warner bros discovery (WBDMore – Free Report recently announced that it is seeking potential buyers to sell its music rights.
The decision comes at a time when the company’s balance sheet remains heavily leveraged at $50 billion following the failed merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery last April.
Sale of music libraries containing the most precious soundtracks of Batman The film and other tracks by famous singers like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Joey Ramon could bring in $1 billion to Warner Bros. Discovery, reducing debt to some extent. It is useful for
In addition to this, music has been found to receive more attention on streaming platforms such as: Spotify (spot – free report) these days. According to The Wall Street Journal, investors and music publishers buy blockbuster catalogs that are 30 times his average annual royalties. So this establishes perfect timing for Warner Bros. Discovery to sell its music catalog at the right price.
However, during sales, Warner Bros. Discovery must maintain its ability to sell famous movie tracks in order to use the music in its upcoming sequels or spin-offs.
Warner Bros. Discovery to Deleverage Balance Sheet
Warner Bros. Discovery’s high debt has long plagued top management. To address this, CEO David Zaslav said last November that he aims to cut costs by $3.5 billion over the next two years.
The start of cost cutting has come through the layoff of hundreds of employees and the cancellation of multiple high-budget projects, including long-awaited projects. Batgirl, Wonder Woman 3 When Man of Steel 2.
Along with this, Warner Bros. Discovery also focused on restructuring its streaming division. This can be a significant revenue stream. According to The Verge, he retired from CNN Plus within a month of its launch. Walt Disney’s (DIS – Free report) Disney Plus hits 10 million subscribers on day one.
According to The Verge, if CNN Plus works, it could project a loss of about $500 million over the next two years, which does nothing to help alleviate its debt. Therefore, the company’s decision to close it down appears to have been appropriate.
Warner Bros. Discovery will combine HBO Max and Discovery Plus into one unit as Max by this spring. Combining the resources of both units makes it easier to manage and allows you to offer different content to your audience and generate revenue. Increased sales and reduced costs can result in positive cash flow for the company, which can be used to pay down debt.
The company also recently announced an increase in its ad-free HBO Max streaming plans. This could increase advertising revenue, which accounts for almost 20% of total revenue.
The company expects these changes to be healthier going forward and have the potential to revive the stock, which has fallen 57.9% year-to-date compared to the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector, which has fallen 26% over the same time frame. increase.
These cost cuts and restructuring could help Warner Bros. Discovery pay down its current portion of $1.2 billion in debt over the long term, but the company is stepping up its content offerings to attract viewers. need to do it. It will help you generate revenue, gradually lead your company to profitability, and manage your debt.
Zack’s rank and inventory to consider
Warner Bros. Discovery currently holds Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A complete list of today’s #1 (Strong Buy) Zachs Stocks can be found here.
Better-ranking stocks in the same sector are Nexter Media Group (NXST – Free report), Zack ranks 1st.
Nexstar Media Group shares are up 8.2% over the year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate revenue is pegged at $7.57, which has been constant for the last 30 days.
