The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let\u2019s take a look at how media & entertainment stocks fared in Q1, starting with IMAX (NYSE:IMAX). <\/p>\n
Simply put, traditional media like linear TV is losing eyeballs and as a result, ad dollars as well. On the other hand, digital media such as streaming and social media are taking share of audience and ad spend. AI-driven content creation and digital advertising are continuing to evolve, which benefits companies in the sector that invest behind these themes. On the other hand, headwinds include growing regulatory scrutiny on AI-generated content, with many publishers balking at anything that gets no human oversight. Additional areas to navigate for companies in the space include the phasing out of third-party cookies, which could make traditional ways of tracking the online behavior of consumers (a secret sauce in digital marketing) much less effective. <\/p>\n
The 14 media & entertainment stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts\u2019 consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter\u2019s revenue guidance was 0.9% below. <\/p>\n
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 6.9% since the latest earnings results. <\/p>\n
IMAX (NYSE:IMAX)<\/h2>\n
Originally developed for World Expo ’67 in Montreal as an innovative projection system, IMAX (NYSE:IMAX) provides proprietary large-format cinema technology and systems that deliver immersive movie experiences with enhanced image quality and sound.<\/p>\n
IMAX reported revenues of $81.38 million, down 6.1% year on year. This print was in line with analysts\u2019 expectations, and overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts\u2019 EPS estimates and revenue in line with analysts\u2019 estimates. <\/p>\n The stock is down 11.6% since reporting and currently trades at $33.60. <\/p>\n Read why we think that IMAX is one of the best media & entertainment stocks, our full report is free. <\/a><\/p>\n With over 2,400 hours of local news produced weekly and 640 broadcast channels reaching millions of American homes, Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI) operates a network of 185 local television stations across 86 U.S. markets, producing news programming and distributing content from major networks.<\/p>\n Sinclair reported revenues of $807 million, up 4% year on year, outperforming analysts\u2019 expectations by 2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts\u2019 EPS and revenue estimates. <\/p>\n Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 9.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $14.02. <\/p>\n Is now the time to buy Sinclair? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it\u2019s free<\/a>.<\/p>\n Originally known as InterActiveCorp and built through Barry Diller’s strategic acquisitions since the 1990s, IAC (NASDAQ:IAC) operates a portfolio of category-leading digital businesses including Dotdash Meredith, Angi, and Care.com, focusing on digital publishing, home services, and caregiving platforms.<\/p>\n IAC reported revenues of $422.9 million, down 12.2% year on year, falling short of analysts\u2019 expectations by 17.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts\u2019 revenue and EPS estimates. <\/p>\n IAC delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 11.7% since the results and currently trades at $39.89. <\/p>\n Read our full analysis of IAC\u2019s results here. <\/a><\/p>\n Born from the 2020 merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria, Magnite (NASDAQ:MGNI) operates the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising platform that automates the buying and selling of digital advertising inventory across all channels and formats.<\/p>\n Magnite reported revenues of $164.4 million, up 5.5% year on year. This print lagged analysts’ expectations by 5.5%. Taking a step back, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts\u2019 EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts\u2019 revenue estimates. <\/p>\n The stock is down 4.7% since reporting and currently trades at $12.77. <\/p>\n Read our full, actionable report on Magnite here, it\u2019s free.<\/a><\/p>\n Founded in 2013 as a champion for content creator rights and free expression, Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM) is a video sharing platform that positions itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream platforms, offering creators more favorable revenue-sharing opportunities.<\/p>\n Rumble reported revenues of $25.46 million, up 7.4% year on year. This result missed analysts\u2019 expectations by 2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts\u2019 revenue and EPS estimates. <\/p>\n The stock is down 13.4% since reporting and currently trades at $7.22. <\/p>\nBest Q1: Sinclair (NASDAQ:SBGI)<\/h2>\n
![\"Sinclair](\"https:\/\/news-assets.stockstory.org\/chart-images\/Sinclair-Total-Revenue_2026-05-18-033329_taio.png\")
<\/figure>\nWeakest Q1: IAC (NASDAQ:IAC)<\/h2>\n
Magnite (NASDAQ:MGNI)<\/h2>\n
Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM)<\/h2>\n