21st Century Fox Net Income Falls in Q4

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21st Century Fox reported lower fourth-quarter earnings as sports cost rose at its cable networks and its broadcast network continue to struggle.

Net income was $87 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with $999 million, or 45 cents, a year ago.

Revenue in the quarter fell to $6.21 billion from $8.42 billion a year ago. Last year’s total included revenue from Fox’s DBS business. Excluding that, revenue was down 9%.

Operating income for the cable network programming segment rose 1% to $1.22 billion, impacted by higher sports programming costs at Fox Sports 1. Revenue was up 7%.

Domestic advertising for the cable networks was down 2%. Advertising was up at the regional sports networks but down at FX.

The company’s television segment had $113 million in operating income, down from $145 million a year ago. Advertising revenue was down 14% because of lower ratings for the Fox broadcast network's American Idol and The Following.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.