Discovery Streaming Subscribers, Advertising Grow in Third Quarter – The Hollywood Reporter
Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, mentioned on Wednesday that it reached 20 million paying streaming subscribers worldwide to its direct-to-consumer providers, together with Discovery+, as of the top of its third quarter on Sept. 30.
That was consistent with Wall Road estimates. Discovery had ended its second quarter in June with 17 million and in early August reported having reached 18 million international paying streaming subscribers by then.
In its third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, the corporate additionally recorded a U.S. promoting income achieve of 5 %, whereas its U.S. distribution income posted a 21 % improve, helped by Discovery+.
In Discovery’s worldwide enterprise, advert income jumped 28 %, or 26 % when assuming fixed currencies, within the third quarter due to the Summer time Olympics in Tokyo, to which the agency had the rights in Europe, and a rebound from the COVID pandemic hit within the year-ago interval. Worldwide distribution income rose 7 %, or 6 % excluding forex results, pushed by Discovery+.
In its earnings report, Discovery highlighted that it “efficiently broadcast the Tokyo 2020 Summer time Olympic Video games, which reached over 372 million folks in Europe throughout TV and digital platforms, and delivered 1.3 billion minutes of Olympics content material on our streaming providers.”
Discovery beforehand additionally mentioned that it might acknowledge $175 million-$200 million of adjusted working earnings earlier than depreciation and amortization (AOIBDA) losses through the third quarter on account of the Olympics, whereas emphasizing that its expectation was to interrupt even or generate barely constructive AOIBDA and free money movement over the life time of its Olympics deal.
“We made nice strides within the quarter operationally, financially and creatively,” mentioned Zaslav. “The workforce drove strong momentum in our direct-to-consumer enterprise, which we grew to twenty million paid subscribers at quarter finish on the energy of our international manufacturers and fan-favorite content material, together with
the Summer time Olympic Video games and Shark Week.”
The Discovery+ streaming service launched within the U.S. on Jan. 4 with a month-to-month value of $4.99 with adverts and $6.99 with out adverts. It has additionally been rolling out in worldwide markets.
Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall in his earnings preview left his streaming subscriber estimate unchanged at 20 million for the top of the third quarter “regardless of a number of market launches being pushed out from late third quarter to the fourth quarter.” His U.S. promoting income forecast was for $986 million, implying 5 % development.
Third-quarter income rose 23 % to $3.15 billion, together with $425 million of what the corporate calls “next-generation revenues,” development of roughly 100% over the the prior-year interval.
U.S. promoting income elevated “primarily because of greater pricing, the continued monetization of content material choices on our next-generation platforms and better stock, partially offset by decrease total scores and secular declines within the pay-TV ecosystem,” Discovery mentioned. Distribution income rose regardless of a decline in linear pay TV subscribers. “Subscribers to our absolutely distributed linear networks at Sept. 30, 2021 had been 3 % decrease than at Sept. 30, 2020,” the agency famous. “Whole subscribers to our linear networks had been 8 % decrease, or 4 % decrease excluding the influence from the sale of our Nice American Nation linear community.”
Regardless of greater income, elevated bills, together with because of the Olympics, meant that Discovery’s third-quarter earnings fell from $300 million to $156 million, and adjusted working earnings earlier than depreciation and amortization dropped 24 % to $726 million. Nonetheless, that exceeded Wall Road earnings estimates.
U.S. working bills elevated 26 % to $895 million because of such elements as “rising content material funding in Discovery+” and “greater marketing-related bills to assist Discovery+.” Worldwide working bills jumped 77 % to $1.37 billion, because of prices associated to the Olympics and the return of European sporting occasions to a extra normalized schedule after COVID disruptions, in addition to greater content material and advertising and marketing spending to assist Discovery+.
In mid-Could, Discovery unveiled the mega-merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia, with Zaslav set to steer the mixed firm. The merged agency is predicted to have $52 billion in income in 2023, and the businesses are focusing on $3 billion in value synergies. Each corporations are transferring by way of the regulatory overview strategy of the deliberate merger with out issues thus far, seeing “broad assist” for it, Zaslav had mentioned in early August.
In Wednesday’s earnings report, Zaslav touted “very wholesome money flows through the quarter, additional strengthening our stability sheet and monetary profile.” And he added: “We’re very enthusiastic about our pending merger with WarnerMedia and the chance to convey these two corporations collectively, combining iconic and globally cherished franchises and types, and positioning us to extra effectively drive international scale throughout the mixed portfolio.”
