Scripps Q3 Revenue Rises 3.6% to $545 Million as Political Advertising Surges
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), based in Cincinnati, Ohio, reported third-quarter 2026 results on November 5, 2026. Company revenue was $545 million, an increase of 3.6%, or $19 million, from the prior-year quarter, and income attributable to shareholders was $20.7 million, or 21 cents per share, compared with a loss of $49 million, or 55 cents per share, a year earlier. The quarter included $18.8 million in restructuring costs, which reduced income attributable to shareholders by 14 cents per share.
Political advertising was the biggest driver: third-quarter political revenue was $82.6 million, compared with $5.5 million in the prior-year quarter, a non-election year. Through Election Day on November 3, Scripps generated $284 million in full-year Local Media political advertising revenue, 44% above the 2022 midterm election cycle.
By segment, Local Media revenue was $373 million, up 15%, including $80.6 million of political revenue, and segment profit was $118 million, up from $52.8 million a year earlier. Scripps Networks revenue was $173 million, down 14% as reported, or 11% on an adjusted combined basis, with segment profit of $33 million. Connected TV revenue grew 37%, and Scripps now expects it to end the year at about $155 million.
Scripps ended the quarter with $83.4 million in cash and $2.5 billion in total debt, and plans to use cash on hand and fourth-quarter political advertising revenue to pay down at least $150 million of debt in the fourth quarter. The transformation plan launched in February targets $125 million to $150 million of enterprise EBITDA growth by 2028; the company reduced its workforce by about 20% in 2026 and expects to have implemented about $100 million in annual run-rate savings by year end.
President and CEO Adam Symson said that during the contentious 2026 midterm cycle, broadcast television continued to prove itself the best vehicle for reaching voters, and that Scripps' strong political footprint drove its full-year political ad revenue 44% above its 2022 midterm results, aided by its local sports strategy, connected TV business, and dedicated political sales force.
Source: The E.W. Scripps Company
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于俄亥俄州 Cincinnati 的 Scripps Center，是 E.W. Scripps 公司总部所在地。CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, headquarters of The E.W. Scripps Company. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
