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News Corp.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 6 percent: Total revenues were $2.28 billion against $2.14 billion, including a $43 million currency benefit. Adjusted revenues rose 4%. Source
  • Net income up 43 percent: Net income was $215 million, driven mainly by higher Total Segment EBITDA and a gain in Other, net, partly offset by higher income tax expense. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA up 19 percent: Total Segment EBITDA was $403 million against $340 million. Adjusted Total Segment EBITDA rose 13%. Source
  • Real estate EBITDA up 34 percent: Digital Real Estate Services Segment EBITDA rose 34% to $212 million. Adjusted Segment EBITDA rose 23%, and revenue rose 10% to $529 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell to $13 million: Operating cash flow was $13 million against $85 million. Management attributed the drop to working capital timing and higher tax payments, partly offset by higher Segment EBITDA. Source
  • Free cash flow turned negative: Free cash flow was $(89) million against $4 million, as capital expenditures rose $21 million to $102 million. Source
  • Partnerships with OpenAI and Meta: Management named OpenAI and Meta as content partners and said it expects other platforms to license content. Source

“We began Fiscal 2027 with a record first quarter performance, as revenues increased 6 percent to $2.3 billion”

Chief Executive Robert Thomson

What changed from last quarter

  • Ended: The REA India remaining business, whose sale was announced last quarter, is now reported as divested, with a gain recorded in Other, net. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 6 percent: Total revenues were $2.28 billion against $2.14 billion, including a $43 million currency benefit. Adjusted revenues rose 4%. Source
  • Net income up 43 percent: Net income was $215 million, driven mainly by higher Total Segment EBITDA and a gain in Other, net, partly offset by higher income tax expense. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA up 19 percent: Total Segment EBITDA was $403 million against $340 million. Adjusted Total Segment EBITDA rose 13%. Source
  • Reported EPS $0.29, adjusted $0.28: Net income per share attributable to News Corporation stockholders was $0.29 against $0.20. Adjusted EPS was $0.28 against $0.22. Source

Segments and regions

  • Real estate EBITDA up 34 percent: Digital Real Estate Services Segment EBITDA rose 34% to $212 million. Adjusted Segment EBITDA rose 23%, and revenue rose 10% to $529 million. Source
  • REA Group revenue up 13 percent: REA Group revenues rose 13% to $369 million, including a $27 million currency benefit, on higher Australian residential revenues from price increases. Source
  • Move revenue up 5 percent: Move revenues rose 5% to $160 million, mainly on higher RealPRO Select sales, which drove higher revenue per lead and annual contract value. Source
  • Dow Jones revenue up 8 percent: Dow Jones revenues rose 8% to $630 million, on higher circulation and subscription revenues and higher digital advertising revenues. Source
  • Book Publishing EBITDA up 29 percent: Book Publishing Segment EBITDA rose 29% to $75 million, helped by the absence of a $13 million prior-year receivable write-off. Source
  • News Media EBITDA down 40 percent: News Media revenues fell 1% to $540 million. Segment EBITDA fell 40% to $18 million, and adjusted revenues fell 4%. Source

“Our performance reflects the transformation of News Corp into a thriving, higher-margin business, digitally driven with peerless, profitable content.”

Chief Executive Robert Thomson

Subscriptions and audiences

  • Dow Jones subscriptions up 8 percent: Average total Dow Jones news subscriptions were over 6.9 million, up 8% from the prior year. Source
  • Wall Street Journal digital subscriptions grew: Wall Street Journal digital-only subscriptions rose 11% to nearly 4.7 million average subscriptions, driven by enterprise news subscriptions. Source
  • Risk & Compliance and Energy grew: Dow Jones Risk & Compliance revenues rose 11% to $104 million, and Dow Jones Energy revenues rose 8% to $79 million. Source
  • Realtor.com unique users fell 8 percent: Average monthly unique users of the Realtor.com web and mobile sites were 66 million, an 8% decrease from the prior year. Source
  • Sun's digital reach declined: The Sun's digital offering reached 57 million monthly unique users in September 2026, against 77 million a year earlier. Source

Costs and margins

  • Employee costs and marketing timing: Dow Jones Segment EBITDA rose 11%, partly offset by higher employee costs and the timing of marketing spend. Source
  • Margins expanded meaningfully: Management said margins expanded meaningfully, with Total Segment EBITDA growth of 19% running ahead of 6% revenue growth. Source
  • Move profitability scaled: Move continued to scale profitability on 5% revenue growth and improved operational efficiencies. Source

“We remain vigilant in protecting that priceless intellectual property.”

Chief Executive Robert Thomson

Cash flow and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell to $13 million: Operating cash flow was $13 million against $85 million. Management attributed the drop to working capital timing and higher tax payments, partly offset by higher Segment EBITDA. Source
  • Free cash flow turned negative: Free cash flow was $(89) million against $4 million, as capital expenditures rose $21 million to $102 million. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends increased: Share repurchases were $166 million against $92 million, and dividends paid were $61 million against $47 million. Source
  • Cash balance declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,777 million at September 30, 2026, against $2,095 million at June 30, 2026. Source

Demand and listings

  • Sydney and Melbourne listings fell: Australian national buy listing volumes fell 2% year on year, with Sydney and Melbourne down 16%. Source
  • UK title subscribers rose: Times and Sunday Times closing digital subscribers, including the Times Literary Supplement, were 686,000, against 640,000 a year earlier. Source
  • Australian digital subscribers flat: News Corp Australia closing digital subscribers were 1,163,000, against 1,162,000, with news mastheads at 1,006,000. Source

AI licensing and strategy

  • Partnerships with OpenAI and Meta: Management named OpenAI and Meta as content partners and said it expects other platforms to license content. Source
  • Content seen as core to AI: Management said it believes the company is positioned for further growth in the AI era, because high quality content is central to AI. Source
  • Cost discipline and capital stewardship: Management said it will pursue growth and higher profitability with cost discipline and prudent capital stewardship. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Licensing and enforcement continue: Management said it will pursue content licensing deals and legal action against those it considers unauthorised users of its content. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total average news product subscriptions Source6,922 thousand (6.9 million), up 8%
Digital-only news product subscriptions Source6,477 thousand, up 10%
Realtor.com average monthly unique users Source66 million, down 8%
Times and Sunday Times closing digital subscribers Source686,000, up from 640,000
News Corp Australia closing digital subscribers Source1,163,000 (1,006,000 for news mastheads)

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited volatile economic conditions as a backdrop to the quarter's results across its three growth engines. Source
  • Demand: Realtor.com lead volumes fell 11%, which management attributed to broader macroeconomic trends and a focus on higher quality leads. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the quarter was the fourteenth consecutive quarter of year-over-year profitability growth. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.