iHeartMedia cuts 2026 profit forecast by up to $250M as radio declines
· 26h ago · Originally reported by PPC Land
iHeartMedia lowered its 2026 profit outlook by as much as $250 million as its radio division struggles, with divisional profit falling 43% to $68 million, largely due to non-cash marketing costs, and an additional $100 million expected in Q4. The company is looking to its AudioGraph platform to potentially generate $100 million in programmatic radio sales.
Why it matters
It shows how traditional audio broadcasters are leaning on programmatic ad tech to offset steep declines in legacy radio revenue, making automated audio buying a key battleground for the industry.
Explain it like I’m new here
It's like a lemonade stand losing money on its old recipe and hoping a new app that sells ads automatically will bring customers back.
Terms in this story
Guidance (forecast)
Guidance is a public company's own forecast of its future results, such as next quarter's revenue or full-year adjusted EBITDA, usually given as a range alongside an earnings report.
Programmatic advertising
Programmatic advertising is buying and selling ad space through automated software, usually one impression at a time, instead of through manual negotiations, phone calls and paper contracts.
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