ATLANTA, Aug. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.

EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY

Hilton Howell, Jr., Executive Chairman and CEO, commented, “Our second quarter 2026 results are starting to reflect the benefits of our M&A activity. We met or exceeded our second quarter guidance across every metric except corporate expense, which was higher due to transaction-related costs, and our net leverage ratio improved during the quarter. We are particularly pleased with political advertising, which significantly exceeded our second quarter guidance, and is trending ahead of not only 2024 but also 2022 year-to-date levels. Our Net Retransmission Revenue returned to year-over-year growth even excluding the 2026 acquisitions, despite the blackout that ended on May 1.

“Year-to-date, we have made progress on every front. We have added stations in 22 markets (net of dispositions) including stations in six markets from American Spirit Media. We continue to invest in our stations, people and communities to drive journalistic excellence, as reflected by our 93 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this year, up from 81 last year. We expanded our local professional sports portfolio by adding approximately 70 televised Atlanta Hawks regular season games on WANF in Atlanta and across our Peachtree Sports Network through the 2028-29 NBA season. We also made progress on our balance sheet through creative transactions that lower our cost of capital and enhance our cash flow. Our goal is to extend our market leadership as the largest owner of top-rated local television stations by prudently investing in our broadcast business, while also prioritizing balance sheet deleveraging.”

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Total Revenue - $839 million in the second quarter of 2026, or an increase of 9% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions⁽¹⁾ contributed $41 million in total revenue in the second quarter of 2026.
  
• Core Advertising Revenue – $357 million in the second quarter of 2026, or a decrease of 1% compared to second quarter 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $15 million of core advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2026.
  
• Political Advertising Revenue – $83 million in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $9 million in  the second quarter of 2025, and $47 million and $90 million in the second quarters of 2024 and 2022, respectively, the previous “on-years” of the two-year election cycle. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $3 million of political advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2026.
  
• Retransmission Consent Revenue – $359 million in the second quarter of 2026, or a decrease of 3% from $369 million in the second quarter of 2025. Retransmission consent revenue decreased due to continued subscriber declines, the transition of one station to independent status, and a resolved dispute with a distribution partner. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $23 million of retransmission consent revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Net Retransmission Revenue was $150 million in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 10% from $136 million in the second quarter of 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions contributed $9 million of Net Retransmission Revenue in the second quarter of 2026.
• Broadcasting Expenses – $569 million in the second quarter of 2026, or an increase of 1% compared to the second quarter of 2025. The 2026 Acquisitions increased broadcasting expenses by $30 million in the second quarter of 2026.
  
• Corporate Expenses – $37 million, above the high end of the $30 million to $35 million guidance range, primarily due to transaction-related expenses.

(1) We define "2026 Acquisitions" as all of the acquisitions which closed between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026. This includes stations acquired from Bahakel Communications, Ltd. (WBBJ), all ten markets from Allen Media Group, Block Communications, Inc. and Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, Inc. The 2026 Acquisitions exclude the station swap with Scripps.

Recent Financing Activities

• Additional 2033 1L Notes – On June 30, 2026, we issued $70 million in additional 7.250% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due in 2033 at par, plus accrued interest. The additional notes were used to fund $40 million of the purchase consideration for the first closing of American Spirit Media, LLC and $30 million to repurchase an aggregate liquidation preference of $50 million of Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock (50,000 shares).
  
• Repurchase of 2029 1L Notes and 2031 Notes – On July 21, 2026, we repurchased, in a privately negotiated transaction, $100 million of our 10.500% Senior Secured First Lien notes due in 2029 and $20 million of our 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2031, each at a price of par, plus accrued interest, using cash on hand and borrowings under our existing revolving credit facility.
  
• Debt Repurchase Authorization –  On August 6, 2026, our Board of Directors authorized us to use up to $250 million of available liquidity to repurchase our outstanding indebtedness through December 31, 2027, replacing our prior authorization that expired on December 31, 2025. The extent of such repurchases, including the amount and timing of any repurchases, will depend on general market conditions, regulatory requirements, alternative investment opportunities and other considerations. This repurchase program does not require us to repurchase a minimum amount of debt, and it may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.
  

Leverage Metrics - As of June 30, 2026, calculated as set forth in our Senior Credit Agreement (unaudited):

• Consolidated First Lien Net Leverage Ratio          2.55 to 1.00
  
• Consolidated Secured Net Leverage Ratio           3.71 to 1.00
  
• Consolidated Total Net Leverage Ratio                 5.73 to 1.00
  

Liquidity - As of June 30, 2026:

Cash – $176 million

• Borrowing availability under our $750 million undrawn revolving credit facility - $745 million (reflecting only certain outstanding undrawn letters of credit)
  
• Accounts receivable securitization facility of $400 million was fully drawn

Acquisitions

• During the three months ended June 30, 2026, we completed transactions involving television station acquisitions and divestitures with The E.W. Scripps Company (“Scripps”), Sagamore Hill Broadcasting, Inc. (“SGH”), Block Communications, Inc. (“BCI”) and Allen Media Group, Inc. (“Allen 7”) (collectively, the “2Q Acquisitions”).
• On July 1, 2026, we acquired the non-license assets of six television stations from American Spirit Media, LLC (“ASM”) and the non-license assets of WHPM-TV, LLC (“WHPM”) for $43 million in cash. The acquisition of the remaining assets of ASM and WHPM are pending regulatory approval; however, no assurance can be given that we will receive the required regulatory approvals.

Guidance for the Quarter Ending September 30, 2026:

Based on our current forecasts for the quarter ending September 30, 2026, we anticipate the following key financial results, as outlined below in approximate ranges and as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2025, as well as certain currently anticipated full-year financial results. Our guidance includes estimated results for all television stations that were fully acquired as of August 7, 2026, as well as the ASM and WHPM stations.
As always, guidance may change in the future based on several factors and therefore may not reflect future actual results.

The Company

We are a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. We serve 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 78 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

Cautionary Statements for Purposes of the “Safe Harbor” Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based largely on our current expectations and reflect various estimates and assumptions by us. These statements are statements other than those of historical fact and may be identified by words such as “estimates,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will,” “implied,” “assume” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks, trends and uncertainties, which in some instances are beyond our control, include: the inability to achieve estimates of future revenue, expenses, capital expenditures, and income tax payments, the inability to complete the pending acquisitions within the expected timeframes, or at all, including as a result of the failure to obtain necessary FCC or other regulatory approvals, and other future events. We are subject to additional risks and uncertainties described in our quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including in the “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections contained therein, which reports are made publicly available via our website, www.graymedia.com. Any forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. This press release reflects management’s views as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Gray undertakes no obligation to update or revise any information contained in this press release beyond the published date, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information about certain potential factors that could affect our business and financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements are included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and may be contained in reports subsequently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

Conference Call Information

We will host a conference call to discuss our operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, on Friday, August 7, 2026. The call will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The live dial-in number is 1-800-715-9871 or 1-646-307-1963 conference ID 3663076. The call will be webcast live and available for replay at www.graymedia.com. The taped replay of the conference call will be available at 1-800-770-2030 using conference ID 3663076 until September 4, 2026.

Gray Contact:
Web site: www.graymedia.com
Alan Gould, Vice President, Investor Relations, (404) 266-8333, alan.gould@graymedia.com

Non-GAAP Terms
This earnings release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Net Retransmission Revenue.” We present these measures, in addition to results prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), because management believes they are useful in evaluating the performance of the business. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net income (loss), adjusted for income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, gain or loss on extinguishment of debt, non-cash stock-based compensation costs, non-cash 401(k) expense, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, impairment of investments, loss (gain) on asset disposals and certain other miscellaneous items. Net Retransmission Revenue is calculated as retransmission consent revenue less broadcasting network affiliation fees. See “Selected Operating Data” above for a reconciliation of Net Retransmission Revenue to the most comparable GAAP metric. We consider Adjusted EBITDA and Net Retransmission Revenue to be indicators of our operating performance.

In addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, “Leverage Ratio Denominator” is a metric that management uses to calculate our compliance with certain financial covenants in our indebtedness agreements. This metric is calculated as specified in our Senior Credit Agreement and is a significant measure that represents the denominator of a formula used to calculate compliance with certain material financial covenants within the Senior Credit Agreement that govern our ability to incur indebtedness, incur liens, make investments and make restricted payments, among other limitations usual and customary for credit agreements of this type. Accordingly, management believes this metric may be useful to investors to understand how we assess compliance with our Senior Credit Agreement. Leverage Ratio Denominator gives effect to the revenue and broadcast expenses of all completed acquisitions and divestitures as if they had been acquired or divested, respectively, on July 1, 2024. It also gives effect to certain operating synergies expected from the acquisitions and related financings and adds back professional fees incurred in completing the various transactions. Certain financial information related to the acquisitions, if applicable, has been derived from, and adjusted based on, unaudited, un-reviewed financial information prepared by other entities, which Gray cannot independently verify. We cannot assure you that such financial information would not be materially different if such information were audited or reviewed and no assurances can be provided as to the completeness or accuracy of such information, or that our actual results would not differ materially from this financial information if the acquisitions had been completed on the stated date. In addition, the presentation of Leverage Ratio Denominator as determined in the Senior Credit Agreement and the adjustments to such information, including expected synergies, if applicable, resulting from such transactions, may not comply with GAAP or the requirements for pro forma financial information under Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, and should not be relied upon as indicative of future results. Leverage Ratio Denominator, as determined in the Senior Credit Agreement, represents an average amount for the preceding eight quarters then ended.

Our “Specified Transaction Costs and Expenses” are defined in our Senior Credit Agreement and include incremental expenses incurred specific to acquisitions and divestitures, including but not limited to legal and professional fees, severance and incentive compensation, and contract termination fees. We present certain line items from our selected operating data, net of Transaction Related Expenses, to enhance the comparability of our operating expenses and results of operations across periods.

Our “Consolidated First Lien Net Debt”, “Consolidated Secured Net Debt” and “Consolidated Total Net Debt” in each case presented net of all cash, represents the amount of outstanding principal of our long-term debt, plus certain other obligations as defined in our Senior Credit Agreement for the applicable amount of indebtedness.

These non-GAAP measures are not defined by GAAP, and our definitions may differ from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies, thereby limiting their usefulness. Such measures are used by management in addition to, and in conjunction with, results presented in accordance with GAAP and should be considered as supplements to, and not as substitutes for, net income and cash flows reported in accordance with GAAP.