v3.26.1
Note 2 - Revenue
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Notes to Financial Statements  
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Text Block]

2.

Revenue

 

Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue when we have completed a specified service and effectively transferred the control of that service to a customer in return for an amount of consideration we expect to be entitled to receive. The amount of revenue recognized is determined by the amount of consideration specified in a contract with our customers. We have elected to exclude taxes assessed by a governmental authority on transactions with our customers from our revenue. Any unremitted balance is included in current liabilities on our balance sheets.

 

Deferred Revenue. We record a deferred revenue for cash deposits received from our customers that are to be applied as payment once the performance obligation arises and is satisfied. These deposits are recorded as deferred revenue on our balance sheets as advertising deposit liabilities. When we invoice our customers for completed performance obligations, we are unconditionally entitled to receive payment of the invoiced amounts. Therefore, we record invoiced amounts in accounts receivable on our balance sheets. We generally require amounts payable under advertising contracts with our political advertising customers to be paid for in advance. We record the receipt of this cash as an advertising deposit liability. Once the advertisement has been broadcast, the revenue is earned, and we record the revenue and reduce the balance in this deposit liability account. We recorded $7 million of revenue in the six-months ended June 30, 2026 that was included in the advertising deposit liability balance as of December 31, 2025. We also record other deposit liabilities for cash received in advance for other arrangements, for which revenue is earned in future periods.

 

The following table presents our deferred revenue by type (in millions):

 

   

June 30,

   

December 31,

 
   

2026

   

2025

 

Advertising deposit liabilities

  $ 6     $ 7  

Other deposit liabilities

    16       13  

Total deferred revenue

  $ 22     $ 20  

 

Disaggregation of Revenue. Revenue from our production companies segment is generated through our direct sales channel. Revenue from our broadcast and other segment is generated through both our direct and advertising agency intermediary sales channels. The following table presents our revenue from contracts with customers disaggregated by type of service and sales channel (in millions):

 

   

Three Months Ended

   

Six Months Ended

 
   

June 30,

   

June 30,

 
   

2026

   

2025

   

2026

   

2025

 

Market and service type:

                               

Broadcast advertising:

                               

Core advertising

  $ 357     $ 361     $ 709     $ 705  

Political

    83       9       113       22  

Total advertising

    440       370       822       727  

Retransmission consent

    359       369       698       748  

Production companies

    26       18       55       45  

Other

    14       15       32       34  

Total revenue

  $ 839     $ 772     $ 1,607     $ 1,554  
                                 

Sales channel:

                               

Direct

  $ 562     $ 554     $ 1,103     $ 1,118  

Advertising agency intermediary

    277       218       504       436  

Total revenue

  $ 839     $ 772     $ 1,607     $ 1,554