News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS) renews $1.5B credit facilities to 2031
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
News Corporation entered into an amended and restated credit agreement providing unsecured $1,500,000,000 in total credit facilities. This includes a $1,000,000,000 five-year revolving credit facility and a $500,000,000 five-year term loan A facility, used to refinance its existing credit agreement and for general corporate purposes.
The revolving facility includes a $100,000,000 sublimit for letters of credit and can be increased, together with the term facility, by up to $250,000,000. All amounts are scheduled to mature on March 27, 2031. The term A loans amortize gradually each year, while the revolving facility does not amortize.
The agreement includes customary covenants and requires News Corporation to keep its adjusted operating income net leverage ratio at or below 3.5% to 1.0, with some flexibility after a material acquisition. On the same date, the company extended the maturity of its existing term A loans and borrowed an additional $43,750,000, bringing the aggregate term A loans to $500,000,000.
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Insights
News Corp refreshes a $1.5B unsecured credit platform to 2031.
News Corporation put in place unsecured credit facilities totaling $1,500,000,000, split between a $1,000,000,000 revolving line and a $500,000,000 term loan A. These replace a prior agreement and extend committed bank financing out to March 27, 2031.
The facilities are unsecured and governed by customary covenants, including a maximum adjusted operating income net leverage ratio of 3.5 to 1.0, with adjustments allowed after material acquisitions. This covenant framework ties borrowing capacity to earnings, limiting leverage while allowing some acquisition-driven flexibility.
The company also extended its existing term A maturity and added $43,750,000 of new term A borrowings, bringing that tranche to $500,000,000. Future filings may clarify actual utilization of the $1,000,000,000 revolver versus being maintained as a liquidity backstop under these long-dated commitments.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On March 27, 2026, News Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among the Company, as administrative borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Citibank, N.A., as syndication agents, and the other parties thereto.
The Credit Agreement provides for unsecured $1,500,000,000 credit facilities comprised of a $1,000,000,000 five year unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility”) and $500,000,000 five year unsecured term loan A credit facility (the “Term A Facility,” the loans under the Term A Facility are collectively referred to as “Term A Loans,” and the Term A Facility together with the Revolving Facility are referred to as, the “Facilities”) to the Company to refinance its existing credit agreement and for general corporate purposes. The Revolving Facility has a sublimit of $100,000,000 available for issuances of letters of credit. Under the Credit Agreement, the Company may request increases with respect to either Facility in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $250,000,000. Subject to certain conditions stated in the Credit Agreement, the Company may borrow, prepay and reborrow amounts under the Revolving Facility during the term of the Credit Agreement. The loans under the Revolving Facility will not amortize. The Term A Loans will amortize in equal quarterly installments in an aggregate annual amount equal to 0.0%, 2.5%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 5.0%, respectively, of the original principal amount of the Term A Facility for each 12-month period commencing on June 30, 2026. All amounts under the Credit Agreement with respect to the Facilities are due on March 27, 2031, unless, with respect to the Revolving Facility, the commitments are terminated earlier either at the request of the Company or, with respect to the Facilities, if an event of default occurs, by the administrative agent at the request or with the consent of the lenders (or automatically in the case of certain bankruptcy-related events). The Company may request that the maturity date of the revolving credit commitments under the Revolving Facility be extended under certain circumstances as set forth in the Credit Agreement for up to two additional one-year periods. The Company may also request that the maturity date of the Term A Facility be extended under certain circumstances as set forth in the Credit Agreement by at least one year. Additionally, interest on borrowings is based on either (a) an Alternative Currency Term Rate formula, (b) a Term SOFR formula, (c) an Alternative Currency Daily Rate or (d) the Base Rate formula, each as set forth in the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default with customary exceptions, including limitations on the ability of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries to incur liens, merge into or consolidate with any other entity, incur subsidiary debt or dispose of all or substantially all of its assets or all or substantially all of the stock of all subsidiaries taken as a whole. In addition, the Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain an adjusted operating income net leverage ratio of not more than 3.5 to 1.0, subject to certain adjustments following a material acquisition. If any of the events of default occur and are not cured within applicable grace periods or waived, any unpaid amounts under the Credit Agreement may be declared immediately due and payable.
The maturity of the existing Term A Loans was extended on March 27, 2026, and additional Term A Loans in the amount of $43,750,000 were borrowed by the Company on the same date (the “Borrowing”). The aggregate amount of Term A Loans after giving effect to the Borrowing is $500,000,000.
BofA Securities, Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Citibank, N.A. acted as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners in respect of the Credit Agreement, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Citibank, N.A. are syndication agents under the Credit Agreement, Bank of America, N.A. is administrative agent under the Credit Agreement and the lenders include Bank of America, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Citibank, N.A., Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., MUFG Bank, Ltd., Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, HSBC Bank USA, National Association, Bank of China Limited, New York Branch, U.S. Bank, National Association, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation and National Australia Bank Limited.
In the ordinary course of their respective businesses, one or more of the lenders, or their affiliates, have or may have various relationships with the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries involving the provision of a variety of financial services, including cash management, commercial banking, investment banking, advisory or other financial services, for which they received, or will receive, customary fees and expenses. In addition, the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries may have entered into or may enter into in the future certain engagements with one or more lenders or their affiliates relating to specific endeavors.
The foregoing description of the Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Credit Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 2.03 | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. |
The description contained under Item 1.01 above is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Item 2.03
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 10.1* | Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 27, 2026, among the Company, the lenders and other parties party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
* Certain schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted attachment to the SEC on a confidential basis upon request.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| NEWS CORPORATION (REGISTRANT) | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael L. Bunder | |
| Michael L. Bunder | ||
| Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | ||
Dated: March 27, 2026
FAQ
What did News Corporation (NWS) announce regarding its new credit facilities?
News Corporation entered an amended and restated credit agreement providing $1,500,000,000 in unsecured credit facilities. This package replaces its prior agreement and extends committed bank financing with updated terms and covenants out to March 27, 2031.
How are News Corporation's (NWS) $1.5 billion credit facilities structured?
The facilities consist of a $1,000,000,000 five-year unsecured revolving credit facility and a $500,000,000 five-year unsecured term loan A facility. The revolving line does not amortize, while the term A loans amortize gradually through their 2031 maturity.
What financial covenant applies to News Corporation's (NWS) new credit agreement?
The credit agreement requires News Corporation to maintain an adjusted operating income net leverage ratio not greater than 3.5 to 1.0. This covenant can be adjusted following a material acquisition, providing some flexibility while still limiting overall leverage levels.
When do News Corporation's (NWS) new credit facilities mature?
All amounts outstanding under the new credit agreement are scheduled to mature on March 27, 2031. The company may also request extensions of the revolving commitments and the term A facility maturity under specified conditions set out in the agreement.
Did News Corporation (NWS) increase its term loan borrowings under the new agreement?
Yes. On entering the amended agreement, News Corporation extended the maturity of its existing term A loans and borrowed an additional $43,750,000. After this borrowing, aggregate term A loans outstanding total $500,000,000 under the facility.
Can News Corporation (NWS) expand its new credit facilities further?
Under the agreement, News Corporation may request increases to either the revolving facility or the term A facility in an aggregate principal amount up to $250,000,000. Any such increase would be subject to the conditions specified in the credit agreement.
Filing Exhibits & Attachments
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