Sinclair, Inc. (SBGI) FY 2024 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward Looking Statements
We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section in this report entitled “Forward-Looking Statements.” Certain risks may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. For a discussion of such risk factors, see Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Overview
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis provides qualitative and quantitative information about Sinclair’s and SBG’s financial performance and condition which should be read in conjunction with the other sections in this annual report, including Item 1. Business and the Consolidated Financial Statements, including the accompanying notes to those statements. This discussion consists of the following sections:
Executive Overview — a description of our business, summary of significant events, and information about industry trends;
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates — a discussion of the accounting policies that are most important in understanding the assumptions and judgments incorporated in the Consolidated Financial Statements and a summary of recent accounting pronouncements;
Results of Operations — a summary of the components of Sinclair’s and SBG’s revenues by category and by network affiliation, a summary of other operating data, and an analysis of Sinclair’s and SBG’s revenues and expenses for 2024, 2023, and 2022, including a comparison between 2024 and 2023; and
Liquidity and Capital Resources — a discussion of Sinclair’s and SBG’s primary sources of liquidity and contractual cash obligations and an analysis of Sinclair’s and SBG’s cash flows from or used in operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
We are a diversified media company with national reach and a strong focus on providing high-quality content on our local television stations and digital platform. The content, distributed through our broadcast platform and third-party platforms, consists of programming provided by third-party networks and syndicators, local news, sports, and other original programming produced by us and our owned networks. Additionally, we own digital media products that are complementary to our extensive portfolio of television station related digital properties and we have interests in, own, manage and/or operate technical and software services companies, research and development for the advancement of broadcast technology, and other media and non-media related businesses and assets, including real estate, venture capital, private equity, and direct investments.
As of December 31, 2024, Sinclair had two reportable segments, local media and tennis, and SBG had one reportable segment, local media. Sinclair and SBG’s local media segment is comprised of our television stations, which are owned and/or operated by Sinclair and SBG’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Sinclair Television Group, Inc. (“STG”) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, original networks and content. Sinclair’s tennis segment primarily consists of Tennis Channel, a cable network which includes coverage of many of tennis’ top tournaments and original professional sports and tennis lifestyle shows. Sinclair also earns revenues from non-broadcast digital and internet services, technical services, and non-media investments, included within “other.” Other and corporate are not reportable segments for either Sinclair or SBG.
As of December 31, 2024, STG, for which certain assets and results of operations are included in the local media segment and which is one of Sinclair and SBG’s wholly owned subsidiaries, was the primary obligor under the Bank Credit Agreement and the STG Notes. SBG and substantially all of STG’s subsidiaries are guarantors under the STG debt instruments. Sinclair’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock remain securities of Sinclair and not obligations or securities of STG.
For more information about our business, reportable segments, and our operating strategy, see Item 1. Business in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Summary of Significant Events
Content and Distribution
•In January 2024, Sinclair announced a comprehensive multi-year distribution agreement with Verizon for carriage on FiOS TV, covering Tennis Channel and SBG’s local television stations in 10 markets.
•In January 2024, Sinclair renewed its distribution agreement with the National Content & Technology Cooperative (“NCTC”) that allows NCTC’s member companies to opt into a multi-year retransmission consent agreement for SBG’s owned and operated stations and includes an agreement for Tennis Channel.
•In January 2024, SBG and FOX Corporation reached an agreement for a multi-year renewal of all FOX affiliations in SBG markets, including where SBG provides sales and other services under JSAs or MSAs.
•In March 2024, Sinclair reached a comprehensive, multiyear distribution agreement with Charter Communications, Inc. for continued carriage of Tennis Channel and SBG’s owned local broadcast stations.
•In May 2024, Sinclair reached a comprehensive, multiyear distribution agreement with Cox Communications, Inc. for continued carriage of Tennis Channel and SBG’s owned local broadcast stations.
•In August and September 2024, Sinclair expanded its podcast division, launching a new slate of sports programming featuring top athletes, coaches, and experts including “The Triple Option,” hosted by Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob Stone and “Throwbacks” with Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara.
•In the third quarter 2024, Sinclair entered into a multi-year renewal with Altice USA for continued carriage of SBG’s broadcast stations and Tennis Channel on Altice’s Optimum and Suddenlink owned systems.
•In the third quarter 2024, Sinclair entered into a multi-year renewal with DIRECTV for continued carriage of SBG’s broadcast stations and Tennis Channel across DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream, and U-verse.
•In October 2024, SBG launched the Rip City Television Network, a network of SBG affiliates throughout the Pacific Northwest to serve as the new television home of Trail Blazers starting with the 2024-25 season.
•In October 2024, Sinclair announced the launch of a soccer-focused podcast, “Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim,” featuring former U.S. soccer stars Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
•In November 2024, Tennis Channel introduced a direct-to-consumer streaming service that merges its flagship 24-hour network with extensive live and on-demand multicourt coverage.
•In the fourth quarter 2024, Sinclair finalized a renewal with DISH Network (“DISH”), for the continued multi-year carriage of SBG’s broadcast television stations and Tennis Channel on DISH’s direct broadcast satellite system.
•In January 2025, SBG and NBC announced a comprehensive multi-year agreement that renews station affiliation agreements for 21 of SBG’s owned and/or operated NBC affiliates and affiliations in five markets where SBG provides sales and other services under a joint sales agreement or marketing service agreement.
Corporate Social Responsibility Practices
•In March 2024, Sinclair launched Sinclair Cares: Supporting Children’s Literacy, a partnership with Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, to create awareness around children’s literacy challenges and help get books into the hands of children across the U.S. through a virtual book drive.
•In April 2024, WBFF FOX 45, Baltimore’s #1 ranked news outlet, and the David D. Smith Family Foundation donated $50 thousand and $100 thousand, respectively, to the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund.
•In April 2024, Sinclair published its 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility report, detailing the Company’s achievements and progress in its social responsibility journey.
•In April 2024, Sinclair held its second annual Sinclair Day of Service, whereby all employees were encouraged to volunteer that day for charitable causes. Over 1,300 employees volunteered a total of more than 3,700 hours that day.
•In June 2024, Sinclair partnered with Feeding America to coordinate Sinclair Cares: Summer Hunger Relief, an awareness and fundraising campaign to help provide meals to children and families across the U.S. in the summer.
•In July 2024, Sinclair awarded scholarships to 12 university students as a part of its annual Diversity Scholarship program.
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•In October 2024, Sinclair ran Sinclair Cares: Hurricane Helene Relief, a fundraising partnership with the Salvation Army and The United Way to assist with humanitarian relief efforts on the ground in Western North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and Tennessee in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Including Sinclair’s corporate donation of $50,000, the campaign raised nearly $1.3 million in donations designated for delivering emergency aid, including food, water, shelter, and cleanup kits.
•For the year ended December 31, 2024, our newsrooms won a total of 232 journalism awards, including 22 regional and two national RTDNA Edward R. Murrow awards and 37 regional and one national Emmy awards.
•In January 2025, Sinclair and Tennis Channel announced Sinclair Cares: California Wildfires Relief, a fundraising partnership with the Salvation Army to provide disaster relief support across Southern California which helped provide critical aid, shelter, food, fresh water, and support for wildfire survivors and first responders in Los Angeles.
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
•In April 2024, Sinclair announced the launch of its Broadspan datacasting platform to enable data distribution capability across all current Sinclair NextGen TV markets where it serves as the host station.
•In 2024, Sinclair, in coordination with other broadcasters, and led by BitPath, Sinclair’s joint venture with another broadcaster, deployed NextGen TV in the two additional markets below. This brings the total number of our markets in which NextGen TV has been deployed to 45:
| Month | Market | Number of Stations | Company Stations | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | Portland, ME | 5 | WGME (CBS), WPFO(a) (FOX) | |||
| June 2024 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 4 | WPDE (ABC) |
(a)The license and programming assets for these stations are currently owned by a third party. SBG provides certain non-programming related sales, operational, and administrative services to these stations pursuant to a service agreement, such as a JSA and SSA.
•In January 2025, Sinclair joined with three broadcast peers and merged BitPath to form a new company, EdgeBeam Wireless, to provide robust wireless data services to a wide range of businesses and industries across the country.
Financing, Capital Allocation, and Shareholder Returns
•In January 2024, STG purchased $27 million aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan B-2, due September 30, 2026, for consideration of $25 million and during the first quarter of 2024 we repaid $34 million across all tranches of the Term Loan B in scheduled principal payments.
•For the year ended December 31, 2024, Sinclair paid dividends of $1.00 per share. In February 2025, Sinclair declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share.
•In February 2025, Sinclair closed a new money financing and debt recapitalization to strengthen Sinclair’s balance sheet and better position it for long-term growth, which transactions are described more fully under Liquidity and Capital Resources below.
Other Events
•In January 2024, Sinclair announced that it has agreed, subject to Sinclair and Diamond Sports Group, LLC (“DSG”) completing definitive documentation, to a global settlement and release of all claims associated with the litigation filed by DSG and DSG’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Diamond Sports Net, LLC, in July 2023 and on March 1, 2024, the court approved the settlement. The settlement terms included Sinclair’s cash payment to DSG of $495 million. Additionally, under the terms of the settlement, Sinclair provided transition services to DSG to allow DSG to become a self-standing entity going forward. An initial payment of $50 million was made in March 2024, which was funded by Ventures, and the remaining $445 million was paid in April 2024, of which $347 million was paid by STG and $98 million was paid by Ventures. On January 2, 2025, DSG announced that it had emerged from bankruptcy, at which time, Sinclair’s and SBG’s equity interest in DSG was terminated.
•In December 2024, Sinclair acquired SK Telecom's stake in CAST.ERA, previously a joint venture with the leading mobile operator in South Korea, to develop wireless, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence technologies related to NextGen Broadcasting.
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Industry Trends
•During the last few years, the number of subscribers to Distributor services in the United States has been declining, as technological advancements have driven changes in consumer behavior and have empowered consumers to seek more control over when, where, and how they consume news, sports, and other entertainment, including through the so-called “cutting the cord” and other consumption strategies.
•The Distributor industry has continued to undergo significant consolidation, which gives top Distributors negotiating power.
•vMVPDs have continued to gain increasing importance and have quickly become a critical segment of the market. These vMVPDs offer a limited number of networks at a lower price point as compared to the traditional cable offering.
•Political spending is significantly higher in the even-numbered years due to the cyclicality of political elections. In addition, every four years, political spending is typically elevated further due to the advertising related to the presidential election.
•The FCC has permitted broadcast television stations to use their digital spectrum for a wide variety of services including multi-channel broadcasts. The FCC “must-carry” rules only apply to a station’s primary digital stream.
•Seasonal advertising increases within our local media segment occur in the second and fourth quarters due to the anticipation of certain seasonal and holiday spending by consumers.
•Broadcasters have found ways to increase returns on their news programming initiatives while continuing to maintain locally produced content through the use of news sharing arrangements.
•Viewership of content on connected or smart TV’s continues to rise which has led to the shifting of advertising spend to this content from other forms of media.
•Professional sporting events have begun to migrate back to broadcast television.
•Big Tech (such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft) has begun offering OTT platforms.
•Broadcast networks have begun launching and expanding their own DTC platforms.
•Advertising revenue on digital platforms continues to grow.
•Advertising revenue related to the Summer Olympics occurs in even numbered years. Advertising revenue related to the Winter Olympics also occurs in even numbered years but are two years apart from the Summer Olympics. The Super Bowl is aired on a different network each year. All of these popularly viewed events can have an impact on our advertising revenues.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
This discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates including those related to revenue recognition, goodwill and intangible assets, program costs, income taxes and variable interest entities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. These estimates have been consistently applied for all years presented in this report and in the past we have not experienced material differences between these estimates and actual results. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our estimates and such differences could be material.
We consider the following accounting policies to be the most critical as they are important to our financial condition and results of operations, and require significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in their application. For a detailed discussion of the application of these and other accounting policies, see Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
Revenue Recognition. As discussed in Revenue Recognition under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, we generate advertising revenue primarily from the sale of advertising spots/impressions on our broadcast television, digital platforms, and, prior to the Deconsolidation, the RSNs. Core and political advertising revenue is recognized in the period in which the advertising spots/impressions are delivered. In arrangements where we provide audience ratings guarantees, to the extent that there is a ratings shortfall, we will defer a proportionate amount of revenue until the ratings shortfall is settled through the delivery of additional advertising. The term of our advertising arrangements is generally less than one year and the timing between when an advertisement is aired and when payment is realized is not significant. In certain circumstances, we require customers to pay in advance; payments received in advance of satisfying our performance obligations are reflected as deferred revenue.
We generate distribution revenue through fees received from Distributors and other OTT providers for the right to distribute our broadcast channels and cable networks on their distribution platforms. Distribution arrangements are generally governed by multi-year contracts and the underlying fees are based upon a contractual monthly rate per subscriber. These arrangements represent licenses of intellectual property; revenue is recognized as the signal is provided to our customers (as usage occurs) which corresponds with the satisfaction of our performance obligation. Revenue is calculated based upon the contractual rate multiplied by an estimated number of subscribers. Our customers will remit payments based upon actual subscribers a short time after the conclusion of a month, which generally does not exceed 120 days. Historical adjustments to subscriber estimates have not been material.
Impairment of Goodwill, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets, and Other Long-Lived Assets. We evaluate our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually, or more frequently, if events or changes in circumstances indicate an impairment may exist. As of December 31, 2024, Sinclair’s consolidated balance sheet included $2,082 million and $150 million of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, respectively, and SBG’s consolidated balance sheet included $2,016 million and $123 million of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, respectively. We evaluate long-lived assets, including definite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of our asset groups may not be recoverable.
In the performance of our annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment assessments we have the option to qualitatively assess whether it is more likely-than-not that the respective asset has been impaired. If we conclude that it is more-likely-than-not that a reporting unit or an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, we apply the quantitative assessment, which involves comparing the estimated fair value of the reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible asset to its respective carrying value. See Impairment of Goodwill, Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets and Other Long-lived Assets under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the significant judgments and estimates inherent in both qualitatively assessing whether impairment may exist and estimating the fair values of the reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets if a quantitative assessment is deemed necessary.
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We are required to analyze our long-lived assets, including definite-lived intangible assets, for impairment. We evaluate our definite-lived intangible assets for impairment if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In the event we identify indicators that these assets are not recoverable, we evaluate the recoverability of definite-lived intangible assets by comparing the carrying amount of the assets within an asset group to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with the asset group. An asset group represents the lowest level of cash flows generated by a group of assets that are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets. At the time that such evaluations indicate that the future undiscounted cash flows are not sufficient to recover the carrying value of the asset group, an impairment loss is determined by comparing the estimated fair value of the asset group to the carrying value. We estimate fair value using an income approach involving the performance of a discounted cash flow analysis.
We believe we have made reasonable estimates and utilized appropriate assumptions in the performance of our impairment assessments. If future results are not consistent with our assumptions and estimates, including future events such as a deterioration of market conditions, loss of significant customers, and significant increases in discount rates, among other factors, we could be exposed to impairment charges in the future. Any resulting impairment loss could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of operations, and consolidated statements of cash flows.
Program Costs. As discussed in Broadcast Television Programming under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, we record an asset and corresponding liability for programming rights when the program is available for its first showing or telecast. These costs are expensed over the period in which an economic benefit is expected to be derived. To ensure the related assets for the programming rights are reflected in our consolidated balance sheets at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value, management estimates future advertising revenue to be generated by the remaining program material available under the contract terms. Management’s judgment is required in determining the timing of expense for these costs, which is dependent on the economic benefit expected to be generated from the program and may significantly differ from the timing of related payments under the contractual obligation. If our estimates of future advertising revenues decline, amortization expense could be accelerated or fair value adjustments may be required.
Fair Value Measurements of Investments in Bally’s Securities. As discussed in Note 5. Other Assets and Note 17. Fair Value Measurements within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements, we entered into a commercial agreement with Bally’s Corporation (“Bally’s”) on November 18, 2020. As part of this arrangement, we received warrants and options to acquire common equity in the business. These financial instruments are measured each period at fair value. The fair value of the options are derived utilizing a Black Scholes valuation model which utilizes a number of inputs which most significantly includes the trading price of the underlying common stock and the exercise price of the options. The fair value of the warrants are primarily derived from the trading price of the underlying common stock and the exercise price of the warrants. The determination of the fair value of these financial instruments requires the Company to exercise judgment.
Income Tax. As discussed in Income Taxes under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. We provide a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if we determine that it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In evaluating our ability to realize net deferred tax assets, we consider all available evidence, both positive and negative, including our past operating results, tax planning strategies, current and cumulative losses, and forecasts of future taxable income. In considering these sources of taxable income, we must make certain judgments that are based on the plans and estimates used to manage our underlying businesses on a long-term basis. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, a valuation allowance has been provided for deferred tax assets related to certain temporary basis differences, and a substantial amount of our available state net operating loss carryforwards based on past operating results, expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary basis differences, alternative tax strategies and projected future taxable income. Future changes in operating and/or taxable income or other changes in facts and circumstances could significantly impact the ability to realize our deferred tax assets which could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
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Management periodically performs a comprehensive review of our tax positions, and we record a liability for unrecognized tax benefits if such tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination based on their technical merits, including the resolution of any appeals or litigation processes. Significant judgment is required in determining whether positions taken are more likely than not to be sustained, and it is based on a variety of facts and circumstances, including interpretation of the relevant federal and state income tax codes, regulations, case law and other authoritative pronouncements. Based on this analysis, the status of ongoing audits and the expiration of applicable statute of limitations, liabilities are adjusted as necessary. The resolution of audits is unpredictable and could result in tax liabilities that are significantly higher or lower than for what we have provided. See Note 11. Income Taxes within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 10. Income Taxes within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, for further discussion of accrued unrecognized tax benefits.
Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”). As discussed in Note 13. Variable Interest Entities within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 12. Variable Interest Entities within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, we have determined that certain third-party licensees of stations for which we perform services pursuant to arrangements, including LMAs, JSAs, and SSAs, are VIEs and we are the primary beneficiary of those variable interests because, subject to the ultimate control of the licensees, we have the power to direct the activities which significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE through the services we provide and because we absorb losses and returns that would be considered significant to the VIEs.
Transactions with Related Parties. We have determined that we conduct certain business-related transactions with related persons or entities. See Note 14. Related Person Transactions within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 13. Related Person Transactions within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of these transactions.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
See Recent Accounting Pronouncements under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within each of Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of recent accounting policies and their impact on Sinclair’s and SBG’s financial statements.
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SINCLAIR, INC. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
SINCLAIR, INC. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Any references to the first, second, third, or fourth quarters are to the three months ended March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31, respectively, for the year being discussed. As of December 31, 2024, we had two reportable segments for accounting purposes, local media and tennis.
Seasonality / Cyclicality
The operating results of our local media segment are usually subject to cyclical fluctuations from political advertising. In even numbered years, political spending is usually significantly higher than in odd numbered years due to advertising expenditures preceding local and national elections. Additionally, every four years, political spending is usually elevated further due to advertising expenditures preceding the presidential election. Also, the second and fourth quarters’ operating results are usually higher than the first and third quarters’ operating results because advertising expenditures are increased in anticipation of certain seasonal and holiday spending by consumers.
The operating results of our tennis segment are usually subject to cyclical fluctuations due to the amount and significance of tournaments that take place in the respective quarters during the year. The first and fourth quarter operating results are usually higher than the second and third quarters’ because of the amount and significance of tournaments that are played during those periods.
Consolidated Operating Data
The following table sets forth certain of our consolidated operating data for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions).
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Media revenues | $ | 3,511 | $ | 3,106 | $ | 3,894 | ||||
| Non-media revenues | 37 | 28 | 34 | |||||||
| Total revenues | 3,548 | 3,134 | 3,928 | |||||||
| Media programming and production expenses | 1,661 | 1,611 | 1,942 | |||||||
| Media selling, general and administrative expenses | 794 | 747 | 812 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 250 | 271 | 321 | |||||||
| Amortization of program costs | 74 | 80 | 90 | |||||||
| Non-media expenses | 53 | 49 | 44 | |||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | 185 | 694 | 160 | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiary | — | 10 | (3,357) | |||||||
| (Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment | (20) | 3 | (64) | |||||||
| Operating income (loss) | $ | 551 | $ | (331) | $ | 3,980 | ||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Sinclair | $ | 310 | $ | (291) | $ | 2,652 |
A discussion regarding our financial results and operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial results and operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 can be found under Item 7 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 29, 2024 (our “2023 Annual Report”), which is available free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and our Investor Relations website at www.sbgi.net/investor-relations.
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SINCLAIR, INC. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Local Media Segment
The following table sets forth our revenue and expenses for our local media segment for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ‘24 vs.‘23 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution revenue | $ | 1,543 | $ | 1,491 | $ | 1,531 | 4% | (3)% | |||||||
| Core advertising revenue | 1,152 | 1,192 | 1,186 | (3)% | 1% | ||||||||||
| Political advertising revenue | 405 | 44 | 332 | n/m | (87)% | ||||||||||
| Other media revenue (a) | 154 | 139 | 144 | 11% | (3)% | ||||||||||
| Media revenues (b) | $ | 3,254 | $ | 2,866 | $ | 3,193 | 14% | (10)% | |||||||
| Operating Expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Media programming and production expenses | $ | 1,536 | $ | 1,488 | $ | 1,450 | 3% | 3% | |||||||
| Media selling, general and administrative expenses (c) | 742 | 694 | 704 | 7% | (1)% | ||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 231 | 243 | 243 | (5)% | —% | ||||||||||
| Amortization of program costs | 74 | 80 | 90 | (8)% | (11)% | ||||||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | 117 | 134 | 117 | (13)% | 15% | ||||||||||
| Non-media expenses | 8 | 14 | 15 | (43)% | (7)% | ||||||||||
| Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment | (18) | (14) | (17) | 29% | (18)% | ||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 564 | $ | 227 | $ | 591 | n/m | (62)% | |||||||
| Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs | $ | 304 | $ | 305 | $ | 226 | —% | 35% | |||||||
| Gain on extinguishment of debt | $ | 1 | $ | 15 | $ | 3 | (93)% | n/m | |||||||
| Other income, net | $ | 40 | $ | 33 | $ | 28 | 21% | 18% |
n/m - not meaningful
(a)Includes $26 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 of intercompany revenue related to certain services provided by the local media segment to other and the local sports segment, prior to the Deconsolidation, under management services agreements, which is eliminated in consolidation.
(b)Includes $9 million, $6 million, and $4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, of intercompany revenue related to certain services provided to the tennis segment, which is eliminated in consolidation.
(c)Includes $13 million, $8 million, and $12 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, of intercompany expense related to certain services provided by other, which is eliminated in consolidation.
Revenues
Distribution revenue. Distribution revenue, which represents fees earned from Distributors for our broadcast signals, increased $52 million or 4% in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023. Contractual rate increases favorably impacted period-over-period distribution revenue by high-teen percentages for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in distribution revenue as a result of increased contractual rates was offset by a decrease in subscribers by low double-digit percentages for 2024.
Core advertising revenue. Core advertising revenue decreased $40 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, with no particular product/services category dominating the variance and was primarily a result of the political crowd out effect.
Political advertising revenue. Political advertising revenue increased $361 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to 2024 being a presidential political year, compared to 2023 which was an off-year election cycle, and therefore only had a small number of political races and correspondingly less political advertising spend.
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SINCLAIR, INC. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table sets forth our primary types of programming and their approximate percentages of advertising revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:
| Percent of Advertising Revenue | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Syndicated/Other programming | 35% | 38% | 35% | ||
| Local news | 30% | 29% | 32% | ||
| Network programming (a) | 17% | 15% | 19% | ||
| Sports programming (a) | 16% | 13% | 11% | ||
| Paid programming | 2% | 5% | 3% |
(a)Sports programming includes both local and network sports programming. Network programming is exclusive of any network sports programming.
The following table sets forth our affiliate percentages of advertising revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:
| # of | Percent of Advertising Revenue | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channels | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| ABC | 40 | 27% | 29% | 28% | |||
| FOX | 55 | 23% | 24% | 22% | |||
| CBS | 30 | 20% | 20% | 19% | |||
| NBC | 24 | 16% | 12% | 17% | |||
| CW | 47 | 4% | 5% | 5% | |||
| MNT | 39 | 3% | 4% | 3% | |||
| Other | 406 | 7% | 6% | 6% | |||
| Total | 641 |
Other media revenue. Other media revenue increased $15 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase related to providing certain services under management service agreements.
Expenses
Media programming and production expenses. Media programming and production expenses increased $48 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in fees pursuant to network affiliation agreements as a result of increased contractual rates and an increase in information technology cost.
Media selling, general and administrative expenses. Media selling, general and administrative expenses increased $48 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a $20 million increase in national sale commissions due to an increase in national advertising sales, a $14 million increase in third-party fulfillment costs from our digital business as a result of increased digital revenues, a $5 million increase in payment processing fees due to an increase in advertising revenue, a $3 million increase in employee compensation cost, and a $2 million increase in trade related expenses.
Amortization of program costs. The amortization of program costs decreased $6 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to reduced programming costs.
Corporate general and administrative expenses. See explanation under Corporate and Unallocated Expenses.
Non-media expenses. Non-media expenses decreased $6 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily related to a decrease in expenses associated with our broadcast technology related initiatives.
Depreciation and amortization expenses. Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets decreased $12 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to assets retired during 2024.
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Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs. Interest expense decreased by $1 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to decreased interest expense related to our variable rate debt as a result of lower interest rates.
Gain on extinguishment of debt. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased $64 million in aggregate principal across multiple tranches of debt and recognized a gain on extinguishment of approximately $15 million. See Bank Credit Agreement and STG Notes under Note 6. Notes Payable and Commercial Bank Financing within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other income, net. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized a $26 million gain related to the sale of certain broadcast related assets and $12 million in interest income.
Tennis Segment
The following table sets forth our revenue and expenses for our tennis segment for the periods presented (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ‘24 vs.‘23 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution revenue | $ | 203 | $ | 189 | $ | 179 | 7% | 6% | |||||||
| Core advertising revenue | 39 | 37 | 33 | 5% | 12% | ||||||||||
| Other media revenues | 5 | 2 | 5 | n/m | (60)% | ||||||||||
| Media revenues | $ | 247 | $ | 228 | $ | 217 | 8% | 5% | |||||||
| Operating Expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Media programming and production expenses | $ | 125 | $ | 115 | $ | 97 | 9% | 19% | |||||||
| Media selling, general and administrative expenses (a) | 53 | 41 | 47 | 29% | (13)% | ||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 21 | 21 | 21 | —% | —% | ||||||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | 2 | 1 | — | n/m | n/m | ||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 46 | $ | 50 | $ | 52 | (8)% | (4)% |
n/m - not meaningful
(a)Includes $9 million, $6 million, and $4 million for years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, of intercompany expense related to certain advertising services provided by the local media segment, which is eliminated in consolidation.
Revenue
Distribution revenue. Distribution revenue, which represents fees earned from Distributors for the right to distribute Tennis Channel, increased $14 million or 7% in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023. Contractual rate increases favorably impacted period-over-period distribution revenue by low double-digit percentages for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in distribution revenue was offset by a decrease in subscribers by low single-digit percentages for 2024.
Core advertising revenue. Core advertising revenue is primarily generated from sales of commercial time within Tennis Channel programming. Core advertising revenue increased $2 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a shift in the 2024 tournament calendar compared to the 2023 tournament calendar.
Expenses
Media programming and production expenses. Media programming and production expenses increased $10 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the build-out, launch and marketing of the DTC platform.
Media selling, general and administrative expenses. Media selling, general and administrative expenses increased $12 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in expenses related to certain services provided by the local media segment, which is eliminated in consolidation, and employee compensation cost.
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Corporate general and administrative expenses. See explanation under Corporate and Unallocated Expenses.
Other
The following table sets forth our revenue and expenses for our non-broadcast digital and internet solutions, technical sales and services, and non-media investments (collectively, “Other”) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ‘24 vs.‘23 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||||||
| Media revenues (a) | $ | 33 | $ | 28 | $ | 51 | 18% | (45)% | |||||||
| Non-media revenues (b) | $ | 43 | $ | 34 | $ | 44 | 26% | (23)% | |||||||
| Operating Expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Media expenses (c) | $ | 21 | $ | 35 | $ | 73 | (40)% | (52)% | |||||||
| Non-media expenses (d) | $ | 48 | $ | 39 | $ | 36 | 23% | 8% | |||||||
| (Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairments | $ | (2) | $ | 18 | $ | (12) | n/m | n/m | |||||||
| Operating income (loss) | $ | 4 | $ | (44) | $ | (9) | n/m | n/m | |||||||
| Income from equity method investments | $ | 121 | $ | 31 | $ | 46 | n/m | (33)% |
n/m — not meaningful
(a)Media revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 include $13 million, $8 million, and $12 million, respectively, of intercompany revenues related to certain services and sales provided to the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(b)Non-media revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 include $6 million, $6 million, and $10 million, respectively, of intercompany revenues related to certain services and sales provided to the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(c)Media expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $2 million and $7 million, respectively, of intercompany expenses primarily related to certain services provided by the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(d)Non-media expenses for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 include $3 million, $4 million, and $7 million, respectively, of intercompany expenses related to certain services provided by the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
Revenue. Media revenues increased $5 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in advertising revenue related to our digital initiatives of $10 million, offset by a decrease in revenue due the sale of the Stadium Network (“Stadium”) of $4 million. Non-media revenues increased $9 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in broadcast equipment sales.
Expenses. Media expenses decreased $14 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the sale of Stadium. Non-media expenses increased $9 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in expenses related to our technical services business and an increase in expenses associated with higher broadcast equipment sales.
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairments. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized a loss of $12 million related to the sale of Stadium.
Income from equity method investments. Income from equity method investments increased $90 million during 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the sale of one of our investments for $93 million, which is included in income from equity method investments in our consolidated statements of operations.
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Corporate and Unallocated Expenses
The following table presents our corporate and unallocated expenses for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase/ (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ‘24 vs.‘23 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | $ | 185 | $ | 694 | $ | 160 | (73)% | n/m | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiary | $ | — | $ | 10 | $ | (3,357) | n/m | n/m | |||||||
| Income tax (provision) benefit | $ | (76) | $ | 358 | $ | (913) | n/m | n/m |
n/m — not meaningful
Corporate general and administrative expenses. The table above and the explanation that follows cover total consolidated corporate general and administrative expenses. Corporate general and administrative expenses decreased $509 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a decrease in legal, consulting, and regulatory costs, primarily related to the litigation discussed under Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements, most notably the previously disclosed $495 million DSG litigation settlement.
Income tax (provision) benefit. The 2024 income tax provision for our pre-tax income of $395 million resulted in an effective tax rate of 19.1%. The 2023 income tax benefit for our pre-tax loss of $637 million resulted in an effective tax rate of 56.3%. The decrease in the effective tax rate from 2023 to 2024 is primarily due to the 2023 benefit from the release of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets relating to deductibility of interest expense under the IRC Section 163(j).
As of December 31, 2024, we had a net deferred tax liability of $335 million as compared to a net deferred tax liability of $252 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase in net deferred tax liability primarily relates to changes in tax basis of our investment in DSIH.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $15 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, all of which, if recognized, would favorably affect our effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2023, we had $14 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, all of which, if recognized, would favorably affect our effective tax rate. We recognized $1 million of income tax expense for interest related to uncertain tax positions for both of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. See Note 11. Income Taxes within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
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SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, LLC RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Any references to the first, second, third, or fourth quarters are to the three months ended March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31, respectively, for the year being discussed. As of December 31, 2024, SBG had one reportable segment for accounting purposes, local media.
Seasonality / Cyclicality
The operating results of SBG’s local media segment are usually subject to cyclical fluctuations from political advertising. In even numbered years, political spending is usually significantly higher than in odd numbered years due to advertising expenditures preceding local and national elections. Additionally, every four years, political spending is usually elevated further due to advertising expenditures preceding the presidential election. Also, the second and fourth quarters’ operating results are usually higher than the first and third quarters’ operating results because advertising expenditures are increased in anticipation of certain seasonal and holiday spending by consumers.
Consolidated Operating Data
The following table sets forth certain of SBG’s consolidated operating data for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions).
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Media revenues | $ | 3,254 | $ | 2,968 | $ | 3,894 | ||||
| Non-media revenues | — | 10 | 34 | |||||||
| Total revenues | 3,254 | 2,978 | 3,928 | |||||||
| Media programming and production expenses | 1,536 | 1,543 | 1,942 | |||||||
| Media selling, general and administrative expenses | 742 | 719 | 812 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 231 | 252 | 321 | |||||||
| Amortization of program costs | 74 | 80 | 90 | |||||||
| Non-media expenses | 8 | 24 | 44 | |||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | 123 | 654 | 160 | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiary | — | 10 | (3,357) | |||||||
| Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment | (18) | (2) | (64) | |||||||
| Operating income (loss) | $ | 558 | $ | (302) | $ | 3,980 | ||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to SBG | $ | 229 | $ | (257) | $ | 2,652 |
A discussion regarding SBG’s financial results and operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 is presented below. A discussion regarding SBG’s financial results and operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 can be found under Item 7 of Part II of the 2023 Annual Report, which is available free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and our Investor Relations website at www.sbgi.net/investor-relations.
Local Media Segment
Refer to Local Media Segment above under Sinclair’s Results of Operations for a discussion of SBG’s local media segment, which is the same as Sinclair’s local media segment for all of the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
As of December 31, 2024 the unrestricted subsidiaries (as defined in the Bank Credit Agreement, “Unrestricted Subsidiaries”) represented 0% of SBG’s total assets. For the year ended December 31, 2024 the Unrestricted Subsidiaries represented 0% of SBG’s total revenues and (1%) of SBG’s total operating income (loss).
As of December 31, 2024 and for the year ended December 31, 2024 there were no restricted subsidiaries that were non-guarantors (as defined in the Bank Credit Agreement) of SBG.
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Other
The following table sets forth SBG’s revenue and expenses for tennis, non-broadcast digital and internet solutions, technical services, and non-media investments (collectively, “Other”) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase / (Decrease) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Revenue: | (e) | ||||||||||||
| Distribution revenue | $ | 76 | $ | 179 | (58)% | ||||||||
| Core advertising revenue | 29 | 74 | (61)% | ||||||||||
| Other media revenues | 3 | 15 | (80)% | ||||||||||
| Media revenues (a) | $ | 108 | $ | 268 | (60)% | ||||||||
| Non-media revenues (b) | $ | 11 | $ | 44 | (75)% | ||||||||
| Operating Expenses: | |||||||||||||
| Media expenses (c) | $ | 86 | $ | 217 | (60)% | ||||||||
| Non-media expenses (d) | $ | 10 | $ | 36 | (72)% | ||||||||
| Loss (gain) on asset dispositions and other, net of impairments | $ | 13 | $ | (12) | n/m | ||||||||
| Operating income | $ | — | $ | 43 | n/m | ||||||||
| Income from equity method investments | $ | 31 | $ | 46 | (33)% |
n/m — not meaningful
(a)Media revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $3 million and $12 million, respectively, of intercompany revenues related to certain services and sales provided to the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(b)Non-media revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $1 million and $10 million, respectively, of intercompany revenues related to certain services and sales provided to the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(c)Media expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $1 million and $11 million, respectively, of intercompany expenses primarily related to certain services provided by the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(d)Non-media expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $1 million and $7 million, respectively, of intercompany expenses related to certain services provided by the local media segment, which are eliminated in consolidation.
(e)Represents the activity prior to the Reorganization on June 1, 2023. There was no reportable activity for the June through December period in the year ended December 31, 2023 following the Reorganization on June 1, 2023. See Company Reorganization under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
Corporate and Unallocated Expenses
The following table presents SBG’s corporate and unallocated expenses for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| Percent Change Increase/ (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ‘24 vs.‘23 | ‘23 vs.‘22 | |||||||||||
| Corporate general and administrative expenses | $ | 123 | $ | 654 | $ | 160 | (81)% | n/m | |||||||
| Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiary | $ | — | $ | 10 | $ | (3,357) | n/m | n/m | |||||||
| Income tax (provision) benefit | $ | (60) | $ | 359 | $ | (913) | n/m | n/m |
n/m — not meaningful
Corporate general and administrative expenses. The table above and the explanation that follows cover total consolidated corporate general and administrative expenses. Corporate general and administrative expenses decreased $531 million in 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a decrease in legal, consulting, and regulatory costs, primarily related to the litigation discussed under Note 11. Commitments and Contingencies within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, most notably the previously disclosed $495 million DSG litigation settlement.
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Income tax (provision) benefit. The 2024 income tax provision for SBG’s pre-tax income of $295 million resulted in an effective tax rate of 20.3%. The 2023 income tax benefit for SBG’s pre-tax loss of $604 million resulted in an effective tax rate of 59.4%. The decrease in the effective tax rate from 2023 to 2024 is primarily due to the 2023 benefit from the release of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets relating to deductibility of interest expense under the IRC Section 163(j).
As of December 31, 2024, SBG had a net deferred tax liability of $373 million as compared to a net deferred tax liability of $283 million as of December 31, 2023. The increase in net deferred tax liability primarily relates to changes in tax basis of SBG’s investment in DSIH.
As of December 31, 2024, SBG had $13 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, all of which, if recognized, would favorably affect SBG’s effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2023, SBG had $12 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, all of which, if recognized, would favorably affect SBG’s effective tax rate. SBG recognized $1 million of income tax expense for interest related to uncertain tax positions for both of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. See Note 10. Income Taxes within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2024, Sinclair had net working capital of approximately $880 million, including $697 million in cash and cash equivalent balances and approximately $650 million of available borrowing capacity. As of December 31, 2024, cash on hand, cash generated by Sinclair’s operations, and borrowing capacity under the Bank Credit Agreement were used as Sinclair’s primary sources of liquidity.
As of December 31, 2024, SBG had net working capital of approximately $447 million, including $291 million in cash and cash equivalent balances and approximately $650 million of available borrowing capacity. As of December 31, 2024, cash on hand, cash generated by SBG’s operations, and borrowing capacity under the Bank Credit Agreement were used as SBG’s primary sources of liquidity.
As of December 31, 2024, the Bank Credit Agreement included a financial maintenance covenant, the first lien leverage ratio (as defined in the Bank Credit Agreement), which required such ratio not to exceed 4.5x, measured as of the end of each fiscal quarter. As of December 31, 2024, the STG first lien leverage ratio was below 4.5x. Under the Bank Credit Agreement, a financial maintenance covenant was only applicable if 35% or more of the capacity (as a percentage of total commitments) under the revolving credit facility, measured as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, was drawn under the revolving credit facility as of such date. Since there was no utilization under the revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2024, STG was not subject to the financial maintenance covenant under the Bank Credit Agreement. The Bank Credit Agreement contained other restrictions and covenants with which STG was in compliance as of December 31, 2024.
In January 2024, STG purchased $27 million aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan B-2 for consideration of $25 million.
For the year ending December 31, 2025, Sinclair expects capital expenditures to be within the range of $83 million to $86 million, primarily related to station technical, maintenance, and building projects, and SBG expects capital expenditures to be within the range of $81 million to $84 million, primarily related to station technical, maintenance, and building projects.
Sinclair and SBG have various contractual obligations which are recorded as liabilities in Sinclair’s and SBG’s consolidated financial statements, such as notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing; operating leases; and active television program contracts. Certain other contractual obligations have not been recognized as liabilities in Sinclair’s and SBG’s consolidated financial statements, such as certain future television program contracts and network programming rights. Active television program contracts are included in Sinclair’s and SBG’s balance sheets as an asset and liability while future television program contracts are excluded until the cost is known, the program is available for its first showing or telecast, and the licensee has accepted the program. Industry protocol typically enables us to make payments for television program contracts on a three-month lag, which differs from the contractual timing. As of December 31, 2024, Sinclair’s and SBG’s significant contractual obligations included:
Sinclair:
•Total debt of Sinclair, defined as current and long-term notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, including finance leases of affiliates, of $4,129 million, including current debt, due within the next 12 months, of $38 million.
•Interest due on Sinclair’s total debt in the next twelve months of $274 million, including interest estimated on Sinclair’s variable rate debt calculated at an effective weighted average interest rate of 7.66% as of December 31, 2024.
•Sinclair’s contractual amounts owed through the expiration date of the underlying agreement for active and future television program contracts, network programming rights, and Tennis programming rights of $2,548 million, including $1,084 million due within the next 12 months. Network programming agreements may include variable fee components such as subscriber levels, which in certain circumstances have been estimated and reflected in the previous amounts based on current subscriber amounts.
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SBG:
•Total debt of SBG, defined as current and long-term notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, including finance leases of affiliates, of $4,129 million, including current debt, due within the next 12 months, of $38 million.
•Interest due on SBG’s total debt in the next twelve months of $274 million, including interest estimated on SBG’s variable rate debt calculated at an effective weighted average interest rate of 7.66% as of December 31, 2024.
•SBG’s contractual amounts owed through the expiration date of the underlying agreement for active and future television program contracts and network programming rights of $2,172 million, including $1,023 million due within the next 12 months. Network programming agreements may include variable fee components such as subscriber levels, which in certain circumstances have been estimated and reflected in the previous amounts based on current subscriber amounts.
See Note 6. Notes Payable and Commercial Bank Financing, Note 7. Leases, and Note 8. Program Contracts within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 6. Notes Payable and Commercial Bank Financing, Note 7. Leases, and Note 8. Program Contracts within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
In February 2025, STG substantially completed a series of financing transactions, including a new money financing and debt recapitalization, which strengthened the Company’s balance sheet and better positioned it for long-term growth. STG’s nearest term maturity, Term Loan B-2 due 2026, was repaid with proceeds from the issuance of a new first-out first lien secured bond, along with the extension of maturities of other debt tranches, which significantly extended STG’s maturity profile. See Note 18. Subsequent Events within Sinclair’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Note 16. Subsequent Events within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, for further information.
Sinclair and SBG anticipate that existing cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from the local media segment’s operations, and borrowing capacity under the Amended Credit Agreement and the New Credit Agreement will be sufficient to satisfy the local media segment’s debt service obligations, capital expenditure requirements, and working capital needs for the next twelve months. Sinclair anticipates that existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from SBG, the tennis segment and other’s operations will be sufficient to satisfy SBG’s, the tennis segment and other’s debt service obligations, capital expenditure requirements, and working capital needs for the next twelve months. However, certain factors, including but not limited to the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and other geopolitical matters, natural disasters, and pandemics, and their resulting effect on the economy, Sinclair’s and SBG’s advertisers, and Sinclair’s and SBG’s Distributors and their subscribers, could affect Sinclair’s and SBG’s liquidity and first lien leverage ratio which could affect Sinclair’s and SBG’s ability to access the full borrowing capacity under the New Credit Agreement. In addition to the sources described above, Sinclair and SBG may rely upon various sources for long-term liquidity needs, such as but not limited to, the issuance of long-term debt (including, for example, an accounts receivable securitization facility), the issuance of Sinclair equity, for Sinclair only, the issuance of Ventures equity or debt, or other instruments convertible into or exchangeable for Sinclair equity, or the sale of assets. However, there can be no assurance that additional financing or capital or buyers of assets will be available, or that the terms of any transactions will be acceptable or advantageous to Sinclair or SBG.
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Sinclair, Inc. Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table sets forth Sinclair’s cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash flows from operating activities | $ | 98 | $ | 235 | $ | 799 | ||||
| Cash flow from (used in) investing activities: | ||||||||||
| Acquisition of property and equipment | $ | (84) | $ | (92) | $ | (105) | ||||
| Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash | — | — | (315) | |||||||
| Purchases of investments | (50) | (72) | (75) | |||||||
| Distributions and proceeds from investments | 203 | 206 | 99 | |||||||
| Other, net | 8 | 10 | 15 | |||||||
| Net cash flows from (used in) investing activities | $ | 77 | $ | 52 | $ | (381) | ||||
| Cash flows used in financing activities: | ||||||||||
| Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 728 | ||||
| Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases | (61) | (85) | (863) | |||||||
| Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock | — | (153) | (120) | |||||||
| Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock | (66) | (65) | (70) | |||||||
| Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity | — | — | (7) | |||||||
| Repurchase of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity | — | (190) | — | |||||||
| Distributions to noncontrolling interests | (12) | (13) | (12) | |||||||
| Other, net | (1) | (3) | (9) | |||||||
| Net cash flows used in financing activities | $ | (140) | $ | (509) | $ | (353) |
Operating Activities
Net cash flows from Sinclair’s operating activities decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the payment of the DSG litigation settlement and an increase in production and overhead costs, partially offset by an increase in cash collections related to political revenue and Distributors.
Investing Activities
Net cash flows from Sinclair’s investing activities increased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a decrease in the purchase of investments in the current period.
Financing Activities
Net cash flows used in Sinclair’s financing activities decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the repurchase of outstanding Common Stock and the redeemable subsidiary preferred equity in the prior period and a decrease in the repayment of debt in the current period.
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Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table sets forth SBG’s cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 (in millions):
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash flows from operating activities | $ | 71 | $ | 260 | $ | 799 | ||||
| Cash flows (used in) from investing activities: | ||||||||||
| Acquisition of property and equipment | $ | (80) | $ | (90) | $ | (105) | ||||
| Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash | — | — | (315) | |||||||
| Purchases of investments | (4) | (39) | (75) | |||||||
| Distributions and proceeds from investments | 43 | 204 | 99 | |||||||
| Other, net | 3 | 9 | 15 | |||||||
| Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities | $ | (38) | $ | 84 | $ | (381) | ||||
| Cash flows used in financing activities: | ||||||||||
| Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 728 | ||||
| Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases | (61) | (85) | (863) | |||||||
| Repurchase of outstanding Old Sinclair Class A Common Stock | — | (153) | (120) | |||||||
| Dividends paid on Old Sinclair Class A and Class B Common Stock | — | (18) | (70) | |||||||
| Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity | — | — | (7) | |||||||
| Repurchase of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity | — | (190) | — | |||||||
| Contributions from (distribution to) member, net | 10 | (448) | — | |||||||
| Distributions to noncontrolling interests | (10) | (12) | (12) | |||||||
| Other, net | — | (3) | (9) | |||||||
| Net cash flows used in financing activities | $ | (61) | $ | (909) | $ | (353) |
Operating Activities
Net cash flows from SBG’s operating activities decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the payment of the DSG litigation settlement and an increase in production and overhead costs, partially offset by an increase in cash collections related to political revenue and Distributors, as well as the impact of the Reorganization, as discussed in Company Reorganization under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
Investing Activities
Net cash flows used in SBG’s investing activities increased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to the $193 million A/R Facility principal payment received from Diamond Sports Finance SPV, LLC in the prior period, offset by a decrease in the purchases of investments in the current period, as a result of the Reorganization, as discussed in Company Reorganization under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, and a decrease in the acquisition of property and equipment in the current period.
Financing Activities
Net cash flows used in SBG’s financing activities decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to a decrease in the repayment of debt in the current period and an increase in net contributions from member in the current period, as a result of the Reorganization, as discussed in Company Reorganization under Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies within SBG’s Consolidated Financial Statements, and the repurchase of outstanding Old Sinclair Common Stock, dividends paid on Old Sinclair Class A and Class B Common Stock, and the repurchase of the redeemable subsidiary preferred equity in the prior period.
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