JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, speaks onstage during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2023 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, May 17, 2023.
Kevin Mazur | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Warner Bros. Discovery‘s stock dropped on Wednesday after it reported a $9.1 billion write down on its TV networks and missed analyst estimates on revenue.
Here is how Warner Bros. Discovery performed:
- Loss per share: $4.07. That may not compare with the 22 cent loss expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG
- Revenue: $9.7 billion vs. $10.071 billion expected
The company’s shares were down roughly 7% in aftermarket trading.
Warner Bros. Discovery reported the non-cash goodwill impairment charge on Wednesday, which was triggered by the reevaluation of the book value of the TV networks segment — which was higher than the market value as traditional TV networks continue to see customers flee and advertisers are opting to spend on digital and streaming instead.
Revenue for Warner Bros. Discovery’s TV networks — a portfolio that includes TBS, TNT, Discovery and TLC — was down 8% to $5.272 billion during the second quarter, with both distribution and advertising revenue down in the segment.
However the company’s streaming business, centered around the platform Max, was a bright spot.
The company said Wednesday it added 3.6 million subscribers during the quarter ended June 30, bringing its total global streaming customers to 103.3 million. This occurred as Max was launched in new international markets.
Still, direct-to-consumer streaming revenue decreased 5% to $2.568 billion, driven by content revenue dropping 70% due to a lower volume of third-party licensing deals. Yet advertising revenue for streaming was up 99%, the company said, driven by higher domestic engagement on Max, and ad-supported subscriber growth. Global revenue also increased 4% driven by the ad-tier.
Total revenue for the quarter was down 6% to $9.7 billion. Total adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization decreased 15% to $1.8 billion.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Warner Bros. Discovery’s revenue was $9.7 billion for the quarter.
