11/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/07/2024 05:10
Digital Represents 52% of September YTD Total Net Revenue Ignite's Digital Advertising Revenue Growth Accelerates in Q3 Repurchased $25 Million of Debt ($36M through October) and $24 Million of Equity in September YTD Period
Purchase, NY - November 7, 2024 - Townsquare Media, Inc. (NYSE: TSQ) ("Townsquare", the "Company," "we," "us," or "our") announced today its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.
"I am pleased to share that Townsquare's net revenue returned to year-over-year growth, driven by sequential improvement across each of our three business segments, due to our local focus and our unique and differentiated digital platform, as well as the benefit from political revenue. Third quarter net revenue increased +0.2% year-over-year and Adjusted EBITDA decreased -6.3% year-over-year, both meeting guidance and reflecting a sequential improvement from the first and second quarter. In addition, net income improved $47.8 million year-over-year, in large part due to a reduction in non-cash impairment charges," commented Bill Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Townsquare Media, Inc. "Our return to net revenue growth in the third quarter coincided with our return to total Digital net revenue growth, which increased by +1% year-over-year. In particular, Townsquare Interactive's sequential revenue growth improved to +3% quarter-over-quarter, and Digital Advertising net revenue increased +5% year-over-year, an acceleration from the +1% revenue growth rates in the first six months of 2024. In total, Digital represented more than half of Townsquare's net revenue in the first nine months of the year, a true point of differentiation from others in local media, as we have evolved from a local broadcast radio company that was founded in 2010, to a Digital First Local Media Company with a world class team and a unique and differentiated strategy, assets, platforms and solutions."
Mr. Wilson continued, "We have executed and delivered on what we said we would do, while simultaneously building value for our shareholders through dividend payments, debt reduction and share repurchases. In the first nine months of the year, we have repurchased and retired $25 million of our bonds at a discount to par ($36 million through October), and repurchased $24 million of equity, or 2.3 million shares, including the accretive share repurchase of 1.5 million shares from Madison Square Garden. At the same time, we have maintained our high yielding dividend and a strong cash balance, which was $22 million at the end of the third quarter, and net leverage remained below 4.9x. We are gearing up for our upcoming refinancing, and we look forward to sharing that outcome with our investors when we next report." The Company announced today that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1975 per share. The dividend will be payable on February 1, 2025 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 21, 2025. As of yesterday's closing price that reflects a dividend yield of approximately 8%.
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Townsquare is a community-focused digital media and digital marketing solutions company with market leading local radio stations, principally focused outside the top 50 markets in the U.S. Our assets include a subscription digital marketing services business, Townsquare Interactive, providing website design, creation and hosting, search engine optimization, social media and online reputation management as well as other digital monthly services for SMBs; a robust digital advertising division, Townsquare IGNITE, a powerful combination of a) an owned and operated portfolio of more than 400 local news and entertainment websites and mobile apps along with a network of leading national music and entertainment brands, collecting valuable first party data and b) a proprietary digital programmatic advertising technology stack with an in-house demand and data management platform; and a portfolio of 349 local terrestrial radio stations in 74 U.S. markets strategically situated outside the Top 50 markets in the United States. Our portfolio includes local media brands such as WYRK.com, WJON.com and NJ101.5.com, and premier national music brands such as XXLmag.com, TasteofCountry.com, UltimateClassicRock.com, and Loudwire.com. For more information, please visit www.townsquaremedia.com, www.townsquareinteractive.com, and www.townsquareignite.com.
Investor Relations
Claire Yenicay
(203) 900-5555
[email protected]