E.W. SCRIPPS Co SEC Filings

E.W. Scripps Chief Financial Officer Jason Combs reported equity award activity involving restricted stock units and Class A common shares. On March 1, 2026, he received restricted stock unit grants of 230,570 units and 141,643 units at no cash cost.

Several restricted stock unit positions were converted into Class A common shares, including 179,369 shares through derivative conversion. To cover tax obligations from a long-term incentive award, 77,266 Class A common shares were withheld by the company. One RSU grant will vest in equal parts in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030, with each vested unit converting into one Class A common share.

E.W. SCRIPPS Co President, Scripps Sports Brian G. Lawlor reported multiple equity transactions involving restricted stock units (RSUs) and Class A common shares. On March 1, 2026, he received RSU grants of 202,902 units and 124,645 units at no cash cost. According to the footnotes, some RSUs were increased because the company exceeded performance goals, and these awards vest in equal parts from 2027 through 2030, with a portion vesting in 2026.

Several RSU awards were also converted into Class A common shares through derivative exercises, including 133,335 Class A common shares and additional RSU conversions described in the filing. A separate transaction disposed of 56,799 Class A common shares to cover tax obligations, as the award terms require the company to withhold shares for taxes. Overall, these transactions reflect equity compensation, vesting, and tax-withholding activity rather than open‑market buying or selling.

E.W. Scripps Chief Legal Officer David M. Giles reported multiple equity compensation transactions dated March 1, 2026. He acquired restricted stock units (RSUs) through grants of 92,228 and 70,821 units and through conversions of existing RSUs into Class A Common Shares.

He also exercised derivative securities into 55,319 Class A Common Shares, while 24,585 Class A shares were withheld by the company to satisfy tax obligations. Footnotes state that additional RSUs were credited because the company exceeded performance goals, with these awards scheduled to vest in stages from 2026 through 2030.

E.W. SCRIPPS Co Chief Transformation Officer Laura Tomlin reported multiple equity award activities involving restricted stock units and Class A common shares on 2026-03-01.

She received two new restricted stock unit grants of 161,399 and 99,150 units at no cost, with footnotes explaining these awards will vest in installments from 2026 through 2030 and convert into Class A common shares upon vesting.

Several existing restricted stock unit awards were exercised or converted into both restricted stock units and Class A common shares, including an acquisition of 128,531 Class A shares through derivative conversion. A separate disposition of 39,142 Class A common shares was made to satisfy tax obligations through share withholding, rather than an open-market sale.

E.W. Scripps SVP and Controller Daniel Perschke reported multiple equity compensation transactions involving restricted stock units (RSUs) and Class A common shares. On March 1, 2026, several RSU grants and conversions were recorded at a price of $0.00 per unit or share.

Perschke acquired RSUs through both new awards and the conversion of existing RSUs into Class A common shares, including performance-based units credited after the company exceeded performance goals. These awards are scheduled to vest in equal parts between 2027 and 2030, with each vested unit converting into one Class A common share.

To satisfy tax obligations tied to these equity events, the company withheld 14,831 Class A common shares, recorded as a tax-withholding disposition rather than an open-market sale. After these transactions, Perschke directly held 30,820.4354 Class A common shares of E.W. Scripps.

The E.W. Scripps Company outlines a year of heavy refinancing, sports rights expansion and portfolio reshaping in its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2025. The company operates more than 60 local TV stations plus national networks such as ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Laff, Scripps News and, until its sale, Court TV.

Scripps refinanced its capital structure in 2025, replacing prior term loans and its revolver with new tranche B-2 and B-3 term loans, a new $208 million revolving credit facility and a three-year accounts receivable securitization facility with commitments up to $450 million. It later issued $750 million of 2030 senior secured second lien notes and used the proceeds to repay 2027 notes, prepay term debt and reduce revolver borrowings. Total debt was about $2.6 billion as of December 31, 2025, alongside $600 million of 9% preferred shares, which restrict common share dividends and buybacks.

The company agreed to sell stations WFTX and WRTV for $40 million and $83 million, respectively, and closed the sale of Court TV, recording a $19.5 million non-cash charge. It also exercised options to acquire up to 23 ION-affiliated INYO stations for a formula-based price currently aggregating about $54 million, subject to FCC approvals and its right to withdraw.

Scripps continues to invest in growth initiatives, including a $12.8 million, 25% stake in EdgeBeam Wireless, a data-delivery joint venture with major broadcasters, and new multi-year media rights deals with the Las Vegas Aces, Tampa Bay Lightning and the WNBA. In February 2026, it launched an enterprise-wide transformation plan targeting annualized EBITDA growth of $125 million to $150 million by 2028 through cost savings, technology-driven efficiencies and revenue initiatives. The filing also highlights segment details, key advertising and distribution revenue drivers, FCC regulatory risks, audience fragmentation, high leverage, preferred stock constraints, cybersecurity oversight and extensive human capital and AI-driven productivity programs.

The E.W. Scripps Company reported Q4 2025 revenue of $560 million and a loss attributable to shareholders of $44.9 million, or $0.51 per share, compared with income of $80.3 million a year earlier. Full-year 2025 revenue was $2.15 billion, with a loss attributable to shareholders of $164.5 million versus prior-year income of $87.6 million.

Local Media revenue fell 30% in the quarter to $360 million, mainly because political advertising dropped to $9 million from $174 million in the prior-year election quarter, while core advertising grew 12% to $165 million. Scripps Networks revenue declined 7.7% to $199 million, but segment profit rose 4.6% to $63.5 million as expenses fell 12.5%.

Management highlighted a transformation plan targeting annualized enterprise EBITDA growth of $125–$150 million by 2028, with benefits expected to begin in the second half of 2026. At December 31, cash was $27.9 million and total debt was $2.6 billion; unpaid cumulative preferred dividends totaled $117 million, and common dividends or buybacks are restricted until the preferred shares are redeemed.

Scripps exercised call options to re-acquire 23 ION-affiliated stations previously sold to INYO Broadcast Holdings, estimating an aggregate purchase price of about $54 million, subject to FCC approval, ownership waivers in some cases, and the company’s ability to withdraw before closing. The board also approved a new employment agreement for President and CEO Adam P. Symson running through December 31, 2029, with at least $1.4 million base salary, a 175% target annual bonus, a $4.7 million 2026 long-term incentive in restricted share units, and a one-time $10 million performance-based cash award tied to 2026–2029 enterprise EBITDA growth and stock price hurdles, plus detailed severance protections and non-compete covenants.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc filed an amended Schedule 13G reporting a passive ownership stake in E.W. Scripps Co. The firm beneficially owns 4,722,317 shares of common stock, representing 6.14% of the class, with sole voting and dispositive power over all these shares.

The filing states the securities were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and not for the purpose of changing or influencing control of E.W. Scripps. The reporting person is organized in Delaware, and the event date for this ownership information is December 31, 2025.

The E.W. Scripps Company reports expected plans for its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Members of the Scripps family group informed the company that current directors Charles Barmonde, Monica Holcomb and Raymundo H. Granado, Jr. are expected to stand for re-election to the board.

The Scripps family group is also recommending that Tracy Tunney Ward be nominated for election as a new director. Ward previously worked for many years at Miramar Services, Inc., the family office for the Scripps family group. The Nominating & Governance Committee will evaluate this recommendation in the ordinary course.