E.W. SCRIPPS Co
For the period ended Sep 30, 2025. Filed Nov 7, 2025.
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Sep 30, 2025 · Filed Nov 7, 2025
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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity (Unaudited)
| Three Months EndedSeptember 30, 2025 and 2024(in thousands, except per share data) | Preferred Stock | CommonStock | AdditionalPaid-inCapital | Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncome (Loss) ("AOCI") | TotalEquity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of June 30, 2025 | $418,007 | $883 | $1,461,755 | $(515,421) | $(75,234) | $1,289,990 |
| Comprehensive income (loss) | — | — | — | (32,959) | 36 | (32,923) |
| Preferred stock dividends, $576 of issuance costs accretion | 576 | — | (576) | — | — | — |
| Compensation plans: 468,998 net shares issued * | — | 5 | 3,376 | — | — | 3,381 |
| As of September 30, 2025 | $418,583 | $888 | $1,464,555 | $(548,380) | $(75,198) | $1,260,448 |
*Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $474 for the three months ended September 30, 2025.
| As of June 30, 2024 | $415,702 | $861 | $1,446,231 | $(619,167) | $(75,442) | $1,168,185 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive income (loss) | — | — | — | 47,776 | 34 | 47,810 |
| Preferred stock dividends, $576 of issuance costs accretion | 576 | — | (576) | — | — | — |
| Compensation plans: 244,655 net shares issued * | — | 3 | 3,220 | — | — | 3,223 |
| As of September 30, 2024 | $416,278 | $864 | $1,448,875 | $(571,391) | $(75,408) | $1,219,218 |
*Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $29 for the three months ended September 30, 2024.
| Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2025 and 2024(in thousands, except per share data) | Preferred Stock | CommonStock | AdditionalPaid-inCapital | Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncome (Loss) ("AOCI") | TotalEquity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of December 31, 2024 | $416,854 | $866 | $1,451,604 | $(476,004) | $(75,306) | $1,318,014 |
| Comprehensive income (loss) | — | — | — | (72,376) | 108 | (72,268) |
| Preferred stock dividends, $1,729 of issuance costs accretion | 1,729 | — | (1,729) | — | — | — |
| Compensation plans: 2,174,867 net shares issued * | — | 22 | 14,680 | — | — | 14,702 |
| As of September 30, 2025 | $418,583 | $888 | $1,464,555 | $(548,380) | $(75,198) | $1,260,448 |
*Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $1,348 for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
| As of December 31, 2023 | $414,549 | $848 | $1,438,518 | $(622,222) | $(75,510) | $1,156,183 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive income (loss) | — | — | — | 50,831 | 102 | 50,933 |
| Preferred stock dividends, $1,729 of issuance costs accretion | 1,729 | — | (1,729) | — | — | — |
| Compensation plans: 1,585,900 net shares issued * | — | 16 | 12,086 | — | — | 12,102 |
| As of September 30, 2024 | $416,278 | $864 | $1,448,875 | $(571,391) | $(75,408) | $1,219,218 |
*Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $1,814 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
- Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
As used in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the terms “Scripps,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” may, depending on the context, refer to The E.W. Scripps Company, to one or more of its consolidated subsidiary companies, or to all of them taken as a whole.
Basis of Presentation — The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. The interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto included in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In management's opinion, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods have been made.
Results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future interim periods or for the full year. Additionally, certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation.
Principles of Consolidation — The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities ("VIEs") for which we are the primary beneficiary. We are the primary beneficiary of a VIE when we have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns that would be significant to the VIE. All intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Investments in entities over which we have significant influence but not control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from equity method investments represents our proportionate share of net income generated by equity method investees.
Nature of Operations — We are a diverse media enterprise, serving audiences and businesses through a portfolio of local television stations and national news and entertainment networks. All of our businesses also have digital presences across online, mobile, connected television and social platforms, reaching consumers on all devices and platforms they use to consume content. Our media businesses are organized into the following reportable segments: Local Media, Scripps Networks and Other. Additional information for our segments is presented in Note 11. Segment Information.
Use of Estimates — Preparing financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make a variety of decisions that affect the reported amounts and the related disclosures. Such decisions include the selection of accounting principles that reflect the economic substance of the underlying transactions and the assumptions on which to base accounting estimates. In reaching such decisions, we apply judgment based on our understanding and analysis of the relevant circumstances, including our historical experience, actuarial studies and other assumptions.
Our financial statements include estimates and assumptions used in accounting for our defined benefit pension plan; the periods over which long-lived assets are depreciated or amortized; the fair value of long-lived assets, goodwill and indefinite lived assets; the liability for uncertain tax positions and valuation allowances against deferred income tax assets; the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations; and self-insured risks.
While we re-evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis, actual results could differ from those estimated at the time of preparation of the financial statements.
Nature of Products and Services —The following is a description of principal activities from which we generate revenue.
Core Advertising — Core advertising is comprised of sales to local and national businesses. The advertising includes a combination of broadcast spots as well as digital and connected TV advertising. Pricing of advertising time is based on audience size and share, the demographic of our audiences and the demand for our limited inventory of commercial time. Local advertising time is sold by each station's local sales staff who call upon advertising agencies and local businesses. National advertising time is generally sold by calling upon advertising agencies. Digital revenues are primarily generated from the sale of advertising to local and national customers on our business websites, tablet and mobile products, over-the-top apps and other platforms.
Political Advertising — Political advertising is generally sold through our Washington, D.C. sales office. Advertising is sold to presidential, gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and House of Representative candidates, as well as for state and local issues. It is also sold to political action groups (PACs) and other advocacy groups.
Distribution Revenues — We earn revenues from cable operators, satellite carriers, other multi-channel video programming distributors (collectively "MVPDs"), other online video distributors and subscribers for access rights to our local broadcast signals. These arrangements are generally governed by multi-year contracts and the fees we receive are typically based on the number of subscribers the respective distributor has in our markets and the contracted rate per subscriber.
Refer to Note 11. Segment Information for further information, including revenue by significant product and service offering.
Revenue Recognition — Revenue is measured based on the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for promised goods or services provided to customers, and excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers.
Advertising—Advertising revenue is recognized, net of agency commissions, over time primarily as ads are aired or impressions are delivered and any contracted audience guarantees are met. We apply the practical expedient to recognize revenue at the amount we have the right to invoice, which corresponds directly to the value a customer has received relative to our performance. For advertising sold based on audience guarantees, audience deficiency may result in an obligation to deliver additional advertisements to the customer. To the extent that we do not satisfy contracted audience ratings, we record deferred revenue until such time that the audience guarantee has been satisfied.
Distribution—Our primary source of distribution revenue is from retransmission consent contracts with MVPDs. Retransmission revenues are considered licenses of functional intellectual property and are recognized at the point in time the content is transferred to the customer. MVPDs report their subscriber numbers to us generally on a 30- to 90-day lag. Prior to receiving the MVPD reporting, we record revenue based on estimates of the number of subscribers, utilizing historical levels and trends of subscribers for each MVPD.
Cost of Revenues — Cost of revenues reflects the cost of providing our broadcast signals, programming and other content to respective distribution platforms. The costs captured within the cost of revenues caption include programming, content distribution, satellite transmission fees, production and operations and other direct costs.
Contract Balances —Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of cash collection from customers. We record a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to cash receipt, or unearned revenue when cash is collected in advance of revenue being recognized.
Payment terms may vary by contract type, although our terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 to 90 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined our contracts do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing our products and services.
The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. We estimate the allowance based on expected credit losses, including our historical experience of actual losses and known troubled accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts totaled $9.2 million at September 30, 2025 and $7.4 million at December 31, 2024.
We record unearned revenue when cash payments are received in advance of our performance, including amounts which are refundable. We generally require amounts payable under advertising contracts with political advertising customers to be paid in advance. Unearned revenue totaled $22.1 million at September 30, 2025 and substantially all is expected to be recognized within revenue or refunded over the next 12 months. Unearned revenue totaled $18.2 million at December 31, 2024. We recorded $9.5 million of revenue in the nine months ended September 30, 2025 that was included in unearned revenue at December 31, 2024.
Leases —We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, other current liabilities and operating lease liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment and other long-term liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Lease assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the implicit rate is not readily determinable for most of our leases, we use our incremental borrowing rate when determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents an estimate of the interest rate we would incur at lease commencement to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over the term of the lease. Our lease assets also include any payments made at or before commencement and are reduced by any lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Share-Based Compensation — We have a Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) which is described more fully in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Plan provides for the award of incentive and nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units ("RSUs") and unrestricted Class A Common shares and performance units to key employees and non-employee directors.
Share-based compensation costs totaled $3.3 million and $2.8 million for the third quarter of 2025 and 2024, respectively. Year-to-date share-based compensation costs totaled $14.8 million and $12.4 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) — Unvested awards of share-based payments with non-forfeitable rights to receive dividends or dividend equivalents, such as certain of our RSUs, are considered participating securities for purposes of calculating EPS. Under the two-class method, we allocate a portion of net income to these participating securities and, therefore, exclude that income from the calculation of EPS for common stock. We do not allocate losses to the participating securities.
The following table presents information about basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Numerator (for basic and diluted earnings per share) | ||||
| Net income (loss) | $(32,959) | $47,776 | $(72,376) | $50,831 |
| Less income allocated to RSUs | — | (1,223) | — | (280) |
| Less preferred stock dividends | (16,062) | (14,743) | (47,172) | (43,552) |
| Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share | $(49,021) | $31,810 | $(119,548) | $6,999 |
| Denominator | ||||
| Basic weighted-average shares outstanding | 88,461 | 86,067 | 87,773 | 85,546 |
| Effect of dilutive securities | — | — | — | — |
| Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding | 88,461 | 86,067 | 87,773 | 85,546 |
The dilutive effects of performance-based stock awards are included in the computation of diluted earnings per share to the extent the related performance criteria are met through the respective balance sheet reporting date. As of September 30, 2025 and 2024, potential dilutive securities representing 7.9 million and 1.1 million shares, respectively, were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as the related performance criteria were not yet met, although the Company expects to meet various levels of criteria in the future.
For the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2025, we incurred a net loss to shareholders and the inclusion of RSUs would be anti-dilutive. The September 30, 2025 diluted EPS calculations exclude the effect from 10.3 million of outstanding RSUs that were anti-dilutive. The September 30, 2025 and 2024 basic and dilutive EPS calculations also exclude the impact of the common stock warrant as the effect would be anti-dilutive.
- Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Standards
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In September 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance that amends certain aspects of the accounting and disclosure requirements for internal-use software costs. The amendments in the guidance remove all references to prescriptive and sequential software development stages, and also provide criteria for when an entity is required to start capitalizing software costs. The guidance is effective for our annual periods beginning in 2028 and interim periods within those annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The guidance can be applied using a prospective transition, modified transition or retrospective transition approach. We are currently evaluating the potential impact that this new guidance will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.
In November 2024, the FASB issued new guidance on disaggregation of income statement expenses. The guidance requires entities to disaggregate any relevant expense caption presented on the face of the income statement within continuing operations into the following required natural expense categories: (1) purchases of inventory, (2) employee compensation, (3) depreciation, (4) intangible asset amortization, and (5) depreciation, depletion and amortization recognized as part of oil-and gas-producing activities or other types of depletion expenses. Such disclosures must be made on an annual and interim basis in a tabular format in the footnotes to the financial statements. The guidance does not change the expense captions an entity presents on the face of the income statement. The guidance also provides clarification regarding identifying relevant expense captions. Furthermore, certain other expenses and gains or losses that must be disclosed under existing U.S. GAAP, and that are recorded in a relevant expense caption, must be presented in the same tabular disclosure on an annual, and, when applicable, interim basis. In addition, the guidance requires entities to disclose selling expenses on an annual and interim basis. The guidance does not define selling expenses, rather, entities will make their own determination of the composition of selling expenses and disclose the definition on an annual basis. The guidance is effective for our annual periods beginning in 2027 and interim periods beginning in the first quarter of 2028, with early adoption permitted. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis, but retrospective application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this new guidance on our disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued new guidance that modifies the rules on income tax disclosures. The guidance requires entities to disclose: (1) specific categories in the rate reconciliation, (2) the income or loss from continuing operations before income tax expense or benefit (separated between domestic and foreign) and (3) income tax expense or benefit from continuing operations (separated by federal, state and foreign). The guidance also requires entities to disclose their income tax payments to international, federal, state and local jurisdictions, among other changes. The guidance is effective for our annual periods beginning in 2025, with early adoption permitted. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis, but retrospective application is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact of this new guidance on our income tax disclosures.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
In November 2023, the FASB issued new guidance which expands annual and interim disclosure requirements for reportable segments, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. We adopted this guidance starting with our annual period beginning in fiscal year 2024 and adopted for interim periods beginning in the first quarter of 2025. The guidance is applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Upon transition, the segment expense categories and amounts disclosed in the prior periods are based on the significant segment expense categories identified and disclosed in the period of adoption. Refer to Note 11. Segment Information for the enhanced disclosures.
- Restructuring Costs and Other Transactions
Restructuring and Reorganization
In January 2023, we announced a strategic restructuring and reorganization of the Company to further leverage our strong position in the U.S. television ecosystem and propel our growth across new distribution platforms and emerging media marketplaces. The strategic reorganization, which was substantially completed by the end of the 2024 second quarter, created a leaner and more agile operating structure through the centralization of certain services and the consolidation of layers of management across our operating businesses and corporate office. We have continued to identify efficiency opportunities within the functional departments of our organization, which has resulted in additional restructuring charges since the end of 2024 second quarter.
On September 27, 2024, we announced plans to significantly reduce Scripps News' national network programming beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of November 15, 2024, Scripps News was no longer broadcast over the air, although it remained on streaming and digital platforms with weekday live coverage from the field. These restructuring activities resulted in the elimination of more than 200 jobs during 2024.
Restructuring costs in the third quarter of 2025 and 2024 totaled $2.7 million and $12.7 million, respectively. Year-to-date restructuring costs totaled $7.5 million and $18.7 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. Restructuring costs in 2025 included severance charges of $4.2 million and operating lease exit costs of $2.1 million. Remaining restructuring costs in 2025 included outside consulting fees associated with the strategic reorganization efforts. In the third quarter of 2024, we incurred $10.9 million in severance charges related to the significant reduction of Scripps News' national news programming. Remaining restructuring costs in 2024 included severance charges and outside consulting fees associated with the strategic reorganization efforts.
| Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2025 and 2024(in thousands) | Severance and Employee Benefits | Other Restructuring Charges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liability as of December 31, 2024 | $9,653 | $— | $9,653 |
| Net charges | 4,236 | 3,239 | 7,475 |
| Payments | (13,681) | (240) | (13,921) |
| Non-cash (a) | (208) | (1,397) | (1,605) |
| Liability as of September 30, 2025 | $— | $1,602 | $1,602 |
| Liability as of December 31, 2023 | $6,735 | $1,430 | $8,165 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net charges | 17,553 | 1,100 | 18,653 |
| Payments | (11,554) | (1,698) | (13,252) |
| Non-cash (a) | — | — | — |
| Liability as of September 30, 2024 | $12,734 | $832 | $13,566 |
(a) Represents share-based compensation costs and asset write-downs included in restructuring charges.
Other Transactions
On February 9, 2024, following the completed sale of Broadcast Music, Inc. ("BMI") to New Mountain Capital, we received $18.1 million in pre-tax cash proceeds for our equity ownership in BMI. We did not have any carrying value associated with our BMI investment. This gain was included in Miscellaneous, net for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
- Income Taxes
We file a consolidated federal income tax return, consolidated unitary tax returns in certain states and other separate state income tax returns for our subsidiary companies.
The income tax provision for interim periods is determined based upon the expected effective income tax rate for the full year and the tax rate applicable to certain discrete transactions in the interim period. To determine the annual effective income tax rate, we must estimate both the total income (loss) before income tax for the full year and the jurisdictions in which that income (loss) is subject to tax. The actual effective income tax rate for the full year may differ from these estimates if income (loss) before income tax is greater than or less than what was estimated or if the allocation of income (loss) to jurisdictions in which it is taxed is different from the estimated allocations. We review and adjust our estimated effective income tax rate for the full year each quarter based upon our most recent estimates of income (loss) before income tax for the full year and the jurisdictions in which we expect that income will be taxed.
The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 was 8.1% and 34%, respectively. Differences between our effective income tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate are the impact of state taxes, foreign taxes, non-deductible expenses, changes in reserves for uncertain tax positions, excess tax benefits or expense from the exercise and vesting of share-based compensation awards ($2.3 million expense in 2025 and $3.9 million expense in 2024), state deferred rate changes ($2.7 million expense in 2025 and $2.1 million expense in 2024) and state NOL valuation allowance changes.
We recognize state NOL carryforwards as deferred tax assets, subject to valuation allowances. At each balance sheet date, we estimate the amount of carryforwards that are not expected to be used prior to expiration of the carryforward period. The tax effect of the carryforwards that are not expected to be used prior to their expiration is included in the valuation allowance.
On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA"), was enacted into law. The OBBBA makes permanent key elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including 100% bonus depreciation, domestic research cost expensing and the business interest expense limitation. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in 2025 and others implemented through 2027. We currently expect a beneficial cash flow impact in the near term due to accelerated tax deductions resulting from these key elements of the Act, but no material impact to our effective tax rate.
- Leases
We have operating leases for office space, data centers and certain equipment. We also have finance leases for office space. Our leases have lease terms of 1 year to 33 years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to 5 years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within 1 year. Operating lease costs recognized in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 totaled $6.1 million and $5.4 million, respectively, including short-term lease costs of $1.6 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Year-to-date September 30, 2025 and 2024 operating lease costs totaled $17.6 million and $17.2 million, respectively, including short-term lease costs of $5.0 million and $3.9 million, respectively. Amortization of the right-of-use asset for our finance leases totaled $0.2 million for both the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024 and $0.6 million for both the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024. Interest expense on the finance leases liability totaled $0.6 million and $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024. Interest expense on the finance leases liability totaled $1.7 million and $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024.
Other information related to our leases was as follows:
| (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate) | As of September 30, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet Information | ||
| Operating Leases | ||
| Right-of-use assets | $100,957 | $90,136 |
| Other current liabilities | 19,881 | 18,087 |
| Operating lease liabilities | 89,919 | 79,399 |
| Finance Leases | ||
| Property and equipment, at cost | 28,321 | 28,321 |
| Accumulated depreciation | (2,255) | (1,658) |
| Property and equipment, net | 26,066 | 26,663 |
| Other liabilities | 31,355 | 31,021 |
| Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term | ||
| Operating leases | 10.12 years | 7.37 years |
| Finance leases | 32.75 years | 33.50 years |
| Weighted Average Discount Rate | ||
| Operating leases | 5.75% | 5.01% |
| Finance leases | 7.10% | 7.10% |
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Supplemental Cash Flows Information | ||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities | ||||
| Operating cash flows from operating leases | $5,863 | $5,243 | $16,975 | $16,435 |
| Operating cash flows from finance leases | 450 | 438 | 1,326 | 864 |
| Financing cash flows from finance leases | — | — | — | — |
| Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations | 17,992 | 2,764 | 30,090 | 12,859 |
| Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for finance lease obligations | — | — | — | — |
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of September 30, 2025 were as follows:
| (in thousands) | Operating Leases | FinanceLeases |
|---|---|---|
| Remainder of 2025 | $7,524 | $450 |
| 2026 | 24,225 | 1,824 |
| 2027 | 21,526 | 1,875 |
| 2028 | 16,291 | 1,926 |
| 2029 | 13,910 | 1,979 |
| Thereafter | 71,000 | 88,145 |
| Total future minimum lease payments | 154,476 | 96,199 |
| Less: Imputed interest | (44,676) | (64,844) |
| Total | $109,800 | $31,355 |
- Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill consisted of the following:
| (in thousands) | Local Media | Scripps Networks | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross balance as of December 31, 2024 | $1,122,408 | $2,028,890 | $7,190 | $3,158,488 |
| Accumulated impairment losses | (216,914) | (973,000) | — | (1,189,914) |
| Net balance as of December 31, 2024 | $905,494 | $1,055,890 | $7,190 | $1,968,574 |
| Gross balance as of September 30, 2025 | $1,103,701 | $2,028,890 | $7,190 | $3,139,781 |
| Accumulated impairment losses | (213,299) | (973,000) | — | (1,186,299) |
| Net balance as of September 30, 2025 | $890,402 | $1,055,890 | $7,190 | $1,953,482 |
Other intangible assets consisted of the following:
| (in thousands) | As of September 30, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Amortizable intangible assets: | ||
| Carrying amount: | ||
| Television affiliation relationships | $1,045,744 | $1,060,244 |
| Customer lists and advertiser relationships | 219,597 | 220,997 |
| Other | 139,528 | 137,997 |
| Total carrying amount | 1,404,869 | 1,419,238 |
| Accumulated amortization: | ||
| Television affiliation relationships | (363,174) | (330,233) |
| Customer lists and advertiser relationships | (171,757) | (156,310) |
| Other | (87,916) | (76,622) |
| Total accumulated amortization | (622,847) | (563,165) |
| Net amortizable intangible assets | 782,022 | 856,073 |
| Indefinite-lived intangible assets — FCC licenses | 776,215 | 779,415 |
| Total other intangible assets | $1,558,237 | $1,635,488 |
Estimated amortization expense of intangible assets for each of the next five years is $22.4 million for the remainder of 2025, $85.9 million in 2026, $82.8 million in 2027, $61.4 million in 2028, $61.2 million in 2029, $61.2 million in 2030 and $407.1 million in later years.
Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually and any time events occur or changes in circumstances indicate it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit, or respective indefinite-lived intangible asset, is below its carrying value. Such events or changes in circumstances include, but are not limited to, changes in business climate, sustained declines in the price of our stock, or other factors resulting in lower cash flow related to such assets. The reporting unit valuations used to test goodwill and intangible assets for impairment are dependent on a number of significant estimates and assumptions, including macroeconomic conditions, market growth rates, competitive activities, cost containment, margin expansion and strategic business plans (inputs of which are categorized as Level 3 under the fair value hierarchy). Additionally, future changes in these assumptions and estimates with respect to long-term growth rates and discount rates or future cash flow projections, could result in significantly different estimates of the fair values.
Our fourth quarter 2024 annual goodwill impairment test indicated that the fair value of our Local Media reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by more than 20% and that the fair value of our Scripps Networks reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by 1.3%. Given that the fair value of the Scripps Networks reporting unit currently approximates carrying value, this reporting unit is more sensitive to changes in assumptions regarding its fair value. While we believe the estimates and judgments used in determining the fair values were appropriate, these estimates of fair value assume certain levels of growth for the business, which, if not achieved, could impact the fair value and possibly result in an impairment of the goodwill in future periods. For example, a 50 basis point increase in the discount rate would reduce the fair value of the Scripps Networks reporting unit by approximately $110 million.
- Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt consisted of the following:
| (in thousands) | As of September 30, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts receivable securitization facility | $359,800 | $— |
| Revolving credit facilities | — | — |
| Senior secured notes, due in January 2029 | 523,356 | 523,356 |
| Senior secured notes, due in August 2030 | 750,000 | — |
| Senior unsecured notes, due in July 2027 | — | 425,667 |
| Senior unsecured notes, due in January 2031 | 392,071 | 392,071 |
| Term loan, due in June 2028 | 337,489 | — |
| Term loan, due in November 2029 | 338,453 | — |
| Term loan, due in May 2026 | — | 721,213 |
| Term loan, due in January 2028 | — | 543,000 |
| Total outstanding principal | 2,701,169 | 2,605,307 |
| Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts | (55,577) | (29,135) |
| Less: Current portion | (8,854) | (15,612) |
| Net carrying value of long-term debt | $2,636,738 | $2,560,560 |
| Fair value of long-term debt * | $2,459,950 | $2,112,999 |
- The fair values of debt are estimated based on either quoted private market transactions or observable estimates provided by third party financial professionals, and as such, are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
On April 10, 2025, we completed a series of previously announced refinancing transactions. On August 6, 2025, we issued new senior secured second lien notes and used the proceeds to pay off or paydown other outstanding debt balances. In connection with these refinancing transactions, we incurred $44.5 million of non-capitalized transaction costs that are reflected in the caption "Other financing transaction costs" in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Following completion of these transactions, our long-term debt is summarized below.
Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility
On April 10, 2025, we entered into a newthree-year accounts receivable securitization facility, scheduled to terminate April 10, 2028, with aggregate commitments of up to $450 million. Under the securitization facility, we sell eligible accounts receivable balances to our wholly owned special purpose entities, Scripps SPV Midco, LLC and Scripps SPV, LLC (the “Accounts Receivable Securitization Special Purpose Subsidiaries”). The Accounts Receivable Securitization Special Purpose Subsidiaries are consolidated subsidiaries of Scripps and use the accounts receivable balances to collateralize loans obtained from financial institutions. The facility is subject to interest charges, at the one-month term secured overnight financing rate ("SOFR"), subject to a 1.00% floor with a blended spread of 3.46% based on customary assumptions. We recognized approximately $6.0 million of deferred financing costs related to the securitization facility. The securitization facility is accounted for as a collateralized financing activity, rather than a sale of assets, and therefore: (i) accounts receivable balances pledged as collateral are presented as assets and borrowings are presented as liabilities on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations reflect the associated charges for bad debt expense related to pledged accounts receivable, as well as interest expense associated with the collateralized borrowings and (iii) receipts from customers related to the underlying accounts receivable are reflected as operating cash flows and borrowings and repayments under the collateralized loans are reflected as financing cash flows within our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Scripps retains the responsibility of servicing the accounts receivable balances pledged as collateral for the securitization facility and also provides a performance guaranty. The maximum availability allowed is limited by our eligible accounts receivable balances, as defined under the terms of the securitization facility. As of September 30, 2025, the maximum availability allowed and amount outstanding under the securitization facility was $360 million. The interest rate for the securitization facility was 7.60% as of September 30, 2025.
Scripps Senior Secured Credit Agreement
On April 10, 2025, we replaced our $585 million revolving credit facility with a new revolving facility with aggregate commitments of up to $208 million due July 2027 and a new non-extended revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments of up to $70.0 million due January 2026. The previous revolving credit facility was due to mature on January 7, 2026. Commitment fees of 0.30% to 0.50% per annum, based on our leverage ratio, of the total unused commitment are payable under the revolving credit facility. For the new $208 million revolving credit facility, interest is payable at a rate based on SOFR, plus a margin of 5.50%. For the new non-extended revolving credit facility, interest is payable at a rate based on SOFR, plus a margin based on our leverage ratio, ranging from 1.75% to 2.75%. We recognized approximately $19.6 million of deferred financing costs related to the new revolving credit facilities. As of September 30, 2025, we hadno borrowings under our revolving credit facilities. The weighted-average interest rate during the periods in which we had a drawn revolver balance was 7.58% and 8.17% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had outstanding letters of credit totaling $8.9 million and $6.9 million, respectively, under our revolving credit facilities.
With the April 10, 2025 refinancing transactions, we issued a new $545 million tranche B-2 term loan ("June 2028 term loan") that matures in June 2028. Interest is currently payable on the June 2028 term loan at a rate based on SOFR, plus a margin of 5.75%. The June 2028 term loan requires annual principal payments of $5.5 million. Deferred financing costs and original issuance discount totaled approximately $14.3 million with this term loan, which are being amortized over the life of the loan. As of September 30, 2025, the interest rate on the June 2028 term loan was 10.01%. For the period of April 10, 2025 through September 30, 2025, the weighted-average interest rate on the June 2028 term loan was 10.18%. In connection with the August 6, 2025 issuance of new senior secured second lien notes, we pre-paid $205 million aggregate principal amount of the June 2028 term loan at a price equal to 102% of the principal amount outstanding. With this partial paydown of the June 2028 term loan, we wrote-off $0.6 million of deferred financing costs to interest expense and also incurred a $5.4 million loss on the extinguishment of debt.
On April 10, 2025, we also issued a new $340 million tranche B-3 term loan ("November 2029 term loan") that matures in November 2029. Interest is currently payable on the November 2029 term loan at a rate based on SOFR, plus a margin of 3.35%. The November 2029 term loan requires annual principal payments of $3.4 million. Deferred financing costs and original issuance discount totaled approximately $8.9 million with this term loan, which are being amortized over the life of the loan. As of September 30, 2025, the interest rate on the November 2029 term loan was 7.61%. For the period of April 10, 2025 through September 30, 2025, the weighted-average interest rate on the November 2029 term loan was 7.78%.
With the resulting debt proceeds generated from the April 10, 2025 refinancing transactions, we paid off the remaining $719 million balance for our term loan that was due to mature in May 2026 and paid off the remaining $541 million balance for our term loan that was due to mature in January 2028. In connection with the retirement of these term loans, we wrote-off $5.6 million of deferred financing costs to interest expense and also incurred a $3.0 million loss on the extinguishment of debt.
The weighted-average interest rate on the May 2026 term loan was 7.01% for the period of January 1, 2025 through April 10, 2025, and 7.98% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The weighted-average interest rate on the January 2028 term loan was 7.44% for the period of January 1, 2025 through April 10, 2025, and 8.42% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
The credit agreement contains covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to incur additional debt and provides for restrictions on certain payments (dividends and share repurchases). Additionally, we must be in compliance with certain leverage ratios in order to proceed with acquisitions. Our credit agreement also includes a provision that in certain circumstances we must use a portion of excess cash flow to repay debt. We granted the lenders pledges of our equity interests in our subsidiaries and security interests in substantially all other personal property, including cash and equipment. The credit agreement also contains covenants to comply with a maximum first lien net leverage ratio. For the new revolving credit facility, we must comply with a maximum first lien net leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.0 through September 30, 2026, at which point it steps down to 3.25 times for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2026, and thereafter. For the non-extended revolving credit facility, we must comply with a maximum first lien net leverage ratio of 4.75 to 1.0 through September 30, 2025, at which point it stepped down to 4.50 times for the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2025, and thereafter. As of September 30, 2025, we were in compliance with our financial covenants.
2029 Senior Secured Notes
On December 30, 2020, we issued $550 million of senior secured notes (the "2029 Senior Notes"), which bear interest at a rate of 3.875% per annum and mature on January 15, 2029. The 2029 Senior Notes were priced at 100% of par value and
interest is payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15. Prior to January 15, 2026, we may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at applicable redemption prices noted in the indenture agreement. If we sell certain of our assets or have a change of control, the holders of the 2029 Senior Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of the notes. Our credit agreement also includes a provision that in certain circumstances we must use a portion of excess cash flow to repay debt. The 2029 Senior Notes are guaranteed by us and the majority of our subsidiaries and are secured on equal footing with the obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. The notes are secured, on a first lien basis, from pledges of equity interests in our subsidiaries and by substantially all of the existing and future assets of Scripps. The 2029 Senior Notes contain covenants with which we must comply that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature.
We incurred approximately $13.8 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2029 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes.
2030 Senior Secured Notes
On August 6, 2025, we issued $750 million of senior secured second lien notes (the "2030 Senior Notes"), which bear interest at a rate of 9.875% per annum and mature on August 15, 2030. The 2030 Senior Notes were priced at 99.509% of par value and interest is payable semi-annually on August 15 and February 15. We may redeem some or all of the 2030 Senior Notes before August 15, 2027 at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date plus a "make whole" premium. On and after August 15, 2027, we may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at applicable redemption prices noted in the indenture agreement. The 2030 Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior secured second lien basis by substantially all of our domestic subsidiaries and each existing and future material, wholly-owned domestic subsidiary, subject to certain exceptions (including with respect to permitted securitization facility related entities). The 2030 Senior Notes and the related guarantees are secured by a second priority lien on substantially all of the assets of the Company and the guarantors, subject to permitted liens and certain other exceptions. The Indenture contains covenants that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, limit the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to incur certain additional debt, incur certain liens securing debt, pay certain dividends or make other restricted payments, make certain investments, make certain asset sales and enter into certain transactions with affiliates. The 2030 Senior Notes contain covenants with which we must comply that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature.
We incurred approximately $27.8 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2030 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes.
2027 Senior Unsecured Notes
On July 26, 2019, we issued $500 million of senior unsecured notes, which bear interest at a rate of 5.875% per annum and mature on July 15, 2027 ("the 2027 Senior Notes"). The 2027 Senior Notes were priced at 100% of par value and interest is payable semi-annually on July 15 and January 15. If we sell certain of our assets or have a change of control, the holders of the 2027 Senior Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of the notes. The 2027 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain of our existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries. The 2027 Senior Notes contain covenants with which we must comply that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature.
We incurred approximately $10.7 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes.
With the debt proceeds from the August 6, 2025 issuance of the 2030 Senior Notes, we redeemed the $426 million outstanding principal amount of the 2027 Senior Notes at a weighted-average redemption price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The redemption resulted in the write-off of $0.8 million of deferred financing costs to interest expense and a loss on extinguishment of debt of $2.2 million.
2031 Senior Unsecured Notes
On December 30, 2020, we issued $500 million of senior unsecured notes (the "2031 Senior Notes"), which bear interest at a rate of 5.375% per annum and mature on January 15, 2031. The 2031 Senior Notes were priced at 100% of par value and interest is payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15. We may redeem some or all of the 2031 Senior Notes before January 15, 2026 at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date plus a "make whole" premium. On or after January 15, 2026 and before January 15, 2029, we may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at applicable redemption prices noted in the indenture agreement. If we sell certain of our assets or have a change of control, the holders of the 2031 Senior Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of the notes. The 2031 Senior Notes are also guaranteed by us and the majority our subsidiaries. The 2031 Senior Notes contain covenants with which we must comply that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature.
We incurred approximately $12.5 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2031 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes.
Debt Repurchase Authorization
In February 2023, our Board of Directors provided a new debt repurchase authorization, pursuant to which we may reduce, through redemptions or open market purchases and retirement, a combination of the outstanding principal balance of our senior secured and senior unsecured notes. The authorization permits an aggregate principal amount reduction of up to $500 million and expires on March 1, 2026.
- Other Liabilities
Other liabilities consisted of the following:
| (in thousands) | As of September 30, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Employee compensation and benefits | $31,093 | $28,996 |
| Deferred FCC repack income | 34,636 | 37,733 |
| Programming liability | 166,021 | 248,634 |
| Liability for pension benefits | 70,984 | 71,211 |
| Liabilities for uncertain tax positions | 34,007 | 32,515 |
| Finance leases | 31,355 | 31,021 |
| Other | 12,654 | 14,464 |
| Other liabilities (less current portion) | $380,750 | $464,574 |
- Supplemental Cash Flow Information
The following table presents additional information about the change in certain working capital accounts:
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||
|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 |
| Accounts receivable | $6,672 | $58,804 |
| Other current assets | (13,698) | (12,898) |
| Accounts payable | (27,157) | (15,576) |
| Unearned revenue | 3,891 | 18,098 |
| Accrued employee compensation and benefits | (20,621) | 12,363 |
| Accrued income taxes | 108 | (4,564) |
| Accrued interest | (6,282) | (16,909) |
| Other accrued liabilities | 3,119 | 110 |
| Other, net | (262) | (525) |
| Total | $(54,230) | $38,903 |
- Employee Benefit Plans
We sponsor a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan and non-qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans ("SERPs"). The accrual for future benefits has been frozen in our defined benefit pension plan and SERPs.
We sponsor a defined contribution plan covering substantially all non-union and certain union employees. We match a portion of employees' voluntary contributions to this plan.
Other union-represented employees are covered by defined benefit pension plans jointly sponsored by us and the union, or by union-sponsored multi-employer plans.
The components of the employee benefit plan expense consisted of the following:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Interest cost | $5,650 | $5,628 | $16,948 | $16,833 |
| Expected return on plan assets, net of expenses | (5,558) | (6,018) | (16,675) | (18,054) |
| Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost | 4 | 5 | 13 | 14 |
| Total for defined benefit pension plan | 96 | (385) | 286 | (1,207) |
| SERPs | 242 | 233 | 727 | 701 |
| Defined contribution plan | 3,586 | 3,845 | 11,967 | 12,786 |
| Net periodic benefit cost | $3,924 | $3,693 | $12,980 | $12,280 |
We contributed $1.0 million to fund current benefit payments for our SERPs during the nine months ended September 30, 2025. During the remainder of 2025, we anticipate contributing an additional $0.5 million to fund the SERPs' benefit payments. We have met regulatory funding requirements for our qualified benefit pension plan and do not have a mandatory contribution in 2025.
- Segment Information
We determine our operating segments based upon our management and internal reporting structure, as well as the basis that our chief operating decision maker makes resource-allocation decisions.
Our Local Media segment includes more than 60 local television stations and their related digital operations. It is comprised of 18 ABC affiliates,11 NBC affiliates, nine CBS affiliates andfour FOX affiliates. We also have 11 independent stations and 10 additional low power stations. Our Local Media segment earns revenue primarily from the sale of advertising to local, national and political advertisers and retransmission fees received from cable operators, telecommunications companies, satellite carriers and over-the-top virtual MVPDs.
Our Scripps Networks segment includes national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV as well as popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. The Scripps Networks reach nearly every U.S. television home through free over-the-air broadcast, cable/satellite, connected TV and/or digital distribution. These operations earn revenue primarily through the sale of advertising.
Our segment results reflect the impact of intercompany carriage agreements between our local broadcast television stations and our national networks. The intercompany carriage fee revenue earned by our local broadcast television stations is equal to the carriage fee expense incurred by our national networks. We also allocate a portion of certain corporate costs and expenses, including accounting, human resources, employee benefit and information technology to our segments. These intercompany agreements and allocations are generally amounts agreed upon by management, which may differ from an arms-length amount.
The other segment caption aggregates our operating segments that are too small to report separately. Costs for centrally provided services and certain corporate costs that are not allocated to the segments are included in shared services and corporate costs. These unallocated corporate costs would also include the costs associated with being a public company. Corporate assets are primarily cash and cash equivalents, property and equipment primarily used for corporate purposes and deferred income taxes.
Our President and Chief Executive Officer is the Company's chief operating decision maker. He evaluates the monthly operating performance of our segments, including budget-to-actual variances, and makes decisions about the allocation of resources to our segments using a measure called segment profit. Segment profit excludes interest, defined benefit pension plan amounts, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment charges, divested operating units, restructuring activities, investment results and certain other items that are included in net income (loss) determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Information regarding our segments is as follows:
| (in thousands) · Local Media · Scripps Networks · Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues from external customers | $320,636 | $200,956 | $521,592 | |
| Intersegment revenues | 4,820 | — | 4,820 | |
| Reportable segments revenues | 325,456 | 200,956 | 526,412 | |
| Other revenues(a) | 4,262 | |||
| Intersegment eliminations | (4,820) | |||
| Total consolidated operating revenues | $525,854 | |||
| Less:(b) | ||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 105,115 | 22,120 | ||
| Programming(c) | 124,659 | 86,858 | ||
| Other segment items(d) | 42,881 | 38,679 | ||
| Segment profit for reportable segments | 52,801 | 53,299 | $106,100 | |
| Other segment profit (loss)(a) | (7,598) | |||
| Shared services and corporate | (21,387) | |||
| Restructuring costs | (2,718) | |||
| Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets | (37,208) | |||
| Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment | 434 | |||
| Interest expense | (59,219) | |||
| Loss on extinguishment of debt | (7,622) | |||
| Other financing transaction costs | (6,466) | |||
| Defined benefit pension plan income (expense) | (338) | |||
| Miscellaneous, net | (1,165) | |||
| Income (loss) from operations before income taxes | $(37,187) | |||
(a) Reflects revenues and profit (loss) from operating segments below the reportable quantitative thresholds. These operating segments include our Tablo business, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and operational aspects of the Scripps News and Scripps Sports business units. None of these operating segments have ever met any of the quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments.
(c) Programming includes the cost of national television network programming, carriage agreements with local television broadcasters, programming produced by us or for us by independent production companies, rights acquired under multi-year sports programming agreements and programs licensed under agreements with independent producers.
| (in thousands) · Local Media · Scripps Networks · Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues from external customers | $440,785 | $201,672 | $642,457 | |
| Intersegment revenues | 4,768 | — | 4,768 | |
| Reportable segments revenues | 445,553 | 201,672 | 647,225 | |
| Other revenues(a) | 3,843 | |||
| Intersegment eliminations | (4,768) | |||
| Total consolidated operating revenues | $646,300 | |||
| Less:(b) | ||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 111,767 | 31,364 | ||
| Programming(c) | 124,747 | 87,693 | ||
| Other segment items(d) | 48,354 | 40,554 | ||
| Segment profit for reportable segments | 160,685 | 42,061 | $202,746 | |
| Other segment profit (loss)(a) | (7,744) | |||
| Shared services and corporate | (20,969) | |||
| Restructuring costs | (12,665) | |||
| Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets | (38,861) | |||
| Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment | (727) | |||
| Interest expense | (54,442) | |||
| Defined benefit pension plan income (expense) | 152 | |||
| Miscellaneous, net | 447 | |||
| Income (loss) from operations before income taxes | $67,937 | |||
(a) Reflects revenues and profit (loss) from operating segments below the reportable quantitative thresholds. These operating segments include our Tablo business, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and operational aspects of the Scripps News and Scripps Sports business units. None of these operating segments have ever met any of the quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments.
(c) Programming includes the cost of national television network programming, carriage agreements with local television broadcasters, programming produced by us or for us by independent production companies, rights acquired under multi-year sports programming agreements and programs licensed under agreements with independent producers.
| (in thousands) · Local Media · Scripps Networks · Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues from external customers | $971,414 | $604,728 | $1,576,142 | |
| Intersegment revenues | 14,197 | — | 14,197 | |
| Reportable segments revenues | 985,611 | 604,728 | 1,590,339 | |
| Other revenues(a) | 14,185 | |||
| Intersegment eliminations | (14,197) | |||
| Total consolidated operating revenues | $1,590,327 | |||
| Less:(b) | ||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 314,599 | 64,949 | ||
| Programming(c) | 393,509 | 252,105 | ||
| Other segment items(d) | 133,962 | 114,334 | ||
| Segment profit for reportable segments | 143,541 | 173,340 | $316,881 | |
| Other segment profit (loss)(a) | (20,982) | |||
| Shared services and corporate | (65,778) | |||
| Restructuring costs | (7,475) | |||
| Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets | (112,866) | |||
| Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment | 31,922 | |||
| Interest expense | (161,622) | |||
| Loss on extinguishment of debt | (10,594) | |||
| Other financing transaction costs | (44,537) | |||
| Defined benefit pension plan income (expense) | (1,013) | |||
| Miscellaneous, net | (2,692) | |||
| Income (loss) from operations before income taxes | $(78,756) | |||
(a) Reflects revenues and profit (loss) from operating segments below the reportable quantitative thresholds. These operating segments include our Tablo business, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and operational aspects of the Scripps News and Scripps Sports business units. None of these operating segments have ever met any of the quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments.
(c) Programming includes the cost of national television network programming, carriage agreements with local television broadcasters, programming produced by us or for us by independent production companies, rights acquired under multi-year sports programming agreements and programs licensed under agreements with independent producers.
| (in thousands) · Local Media · Scripps Networks · Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues from external customers | $1,149,021 | $619,670 | $1,768,691 | |
| Intersegment revenues | 14,294 | — | 14,294 | |
| Reportable segments revenues | 1,163,315 | 619,670 | 1,782,985 | |
| Other revenues(a) | 12,702 | |||
| Intersegment eliminations | (14,294) | |||
| Total consolidated operating revenues | $1,781,393 | |||
| Less:(b) | ||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 324,062 | 91,126 | ||
| Programming(c) | 378,603 | 275,329 | ||
| Other segment items(d) | 146,279 | 123,753 | ||
| Segment profit for reportable segments | 314,371 | 129,462 | $443,833 | |
| Other segment profit (loss)(a) | (23,377) | |||
| Shared services and corporate | (64,195) | |||
| Restructuring costs | (18,653) | |||
| Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets | (116,017) | |||
| Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment | (717) | |||
| Interest expense | (161,482) | |||
| Defined benefit pension plan income (expense) | 506 | |||
| Miscellaneous, net | 16,849 | |||
| Income (loss) from operations before income taxes | $76,747 | |||
(a) Reflects revenues and profit (loss) from operating segments below the reportable quantitative thresholds. These operating segments include our Tablo business, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and operational aspects of the Scripps News and Scripps Sports business units. None of these operating segments have ever met any of the quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments.
(c) Programming includes the cost of national television network programming, carriage agreements with local television broadcasters, programming produced by us or for us by independent production companies, rights acquired under multi-year sports programming agreements and programs licensed under agreements with independent producers.
Other segment disclosures are as follows:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Depreciation: | ||||
| Local Media | $9,290 | $10,842 | $28,211 | $31,028 |
| Scripps Networks | 4,971 | 4,698 | 14,767 | 14,242 |
| Total depreciation for reportable segments | 14,261 | 15,540 | 42,978 | 45,270 |
| Other | 53 | 56 | 151 | 186 |
| Shared services and corporate | 366 | 215 | 1,098 | 625 |
| Total depreciation | $14,680 | $15,811 | $44,227 | $46,081 |
| Amortization of intangible assets: | ||||
| Local Media | $8,075 | $8,550 | $24,756 | $26,211 |
| Scripps Networks | 12,977 | 12,838 | 38,930 | 38,791 |
| Total amortization of intangible assets for reportable segments | 21,052 | 21,388 | 63,686 | 65,002 |
| Other | 171 | 450 | 692 | 1,346 |
| Shared services and corporate | 1,305 | 1,212 | 4,261 | 3,588 |
| Total amortization of intangible assets | $22,528 | $23,050 | $68,639 | $69,936 |
| Additions to property and equipment: | ||||
| Local Media | $12,746 | $7,474 | $24,917 | $40,878 |
| Scripps Networks | 2,017 | 4,393 | 3,938 | 10,847 |
| Total additions to property and equipment for reportable segments | 14,763 | 11,867 | 28,855 | 51,725 |
| Other | — | 175 | — | 902 |
| Shared services and corporate | 305 | 1,409 | 709 | 1,870 |
| Total additions to property and equipment | $15,068 | $13,451 | $29,564 | $54,497 |
A disaggregation of the principal activities from which we generate revenue is as follows:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Operating revenues: | ||||
| Core advertising | $323,436 | $315,849 | $978,450 | $986,141 |
| Political | 5,549 | 131,403 | 11,915 | 176,850 |
| Distribution | 188,267 | 191,772 | 572,595 | 593,931 |
| Other | 8,602 | 7,276 | 27,367 | 24,471 |
| Total operating revenues | $525,854 | $646,300 | $1,590,327 | $1,781,393 |
Total assets by segment were as follows :
| (in thousands) | As of September 30, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Assets: | ||
| Local Media | $2,293,883 | $2,323,964 |
| Scripps Networks | 2,618,654 | 2,753,971 |
| Total assets by reportable segments | 4,912,537 | 5,077,935 |
| Other(a) | 32,268 | 34,800 |
| Shared services and corporate | 144,783 | 85,840 |
| Total assets | $5,089,588 | $5,198,575 |
(a) Reflects assets of operating segments below the reportable quantitative thresholds. These operating segments include our Tablo business, the Scripps National Spelling Bee and operational aspects of the Scripps News and Scripps Sports business units.
- Capital Stock
Capital Stock — We havetwo classes of common shares, Common Voting shares and Class A Common shares. The Class A Common shares are only entitled to vote on the election of the greater ofthree or one-third of the directors and other matters as required by Ohio law.
On January 7, 2021, we issued 6,000 shares of series A preferred stock, having a face value of $100,000 per share. The preferred shares are perpetual and will be redeemable at the option of the Company beginning on the fifth anniversary of issuance, and redeemable at the option of the holders in the event of a Change of Control (as defined in the terms of the preferred shares), in each case at a redemption price of 105% of the face value, plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The 9% per annum dividend rate on the preferred shares, which compounds quarterly, will be incurred at that rate for the remaining periods that the preferred shares are outstanding.
We did not declare or provide payment for the preferred stock dividend in any of the three quarters of 2025 or any of the 2024 quarters. At September 30, 2025, aggregated undeclared and unpaid cumulative dividends totaled $101 million and the redemption value of the preferred stock totaled $734 million.
Under the terms of the preferred shares, we are prohibited from paying dividends on and repurchasing our common shares until all preferred shares are redeemed.
Class A Common Shares Stock Warrant — In connection with the issuance of the preferred shares, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. ("Berkshire Hathaway") also received a warrant to purchase up to 23.1 million Class A shares, at an exercise price of $13 per share. The warrant is exercisable at the holder's option at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, until the first anniversary of the date on which no preferred shares remain outstanding.
- Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") by component, including items reclassified out of AOCI, were as follows:
| (in thousands) | Defined Benefit Pension Items | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning balance, June 30, 2025 | $(74,907) | $(327) | $(75,234) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | — | — | — |
| Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $12(a) | 26 | 10 | 36 |
| Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) | 26 | 10 | 36 |
| Ending balance, September 30, 2025 | $(74,881) | $(317) | $(75,198) |
| (in thousands) | Defined Benefit Pension Items | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning balance, June 30, 2024 | $(75,189) | $(253) | $(75,442) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | — | — | — |
| Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $10 (a) | 29 | 5 | 34 |
| Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) | 29 | 5 | 34 |
| Ending balance, September 30, 2024 | $(75,160) | $(248) | $(75,408) |
| (in thousands) | Defined Benefit Pension Items | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning balance, December 31, 2024 | $(74,957) | $(349) | $(75,306) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | — | — | — |
| Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $35(a) | 76 | 32 | 108 |
| Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) | 76 | 32 | 108 |
| Ending balance, September 30, 2025 | $(74,881) | $(317) | $(75,198) |
| (in thousands) | Defined Benefit Pension Items | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning balance, December 31, 2023 | $(75,247) | $(263) | $(75,510) |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | — | — | — |
| Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $32(a) | 87 | 15 | 102 |
| Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) | 87 | 15 | 102 |
| Ending balance, September 30, 2024 | $(75,160) | $(248) | $(75,408) |
(a) Actuarial gain (loss) is included in defined benefit pension plan expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
- Assets Held for Sale
On September 3, 2025, we reached an agreement to sell WFTX, our local Fox-affiliated station in Fort Myers, Florida, to Sun Broadcasting for $40.0 million. The transaction will close upon satisfaction of closing conditions and expected regulatory approval.
The following table presents a summary of the WFTX assets held for sale included in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
| (in thousands) | As of September 30, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Assets: | |
| Total current assets | $— |
| Property and equipment | 11,334 |
| Goodwill and intangible assets | 25,240 |
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 161 |
| Other assets | 203 |
| Total assets held for sale | $36,938 |
On April 30, 2025, we completed the sale of our West Palm Beach television station building to 110 Banyan LLC for cash consideration of $40.0 million and recognized a pre-tax gain from disposition of $31.4 million. With the asset sale, we also entered into a 2.5-year building lease with the buyer for cash consideration of $2.5 million annually.
Pending Transactions
On July 7, 2025, we entered into agreements with Gray Media, Inc. ("Gray"), to swap television stations across five markets. Upon completion of the transactions, we will acquire Gray's KKTV (CBS) in Colorado Springs, Colorado; KKCO (NBC) and low power station KJCT-LP (ABC) in Grand Junction, Colorado; and KMVT (CBS) and low power station KSVT-LD (Fox) in Twin Falls, Idaho. Gray will be acquiring WSYM (Fox) in Lansing, Michigan, and KATC (ABC) in Lafayette, Louisiana. The swap involves the even exchange of comparable assets. As a result, neither company will pay cash consideration to the other. The transaction will close upon satisfaction of closing conditions and necessary regulatory approvals.
In October 2025, we received authorization from our Board of Directors and reached agreement to sell WRTV, our local ABC-affiliated station in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Circle City Broadcasting for $83.0 million. The transaction will close following completion of financing, satisfaction of customary closing conditions and expected regulatory approval.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.