CBS Profit Up on Content Licensing Fees, Retransmission Revenue
July 28 2016 - 5:16PM
Dow Jones News
By Tess Stynes
CBS Corp. reported its second-quarter earnings rose 27% as
revenue edged past expectations with a boost from content licensing
fees for five Star Trek series abroad, along with growth in
retransmission revenue.
The media company said earlier Thursday it would raise its
quarterly dividend by 20% to 18 cents a share and boost its stock
buyback plan to $6 billion. That marks a quarter of the company's
market capitalization and replaces the previous stock buyback
program, which had $1 billion remaining as of the end of June.
CBS reported revenue increased 2.1% to $3.29 billion, slightly
above estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters for revenue
of $3.21 billion.
A year earlier CBS's revenue got a boost from distribution fees
for its content from pay-TV operators and its own affiliates and
the record-breaking pay-per-view telecast of the Floyd
Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight. CBS's pay-TV channel Showtime was
a partner with Time Warner Inc.'s HBO on the fight, which grossed
more than $600 million. The year-earlier quarter also included the
NCAA Tournament finals.
In the latest quarter, content licensing and distribution
revenue rose 16%, driven mainly by the Star Trek licensing.
Meanwhile, affiliate and subscription fees decreased 2.5% and
advertising revenue declined 2.6%
Like other media companies, CBS has been aiming to reduce its
reliance on advertising revenue to reflect shifts in how people
consume television shows and movies. CBS previously has said it is
less vulnerable to "cord-cutting" and unbundling of cable
television packages, thanks to its investments for the future as a
content company.
The media giant, whose holdings include cable networks and
broadcast television stations, as well as publisher Simon &
Schuster, also has over-the-top offerings such as CBS All Access
and its Showtime stand-alone streaming service.
In prepared remarks, Chairman and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves
said both of the over-the-top services continued to exceed
expectations.
Investors on likely will be listening for any details regarding
CBS's plans to take its radio division public in an initial public
offering, part of the company's efforts to focus on its content
strategy.
Mr. Moonves said CBS had its strongest upfront selling season in
years, which will benefit the company beginning in late September
when the new higher pricing takes effect.
During the quarter, retransmission consent and reverse
compensation grew 44% and remain on track to surpass $1 billion in
revenue this year, he said.
Over all, CBS reported a profit of $423 million, or 93 cents a
share, down from $332 million, or 67 cents a share, a year earlier.
The year-earlier period included restructuring charges of 7 cents a
share, mostly related to the company's radio and television
stations. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected per-share
profit of 86 cents.
--Anne Steele contributed to this article.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 28, 2016 17:01 ET (21:01 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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