Start here if you're new
what it is
Scripps owns local TV stations and national news-and-entertainment channels.
how it gets paid
Last year Ssp made $2.2B in revenue.
why growth slowed
Revenue fell 14.3% last year. The $1.6B revenue print looks big, but the -$1.36 EPS says the profit engine is still under strain.
what just happened
The latest quarter brought $1.6B of revenue, but profit still missed the finish line.
At a glance
C balance sheet — red flag territory — real financial stress
10/100 earnings predictability — expect surprises
3.4x trailing p/e — the market's not buying it — or you found a deal
6.5% return on capital — nothing to write home about
$1.01 fy2024 eps est
xvary composite: 25/100 — weak
What they do
Scripps owns local TV stations and national news-and-entertainment channels.
You still need local news when storms hit and ballots close. Scripps owns more than 60 local TV stations, plus 18 ABC affiliates (stations that air ABC shows), 11 NBC affiliates, 9 CBS affiliates, and 4 FOX affiliates. Leaving is painful because your weather, sports, and election coverage are tied to those stations.
How they make money
$2.2B
annual revenue · revenue declined -14.3% last year
total revenue
$2.2B
14.3%
The products that matter
local station portfolio
Local Media
$1.6B segment revenue · 61 stations
this is the core business. In 2025, 56% of its revenue came from multi-year distribution fees. In human-speak: part of the revenue is contract-backed, which matters when ad budgets get cut first.
contract-backed
national news network
Scripps News
$600M segment revenue · -15%
this smaller segment brought in about $600M and still fell 15%. That is the problem with turnaround stories: the part that is supposed to help is also under pressure.
under pressure
capital structure that shapes every decision
Debt Stack
$2.8B long-term debt · 89% of capital
this is not a product, but it is absolutely part of what you own. The debt load is roughly eight times the market cap. That changes what counts as a good quarter. Survival progress matters almost as much as operating progress.
the real constraint
Key numbers
$2.2B
annual revenue
This is the size of the whole business. It is smaller than the debt pile, which tells you where the pressure sits.
$2.8B
long-term debt
Debt is 89% of capital. That means lenders sit closer to the front of the line than you do.
8.6%
operating margin
For every $100 of sales, only $8.60 becomes operating profit. Broadcast looks simple until you see the split.
3.4x
trailing p/e
The stock trades like trouble. Cheap only works if the balance sheet survives.
Financial health
C
strength
- balance sheet grade C — very weak — significant financial distress
- risk rank 5 — safer than 5% of stocks
- price stability 5 / 100
- long-term debt $2.8B (89% of capital)
C — balance sheet grade and long-term debt are flagged. this stock carries more risk than average.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for SSP right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
missed estimates
The latest quarter brought $1.6B of revenue, but profit still missed the finish line.
Revenue came in at $1.6B, up 202% vs. prior year. EPS was -$1.36, and the business still leaned on ad demand and cost control.
$1.6B
revenue
-$1.36
eps
202%
revenue vs. last year
the number that mattered
The $1.6B revenue print looks big, but the -$1.36 EPS says the profit engine is still under strain.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the core risk is simple: revenue falls faster than debt pressure eases. If that happens, the turnaround stops being an operating story and becomes a creditor story.
high
advertising revenue keeps shrinking
q4 revenue fell 23.1% from a year ago, and both disclosed segments were down double digits. If those declines continue, the turnaround case turns into a waiting game with no payoff schedule.
less revenue means less room for fixed costs, debt service, and strategic mistakes.
high
debt and refinancing pressure crowd out the equity
$2.8B of long-term debt equals 89% of capital while the whole equity is worth about $353M. That leaves very little room for you to be patient if lenders stop being patient first.
capital structure pressure can outweigh operating improvement, which is exactly what small-cap turnarounds hate most.
med
distribution fees stop acting like ballast
56% of Local Media revenue came from distribution fees in 2025. That is the steady part of the model. If renewals weaken or subscriber losses bite harder, the stabilizer becomes less stable.
if the contract-backed revenue softens too, the valuation framework gets harsher in a hurry.
med
the earnings rebound stays on paper
the street is looking for $1.01 in fy2024 EPS after a $164M loss. That is a large swing. Large swings are where analyst models look smartest right before they do not.
if earnings do not rebound, the low-multiple argument loses its only clean talking point.
with $2.8B of long-term debt against a $353M market cap, this is not a normal media stock drawdown. It is a balance-sheet test wearing a broadcaster label.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
metric
next revenue print
analysts project $529.25M for q1 2026. After a 23.1% drop in the latest quarter, you do not need brilliance first. You need the decline to stop getting worse.
risk
debt versus equity value
keep this ratio in your head: $2.8B of long-term debt against a $353M market cap. That gap tells you why weak quarters hit this stock so hard.
calendar
management's runway through 2029
adam symson has time after his contract renewal. Here is the thing: time helps only if the next few reports show stabilization before investors stop caring about long-dated plans.
trend
insider buying follow-through
a 10% owner bought shares in march 2026. One purchase says conviction. Repeated buying would say the latest weakness is being attacked, not merely observed.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
10 / 100
in human-speak, analysts do not trust this earnings line to stay stable from quarter to quarter, which is exactly what you would expect from a broadcaster carrying this much debt.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutional ownership data for SSP is being compiled.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
n/a
n/a
$3
current price
n/a
target midpoint · n/a from current
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