry it across every single market in the State of Georgia. We're thrilled to have these political aspirants into our home. On the M&A front, the second quarter was highly productive. We closed transactions covering seven markets from Allen Media Group, three markets from Block Communications, and then our swap with E.W. Scripps, and then two further markets from SagamoreHill. All told, for the transactions we closed in the first half of 2026, we added four new markets and added 14 stations in existing markets and swapped three markets to our friends at Scripps. If that wasn't enough, we completed two transactions immediately after quarter end on July 1.
We acquired the non-licensed assets of American Spirit Media, which had been under a shared service agreement for over a decade with our legacy Raycom stations. We also acquired WHPM, the Fox affiliate in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We currently expect to close the licensed assets for each in the fourth quarter of 2026. We have recently taken a number of steps to enhance our balance sheet. We redeemed $50 million of our Series A preferred equity following the close of the quarter. We repurchased $120 million of our debt in a private transaction. Yesterday, our board reauthorized the purchase of up to $250 million of debt in the open market. Jeff Gignac will go into more detail on our broader balance sheet strategy shortly.
I'd like to take a moment to emphasize that our top priority for our incremental political cash flows is going to be to further reduce our debt. Despite having substantial political heretofore, the substantial majority of that cash comes in Q3 and in Q4. We're making great progress growing our portfolio of top-rated stations, executing our de-leveraging strategy, and enhancing long-term shareholder value. I'd also like to take a personal moment to welcome all the hundreds of new people that have joined our company via our recent acquisitions. At this time, I will turn the call over to Pat to dive deeper into our operations.
Thank you, Hilton. Second quarter core advertising revenue came in close to our expectations. Our guidance was for core to be down mid-single digits in the second quarter of 2026 compared to 2025. We reported down 1%, adjusted for the second quarter acquisitions, we would have been down in the mid-single-digit range. We also estimate that core advertising experienced a one-point decline from political crowd out. On the upside, we saw some tailwind from the FIFA World Cup. Looking at our categories, we saw strength in gaming, a positive trend that has sustained into the third quarter. Communications services, particularly health and insurance, and consumer-related categories were soft. The automotive vertical finished the second quarter down just 2%-3% compared to the second quarter of 2025 on a same-station basis and is pacing up slightly in the third quarter, which is encouraging.
Our digital momentum continued in Q2 with a healthy 12% year-over-year growth that remains strong into Q3, complemented by a 5% increase in new local direct business. Despite a highly competitive market, our sales teams continue to deliver outstanding results. While global economic factors and political crowd out introduce near-term caution for core advertising, we are leveraging our newly acquired 2026 stations to project stable Q3 core advertising, flat year-over-year performance on an as-reported basis. We are seeing encouraging gains in subcategories with automotive up slightly as mentioned, and discount and department stores showing nice strength. Some consumer-facing categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, as well as services, are seeing softer demand. Political advertising was a highlight, significantly exceeding our expectations. Against our second quarter guidance of $60 million-$70 million, we delivered $82 million, pardon me, $83 million, which includes $3 million from our 2026 acquisitions.
This compares to $47 million and $90 million in second quarters of 2024 and 2022 respectively, the previous on years of the two-year election cycle. Looking ahead, we anticipate third quarter political revenue will be in $165 million-$185 million range. Third quarter political revenue is back-loaded, with September historically driving about half the quarter's totals and August generally outperforming July. We are providing our best estimate based on quarter-to-date results and our stations portfolio's positioning against the current political landscape. As detailed in our investor presentation, Gray's footprint has significant exposure to key battlegrounds. We operate in markets covering all 12 competitive U.S. Senate races, all 11 competitive gubernatorial races, and 29 competitive House races per The Cook Political Report.
We're seeing strong primary spending in Tennessee, Kansas, Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Hawaii, alongside heavy early general election spending in the Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska, and Michigan U.S. Senate races. We're also benefiting from early activity in other markets with contested Senate, gubernatorial, and House races. As we continue to expand our focus on sports, as Hilton mentioned, we have 19 MLB teams playing on our 16 broadcast sports networks, including Peachtree Sports Network here in Georgia. Raycom Sports is partnering with the Atlanta Braves, as mentioned, to produce all non-national games for the Braves. Raycom Sports will also be producing the non-national games for the Atlanta Hawks under our recently announced three-year deal. Combining our world-class production capabilities with Gray station distribution reach is a material advantage as we explore additional local professional sports deals.
On the technology front, our digital team has successfully completed the transition of all of our digital video streams into the Quickplay platform, powered by Google Cloud, of course, in a remarkably short timeframe. Over the next quarter, we'll transition our CTV and mobile applications to the Quickplay platform, creating a personalized streaming experience that will revolutionize how viewers discover, engage with, and consume our content across every screen. Finally, a quick note on our more recent acquisitions. The current wave of Gray M&A is a bit different than in years past. We are combining station operations within markets, whereas historically, M&A expanded horizontally into new markets for Gray. Jeff will now address the key financial developments and give us some context around how the transaction activity is showing up in our results.
Thanks, Pat. In the second quarter of 2026, our reported results include the results of the stations we acquired and swapped from the date that each transaction closed. As Hilton described, our earnings release provides both our Q2 reported results and a comparison of those results to our 2Q guidance, adjusted for the actual results of the acquisitions closed during the quarter. Our second quarter results were in line with or favorable to the adjusted guidance other than corporate expenses, where we once again incurred elevated transaction costs. Our leverage metrics as of June 30, 2026 under our amended senior credit agreement were 2.55x consolidated first lien net leverage ratio, 3.71x through the second lien, the consolidated secured net leverage ratio, and 5.73x consolidated total net leverage ratio. We initially anticipated approximately a quarter turn of deleveraging from the announced acquisitions.
Our actual result is 0.18x using the first quarter calculation. To put this in perspective for everybody, we reported a first quarter 2026 consolidated total net leverage ratio of 5.94x. Had the acquisitions closed in the first quarter, that leverage ratio would have been 5.76x compared to the 5.73x we're reporting today. None of the ratios just discussed include the additional contribution we expect from American Spirit or WHPM, each of which closed into local management agreements on July 1st. Our third quarter guide includes all transactions closed as of today, including American Spirit and WHPM, and reflects our expectations for third quarter on an as-reported basis. For second quarter and our third quarter guidance, about a quarter to a third of the leverage ratio denominator contribution from the transactions is from actual results. The balance is from synergies.
Again, all is calculated under our senior credit agreement. Of the synergies, about half is from net retransmission revenue, and the other half is from operating expense rationalization. Several notable things to mention on the balance sheet. We closed all of our 2026 acquisitions without drawing on our revolver. We finished the second quarter with a little over $900 million in liquidity. On June 30, we issued a $70 million add-on to our 7.25% first lien notes due 2033. Excuse me. These notes were issued at par in a privately-negotiated transaction. We utilized $30 million of the proceeds to repurchase $50 million of liquidation preference of our Series A preferred equity, a Gray-initiated transaction that reduces our total capital obligations and lowers our fixed charges. The remaining $40 million was used to fund the July 1 acquisition closings.
On July 21st, subsequent to quarter end, we completed another privately negotiated transaction whereby we bought $100 million of our 10.5% first lien notes and $20 million of our 5.38% unsecured notes at par plus accrued interest. This transaction lowered our interest expense without increasing the quantum of debt. The transaction was favorable from a tax perspective. It's another example of how we'll be opportunistic and creative as we manage the balance sheet. We used balance sheet cash plus revolver borrowings to complete the transaction. We expect to fully repay the revolver as we move into the heavier political ad season. Net retransmission was $150 million for the quarter, which includes a $6 million contribution from the second quarter acquisitions. That places us above the high end of our guidance range.
This quarter marks a key inflection point in terms of how our net retransmission revenue, that's what we keep, how that benefits our leverage ratio denominator. On an eight-quarter rolling basis, our net retransmission revenue grew slightly versus the prior quarter. This happened even with declines in gross retransmission revenue and the blackout. With all of our contracts in place until 2027, we expect the net retransmission revenue contribution to accelerate into 2027, especially when we factor in the contribution from the newly acquired stations.
I'll conclude with a couple of other cash flow-related items. We're lowering our company-wide CapEx estimate to a range of $120 million-$130 million from a prior $140 million estimate for full year 2026. Our full-year tax guide also came down a little bit and is now in the range of $80 million-$100 million. As Hilton mentioned, we expect to use essentially all of the incremental cash flow from political advertising to reduce our debt. I'll now turn the call back over to Hilton.
Thank you very much, Jeff. Now, Lacey would love to open up the phone line to any questions that anyone may have.
At this time, I would like to remind everyone, if you would like to ask a question, please press star one. Your first question comes from the line of Steven Cahall with Wells Fargo. Please go ahead.
Yeah, thanks. Good morning, everybody. Jeff, thank you for that net retrans outlook. I just wanted to confirm, that's dollars accelerate into 2027, including the M&A contributions, and I know you went into this a little bit, but the net retrans margin was down a little bit quarter-over-quarter in the third quarter. Was wondering if that was M&A-related or lapping some of the renewals you did last year. Just trying to understand what those margins look like.
Yeah. You have seen an overall uplift this year in the margins, and remember, into third quarter, we'll be lapping the WANF transition to independent. There's a lot going on below the surface across all the different contracts and everything that changed. The margin should be holding in the range that we've seen in first and second quarter, a little above 40%. When you project that out for the rest of the year and with the additional stations coming online from the acquisitions, and as those come into the number, you'll see the total dollars start to ramp. Really the way to think about it, Steven, is you've got low single-digit growth on an organic basis, plus the acquisitions on top of that.
Great.
On the net line.
Yeah. Got it. Okay. Just kind of a related question as we think about 2027. I know it's both early, but also not so far off. At this point with M&A, would you expect to have more or less EBITDA in 2027 as you had in 2025? I think the answer is more, but core has been a little soft across the space. You've done a lot of work on cost, and you have M&A. Just trying to think about the kind of bigger trends in the business from an EBITDA perspective on the two-year stack.
Yeah, I think we will see it up slightly. When you look out into 2027, we'll have integrated all the acquisitions, we'll be on a run rate there. Trying to predict exactly what will happen on core, as Pat described, is a little bit tricky at the moment. Between some political crowd out and everything right now, there should be more inventory in 2027 than there is in 2026, but I know you're asking about 2027 versus 2025 to think about where we're leveraged and where the trajectory of the business goes.
Sorry to interrupt.
No.
I would just say, a lot of it depends on the macro environment.
Fair enough. Lastly, Chairman Carr has done a lot with broadcast related to the ownership cap. He's also been doing a lot to unlock spectrum and reutilize it. I was wondering how you think about, both for Gray Media and for the industry, the spectrum opportunity could be in the medium term. Thanks.
Hey, Steven, it's Kevin Latek. I'm glad you asked medium term because there's no near-term ability for the FCC to auction spectrum. We're seeing a bit of a repeat from 15 years ago when AT&T was making some very strong pushes to have the FCC reclaim some broadcast spectrum through the reverse auction so that it could be redeployed to mobile. It seems like the spectrum needs were maybe satiated for a number of years there, and now we're hearing a lot more about spectrum needs again. At the same time, the broadcast industry is, as you know well, transitioning to 3.0. The stars may align a little bit more easily than last time around when it took about 10 years from the initial push until the time the spectrum actually moved.
If there is a strong push in demand for the spectrum, which seems to be increasingly likely, and we have this new technology that allows us to repack more easily, again, the stars could come on in the medium term. There could be some spectrum reallocation with another auction for broadcasters. If that allowed us to accelerate the 3.0 transition and get all the stations onto 3.0, that would be a fantastic win at our sales. It would allow us to do a lot more with less spectrum allocated to our service and provide maybe a better use for some of that spectrum. It also would, we believe, provide the federal government with a backup timing system for the GPS system, which as you know or heard us talk and others talk, our GPS system has no backup unlike the GPS systems in other countries.
Pretty critical from a national security standpoint as well to be working on a GPS backup, and 3.0 provides, it appears, a pretty robust and extremely cost-efficient timing solution. It seems, at least at this point, that there are a lot of very favorable and complementary pressures to move spectrum monetization forward in the medium term. We're happy to tackle that challenge with others, the FCC, and across our industry and other industries, and certainly the Department of Defense.
Great. Thank you.
Sure.
Your next question comes from the line of Dan Kurnos with StoneX. Please go ahead.
Yeah, thanks. Good morning. Hilton, I'll ask the other boring FCC-related question given the cap repeal. I know you guys have said pretty consistently that you've been open for business, and frankly, you've demonstrated it, right? You've been continuing to add while others may have been stuck. How do you think this changes the landscape, if at all? Do you think conversations change at this point, or do we still kind of need to wait to see what happens with the next R-tag in the court system?
I will say I really want to compliment Brendan Carr and the FCC for updating the rules that they put out there. I've said this before on this call because I love the quote from one of our lawyers who's terribly eloquent. These things were put together before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. When they don't take into account Google, when they don't take into account everything that's going on that is a massive competitor for us for local ad dollars, it's just crazy. That being said, I think what the FCC has done is superb. So yeah, we are open for business. Short term, we made it very clear, I think, that we are trying to get our debt down, so we're going to be using our political revenue, which I personally believe is going to be robust, to reduce our debt.
We'll look at anything. We all have to remember, though, that we have a very unique and unprecedented third regulatory structure, which is the attorney generals. So, we are going to have to pay attention to that. We're going to work very hard as a company, and I'm sure as an industry, to explain to them the benefits of TV station consolidation. I will tell you this. If we had not consolidated over the last 30 years, you wouldn't have 91 Edward R. Murrow Awards emanating out of our newsrooms and 83 last year. When I got into this business, which was at birth, it was a mom-and-pop operation. It can't work that way. So there's a lot of misunderstood commentary about newsrooms dying. Without consolidation, there wouldn't be a newsroom in existence in the United States.
Getting that size allows everyone to invest in Gray, and you can see it in our numbers, and you can see it in our results. There is not a market, no matter how small, in Gray Media that does not have local news in all 117 markets, period. I'm very proud of that. Without consolidation, I couldn't make those comments. Other people are going to throw out a bunch of canards, but that is the financial reality of it. We'll see what the future brings. I'm kind of excited about it.
Okay. That's super helpful. Then I will lean on your verbiage of robust. You mentioned it in your prepared remarks. You are pacing ahead of 2024. I know nothing's written until it's written, and I know you guys aren't going to give a full year guide, and I think it was maybe Pat that laid out the exposure you guys have on state by state and race by race, is there any way to kind of help us think directionally how optimistic you are?
A couple of things. First, I looked at those numbers, 2022 is the last apples to apple non-presidential year, we had $90 million in 2022. I'm like, okay, Hilton, try to remember. Well, geez, guys, the two biggest senatorial spenders was our Senator Warnock here in Georgia, who spent right at $240 million all in Georgia, and we're in every market in that state. The second largest was Senator Kelly, who spent a ton of money in Arizona, and again, we're in every market in Arizona. Our numbers were higher, and I think that the biggest indicia for me to say robust is the sheer amount of money the parties have. We have a unique situation. The Democratic candidates have substantial funds, and they will deploy those funds. There's a lot of talk about the DNC not having that much cash.
Well, I promise you, they're going to fix that. All right? The second thing is, if you look at the Republicans, and I don't know if it's $1 billion, $2 billion or more, but I can assure you they have the money. I think that's really where you need to look. If the fundraising is robust, the spending is going to be robust. I have a high degree of confidence. We've been burned once before by telling you what we think we're going to do, and we don't want to be burned again, but I'm immensely confident about what we're going to have ahead of us.
I want to just add, there's a lot of wind at our sails this time around. In 2022, we had some very, very expensive primaries that hit in really July or in August. The candidates who won those then had no money for the generals, and they didn't get support. Those marquee races that we all expected turned out to be fizzles after the primary. We're really not seeing that this year. There's clearly some high-profile primaries, but it seems the parties are still unifying largely after a bruising primary. We have, through redistricting and other factors, we've had historically large number of members of Congress choosing not to run again.
As of today, we have, I believe, a historically high number of incumbents who have lost a primary for re-election, and there are still more primaries to come before we get to the general. We have, just from a sort of political scientist perspective, this is another fairly unusual election. Lines up well for Gray. Our investor deck went out this morning and said we have substantial exposure to 11 of the 11 gubernatorial races that are deemed to be competitive by Cook and 11 of the 11 senatorial races deemed to be competitive by Cook. Then two hours later, Cook came out and moved the rating in the state of Kansas to competitive. Kansas, we have a very good presence in Kansas. We now have all 12 of the 12 competitive Senate races. We definitely very well-positioned.
In 2022 and 2024, we definitely missed out on a lot of money spent in Pennsylvania and Montana because we have no presence in those states. Pennsylvania has sort of some spending this time around. Montana has not as much. It seems the focus is on places where Gray is very strong: Maine, Alaska, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, and elsewhere. We are feeling very good.
Again, not going to go out on a limb with Guy, but we're feeling very good about where we are, not just against 2024, but in 2022 when remember, we were sitting here very excited four years ago, right before some primaries turned out in ways that people didn't expect, that then really had a big impact on the generals and hurt our 2022 political guide. Again, 2022 still performed very well historically. Again, knock on wood, but we feel cautiously pretty optimistic about this year wrapping up to be another very good year for us in our political front.
Kevin, Hilton, thank you very much.
Thank you, Dan.
Your next question comes from the line of Aaron Watts with Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead.
Hi, everyone. Thank you for having me on. On core advertising, just a quick hearing check. I wanted to confirm the flat third quarter guide applies to both and as reported and on a combined basis for the new stations you brought into the portfolio?
Just to be very clear on this, Aaron, what you should expect us to report today is flat on an as-reported basis versus the prior year, including the acquisition. Essentially, think of the acquisition benefit offsetting some drag on the portfolio between political crowd out and then a little bit of softness in the business on the core side.
Okay. Got it. Thank you for that. Then Jeff, you've been fleet-footed and certainly opportunistic with regards to the cap stack, with the board authorizing $250 million for debt repurchases through the end of the year. How should we think about what you're trying to accomplish near term? What can that mean for leverage and interest costs for the company going forward?
Some pretty significant benefits is what it means. We've been very creative and thoughtful about what we've done. We didn't come into the year expecting that we would try to go after preferred. We've let the markets guide us and been very opportunistic on it. As we look for the rest of the year, everybody who has a Bloomberg in front of them can see where our bonds are trading relative to our current weighted average interest cost. Now the shortest bond tranche is fairly expensive, compared to what's available in the market. If the market is there, I think we'd love to extend out some maturities, drive down the cost of debt, which then accrues to the free cash flow going through for many years to come. You'd be talking about our current full year guide for 2026 is $440 of interest expense.
That could come down by $30+ million through some refinancing activities. There is a cost to doing it. The call price on the 10.5s is steep. Congratulations to those who supported us in 2024. You've done well. Look, it's a priority to get our interest costs down. It accrues to the long-term health of the company, and it accelerates our de-leveraging. If it's there, we'd love to get some of that done. Then, as Hilton and I both mentioned, when we look at the hundreds of millions of dollars of political that still aren't in our bank account that we expect for the rest of the year, that can make a pretty big dent in the total dollars outstanding. Driving down the cost and driving down the quantum puts the interest expense on a much better trajectory and lets us accelerate the de-leveraging on the business.
Great. I'll leave it at that. Thank you.
Remember too, Aaron, just one other point on that. We're still under a 163J interest deductibility limitation. When you think about how reduced interest expense translates into discretionary free cash flow for the company, it's dollar for dollar for a little while here. It's very beneficial to us to pay less interest, in terms of how that translates into free cash flow.
Makes sense. Thanks, Jeff.
Yep. Thanks, Aaron.
Your next question comes from the line of Patrick Sholl with Barrington Research. Please go ahead.
Hi. Good morning. Thanks for taking the question. If I could ask a question about the Q3 guide on operating expenses. You had mentioned, on the leverage calculation, including some of the synergies from the acquisition. I guess, is there any sort of lag between recognizing those in the leverage and applying some of the operating expense synergies within your guidance?
Yes, there absolutely is. You can see that in our earnings release. I'll be very specific. The last page, we lay out in great detail exactly how the leverage ratio is calculated. You'll see a line on there that puts in adjustments for what's not in the eight quarters. That number is $144 million divided by two. You have $72 million of add back that's in the calculation.
Okay. I'm sorry.
As we realize that. As we implement all of our synergies, that add back will come down. The actual results will also benefit. It'll be sort of capitalized into our actual results rather than being an add back.
Okay. Yeah. Sorry for missing that. Then just to follow up on advertising. Some of the categories that you talked about, auto recovering in Q3 or being lower in Q2 and recovering in Q3. Is that just within the core station group, or is that also across the digital as well?
It's both. Digital, actually, there's more money. Money's flowing into digital at a faster rate than core. It affects both sort of categories. I would say, if you look at it historically over the last three, four years, there's a slow in the decline. Automotive has been declining for a long time, and it's flattened out. If we can somehow keep it flat to positive in third quarter, that would be outstanding. Not sure that'll happen because it's close to flat, but anything in the low single digits or anything positive in automotive is a great story.
Okay. Thank you.
Your next question comes from the line of Craig Huber with Huber Research Partners. Please go ahead.
Great. Thank you. My first question is, obviously, your outlook for core advertising in the third quarter is flat on a reported basis. Maybe I missed this. What is it if you adjust for the acquisitions?
Mid-single digits.
Yeah. If you take out the acquisitions, you're talking about down mid-single digits on core. Some of that is attributable to expected political crowd out, but that's not all of it. To be clear, there is some softness in core that is not related to crowd out. When you put that together with the acquisitions, that's where we get to flat on a year-over-year as reported basis.
Hey, Craig, can I add something?
Yeah.
Can I add something to that just by way of color? We were talking about this around the table this morning. Think about it. For the last two years, 2025, all through the quarter so far of 2026. Last year we had tariffs, we don't have tariffs, we have this hero, we have that. Everybody who is an ad buyer is confused by that. Now we've got a situation where do we have a war, do we don't have a war, it's the same thing.
It's particularly, I think, impactful on the automobile segment. One of the things that I personally, I'm going to let anybody else say whatever they think about it, Q3 we're pacing well with automobile. I'm hoping that we will see a return to more stability, in the third and fourth quarter and into 2027. We'll see. It's been a very unusual macroeconomic time, most of what we think is happening is due to those macroeconomic issues.
Yeah. To sum it, to say the macro environment is turbulent would be a gross understatement. Yeah. We haven't seen an environment like this. Frankly, I've been doing this 40+ years, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this. Look, I think the ad market against that backdrop is holding up reasonably well. Perhaps very well, not just to Gray, but from what I've read across the industry. Look, we don't want to be down mid-single digits. We want to be up mid-single digits. Given the environment, that's okay.
Yeah. Fair enough. On the cost side of things, some of your peers are feeling the need to be much more aggressive, taking out costs out of their TV station, etc, operations and stuff. You guys have been much more steady to your credit on that. Can you just talk about, maybe that a little bit, also the use of AI at your company. How aggressive are you trying to lean into that to help make your company more and more efficient here?
Look, we have found use for AI in a number of areas on the editorial side of our business, on the sales side of our business, and the marketing side as well. It's important to keep in mind that anything that we publish has been reviewed by a human being, and it'll always be that way. There are a lot of things you can do with AI that we're choosing not to do. We're using AI as an efficiency tool and giving our people better tool sets. That's the way we look at it philosophically. There's others who are looking at it differently, that's their business. We see benefits from AI. We're definitely seeing benefits from AI, in most disciplines in our business, and are excited about its future. We're going to roll it out cautiously and wisely.
Craig, let me say something else. Gray historically, and certainly today, always runs lean. All right? The most important asset we have in this company is our people. We never lose sight of that because every company's got a camera, every company's got cars, every company's got a building where they film stuff out of, but it's our people that generate our revenue, it's our people that generate our content, and it's our people that will carry us forward. We're very judicious and look after our folks as much as we can. We do operate in a very lean capacity across the board, 24/7. Every now and then, you got to sit back and see if there's been a little creep and where you need to tighten your belt. We're doing that all the time.
My last question, if I could. On Assembly Atlanta, do you feel like you get any added benefit there as things move along here with companies getting more and more frustrated with the operating environment out in California? Are you getting any benefit from that of people wanting to do work in Atlanta at your facility, or is there more talk about that coming out to Atlanta, leaving Hollywood, et cetera? Maybe touch on that, please.
Well, I'd be delighted to. There's a whole lot of headlines out there about the film business. I will tell you that with regard to our studios, which is really the only thing I can speak to, we're going to be in the 90% filled up in the remainder of the year soon. We will have a large blockbuster, we think, we always have to be careful about that. That should begin shooting In September. We're very excited about what has been produced there. There's been a lot of issues in terms of the production pipeline that really all stem from the strike several years ago, that is all settling out.
One of the things that I'm actually taking a great deal of personal excitement for is that, when you look at The Odyssey, when you look at Spider-Man, and you look at Toys”R”Us, you're talking about 3 billion dollar franchises, multi-billion dollar franchises. It's been a while since, I'm not going to use the term Hollywood, since the film industry had that kind of success. Christopher Nolan should be complimented, and I can't wait to see it. I haven't yet. We are doing great. There has been a slowness to the production of films, probably due to an overexpansion during COVID, then a tightening of belts that's happened industry wide. I think that Georgia and its film incentives remains the best single incentive structure, particularly because it is uncapped. Unlike a lot of our state competitors, Georgia's paying and paying rapidly.
There are, in other states, seven and eight-year wait times for folks to get their cash. That's a problem. Some producers don't realize that. Georgia has been committed, and we are deeply involved with both gubernatorial campaigns. We see no risk to the film tax credit, we hope that there's a chance for some enhancements, because we want Georgia to be out there as a leader. We're really excited about it.
Great. Thank you for that.
You bet. Thank you, Craig.
Your final question comes from the line of Gowshi Sri with Singular Research. Please go ahead.
Good morning. Can you all hear me?
Yes.
Okay. Thank you. Thank you for taking my questions. My first question is, on the virtual MVPD side, what share of the gross transmission comes through that channel and the dynamics in net transmission, is that similar, or give us any color on that between those two channels.
Yeah, Gowshi, it's Jeff. We don't break out the different individual contracts and streams, whether it's traditional or virtual MVPD. I don't believe anybody in the industry does. I can't comment on the mix. I think what matters is what we keep. On the virtual side, it's a fee that we receive. On the traditional side, there's a fee and then think of it as a network fee back to the network. The margin profile on those is different, but we're not going to comment on the mix.
Okay. Sounds good. I know you guys have covered this a lot. Let me come at it another way. In the 2024 cycle, the core fell. There was 11% displacement in the fourth quarter. Given the change in mix of the portfolio, what kind of displacement can we expect in Q4?
Yeah, I think it's going to depend a lot on just how crazy political gets as we get later in the year. It's hard to put a number on that. If political, which should have higher margins, goes gangbusters, the net will be better than if it doesn't. There's only so many spots, so depending on exactly when political ramps up and how aggressive the spending is that will really drive it. Can't really put a number on it where we sit today.
Okay. My last question, are the $400 million securitization facility fully drawn and political revenue now kind of being prepaid, when that revenue steps down in an off year, is that the first quarter? Does that borrowing base shrink and force a pay-down? How does that dynamics work?
It does, because the borrowing base is made up of all of our receivables. Our receivables largely track the two different revenue streams. Half or so is retrans and half is from commercial advertising. We do not, just to be very clear, any political is prepaid. When you replace commercial dollars, where there are terms for payment, with dollars coming in before the ad runs, the borrowing base will dip. I can't remember the exact number, but I think the borrowing base went down by over $100 million. It quickly recovered in the next month. That happens when the heaviest political hits, really in October, but a little bit in September. When we add in the new stations, that piece will offset that somewhat, there will be a dip there, it's temporary and quickly recovers.
I would expect by the end of the year, we should be back to the full capacity. Also, just to be clear, the borrowing base today is above $400 million, it doesn't mean that we won't necessarily lose all of it. Again, I think by the time we get back through, we should be back at the full capacity, I would expect by the end of the year, even if there is a month-to-month dip in that availability.
Sounds good.
All right. Thank you, Gowshi. I recall that Lacey said that was our last question, I'd like to just step forward and say thank you. Thank you for your questions. Thank you for your attendance. We're very happy about our Q2 results, we expect even better numbers and better sort of sunshine in Q3 and Q4. Thank you for being here, we'll talk to you next quarter.
This concludes today's conference call. You may disconnect.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-08-06Roku (ROKU) Tops Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
Zacks
Roku (ROKU) Tops Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
Roku (ROKU) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.18 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.61 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.07 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +93.44%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this video streaming company would post earnings of $0.34 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.57, delivering a surprise of +67.65%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Roku, which belongs to the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry, posted revenues of $1.35 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.23%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.11 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Roku shares have added about 35.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.8%. While Roku has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Roku was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. I…Read full documentShow less
Roku (ROKU) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.18 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.61 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.07 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +93.44%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this video streaming company would post earnings of $0.34 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.57, delivering a surprise of +67.65%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Roku, which belongs to the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry, posted revenues of $1.35 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.23%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.11 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Roku shares have added about 35.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.8%. While Roku has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Roku was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.51 on $1.4 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.41 on $5.55 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Broadcast Radio and Television is currently in the bottom 37% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Gray Media (GTN), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 7. This broadcast television company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.08 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +81%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Gray Media's revenues are expected to be $788 million, up 2.1% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Roku, Inc. (ROKU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gray Media Inc. (GTN) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-07-08GRAY SETS DATE FOR SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS RELEASE AND EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL
GlobeNewswire
GRAY SETS DATE FOR SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS RELEASE AND EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL
ATLANTA, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) today announced that it will release its earnings results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, on Friday, August 7, 2026. Earnings Conference Call Information Gray Media, Inc. will host a conference call to discuss its operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, on Friday, August 7, 2026. The call will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The live dial-in number is 1-800-715-9871 (or 1-646-307-1963.) All participants who dial in will be asked for their name and conference ID (3663076) or the name of the call (Gray Media Q2 Call) and will be placed on music hold prior to the start of the conference. Participants should dial in 10-15 minutes before the conference is scheduled to begin. The call will be webcast live and available for replay at www.graymedia.com. The taped replay of the conference call will be available at 1-800-770-2030 using conference ID 3663076# until September 4, 2026. About Gray Media: Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. As of May 15, 2026, we serve 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest-rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. For more information, please visit www.graymedia.com. Gray Contact: Jeff Gignac, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, 404-504-9828 Alan Gould, Vice President, Investor Relations, 404-266-8333 # # #

