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Mar 31, 2020
Nexstar Q1 2020 Earnings Report
Nexstar's first quarter was marked by record revenue and strong profitability, driven by political ad spending and distribution revenue growth, but the company withdrew its free cash flow guidance due to COVID-19 uncertainty.
Key Takeaways
Nexstar Media Group reported a record first quarter with a 74.2% increase in net revenue to $1.1 billion. The company experienced strong growth in political advertising revenue and distribution revenue. However, due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, Nexstar withdrew its free cash flow guidance for the 2020/2021 cycle.
Net revenue increased by 74.2% to $1.1 billion, marking the first billion-dollar quarter.
Political advertising revenue rose significantly due to active spending by Presidential candidates.
Distribution revenue increased by 75.1% to $549.7 million due to the inclusion of WGN America and recent distribution agreement renewals.
The company allocated $457 million towards debt reduction, lowering the first lien net leverage ratio to 3.04x.
Revenue by Segment
Forward Guidance
Due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, Nexstar withdrew its free cash flow guidance for the 2020/2021 cycle.
Positive Outlook
- Over 50% of annual revenue is expected to be derived from contractual distribution fee and political advertising revenue.
- Nexstar has solid visibility in terms of contractual distribution economics through December 2022.
- The company completed new multi-year retransmission consent agreements representing approximately 70% of subscribers at year-end 2019.
- New long-term network affiliation contracts with CBS, FOX and NBC.
- Nexstar has a strong balance sheet including $434 million in cash at March 31, with access to an additional $140 million under our revolving credit facility.
Challenges Ahead
- The broadcast industry experienced a rapid change in market conditions due to COVID-19.
- A significant decline in commercial advertising revenue in the last three weeks of March and into the second quarter.
- The precise depth and duration of COVID-19’s impact on operations is uncertain.
Historical Earnings Impact
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Avg. Return Before/After Earnings
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