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SPHR

Sphere EntertainmentB
NYSE / Media & Entertainment
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2026-06-02
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2026-05-10
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Earnings documents stored for SPHR.

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Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-10

Sphere’s First Profitable Quarter and Venue Expansion Might Change The Case For Investing In SPHR

Simply Wall St.

In early May 2026, Sphere Entertainment Co. reported first-quarter 2026 results showing sales of US$386.41 million versus US$280.57 million a year earlier, with net loss narrowing to US$1.59 million from US$81.95 million and loss per share from continuing operations improving to US$0.04 from US$2.27. Beyond the headline figures, the quarter marked a shift to positive operating income driven largely by Sphere segment growth, supported by new residencies, successful Sphere Experiences such as The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, expanded sponsorship deals, and progress on new venues in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor. We’ll now examine how Sphere’s move to positive operating income and expanding Sphere venues network could influence its existing investment narrative. The future of work is here. Discover the 32 top robotics and automation stocks leading the charge in AI-driven automation and industrial transformation. To own Sphere Entertainment, you need to believe its immersive Las Vegas venue and expanding Sphere network can sustain strong demand and high utilization, while capital intensity and content risk stay manageable. The shift to positive operating income in Q1 2026 supports that thesis and slightly reduces near term concerns about cash burn, but it does not remove the core risk that large new builds in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor may not ultimately earn their keep. The most relevant recent update here is the Q1 2026 earnings release itself, which showed revenue of US$386.41 million and an operating income of US$7.2 million, after a prior year operating loss. This improvement, driven by Sphere segment growth, new residencies, Sphere Experiences like The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, and new sponsorships, directly links to the key catalyst of building a recurring event slate that can better support the economics of future venues. But despite these early signs of operating traction, investors should still pay close attention to the risk that Sphere’s high upfront build costs and ongoing maintenance needs could... Read the full narrative on Sphere Entertainment (it's free!) Sphere Entertainment's narrative projects $1.3 billion revenue and $128.8 million earnings by 2029. This requires 2.5% yearly revenue growth and about a $95.4 million earnings increase from $33.4 million today. Uncover how Sphere Entertainment's forecasts yield a $136.36 fair value, in line with it...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-05

Sphere Entertainment Co. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results

Business Wire

NEW YORK, May 05, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) ("Sphere Entertainment" or the "Company") today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Recent highlights for the Company’s Sphere segment include: Plans to bring Sphere to Abu Dhabi and National Harbor continue to move forward, while the Company also remains in discussions with a significant number of markets globally regarding additional large and smaller-scale Sphere venues; The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, the Sphere Experience that opened in Las Vegas on August 28, 2025, surpassed its 500th showing in March; Metallica announced a new concert residency at Sphere, with 24 concerts planned beginning in October 2026, while Backstreet Boys announced they will return this summer, extending their residency run to 56 nights total; The Company continues to draw robust interest from Exosphere advertisers and sponsors, including the announcement in April of a new multi-year sponsorship agreement with Evian. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company reported revenues of $386.4 million, an increase of $105.8 million, or 38%, as compared to the prior year quarter. In addition, the Company reported operating income of $7.2 million, an increase of $85.8 million, and adjusted operating income of $110.0 million, an increase of $74.0 million, both as compared to the prior year quarter.(1) Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan said, "Today’s results demonstrate our continued success proving out Sphere’s business model. Looking ahead, we remain focused on maximizing that model’s full potential in Las Vegas, while executing on our long-term vision for a global network of Sphere venues." Segment Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025: Sphere For the first quarter 2026, the Sphere segment reported revenues of $266.0 million, an increase of $108.4 million, or 69%, as compared to the prior year quarter. Revenues related to The Sphere Experience increased $81.7 million as compared to the prior year quarter, which primarily reflected higher per-show revenue for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. In the current year quarter, The Sphere Experience reflected 209 performances of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere as compared to 200 performances of Postcard from Earth and V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film in the prior year quarter. Event-related revenues increased...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-05

Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) Beats Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Zacks

Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.31 per share. This compares to a loss of $2.27 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +103.20%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.12 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.23, delivering a surprise of +1125%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Sphere Entertainment, which belongs to the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry, posted revenues of $386.41 million for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.15%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $280.57 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. Sphere Entertainment shares have added about 43.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 5.2%. While Sphere Entertainment 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 Sphere Entertainment was favorable. 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 #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complet...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-05

What To Expect From Sphere Entertainment’s (SPHR) Q1 Earnings

StockStory

Content production and distribution company Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR) will be reporting earnings this Tuesday before the bell. Here’s what you need to know. Sphere Entertainment beat analysts’ revenue expectations last quarter, reporting revenues of $394.3 million, up 27.9% year on year. It was a strong quarter for the company, with a beat of analysts’ EPS and adjusted operating income estimates. Is Sphere Entertainment a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it’s free for active Edge members. This quarter, the market is expecting Sphere Entertainment’s revenue to grow 31.2% year on year, a reversal from the 12.7% decrease it recorded in the same quarter last year. Heading into earnings, analysts covering the company have grown increasingly bullish with revenue estimates seeing in majority upward revisions over the last 30 days. Sphere Entertainment has missed Wall Street’s revenue estimates multiple times over the last two years. Looking at Sphere Entertainment’s peers in the consumer discretionary segment, some have already reported their Q1 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Rush Street Interactive delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 41.1%, beating analysts’ expectations by 11.3%, and Monarch reported revenues up 8.9%, topping estimates by 5.2%. Rush Street Interactive traded up 16.6% following the results while Monarch was also up 15.9%. Read our full analysis of Rush Street Interactive’s results here and Monarch’s results here. There has been positive sentiment among investors in the consumer discretionary segment, with share prices up 7% on average over the last month. Sphere Entertainment is up 19.5% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $138.45 (compared to the current share price of $151.00). ONE MORE THING: 3 Hidden Platforms Growing 3X Faster than Amazon, Google, and PayPal. Amazon, Google, and Meta all followed the same playbook: Dominate an ignored market. Build an unbeatable moat. Scale until you’re unstoppable. These three platforms are running that exact playbook right now. The early investors in Amazon made fortunes. The early investors in these could do the same. Get All 3 Stocks Here for FREE.

TranscriptFY2026 Q12026-05-05

FY2026 Q1 earnings call transcript

Earnings source - 71 paragraphs
Operator

Good morning, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Sphere Entertainment Co 1st quarter 2026 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question and answer session. I would now like to turn the call over to Ari Danes, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Ari Danes

Thank you. Good morning, and welcome to Sphere Entertainment's first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. Today's call will begin with our Executive Chairman and CEO, Jim Dolan, who will provide an update on our business. Robert Langer, our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, will then review our financial results for the period. After our prepared remarks, we will open up the call for questions. If you do not have a copy of today's earnings release, it is available in the Investors section of our corporate website. Please take note of the following. Today's discussion may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Ari Danes

Please refer to the company's filings with the SEC for a discussion of risks and uncertainties. The company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements that may be discussed during this call. On pages 4 and 5 of today's earnings release, we provide consolidated statements of operations and a reconciliation of operating income to adjusted operating income or AOI, a non-GAAP financial measure. With that, I'll now turn the call over to James L. Dolan.

Jim Dolan

Thank you, Ari, and good morning, everyone. Today's financial results demonstrate our continued success proving out Sphere's business model. We remain focused on maximizing the model's full potential in Las Vegas while executing on our long-term vision for a global network of sphere venues. In Abu Dhabi, the project has been minimally impacted to date by the conflict in the wider region. The Department of Culture and Tourism has selected the venue site, which will be announced at the appropriate time. In addition, early-stage procurement work with contractors and vendors is now taking place. We look forward to the groundbreaking in Abu Dhabi. In January, we announced that we will bring the second sphere in the U.S. to National Harbor. National Harbor welcomes over 15 million annual visitors and is just minutes from Washington, D.C. Financing discussions for this 6,000 seat sphere are progressing as planned.

Jim Dolan

We are also finalizing the venue design, which we coordinate with Peterson Company on the site master plan and the pre-construction planning. In addition, we're working together with the state and the county on the various legislative approvals and incentives for the project. We continue to believe the venue could be open in four years or less. At the same time, we remain in discussion with a significant number of markets around the world regarding large and smaller scale spheres, and we're confident about the path towards global expansion. We continue to demonstrate the power of Sphere's business model in Las Vegas to our potential expansion partners. Calendar 2026 marks our third full year of operation in the market with our business on track for substantial growth. This is led by The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, which continues to perform well.

Jim Dolan

The production's results reinforce our confidence that The Wizard of Oz will remain a strong performer in 2026 and beyond. At the same time, we are continuing to work on our next Sphere Experience From The Edge, as well as developing other projects in our pipeline. That includes the progress we are making with IP holders for additional Sphere Experiences as we build out a diverse slate of content. We also continue to see increasing demand from artists and brands to utilize this new medium. This is evidenced by ongoing growth in the number of concerts and brand events, as well as an expanding roster of advertisers and sponsors.

Jim Dolan

In summary, we continue to successfully prove out the Sphere business model in Las Vegas, which is now serving as a blueprint for our long-term vision, a global network of Sphere venues powered by our proprietary technology and immersive content. With that, I will turn the call over to Robert, who will take you through our financial results.

Robert Langer

Thank you, Jim, and good morning, everyone. For the March quarter, we generated total company revenues of $386.4 million and adjusted operating income of $110 million. Our Sphere segment generated revenues of $266 million, an increase of nearly 70% compared to the prior year period. This growth was mainly driven by The Sphere Experience, primarily reflecting higher per-show revenues for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. In addition to higher revenues from The Sphere Experience, we also saw revenue growth in brand events, concert residencies, and sponsorship and suite license fees. First quarter adjusted operating income for our Sphere segment was $74.3 million as compared to $13.1 million in the prior year quarter. This reflected the increase in revenues, partially offset by higher direct operating and SG&A expenses.

Robert Langer

The increase in direct operating expenses includes the impact of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, as well as higher expenses from brand events and concerts, primarily due to more events held in the current year quarter. SG&A expenses for the March quarter were $106.6 million, an increase of $10.2 million or 11% year-over-year. The increase was primarily due to the impact of mark-to-market adjustments on certain share-based compensation awards driven by the appreciation in the company's stock price during the quarter.

Robert Langer

Excluding these mark-to-market adjustment, SG&A expenses would essentially have been in line with prior year quarter. Turning to MSG Networks, the segment generated $120.4 million in revenues and $35.7 million in AOI in the March quarter. This compares to $123 million in revenues and $22.8 million in AOI in the prior year period. These year-over-year results reflect a decrease in advertising revenues and an approximately 16% decrease in subscribers. This was partially offset by the impact of MSG Networks' non-carriage period without peace, which resulted in the absence of revenues for approximately 7 weeks in the prior year quarter. These results also reflect the amendments to MSG Networks media rights agreements with MSG Sports and certain other professional teams.

Robert Langer

Turning to our balance sheet as of March 31st, our Sphere business had approximately $596 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, $259 million in convertible debt, and a $275 million term loan related to Sphere in Las Vegas. At MSG Networks, as of March 31st, net debt was approximately $110 million. This included $143 million outstanding on the MSG Networks term loan, which, as a reminder, is debt that is recourse only to MSG Networks. Following the end of the quarter, MSG Networks repaid an additional $17.8 million on the term loan using cash on hand at MSG Networks, bringing the current principal outstanding to approximately $126 million. With that, we'll now open the call for questions.

Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. We'll go to our first question from Brandon Ross at LightShed.

Brandon Ross

Thanks for taking the questions. Hi, Jim. You mentioned the significant discussions that you're having on future Spheres. We're wondering if, just given how profitable Vegas has become, it makes sense to own or at least operate and consolidate some of those venues instead of doing a franchise model like you have with Abu Dhabi.

Jim Dolan

Hi, Brandon. You know, I wouldn't discount that. I think that, you know, you're right that the strength of the performance of Vegas is important and it impacts the equation. For us, we like to move as quickly as we can to building multiple Spheres. The capital life, you know, tactic is one of the ways to help speed it up. With the strength of the operating model in Vegas, it does give us more options, we can go probably either way.

Brandon Ross

Got it. Then as you think about expanding the footprint, can you just give us a little insight into how you think about choosing locations and ensuring there isn't cannibalization between the future Spheres that get built?

Jim Dolan

Sure. Well, A, we're not worrying about cannibalization so much because, I mean, you know, like Washington is a long way away from Vegas. We'd like to be a global company. We ultimately like to be on all, you know, all five continents. I don't think that includes Antarctica. Anyway. Let's be clear about this. We do not wish to build a Sphere in Antarctica. We do wanna be global. We think, you know, it's not just the building itself, it's the medium. You know, we're looking to proliferate the medium, you know, we're gonna go wide, it's not because we're worried about audiences cannibalizing, you know, one place versus the other. It's a big world and I think there's a lot of opportunity and not many people have seen the Sphere.

Jim Dolan

I mean, I think to date, I'll bet it's well under 10 million people. You know, we need more of 'em.

Brandon Ross

Sounds good. Thanks.

Operator

We'll move next to David Karnovsky at J.P. Morgan.

David Karnovsky

Hey, thank you. Maybe just following up on the conversations on the large and small market spheres, Jim, just wanted to see if you could expand on the progress there and just whether there's been any impact generally from the macro volatility we've seen, you know, either to the pace or focus of those discussions.

Jim Dolan

Not seeing any impact from global, I guess the conflicts that are going on. I think pretty much many people think this is not a long-term thing. In terms of, you know, we have a lot of markets that are reaching out to us. We have, we're continuing to look ourselves. There are quite a few markets that we think that the Sphere would do well, either full-size Vegas one or the National Harbor size one, the 6,000-seater. I really think it's just, you know, the process itself is a little involved, you know, involving, you know, land, you know, use of land and governments, et cetera. It takes a lot longer than I'd like. You know, the prospects look good.

David Karnovsky

Okay. Maybe just staying on the macro, but shifting it to Vegas. Curious what you're seeing there right now as it relates to visitor trends broadly and whether there's been any read-through to Wizard of Oz or residency demand at the Sphere specifically. Thanks.

Jim Dolan

Okay. I think Jennifer Koester, you're on this call, are you not?

Jennifer Koester

I am, Jim. I can take this one.

Jim Dolan

Thank you.

Jennifer Koester

Sure. While we're mindful of the macro environment, we're not overly concerned at this point. As you may know, Vegas visitation was down last year. That continued into January, but we've seen a shift and return to growth in visitation in February and March. Despite some recent market softness, our product still remains resilient. In fact, one of the phenomenons we're seeing is that Sphere's actually driving incremental visitation to the market. We all know concerts are a big driver of that. Interesting, we're also seeing that Wizard of Oz is playing a role in that. I think that speaks to the quality of our content offerings. We're seeing solid demand for Wizard of Oz from all segments of the market, and that includes our cost-conscious consumers. Again, suggesting that that value proposition for Wizard of Oz really resonating with consumers.

Jennifer Koester

In terms of residencies, again, strong demand. Phish just completed 9 sold-out shows. Backstreet Boys is returning this summer for another 21 nights. Metallica sold out 24 nights after initially announcing only 8. That demand's also extending into our seat sales. We've got robust single night sales for Phish and Metallica's residencies. We're gonna keep a close eye on tourism, but you know, the demand for our experiences remains strong and resilient.

Operator

We'll go next to Peter Supino at Wolfe Research.

Peter Supino

Good morning. A couple of questions on the experiences. Now that The Wizard has been out for over six months, what have your learnings been, and what do you hope from From The Edge and content that comes after that will do for the business that maybe you didn't do with The Wizard of Oz? Then a second question on experiences. As you ramp your catalog beyond The Wizard of Oz, what do you think the main drivers of revenue growth will be? We're wondering if you envision running more shows than you're running today with just The Wizard or whether revenue growth might come from better sell-out or higher pricing. Love to know more about that business model. Thanks.

Jim Dolan

Okay. I love it when people ask multiple questions and then I have to remember your first question.

Peter Supino

The first one was.

Jim Dolan

Wizard of Oz.

Peter Supino

the Wizard and, yeah, what you might do differently.

Jim Dolan

Well, the biggest learning from Wizard of Oz is that there's no place like home. You know, I mean, when we started off with Wizard of Oz, you know, we were doing a show or two shows a day. We did, if we were lucky, one show in conjunction with concerts. I think the biggest learning that we've come up with the Wizard experience is that you can do mult. Can you hear me?

Peter Supino

Yes.

Jim Dolan

I think the biggest learning is that we can do multiple shows, even different shows, a concert and features like The Wizard of Oz all on the same day. That the building can handle it, that the market can handle it, and of course, you know, having multiple shows in a day, it really is pretty good for the bottom line. As far as growth goes, look, I wouldn't mind if The Wizard of Oz stayed the way it is for quite some time. It's a pretty fantastic product and quite resilient. I think, you know, we'll continue to refine the model.

Jim Dolan

I think when you take a look at these products out in the future, you know, we're gonna explore it, but I also think that you're gonna see things like, you know, at 11:00 A.M. or 10:00 A.M. in the morning, The Wizard of Oz, at 2:00 P.M. From The Edge, you know, at 4:00 P.M., you know, a different fee. You can have multiple, you know, views a day because the building is built that way. I mean, there's literally very little changeover from one show to the other. The biggest changeover is when we do concerts. Even that, we were able to accomplish the changeover in under an hour. We're gonna keep pushing on that model.

Jim Dolan

I think it's gonna produce, you know, more revenue. We're gonna get more efficient with how we operate. I think then really primarily it's more Spheres. That's gonna be big part of the growth.

Operator

We'll take our next question from Stephen Leisek at Goldman Sachs.

Stephen Laszczyk

Hey, great. Thanks for taking the questions. Jim, just to follow up on Wizard of Oz, I'm curious if you could talk a little bit more about how attendance and sell-through have trended coming out of the first quarter and what you think that momentum might mean for ticket sales as you look out into later parts in the spring and then the summer seasons in Vegas.

Jim Dolan

Okay. Well, the real expert on this is my chief operating officer, Jennifer Koester, so I'm throwing this one to her.

Jennifer Koester

Thank you. As you saw it in today's results, Wizard of Oz continues to perform well. Our March quarter reflects, you know, we've got robust per-show attendance, average ticket prices, and per cap spending that's consistent with our December quarter results. As of today, we've sold nearly 3 million tickets, with over $370 million in ticket revenue for Wizard of Oz. Like any other market, seasonality is gonna be a factor, so we're gonna have ebbs and flows of visitors in the market. But as I've said before, you know, we continue to maintain a relatively consistent market share of visitors since the debut. We remain confident that we're gonna continue to have a high performer through 2026 and beyond, and we really believe that there's a long life for Wizard of Oz.

Stephen Laszczyk

Great. Thanks for that. Jim, I'm just curious, just given this momentum in Wizard of Oz that you're seeing, what leverage do you feel like Sphere has now to negotiate maybe more favorable royalty rates with potential new studio partners for new IP? How have those conversations been progressing?

Jim Dolan

I think the leverage is that we're the only venue that does this. It's not like somebody else can take their product and go, you know, put it into a big immersive environment like a Sphere. That the, so it's really up to us which ones we choose. We obviously try and make the best deal that we can. There's a tremendous amount of IP product out there that none of which has been, you know, has obviously been seen in the Sphere and none of which has been, you know, has utilized this medium.

Jim Dolan

So, you know, I think we have a wide choice of product, and we're really mostly focused on what will, you know, convert well with the medium, what really does well in an immersive environment. From The Edge is, you know, our own product, obviously. You know, the thing about From The Edge is that we're trying very hard to make that feature extremely experiential. And we're right in the middle of making it. But, you know, it's extreme sports and so when we go down a big wave, a 60-foot wave, we're really trying to make you feel like you're going down a 60-foot wave without making you get sick. You know, you know, we're not gonna get that product for nothing. It is up to us which ones we choose.

Stephen Laszczyk

That's great. Thank you very much.

Operator

We'll take our next question from Ryan Sigdahl at Craig-Hallum Capital Group.

Ryan Sigdahl

Hey, good morning, guys. It's nice to see the additional Exosphere advertising partners. You have Delta, you have Anheuser-Busch, Evian recently. Jim or maybe Jen, can you give an update on the Exosphere? Really curious on if you can quantify what the net retention is and utilization, and then maybe how you think about that business going forward.

Jim Dolan

Jen.

Jennifer Koester

Sure. Momentum in this business is really continuing, and we're well positioned for growth in 2026. In terms of utilization, which I think was the first part of your question, you know, we have a strategy where 50% of the Exosphere time is advertising and 50% is art and promotion. You know, this strategy is really a valuable differentiator for the Exosphere brand from more of the traditional out-of-home assets. It helps us drive social engagement when we put our Exosphere art up there. I mean, our artist program, we're averaging about 1 million social media impressions per artist launch. It's also an important lever for us when we promote Sphere Experience ticket sales. On the other 50%, which is the advertising side, brands are also viewing the Exosphere as a leader in driving cultural moments. You mentioned Anheuser-Busch before.

Jennifer Koester

You know, they use Sphere to highlight the U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team winning the gold. Coinbase used Sphere to amplify their Super Bowl commercial. TikTok used it as a place to celebrate their creators during TikTok global live festivals. I mean, those are just a few examples in Q1 of the types of moments and brand advertisers that we're getting. You know, when we think about the utilization question, we're consistently evaluating our inventory, we're utilizing premium pricing on the higher demand periods. We've also created diverse offerings so that we can have some solutions that help us capitalize more on the Vegas conferences. We're investing in technology on the studio capability side, that allows us to have quicker production and turnaround times, that gives us access to, you know, some of those dollars that are just shorter-term brand campaigns.

Jennifer Koester

Going back to your question, repeat advertisers, we're continuing to see returning brands like Adobe, Google, Amazon, MGM, and others. Right now, we're currently on track to grow the number of repeat Exosphere advertisers by strong double-digit % in 2026. Overall, I think we're really pleased with the progress on our utilization of the Exosphere and some of the new strategies that are really helping us to continue to drive that repeat business.

Ryan Sigdahl

Helpful. Thanks, Jen. Maybe just a clarification. You target 50/50 art versus advertising. Are you willing to quantify if you're at that 50% today or where you're at? Thanks. Good luck, guys.

Jennifer Koester

Yeah, I mean, that's how we operate it today. 50% time advertising, 50% art and promotion.

Jim Dolan

I think he wants to know if you're sold out, Jen.

Jennifer Koester

During peak times, right, over the past year, we have experienced times of sellout. CES was a sellout period for us, and we anticipate, you know, that to be the phenomenon going through the rest of the year.

Jim Dolan

My answer would be the, you're not doing your job well if you're sold out.

Jennifer Koester

Well, I did say we're using pricing tactics during times of peak demand.

Operator

We'll move to our next question from Barton Crockett at Bank of America.

Peter Henderson

Hey, good morning. Thank you for taking the question. Just wondering if you can provide maybe any insight on how we should think about SG&A for the remainder of the year, I mean, especially considering the impact of, you know, the stock's appreciation on share base comp. Thank you.

Jim Dolan

Okay. Boy, I'm really tempted to crack a joke here with the. I guess I will. SG&A is a great basketball player, and when we get to the finals, I'm sure we're gonna beat them. Having said that, I think I'll turn the real question over to Robert.

Robert Langer

Thank you, Jim, and thank you, Peter Supino. You know, let me start by reiterating that we are extremely focused on managing our infrastructure and SG&A cost base as efficiently as possible. We have identified a number of cost-savings opportunities in 25 and brought SG&A costs meaningfully down versus the prior in that period. Our SG&A numbers in this quarter, as you alluded to, didn't include certain expenses which are related to share-based awards. These awards are marked to market on our stock price and will be cash settled once exercised. That's why they show up here. Adjusting for these items though, our SG&A expenses in the quarter would essentially have been flat on a year-over-year basis.

Robert Langer

Looking out for the remainder of 2026, we will likely continue to see quarter-over-quarter fluctuations, which will include mark-to-market impacts of these awards in light of our stock price performance. We will also look for further cost savings opportunities wherever it makes sense. We will balance that with ensuring that we have an infrastructure in place that supports the global vision, you know, for Sphere, which Jim has laid out in his prepared remarks.

Peter Henderson

Thank you.

Jim Dolan

Thanks, Peter. Operator, we'll take one last caller.

Operator

We'll take that question from Joe Stopp at Susquehanna.

Joe Stauff

Thanks. Good morning, Jim and Jen. I was just wondering if you could update us on your residency strategy. In the nearer term, you know, we could see that the Friday, Saturday windows are pretty much locked up through this end of September. There is some availability in Wednesday and Thursday. Just wondering, Jim, you know, with your comment that, hey, it only takes an hour to set it up, if you think about, you know, how you use residencies differently going forward and what the outlook may look like?

Jim Dolan

You know, look, I think you actually answered your question yourself. With the, you know, we don't announce everything, you know, the, you know, as soon as it gets agreed upon, et cetera, with our acts. I would say that we're pretty much out of dates for this year. We are seeing some expansion into Wednesdays and Thursdays. No Doubt is actually playing tomorrow. They're opening a show, I believe. That's, you know, that's good. I don't see us going to a concert model seven days a week, anything like that. The demand is high, and I don't see it abating at all. The demand from the acts, at least.

Operator

That concludes our Q&A session. I will now turn the conference back over to Ari Danes for closing remarks.

Ari Danes

Thank you all for joining us. We'll speak with you on our next earnings call. Have a good day.

Operator

This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-02

Sphere Entertainment Co. to Host First Quarter 2026 Conference Call

Business Wire

NEW YORK, May 01, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) will host a conference call to discuss results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026 on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company will issue a press release reporting its results prior to the market opening. To participate via telephone, please dial 888-800-3155 with the conference ID number 8089430 approximately 10 minutes prior to the call. The call will also be available via webcast at investor.sphereentertainmentco.com under the heading "Events." For those who are unable to participate on the conference call, you may access a recording of the call by dialing 800-770-2030 (conference ID number 8089430). The call replay will be available from 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The webcast replay will be available on the website until Tuesday, May 12, 2026. About Sphere Entertainment Co. Sphere Entertainment Co. is a leader in immersive experiences, technology and media. The Company includes Sphere, an experiential medium powered by advanced technologies. The first Sphere opened in Las Vegas, with plans also announced for Sphere venues in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at www.sphereentertainmentco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260501875050/en/ Contacts Ari Danes, CFA Investor Relations (212) 465-6072 Grace Kaminer Investor Relations (212) 631-5076

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-04-02

Sphere Entertainment (SPHR): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q4 Earnings?

StockStory

The past six months have been a windfall for Sphere Entertainment’s shareholders. The company’s stock price has jumped 82.8%, hitting $116.50 per share. This was partly due to its solid quarterly results, and the performance may have investors wondering how to approach the situation. Is there a buying opportunity in Sphere Entertainment, or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Get the full breakdown from our expert analysts, it’s free. We’re glad investors have benefited from the price increase, but we don't have much confidence in Sphere Entertainment. Here are three reasons you should be careful with SPHR and a stock we'd rather own. A company’s long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can have short-term success, but a top-tier one grows for years. Over the last five years, Sphere Entertainment grew its sales at a 18.1% compounded annual growth rate. Although this growth is acceptable on an absolute basis, it fell slightly short of our standards for the consumer discretionary sector, which enjoys a number of secular tailwinds. Free cash flow isn't a prominently featured metric in company financials and earnings releases, but we think it's telling because it accounts for all operating and capital expenses, making it tough to manipulate. Cash is king. Sphere Entertainment has shown poor cash profitability relative to peers over the last two years, giving the company fewer opportunities to return capital to shareholders. Its free cash flow margin averaged 7.5%, below what we’d expect for a consumer discretionary business. As long-term investors, the risk we care about most is the permanent loss of capital, which can happen when a company goes bankrupt or raises money from a disadvantaged position. This is separate from short-term stock price volatility, something we are much less bothered by. Sphere Entertainment posted negative $431.5 million of EBITDA over the last 12 months, and its $961.5 million of debt exceeds the $507.8 million of cash on its balance sheet. This is a deal breaker for us because indebted loss-making companies spell trouble. We implore our readers to tread carefully because credit agencies could downgrade Sphere Entertainment if its unprofitable ways continue, making incremental borrowing more expensive and restricting growth prospects. The company could also be backed into a corner if the mark...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-03-24

Q4 Earnings Roundup: Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR) And The Rest Of The Consumer Discretionary - Leisure Facilities Segment

StockStory

Looking back on consumer discretionary - leisure facilities stocks’ Q4 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR) and its peers. The Consumer Discretionary sector, by definition, is made up of companies selling non-essential goods and services. When economic conditions deteriorate or tastes shift, consumers can easily cut back or eliminate these purchases. For long-term investors with five-year holding periods, this creates a structural challenge: the sector is inherently hit-driven, with low switching costs and fickle customers. As a result, only a handful of companies can reliably grow demand and compound earnings over long periods, which is why our bar is high and High Quality ratings are rare. Leisure facilities companies own and operate theme parks, fitness centers, bowling alleys, and other venue-based entertainment destinations, generating revenue from admissions, memberships, and on-site spending. Tailwinds include consumer preference for experiential spending, tourism recovery, and technology-enhanced guest experiences that support premium pricing. Headwinds are notable: high fixed costs, such as real estate, labor, and maintenance, make profitability highly sensitive to attendance fluctuations during economic slowdowns. Weather, pandemics, and safety incidents can disrupt operations unpredictably. Rising construction and labor costs inflate expansion budgets, while competition from at-home entertainment alternatives and other experiential options limits pricing power in many markets. The 10 consumer discretionary - leisure facilities stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line. Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.7% since the latest earnings results. Famous for its viral Las Vegas Sphere venue, Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR) hosts live entertainment events and distributes content across various media platforms. Sphere Entertainment reported revenues of $394.3 million, up 27.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates. Sphere Entertainment scor...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-02-19

Sphere Entertainment's (NYSE:SPHR) Earnings Are Weaker Than They Seem

Simply Wall St.

Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) just reported some strong earnings, and the market reacted accordingly with a healthy uplift in the share price. We did some analysis and think that investors are missing some details hidden beneath the profit numbers. We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. For anyone who wants to understand Sphere Entertainment's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from US$269m worth of unusual items. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Sphere Entertainment had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to December 2025. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes Sphere Entertainment's earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Sphere Entertainment's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For example, Sphere Entertainment has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about. Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Sphere Entertainment's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good si...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-02-13

Sphere Entertainment Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

MarketBeat

The Wizard of Oz has been a major commercial success, selling more than 2.2 million tickets and generating about $290 million in ticket sales, helping the Sphere segment deliver revenues of $274.2 million (up >60%) and adjusted operating income of $89.4 million. Sphere is accelerating expansion, announcing a 6,000‑seat venue at National Harbor backed by roughly $200 million in state/local/private incentives with a potential opening in four years or less, while Abu Dhabi is in final pre‑construction and the company expects to pursue about 5–6 projects concurrently. The company highlighted disciplined costs and a solid liquidity position: Sphere had approximately $56 million net debt alongside about $477 million of unrestricted cash as of Dec. 31, refinanced its Las Vegas credit facility to Jan. 2031, and added an undrawn $275 million revolver while cutting SG&A by $14.9 million year over year. Interested in Sphere Entertainment Co.? Here are five stocks we like better. The 5 Hottest CEO Stock Purchases So Far This Year Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR) executives used the company’s fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter and year-end earnings call to highlight strong momentum at its Las Vegas venue, outline expansion plans for new Sphere locations, and discuss cost discipline and balance sheet positioning across the business. Executive Chairman and CEO Jim Dolan said the quarter’s results provided “continued validation of the business model behind Sphere,” pointing to Las Vegas performance and the company’s ability to pair proprietary technology with immersive content. → No Rally? Coca-Cola’s Results Still Look Like a Sweet Deal Dolan emphasized the success of The Wizard of Oz, calling it a “critical and commercial success” and stating the production has sold more than 2.2 million tickets and generated approximately $290 million in ticket sales. He added the company plans to release The Wizard of Oz 2.0 later this year, describing it as an enhanced version with “new scenes and new 4D effects.” During Q&A, Sphere executive Jen Koester said the company has seen “Las Vegas headwinds,” but described Sphere as resilient with strong growth despite those pressures. She said management has been “aggressively” scheduling days with multiple shows (“side by sides”) to increase revenue per day, using demand forecasting based on visitor rates. Koester also said the company expects a st...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-02-13

Sphere Entertainment Co (SPHR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Sphere Segment Growth ...

GuruFocus.com

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Total Company Revenue: $394.3 million for the December quarter. Adjusted Operating Income: $128 million for the December quarter. Sphere Segment Revenue: $274.2 million, an increase of over 60% compared to the prior year period. Sphere Segment Adjusted Operating Income: $89.4 million, compared to an adjusted operating loss of approximately $800,000 in the prior year quarter. SG&A Expenses: $104.1 million, a decrease of $14.9 million year-over-year. MSG Networks Revenue: $120.1 million for the December quarter. MSG Networks Adjusted Operating Income: $38.6 million for the December quarter. Net Debt for Sphere Business: Approximately $56 million as of December 31. Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents: Approximately $477 million as of December 31. Convertible Debt: $259 million as of December 31. Term Loan Related to Sphere in Las Vegas: $275 million. Net Debt for MSG Networks: Approximately $128 million as of December 31. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with SPHR. Is SPHR fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: February 12, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Sphere Entertainment Co (NYSE:SPHR) reported a significant increase in revenues for the Sphere segment, with a 60% growth compared to the prior year period. The Wizard of Oz at Sphere has been a critical and commercial success, selling over 2.2 million tickets and generating approximately $290 million in ticket sales. The company announced plans to expand with a new Sphere venue at National Harbor in Maryland, supported by $200 million in state, local, and private incentives. Sphere Entertainment Co (NYSE:SPHR) is actively investing in immersive technology and experiential content, with plans to release an enhanced version of the Wizard of Oz and a new theater experience from The Edge. The company has successfully refinanced its credit facility related to Sphere in Las Vegas, extending the maturity and improving the borrowing rate. The MSG Networks segment experienced a 14.5% decrease in subscribers and lower affiliate rates, impacting revenues and adjusted operating income. Sphere Entertainment Co (NYSE:SPHR) faces higher direct operating expenses due to increased costs associated with the Sphere experience and a higher number of performance...

Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-02-13

Sphere Entertainment Co. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Summary

Moby

Management attributes the 60% revenue growth in the Sphere segment primarily to the commercial success of 'The Wizard of Oz', which drove higher per-show revenue and increased performance frequency. The company is shifting toward a global network model, utilizing the Las Vegas venue as a blueprint for expansion into domestic and international markets. Strategic positioning is focused on a 'capital-light' expansion strategy, exemplified by the newly announced 6,000-seat venue in National Harbor, Maryland, which leverages public and private incentives. Operational efficiency is being prioritized through cost-saving initiatives that reduced SG&A expenses, despite executive transition costs and mark-to-market adjustments on share-based awards. Management is maximizing venue utilization by running immersive 'Sphere Experiences' in tandem with concert residencies, targeting customers for multiple visits per weekend. The Exosphere is being utilized as a high-margin advertising platform, with growth driven by major brand partnerships and the debut of interactive gaming experiences. The company expects the National Harbor venue to open within 4 years or less, supported by approximately $200 million in state, local, and private incentives. Management anticipates sharing site location details for the Abu Dhabi project in the near future as it reaches the final stages of preconstruction. The content pipeline includes the release of 'The Wizard of Oz 2.0' with enhanced 4D effects and a new theater experience from 'The Edge' slated for late 2025 or early 2026. The residency pipeline is described as nearly fully booked through 2026, with management focusing on long-weekend slots to align with Las Vegas tourism patterns. Management believes the organization is structured to handle 5 or 6 expansion projects simultaneously, provided they are separately financed and meet profitability criteria. The company refinanced its Las Vegas credit facility in January, extending the maturity to 2031 and adding a $275 million undrawn revolver for corporate purposes. MSG Networks experienced a 14.5% decrease in subscribers and lower affiliate rates, impacting segment revenue and AOI. The National Harbor project is expected to cost approximately $1 billion, though management is exploring new construction methods to potentially lower this figure. SG&A results included $4.6 million in executi...

As of 2026-05-30 • Updated weeklySource: Earnings sourceIngestion runbook