New York, NY – February 24, 2022: Discovery, Inc. (“Discovery” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2021.
David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery said, “2021 was by all measures an exceptional year for our company, in which we achieved significant operational, financial, and strategic objectives. We grew our global DTC paying subscribers to 22 million, a tailwind for our strong distribution revenue growth of 11%, while global advertising revenues grew 10% due to continued strength in our key markets and share gains. Additionally, we ended the year with nearly $4 billion of cash on hand and generated robust cash flows, supporting our ability to invest in growth initiatives. Further, the successful recent broadcast of our second Winter Olympic Games across Europe, on the heels of our first broadcast of the Summer Olympic Games, underscores one of our key differentiators: in-language and locally relevant content. All of which position us well to take advantage of the remarkable opportunities ahead for Warner Bros. Discovery, which we believe will be among the world’s most dynamic media companies.”
Zaslav continued, “We, of course, are pleased to receive unconditional clearance from the European Commission, the expiration of the HSR waiting period, and clearance from other key international markets, and AT&T having received a favorable private letter ruling from the IRS. We also filed our merger proxy earlier this month and have scheduled our stockholder meeting for March 11th. Following the vote, and assuming the deal is approved by our stockholders, we expect to be on track to close in Q2.”
Financial Highlights
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Q4 total revenues of $3,187 million increased 10%, or increased 11% ex-FX, compared to the prior year quarter.
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Q4 U.S. advertising revenues increased 5% and distribution revenues increased 17%; and
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Q4 International advertising revenues increased 10%, or 12% ex-FX, and distribution revenues increased 2%, or 5% ex-FX.
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Net income available to Discovery, Inc. was $38 million and $1,006 million in Q4 and the full year 2021, respectively.
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Total Adjusted OIBDA was $1,137 million and $3,817 million in Q4 and the full year 2021, respectively.
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Q4 cash provided by operating activities was $884 million and free cash flow was $784 million.
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Full year cash provided by operating activities was $2,798 million and free cash flow was $2,425 million, representing a 64% Adjusted OIBDA to free cash flow conversion rate.
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Ended 2021 with $3.9 billion of cash and cash equivalents, gross debt of $15.4 billion, and net leverage of 3.0x.
Operational Highlights
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Ended 2021 with 22 million DTC Subscribers, an increase of 2 million subscribers since the end of Q3.
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Generated $450 million of Next Generation Revenues in Q4, and roughly $1.6 billion of Next Generation Revenues in 2021, growth of 80% versus the prior year.
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Successfully transitioned the entirety of our discovery+ subscriber base across Europe onto the same technology platform as the U.S., which will deliver a more personalized content and viewing experience, and we expect will drive better consumer engagement and lower churn, as well as enabling an ad-lite advertising offering in key markets, beginning in March in the UK.
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Broadcast the Olympic Winter Games from Beijing and produced strong results across Discovery’s European television network and streaming products. discovery+ drove an increased number of new paid streaming subscribers, the total of which exceeded PyeongChang 2018 by almost 50%. Additionally, well over half of all new Olympics subscribers engaged with discovery+’s entertainment content, reinforcing the increased depth and value of our offering.
About Discovery
Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in 220 countries and territories and nearly 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as discovery+, Food Network Kitchen and MotorTrend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media; a landmark natural history and factual content partnership with the BBC; and a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com
DISCOVERY, INC. REPORTS FOURTH-QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2021 RESULTS