Q1 26 EPS
$-1.17
MISS 1,162.14%
Est. $-0.09
Q1 26 Revenue
$8.89B
BEAT +0.06%
Est. $8.89B
vs S&P Since Q1 26
-3.2%
TRAILING MARKET
WBD +2.9% vs S&P +6.1%
Market Reaction
Did WBD Beat Earnings? Q1 2026 Results
Warner Bros. Discovery posted a jarring first-quarter earnings miss, with a net loss of $2.92 billion driving an EPS of negative $1.17, against a consensus estimate of negative $0.09, a gap of more than 1,162%, even as revenue of $8.89 billion came i… Read more Warner Bros. Discovery posted a jarring first-quarter earnings miss, with a net loss of $2.92 billion driving an EPS of negative $1.17, against a consensus estimate of negative $0.09, a gap of more than 1,162%, even as revenue of $8.89 billion came in essentially on target and declined just 1.0% year over year. The culprit was a $2.80 billion termination fee paid to Netflix under the terms of WBD's pending merger with Paramount Skydance Corporation, a one-time charge that overwhelmed otherwise solid operational progress. Strip out that noise and the underlying business showed genuine momentum, particularly in Streaming, where revenues rose 7% ex-FX to $2.89 billion and global subscribers exceeded the company's 140 million target, with management now guiding toward 150 million by year-end. Studios delivered a standout quarter with Adjusted EBITDA up 156% ex-FX to $775 million. The Paramount deal, already approved by WBD shareholders, remains on track to close in Q3 2026, with Paramount itself showing encouraging revenue stabilization ahead of that combination.
Key Takeaways
- • HBO Max international launches in U.K., Ireland, Germany, and Italy drove Streaming subscriber and revenue growth
- • Intercompany content licensing from HBO Max international launches drove Studios revenue and EBITDA surge
- • Strong content slate including A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (36M global viewers per episode) and The Pitt (20M+ global viewers per episode)
- • Q4 2025 U.S. price increase benefited distribution revenue with limited churn impact
- • 50% of global retail gross adds taking ad-supported tier
- • NCAA March Madness averaged nearly 11 million viewers, highest since 2015
- • CNN total minutes across platforms grew 30% year-over-year
WBD YoY Financials
Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025, source: SEC Filings
WBD Revenue by Segment
With YoY comparisons, source: SEC Filings
WBD Earnings Trends
WBD vs Market 30 Day Price Reactions
30-day stock return vs benchmark after each earnings
WBD EPS Trend
Earnings per share: estimate vs actual
WBD Revenue Trend
Quarterly revenue: estimate vs actual
WBD Quarterly Results
6 quarters of earnings data
| Quarter | EPS Est. | EPS Act. | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 26 BEAT Includes $75 million pre-tax loss on extinguishment of debt, $1.1 billion of pre-tax acquisition-related amortization of intangibles, content fair value step-up, and restructuring expenses, and a $433 million income tax benefit. Prior year Q2 included a $2,958 million gain on debt extinguishment. | $-0.10 | $0.06 | +158.94% | $8.72B | -5.39% |
| Q1 26 MISS | $-0.09 | $-1.17 | -1,162.14% | $8.89B | +0.06% |
| Q4 25 MISS FY | $0.00 | $-0.10 | -2,757.14% | $9.46B | +0.92% |
| FY Full Year | $0.38 | $0.29 | -23.84% | $37.30B | +0.01% |
| Q3 25 BEAT | $-0.09 | $-0.06 | +29.58% | $9.05B | -1.51% |
| Q2 25 BEAT | $-0.23 | $0.63 | +376.19% | $9.81B | -0.21% |
| Q1 25 MISS | $-0.13 | $-0.18 | -39.00% | $8.98B | -6.49% |