Mediaco Holding Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Special Note on Forward-Looking Information: You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Certain statements included in this Quarterly Report or in the financial statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to those identified with the words “expect,” “believes,” “should,” “will” or “look” are intended to be, and are, by this Note, identified as “forward-looking statements,” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements are based upon current expectations that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future result, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. Such factors include, among others: • Potential conflicts of interest with SG Broadcasting and our status as a “controlled company”; • Our ability to operate as a standalone public company and to execute on our business strategy; • Our ability to compete with, and integrate into our operations, new media channels, such as digital video, live video streaming, YouTube, and other real-time media delivery; • Our ability to continue to sell advertising time or exchange advertising time for goods or services; • Our ability to use market research, advertising and promotions to attract and retain audiences; • U.S. regulatory requirements for owning and operating media broadcasting channels and our ability to maintain regulatory licenses granted by the FCC; • Pending U.S. regulatory requirements for paying royalties to performing artists; • Inflation and interest rate risk; • A potential recession, economic downturn, and stagflation; • The impact of a potential temporary federal government shutdown and other political developments, including immigration, political protests or unrest, boycotts, or other social and political developments; • Increased technology costs and supply chain issues; • Industry and economic trends within the U.S. radio and television industry, generally, and in the markets in which we operate, in particular; • Changes in U.S. and global economies and financial markets, including economic activity, employment levels, global trade relations, new or increased tariffs imposed by the U.S. and foreign governments and other factors driving trade uncertainty; • The effect of such economic conditions on advertising activity; • Our ability to successfully attract and retain on-air talent; • Our ability to successfully produce and distribute on-air programming; • Our ability to maintain and expand distribution platforms and station affiliations; • Our ability to finance our operations or to obtain financing on terms that are favorable to MediaCo; • Our ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions, including the recent transactions with Estrella Broadcasting, Inc. and any future acquisitions; • The accuracy of management’s estimates and assumptions on which the Company’s financial projections are based; and • Other factors mentioned in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For a more detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, see the Risk Factors section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 15, 2025 . MediaCo does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise. GENERAL The following discussion pertains to MediaCo Holding Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “MediaCo” or the “Company”). -24- Table of Contents We own and operate two radio stations located in New York City, which serve the New York City demographic market area that primarily target Black, Hispanic, and multi-cultural consumers and as a result of the Estrella Acquisition, Estrella’s network, content, digital, and commercial operations, including network affiliation and program supply agreements with Estrella for its 11 radio stations serving Los Angeles, CA, Houston, TX, and Dallas, TX and nine television stations serving Los Angeles, CA, Houston, TX, Denver, CO, New York, NY, Chicago, IL and Miami, FL. Among the Estrella brands that joined MediaCo are the EstrellaTV network, its influential linear and digital video content business, Estrella’s expansive digital channels, including its eight free ad-supported television (“FAST”) channels - EstrellaTV, Estrella News, Cine EstrellaTV, Estrella Games, EstrellaTV Mexico, Curiosity Explora, Curiosity Motores, and Curiosity Animales. See Note 3 — Business Combinations in our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for additional information on the Estrella Acquisition. We derive our revenues primarily from radio, television and digital advertising sales, but we also generate revenues from events, including sponsorships and ticket sales, licensing, and syndication. Our revenues are mostly affected by the advertising rates our entities charge, as advertising sales are the primary component of our consolidated revenues. These rates are in large part based on our stations’ ability to attract audiences in demographic groups targeted by their advertisers. The Nielsen Company generally measures radio station ratings weekly for markets measured by the Portable People Meter™ as well as providing television programming ratings services for the EstrellaTV network and the Estrella variable interest entity (“VIE”) local television stations. Because audience ratings in a station’s local market are critical to the station’s financial success, our strategy is to use market research, advertising and promotion to attract and retain audiences in each station’s chosen demographic target group. Our revenues vary throughout the year. Revenue and operating income are usually lowest in the first calendar quarter, partly because retailers cut back their advertising spending immediately following the holiday shopping season. In addition to the sale of advertising time for cash, stations typically exchange advertising time for goods or services, which can be used by the station in its business operations. These barter transactions are recorded at the estimated fair value of the product or service received. We generally confine the use of such trade transactions to promotional items or services for which we would otherwise have paid cash. In addition, it is our general policy not to preempt advertising spots paid for in cash with advertising spots paid for in trade. The following table summarizes the sources of our revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. The category “Other” includes, among other items, revenues related to network revenues and barter. (dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 % of Total 2024 % of Total Net revenues: Spot Radio & TV Advertising $ 16,031 57 $ 4,348 65 Digital 9,537 34 862 13 Syndication 668 2 598 9 Events and Sponsorships 239 1 121 2 Other 1,555 6 777 12 Total net revenues $ 28,030 $ 6,706 Roughly 20% of our expenses vary in connection with changes in revenue. These variable expenses primarily relate to costs in our sales department, such as salaries, commissions and bad debt. Our costs that do not vary as much in relation to revenue are mostly in our programming and general and administrative departments, such as talent costs, rating fees, rents, utilities and salaries. Lastly, our costs that are highly discretionary are costs in our marketing and promotions department, which we primarily incur to maintain and/or increase our audience and market share. KNOWN TRENDS AND UNCERTAINTIES The U.S. traditional radio and television broadcasting industries are mature industries and their growth rates have stalled. Management believes this is principally the result of two factors: (i) new media, such as various media distributed via the Internet, telecommunication companies and cable interconnects, as well as social networks, have gained advertising share against radio, television and other traditional media and created a proliferation of advertising inventory and (ii) the fragmentation of the radio and television audiences and time spent listening and viewing caused by satellite radio, audio and video streaming services, and podcasts has led some investors and advertisers to conclude that the effectiveness of broadcast advertising has diminished. Our network and stations have aggressively worked to harness the power of broadband and mobile media distribution in the development of emerging business opportunities by capitalizing on the rapidly growing FAST marketplace through several operated channels, creating highly interactive direct-to-consumer (“D2C”) apps and websites with content that engages our audience and harnessing the power of digital video on our D2C platforms, YouTube, and connected TV publishers, vMVPDs and OEMs. -25- Table of Contents As part of our business strategy, we continually evaluate potential acquisitions of businesses that we believe hold promise for long-term appreciation in value and leverage our strengths. We also regularly review our portfolio of assets and may opportunistically dispose of or otherwise monetize assets when we believe it is appropriate to do so. As part of the Estrella Acquisition integration, we developed a plan to close and relocate certain studio and marketing operations. In fulfilling this plan, we incurred involuntary termination costs of $0.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2025, included in operating expenses on our condensed consolidated statements of operations included elsewhere in this report. MediaCo has been impacted by the rising interest rate environment in the financial markets, driving the interest accrued and paid on the Emmis Convertible Promissory Note to increase prior to its maturity in November 2024 as well as providing uncertainty on our First Lien Term Loan and Second Lien Term Loan, which have variable interest rates. Although the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate several times in 2024, it has indicated a slower pace of rate reductions in 2025 due to persistent inflationary pressures. While the Federal Reserve has signaled a bias toward eventually lowering rates further it has also indicated that additional rate increases in the future may be necessary if inflation remains elevated, and there can be no assurance that the Federal Reserve will not make upwards adjustments to the federal funds rate, or that it will reduce the current rate, in the future. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES During the three months ended March 31, 2025, there were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those described under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Critical Accounting Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2025. We have considered information available to us as of the date of issuance of these financial statements and are not aware of any specific e vents or circumstances that would require an update to our estimates or judgments, or a revision to the carrying value of our assets or liabilities. Our estimates may change as new events occur and additional information becomes available, and our actual results may differ materially from our previously disclosed estimates. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Executive Summary The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of MediaCo Holding Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere herein. The key developments in our business for the three months ended March 31, 2025 are summarized below: • Net revenues of $28.0 million increased $21.3 million, or 318%, during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to net revenues of $6.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024. • Operating loss of $4.7 million increased $1.2 million, or 35%, during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to operating loss of $3.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024. • Net loss of $8.6 million increased $4.9 million, or 134%, during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to net loss of $3.7 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024. • Cash flows provided by operating activities increased by $1.6 million, or 399%, during the three months ended March 31, 2025 to $2.1 million compared to cash flows provided by operating activities of $0.4 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024. • Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $1.4 million increasing 55% compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Consolidated Operating Data The following table sets forth a summary of each of the Company’s components of operating expense as a percentage of net revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024: -26- Table of Contents Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 2024 (Dollars in thousands) Amount % Amount % NET REVENUES $ 28,030 100 $ 6,706 100 OPERATING EXPENSES: Operating expenses 29,212 104 6,650 99 Corporate expenses 1,593 6 3,390 51 Depreciation and amortization 1,769 6 133 2 Loss on disposal of assets 139 — — — Total operating expenses 32,713 10,173 OPERATING LOSS $ (4,683) $ (3,467) Three-Month Period Ended March 31, 2025 compared to March 31, 2024 Three Months Ended March 31, Change (Dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 $ % NET REVENUES $ 28,030 $ 6,706 21,324 318 OPERATING EXPENSES: Operating expenses 29,212 6,650 22,562 339 Corporate expenses 1,593 3,390 (1,797) (53) Depreciation and amortization 1,769 133 1,636 1230 Loss on disposal of assets 139 — 139 N/A Total operating expenses 32,713 10,173 22,540 222 OPERATING LOSS (4,683) (3,467) (1,216) 35 OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE): Interest expense, net (3,754) (136) (3,618) 2660 Other income 111 10 101 1010 Total other expense (3,643) (126) (3,517) 2791 LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES (8,326) (3,593) (4,733) 132 PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES 280 84 196 233 NET LOSS $ (8,606) $ (3,677) (4,929) 134 Net revenues: Net revenues increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily due to the new assets acquired in the Audio and Video segments as part of the Estrella Acquisition in April 2024. Operating expenses: Operating expenses increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily due to the new assets acquired in the Audio and Video segments as part of the Estrella Acquisition. Corporate expenses: Corporate expenses decreased for the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily due to lower professional service fees driven by work related to the Estrella Acquisition in the prior year. Depreciation and amortization: Depreciation and amortization expense increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily related to the Estrella Acquisition. Depreciation and amortization expenses excluding expenses related to the Estrella Acquisition, remained relatively flat due to certain assets becoming fully depreciated in the prior year offset by new assets placed into service in 2025. Loss on disposal of assets: Loss on disposal of assets increased for the three months ended March 31, 2025 primarily due to the disposal of certain fixed assets during that three-month period, while there were no such disposals in 2024. -27- Table of Contents Operating loss: See “Net revenues,” “Operating expenses,” “Corporate expenses,” “Depreciation and amortization,” and “Loss on disposal of assets” above. Interest expense, net: Interest expense increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 due to the additional long-term debt related to the Estrella Acquisition. Other income: Other income increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the prior year primarily because we began subleasing one of our facilities in this first quarter. Provision for income taxes: Provision for income taxes increased during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the prior year due to tax amortization of the Company’s historical and newly acquired indefinite-lived intangibles, along with the impact of filing in additional state jurisdictions as a result of the Estrella Acquisition. See Note 8 — Income Taxes in our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for additional details. Consolidated net loss: The increase in consolidated net loss was primarily due to the Estrella Acquisition. See “Net revenues,” “Operating expenses,”, “Corporate expenses,” “Depreciation and amortization,” “Loss on disposal of assets,” “Interest expense, net,” “ Provision for income taxes,” and “Other income” above for additional details. Performance by Business Segment Audio Segment The Company’s Audio Segment includes the Estrella MediaCo radio, digital and events operations as well as two New York radio stations that predate the Estrella Acquisition. Revenue, Operating expenses and Segment Operating Loss for our Audio Segment were as follows: Audio Segment Three Months Ended March 31, (Dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 Net Revenues $ 13,692 $ 6,706 Operating Expenses 12,997 6,783 Segment Operating Income (Loss) $ 695 $ (77) Revenue and operating expenses from our Audio Segment increased $7.0 million and $6.2 million, respectively, during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, driven primarily as a result of the new assets acquired in the Audio segment as part of the Estrella Acquisition. Video Segment The Company’s Video Segment includes the results of the EstrellaTV network and all of the Estrella MediaCo television operations, including digital. Revenue, Operating expenses and Segment Operating Loss for our Video Segment were as follows: Video Segment Three Months Ended March 31, (Dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 Net Revenues $ 14,338 $ — Operating Expenses 18,123 — Segment Operating Loss (3,785) — All Revenue and Operating expenses from our Video Segment in the three months ended March 31, 2025 were due to the new assets acquired as part of the Estrella Acquisition. -28- Table of Contents Corporate and other Operating expenses related to Corporate and other decreased to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to $3.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, primarily due to lower professional service fees driven by work related to the Estrella Acquisition in the prior year. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliations of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (1) Three Months Ended March 31, (Dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 Net Loss $ (8,606) $ (3,677) Provision for income taxes 280 84 Interest expense, net 3,754 136 Depreciation and amortization 1,769 133 EBITDA $ (2,803) $ (3,324) Loss on disposal of assets 139 — Change in fair value of warrant shares liability — — Other income (111) (10) Other adjustments 4,181 4,239 Adjusted EBITDA (1) $ 1,406 $ 905 (1) We define Adjusted EBITDA as consolidated Operating loss adjusted to exclude restructuring expenses, business combination transaction costs, unusual and non-recurring expenditures and non-cash compensation included within operating expenses, as well as the following line items presented in our Statements of Operations: Depreciation and amortization, Loss on disposal of assets, change in fair value of warrant shares liability and Other income. Alternatively, Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as Net loss, adjusted to exclude Provision for income taxes, Interest expense, net, Depreciation and amortization, Loss on disposal of assets, Change in fair value of warrant shares liability, Other income, and Other adjustments. We use Adjusted EBITDA, among other measures, to evaluate the Company’s operating performance. This measure is among the primary measures used by management for the planning and forecasting of future periods, as well as for measuring performance for compensation of executives and other members of management. We believe this measure is an important indicator of our operational strength and performance of our business because it provides a link between operational performance and operating income. It is also a primary measure used by management in evaluating companies as potential acquisition targets. We believe the presentation of this measure is relevant and useful for investors because it allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to the method used by management. We believe it helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating performance and makes it easier to compare our results with other companies that have different capital structures or tax rates. In addition, we believe this measure is also among the primary measures used externally by our investors, analysts and peers in our industry for purposes of valuation and comparing our operating performance to other companies in our industry. Since Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, it should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, operating loss or net loss as an indicator of operating performance and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures employed by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily a measure of our ability to fund our cash needs. Because it excludes certain financial information compared with operating loss and compared with consolidated net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, users of this financial information should consider the types of events and transactions which are excluded. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Our primary sources of liquidity are cash provided by operations. Our primary uses of capital have been, and are expected to continue to be, capital expenditures, working capital, and acquisitions. Management anticipates the Company will be able to meet its liquidity needs for the next twelve months with cash and cash equivalents on hand, additional draws on its First Lien Term Loan, and projected cash flows from operations. At March 31, 2025 , the Company had cash, cash equivalents and restricted ca sh of $8.8 million an d negative working capital of $22.3 million. At December 31, 2024, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $6.9 million and negative working capital of $18.0 million. The increase in negative working capital was driven by the cancellation of certain programming rights contracts reducing the current portion of programming rights as well as increased accounts payable and accrued expenses, accrued salaries and commissions, and deferred revenue, partially offset by increased accounts receivable and cash and cash equivalents. As part of its business strategy, the Company continually evaluates potential acquisitions of businesses that it believes hold promise for long-term appreciation in value and leverage our strengths. Any potential acquisitions have the potential to impact our liquidity position. Operating Activities Cash flows provided by operating activities were $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 . The increase in cash provided by operating activities was mainly attributable to increases in deferred revenue driven by timing of cash receipts. -29- Table of Contents Investing Activities Cash flows used in investing activities were $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily attributable to cash paid for various capital projects primarily related to the continued development of our digital platforms. C ash flo ws used in investing activities were $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 , primarily attributable to capital expenditures related to a new digital platform project and the build out of our new space for corporate offices. Financing Activities Cash fl ows used in financ ing activities were $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, attributable to finance lease principal payments and settlement of tax withholding obligations. Cash flows used in financing activities were $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, attributable to repurchases of our Class A common stock and settlement of tax withholding obligations. ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide this information.