"The broadcaster reported revenues of $773 million and booked a $1 million net loss in the three months that included Kimmel's September suspension, according to Variety, a sudden reversal from the $94 million profit Sinclair posted in the same quarter of 2024. Advertising was the engine of the decline, down 26% to $321 million year-over-year. Political spending largely evaporated with just $6 million this past quarter compared to $138 million a year ago which was, of course, an election year."
"On the earnings call, Variety reported, Sinclair chief executive Chris Ripley insisted the company had delivered a strong third quarter, achieving the high end of guidance for advertising and distribution revenue, while media expenses and adjusted EBITDA beat expectations. He offered no concession that the Jimmy Kimmel boycott or the claims of a partisan blackout had contributed to the slump, instead blaming a stand-off between media giants, specifically a clash between Disney and Google over YouTube TV distribution, which he called an anti-trust issue."
"He signaled optimism that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will either raise or scrap its 39 percent national ownership cap on broadcasters in the first half of 2026. CNN's Jake Tapper noted during the Kimmel fallout that the regulatory hurdle stands in the way of a potential merger, musing whether it was connected to Sinclair's eagerness to get involved."
Sinclair reported $773 million in revenue and a $1 million net loss for the quarter that included Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s September suspension, reversing a prior $94 million profit. Advertising revenue dropped 26% year-over-year to $321 million, and political ad spending fell to $6 million from $138 million a year earlier. Sinclair executives denied that the Kimmel removal caused the slump; CEO Chris Ripley said the company hit the high end of guidance for advertising and distribution revenue and that media expenses and adjusted EBITDA beat expectations. Ripley blamed a Disney–Google distribution stand-off and expressed optimism the FCC may lift or change the 39% national ownership cap by mid-2026.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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