iHeartMedia, Inc. (IHRT) Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Thank you. and welcome to iHeartMedia's second quarter, 2026 earnings call. participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker's remarks, we will conduct a question and answer session. To ask a question at this time, please press star followed by the number one on your telephone keypad. As a reminder, this conference call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to Andre Hart, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations. Thank you. Please go ahead.

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for taking the time to join us for our second quarter 2026 earnings call. Joining me for today's discussion are Bob Pittman, our chairman and CEO, Rich Bressler, our president and COO, and Mike McGinnis, our CFO. Hello. At the conclusion of our prepared remarks, management will take your questions. In addition to our press release, we have an earnings presentation available on our website that you can use to follow along with our remarks. Please note that this call may include forward-looking statements regarding our financial performance and operating results. These statements are based on management's current expectations, and actual results could differ from what is stated as a result of certain factors identified on today's call and in the company's SEC filings, including our recent Additionally, during this call, we will refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures are included in our earnings release, earnings presentation, and our SEC filings, which are available in the Investor Relations section of our website.

And now I'll turn the call over to Bob. Thanks, Andre, and good afternoon, everyone. In the second quarter, our consolidated revenue was $977 million, up 4.7% compared to the prior year quarter, and above our guidance of up low single digits. Excluding the impact of political, our consolidated revenue was up 3.5%. We generated adjusted EBITDA of 152 million in the second quarter, slightly above the midpoint of our previously provided guidance range of 140 million to 160 million. We generated 46 million of free cash flow in the quarter compared to a negative negative 13 million free cash flow in the prior year quarter. Significantly, our work in building our digital assets, including podcasting, continues to pay off. This will be the sixth quarter in a row in which the digital audio group adjusted EBITDA is larger than the multi-platform group adjusted EBITDA, and even when we get the multi-platform group back to growth, we expect this trend to continue. Additionally, we continue our drive for efficiencies in all areas of the company using AI and other technology tools. Turning to our individual operating segments, the Digital Audio Group generated second quarter revenue of $364 million, up 12.4% versus prior year, and ahead of our previously provided guidance of up approximately 10%. The digital audio group generated second quarter adjusted EBIT up $123 million, up 14.5% versus prior year. The adjusted EBIT margins were 33.8%. And as a reminder, we expect to see the digital audio group's full year adjusted EBIT margins to be in the mid-30s. Within the digital audio group, our podcast revenue momentum continues and was $162 million for the quarter, up 20.7% compared to prior year of $134 million, and in line with our guidance of up low 20s. And in Q2, approximately 50% of our podcasting revenue was again generated by our local marketer. Markets Salesforce, which provides an additional vector of growth for podcast revenue and sets us apart from our podcast competitors. podcasting adjusted EBITDA margins remained accretive to our total company adjusted EBITDA margins, and we believe we're the most profitable podcasting business in the United States, driven by both having the number one audience in podcasting, as measured by both PodTrack and Triton, and by applying rigorous financial discipline. We built and continue to build our podcast audience by using our unparalleled audience reach and broadcast radio. In addition to driving the audio-only podcast marketplace, those radio assets have also allowed us to develop and drive the new video podcast marketplace, a new and meaningful growth opportunity. As the number one podcast publisher We are now producing video versions of many of our own podcasts and distributing them on our iHeartRadio service as well as on a number of other select podcast platforms. We're also expanding the distribution of our video podcast into streaming video services, including Netflix and others. In fact, iHeart has become the most successful video podcast podcast on Netflix and we're expanding that relationship to now include podcasts from Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson, Lily Pons and Martha Stewart, as well as the Breakfast Club with Charlemagne becoming the only live daily show on Netflix. And we announced this morning that we're bringing six iHeart titles to Disney's Hulu streaming video service, including video episodes of Hey Jonas and Pod Meets World. In the In the second quarter, DigitalX podcast revenue grew 6.6% compared to prior year, above our previously provided guidance of upload single digits. Turning now to the multi-platform group, which includes our broadcast radio, networks, and events businesses. Second quarter revenue was $536 million, down 1.6% versus prior year, and slightly below our guidance range of approximately flat. Excluding the impact of political advertising, multi-platform group revenue was down 2.8%. The Multi-Platform Group's adjusted EBITDA was $59 million compared to $96 million in the prior year. Like many other companies, we're not immune to macroeconomic uncertainty, and in particular, gas and diesel prices, which have an impact on the entire economy. We believe the revenue of the multiplatform group, and indeed the whole company, was impacted in Q2 by this uncertainty. On the expense side, the non-cash marketing expenses that we discussed in the last few earnings calls drove the majority of our lower multi-platform group adjusted EBITDA in this quarter. On the consumer side of the multi-platform group business, the company continues to do well. Unlike other traditional media, we have more users of broadcast radio today than we did 20 years ago. Indeed, our broadcast radio now has two times the largest TV network and four times the audience reach of the largest digital-only ad-supported audio service. As I've said before, we don't have a broadcast radio audience challenge. We have a broadcast radio monetization challenge, which seems counterintuitive given radio strength with the consumer. We recognize that the reason for this is that advertisers are giving preference to services that are within their digital buying platforms. In response, we're now adding our broadcast radio inventory to DSPs, including Amazon, Google, and Yahoo, as well as developing offerings for other digital planning and buying platforms through our audiograph and programmatic offerings, and we feel confident that our broadcast radio participation in these digital platforms will significantly improve our radio revenue performance and will help the entire radio industry. as well. Turning to the audio and media services group, revenue was $80 million, up 18.8% year-over-year, driven primarily by the growth of the digital audio and video revenues. Excluding the impact of political revenue, the audio and media services group's revenue was up 10.6%. Adjusted EBITDA was $37 million, up 54.7%. compared to the prior year. This segment includes our CATS TV, CATS radio, and RCS businesses and has continued to grow Adjusted EBITDA over time with a focus on an increasingly meaningful digital business and operating efficiencies. I also wanted to briefly touch on political advertising, which will be a major driver of Adjusted EBITDA over time. free cash flow for this company in the back half of the year. As a reminder, historically, the vast majority of our political revenue comes in the back half of the year, and the majority of that is in Q4. We continue to believe that this will be a robust midterm election year in terms of generating political revenue. And with that, I'll turn it over to Rich.

Thank you, Bob, and good afternoon. Our Q2, 2026 consolidated revenue was up 4.7% compared to the prior year quarter and above our guidance of up low single digits. Although we saw some softness that appeared to correlate with the conflict in the Middle East and the associated economic impacts, we were able to slightly beat our Q2 revenue guidance and the midpoint of our adjusted EBITDA guidance. Let me provide you with some additional detail on our advertising revenue performance in the second quarter. As a reminder, one of our strengths is our diversified advertising revenues. There is no advertising category greater than about 5% of our total advertising revenue, no individual advertiser that is more than 2%. about total advertising revenue. In the second quarter, the largest category gainers in terms of absolute dollars were political, gambling, computers, electronics, and appliances, and professional services. And the four categories that declined the most in terms of absolute dollars were telecom, financial services, auto, and food and beverage. And in the second quarter, our five largest advertising categories in terms of absolute dollars were home building and improvement, financial services, healthcare, auto, and professional services. Our consolidated direct operating expenses increased 2.4% for the quarter. This increase was primarily driven by higher variable content costs, including higher third-party digital costs related to the increase in digital revenues. Our consolidated SG&A expenses increased 11.8% for the quarter. This increase was primarily driven by expenses related to our non-cash co-marketing partnerships. We generated second quarter GAAP operating income of $35.5 million compared to GAAP operating income of $35.4 million in the prior year quarter. We generated adjusted EBITDA of 152 million in the second quarter, slightly above the midpoint of our previously provided guidance range of 140 to 160 million. As we have previously discussed, some of the investment in our proprietary audience database, which is the foundation of our broadcast programmatic and audiograph offerings, takes the form of non-cash co-marketing partnerships to drive engagement with the iHeartRadio digital service. We continue to view these marketing activities as critical for the success of our audiograph and broadcast programmatic initiatives. And as a reminder, this is all in support of our efforts to make our broadcast inventory as easy for our advertising partners to transact as our digital inventory. This is one of the important steps in returning the multi-platform group back to adjusted EBITDA growth. As discussed on the Q1 call, we have continued these partnerships in Q2, but they will start to decrease in the second half of the year. As we've discussed before, all the revenue and expense associated with each partnership has zero impact on adjusted IVDA over time. And as a reminder, the majority of this revenue expense impacts the multi-platform group segment. Turning out to the performance of our operating segments. In the second quarter, the digital audio groups revenue was 364 million of 12.4% year over year and ahead of our previously provided guidance of up approximately 10%. The digital audio groups adjusted EBITDA was 123.2%. million, up 14.5% the prior year, and as Bob mentioned, this is the sixth quarter in a row in which our digital audio group adjusted IVIT-DA is larger than our multi-platform group adjusted IVIT-DA. Our Q2 adjusted impact day margins were 33.8% compared to 33.2% in the prior year. Within the digital audio group, our podcasting revenue was 162 million, which grew 20.7% year over year, and in line with our guides, we provided about low 20s. Our second quarter digital audio group X podcasting revenue grew 6.6% year-over-year to $202 million. Turning out to the multi-platform group, revenue was $536 million, down 1.6% compared to prior year, slightly below our guidance wage of approximately flat. Adjusted EBITDA was $59 million, down from $96 million in the prior year quarter. Turning to the Audio and Media Services Group, which includes CAT-CV, which as you know has a much bigger revenue swing in political years. Revenue was $80 million, up 18.8% year-over-year driven primarily by the growth of the digital, audio, and video revenues. Excluding the impact of political revenue, the audio and media services groups revenue was up 10.6%. Adjusted EBITDA was 37 million, up 54.6% compared to the prior year. In the second quarter, our company's free cash flow was 46 million compared to a negative 13 million in the prior year quarter. In fact, the strong free cash flow in this quarter gives us additional confidence about our free cash flow for the full year. A political year like this also helps drive our free cash flow because political advertisers pay up front. At quarter end, our net debt was approximately $4.7 billion. Our total liquidity was $457 million, and our cash cash balance was $174 million, which included $125 million borrowed under the AEBL facility. We expect to pay down that balance by the end of 2026 with our free cash flow generation. As noted on our prior call on May 1st, we would pay the $51.2 million remaining balance of our 6 and 3H notes, as well as the term loan and incremental term loan, fully retiring those stubbed facilities. Additionally, we are pleased to report that this month we amended and extended our current ABL facility. We maintain both the current $450 million size of the facility and the pricing of the facility at its current interest rates, and we extended the maturity date from May 17, 2027 to January 30, 2029. Let me now turn to our guidance for the third quarter and full year. For the third quarter, we expected generated adjusted EBITDA between $180 million and $220 million. We expect our consolidated revenue to be up mid-single digits compared to prior year. We're still closing July, but we expect revenue to be up low single digits year over year. Turning to the individual segments, we expect the digital audio groups revenue to be up in the low teens year-over-year, with podcast revenue expected to be up approximately 20%, and digital X podcast to be up mid-single digits. WE EXPECT THE MULTIPLATFORM GROUP'S REVENUE TO BE APPROXIMATELY FLAT COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR. expecting audio and media services groups revenue to be up approximately 20% year over year. Turning to the full year, we are reaffirming our full year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $800 million and our free cash flow guide of $200 million, predicated on some improvement in the macroeconomic and advertising environments, especially in Q4, and the expected strong performance of political. Embedded in our adjusted IBIDEA guidance are the following. We expect to generate approximately 200 million of overall programmatic revenue in 2026, up approximately 50% from 135 million in 2025. And as a reminder, we expect our broadcast programmatic revenue trajectory to be similar to that of the growth we experienced in the podcasting revenue. We expect podcasting revenue to continue its strong momentum. We expect this to be a robust midterm election year in terms of generating political revenue, and the vast majority of our political revenue occurs in Q3 and Q4. And our adjusted IBITDA guidance also includes the benefit of our cost savings programs. Let me provide some additional inputs embedded in our free cash flow guidance. Interest expense will be approximately $440 million. cash taxes this year and for the next few years as long as the current tax laws are in effect. This is a great outcome and will help us avoid approximately $150 to $200 million of cash taxes over the next three years. Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $90 million. Cash restructuring expenses will be approximately $50 million. We expect our net leverage ratio at the end of 2026 to be in the mid-fives, which would be more than a full-term improvement year-over-year. Now we will turn it over to the operator to take your questions. Thank you.

As a reminder, to ask a question, please press star followed by the number one on your telephone keypad. Our first question comes from Steven Lasik from Goldman Sachs. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Hey, great. Thanks for taking the questions. Bob Rich, I was curious, with just a few months time And from now, the midterm elections coming up, was curious if you could maybe speak a little bit more about your go-to-market strategy as well as as well as how activity is building on the political front going into the November cycle. I think two cycles ago, in and around the midterms, you did about $130 million of political revenues. Just curious how you're looking at the outlook for this year.

I think, you know, we think it's shaping up to be a pretty big political year. People are saying it may be as big as the presidential year as opposed to midterm. Yet, debt to be seen, although the early indications are it's probably performing at that level. Our go-to-market is be in touch with everybody from candidates to PACs, to everyone else associated with the campaigns that can make a decision.

and stay on top of it both at a local level and the national level. You know, and the one other data point I might just add, if you, the last couple of days, or last week you saw a lot of TV broadcasters come out and they talked about very strong political numbers and that, and this year should be no different boats very well. So as the inventory starts to shrink, and they sell off a lot of their inventory, broadcast radio,.

tends to be a big beneficiary of that. Great, thank you for that. And then maybe separately spoke a good bit about the opportunities in video podcasting in the prepared. So I was just wondering if you could speak a little bit more about the Disney Hulu podcast partnership. from today and then would be curious how that approach with Disney is maybe either different or similar to the approach that you're taking with Netflix and then ultimately looking out here over the next couple of years how you see both of these relationships evolving.

Well, look, I think it's both Netflix and Hulu. We're trying to meet their needs. So we're crafting deals that work for them and their overall program strategy. As you know, Netflix has taken the The Breakfast Club, Charlemagne in the Morning, has turned into a live daily show. That was sort of unexpected when we went into this, but it's how the relationship evolves as we find opportunities. I suspect with Hulu we'll see the same thing, that as we get in with them and they see how it's performing, we will figure out how we craft the right relationship with them. And then obviously there are other people that are carrying video podcasts as well, and we continue to have discussions there as well.

Great. Thank you very much. Our next question comes from Aaron Watts from Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Hi, thanks for having me on. Two questions for me. On advertising, if we strip away some of the movement, due to trade and barter. Can you talk a bit more about the health of the underlying ad environment as we roll from 2Q into the back half of the year? And is there anything you're seeing that gives you confidence that there'll be some improvement as we close out the year?.

Well, there can't be any more uncertainty, that's for sure. So we are baking that in. But I actually have been sort of surprised with all the uncertainty in the marketplace, how resilient the ad market has been. There's a body of thought which says, hey, this is the new normal and everybody's got to sell their products and they got to build their brands and they can't let that get in the way of it. and I think we're seeing ample evidence of that. Certainly there are businesses that are being hit by the high cost of diesel and fuel and other important things. products for them but they're also businesses that are immune from it. and see this as an opportunity. So I think on the whole, we're sort of cautiously optimistic about the second half of the year and talking to advertisers, we sort of sense that. I think if you see some of the discussions from the agency front, that you're sort of seeing the same messaging, which is what we're hearing from them directly as well. So I think we, again, we have to give people a reason why if they spend a dollar on advertising, they get more than a dollar back on their bottom line. And it's all about return on investment. So I think if we just sort of stick to that and not be distracted by it, it's probably our best strategy and the one we're going with. And I think the other piece of it is really adding the audio graph and the programmatic components for our broadcast radio. Because again, as I mentioned, in our script, it's counterintuitive that broadcast radio is so incredibly strong with the consumer. And by the way, in all measurements, delivers extraordinarily strong results for advertisers. And that's the slowest revenue stream we have. Again, we think that's because the advertisers want everything to fit within that digital buying construct. And so I think the audiograph and programmatic will give us that and we're rolling it out to DSPs. But as you know, there are other buying platforms emerging as well and we fully intend to service those as well.