iHeartMedia Q2 revenue slightly beats estimates on higher political advertising

iHeartMedia

10/08/2026 21:09

Overview
U.S. audio broadcaster's Q2 revenue rose 4.7%, slightly beating analyst expectations
Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was $152 mln, slightly beating analyst expectations
Free cash flow improved to $46 mln from negative in prior year period

Outlook
iHeartMedia sees Q3 revenue rising mid-single digits
Company expects Q3 Adjusted EBITDA of $180 mln to $220 mln
iHeartMedia forecasts 2026 Adjusted EBITDA of about $800 mln and free cash flow of $200 mln

Result Drivers
DIGITAL AUDIO GROWTH - Digital Audio Group revenue rose 12% YoY, driven by increased demand for digital and podcast advertising
MULTIPLATFORM WEAKNESS - Multiplatform Group revenue fell 2% YoY, mainly due to lower broadcast, networks, and sponsorship revenues amid advertiser uncertainty on consumer spending
POLITICAL ADVERTISING - Higher political advertising revenue contributed to growth, reflecting the impact of the 2026 midterm election cycle

Company press release: ID:nBw2s0BMya

Key Details
Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q2 Revenue
Slight Beat*
$977.23 mln
$970.15 mln (4 Analysts)
Q2 Adjusted EBITDA
Slight Beat*
$151.52 mln
$151.24 mln (4 Analysts)
Q2 Free Cash Flow
 
$46 mln
 
Q2 Operating Income
 
$36 mln
 
*Applies to a deviation of less than 1%; not applicable for per-share numbers.

Analyst Coverage
The current average analyst rating on the shares is "hold" and the breakdown of recommendations is no "strong buy" or "buy", 2 "hold" and 2 "sell" or "strong sell"
The average consensus recommendation for the broadcasting peer group is "buy."
Wall Street's median 12-month price target for iHeartMedia, Inc. is $3.63, about 6.1% below its August 7 closing price of $3.86

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For questions concerning the data in this report, contact Estimates.Support@lseg.com. For any other questions or feedback, contact reuters.support@thomsonreuters.com.

(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)