E.W. Scripps reports Q1 EPS (15c), consensus (17c)

Reports Q1 revenue $561.46M, consensus $566.43M. “In the first quarter, we were pleased to deliver strong operating results that exceeded our expectations due to our close expense management. Local political is coming on strong. We also are seeing green shoots in the national direct response advertising marketplace while scatter market pricing improved in Q1 2024 over Q1 2023. The company is sharply focused on our No.1 priority of bringing down our debt levels and leverage to a more comfortable place by year’s end. We are optimistic about the sale of a major asset, the Bounce TV network, as well as some non-strategic real estate assets. We expect to benefit from robust political advertising, the early signs of recovery in parts of the national advertising marketplace, and our expected increase in revenue from the stability we’ve seen in the pay TV ecosystem. With careful expense management, we are committed and confident this will be a significant year toward our goal.”