Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP)

Understanding The E.W. Scripps Company's (SSP) mission is defintely critical when you look at their Q3 2025 results, which showed a consolidated revenue of $526 million but a net loss of $49 million, or $0.55 per share, as they navigate the post-election cycle downturn. How does the 100-year-old mission-Give light and the people will find their own way-square with a 4.6x net leverage ratio and a strategic shift that saw Connected TV revenue surge 41%? We need to unpack how their core values of integrity and journalistic excellence inform their debt management and their push into digital, especially with $2.7 billion in total debt on the balance sheet. Are these foundational principles a solid anchor for their financial strategy, or are they just a motto in a rapidly changing media landscape?

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) Overview

You need a clear picture of The E.W. Scripps Company, not just a historical footnote. This is a media enterprise that has successfully pivoted its focus from its newspaper roots to becoming a major player in local and national television broadcasting, a shift that defines its current financial profile.

Founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers, The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) has a deep history in American journalism, but its modern business is all about video and spectrum. Today, it operates as a diversified media company, serving communities with objective local journalism through its extensive network of local television stations, plus national news and entertainment brands. It's a dual-engine business: Local Media and Scripps Networks.

The company's products and services span a wide range. In addition to being one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters, with a portfolio of more than 60 stations across 40+ markets, it also owns national networks. These include news outlets like Scripps News and Court TV, and popular entertainment channels such as ION, ION Plus, ION Mystery, Bounce, Grit, and Laff. For the trailing twelve months (TTM) ending September 30, 2025, the company's total revenue stood at $2.32 billion. You can find a deeper dive into their operational structure and mission here: The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money

Recent Financial Performance: Q3 2025 Reality Check

Honesty, the headline numbers for the third quarter of 2025 look challenging, but you have to look past the political cycle noise. The E.W. Scripps Company reported total revenue of $525.85 million for the quarter ending September 30, 2025. This figure was essentially in line with analyst estimates, but it represented a steep 18.6% decline compared to the same period last year. The primary drag was the predictable, non-election year drop-off in political advertising, which fell from $125 million in Q3 2024 to just $5.1 million in Q3 2025. That's a huge swing.

Here's the quick math on the operating segments:

• Local Media Revenue: $325 million, down 27% year-over-year.
• Core Advertising: Grew 1.8% in Local Media, showing underlying business strength outside of political ad cycles.
• Scripps Networks Revenue: $201 million, nearly flat with a 0.4% decline.
• Connected TV (CTV) Growth: Networks saw robust CTV revenue growth of 41%, a key bright spot for future sales.

The company's GAAP loss for the quarter was $0.55 per share, wider than analysts had anticipated, reflecting the revenue headwind and one-time financing costs. Still, management is defintely focused on cost discipline, which helped the Scripps Networks division increase its segment profit by 27% year-over-year.

Industry Leadership and Strategic Position

In the competitive media landscape, The E.W. Scripps Company remains a strategically important player. It's not just a collection of TV stations; it is one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters and, crucially, the nation's largest holder of broadcast spectrum. This spectrum is a significant, long-term asset that provides optionality in a rapidly changing media environment, especially as new broadcast standards like NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) roll out.

The company's strategic focus on sports, including its Scripps Sports division and the renewal of its WNBA broadcast partnership on ION, is a clear action to drive main product sales in the Networks division. This is a smart move to capture live, non-streaming audience. Looking ahead, management expects local advertising revenue to rise by 10% in the coming periods, a projection that underscores their confidence in maintaining their industry standing. To understand how a company with such mixed financials can still hold a leadership position, you need to look at the value of its physical and digital footprint. That's why diving deeper into their mission and strategy is your next logical step.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) Mission Statement

You're looking for the bedrock of The E.W. Scripps Company's strategy, and honestly, you won't find a single, dusty plaque with a three-line mission statement. Instead, their purpose is woven into their operations, a commitment to creating connection by serving communities with quality, objective local journalism and content across multiple platforms. This isn't just corporate fluff; it's the lens through which they view their financial performance and strategic moves, especially in a volatile media market.

A strong mission statement is a non-negotiable compass for a company with a history dating back to 1878, guiding resource allocation and risk management. For Scripps, this commitment to quality content is directly tied to their bottom line, particularly in their Networks division. For the first three quarters of 2025, The E.W. Scripps Company reported a year-to-date operating revenue of $1.59 billion. That's a massive operation, and its direction is set by these core principles.

The mission breaks down into three actionable pillars: a relentless focus on journalistic excellence, a deep commitment to serving audiences and communities, and an unwavering standard of integrity that elevates their culture. These aren't just feel-good phrases; they are the strategic drivers of their two main divisions: Local Media and Scripps Networks.

Pillar 1: Journalistic Excellence and Quality

Journalistic excellence is the core product, the value proposition that justifies their existence in a fragmented media landscape. It's what differentiates their local news and national brands like Court TV and Scripps News from the noise. This commitment to quality is what drives audience engagement, which in turn commands premium advertising rates.

The proof is in the numbers, especially in their Networks division. The Scripps Networks segment profit, which includes their national networks, was a healthy $53.3 million in the third quarter of 2025. This financial strength is buttressed by strategic content bets, like the multi-year renewal of their broadcast partnership for the WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION. That move paid off immediately, with the WNBA's average viewership on ION increasing by an astounding 133% over the previous year's season. That's not a fluke; that's smart, quality-driven programming strategy.

Here's the quick math: high-quality, in-demand content like live sports on ION drives viewer traffic, which then allows the Networks division to grow connected TV (CTV) revenue, which was up 41% in Q3 2025. Quality content is defintely a growth engine.

Pillar 2: Serving Audiences and Communities

The E.W. Scripps Company's mission emphasizes creating connection and serving communities, which is paramount for their Local Media division. Operating a portfolio of more than 60 stations in over 40 markets, their local news and information are essential services. This focus on the community is also a key risk mitigator, building brand loyalty that can withstand market fluctuations.

You see this principle in their strategic asset optimization. For example, the station swap announcement with Gray Media in 2025 was explicitly designed to create new duopolies that would result in better local news coverage and stronger market financials. It's a classic example of a financial decision (optimizing the portfolio) being directly tied to a mission component (better local news coverage).

The Local Media division's segment profit was $52.8 million in Q3 2025. While this segment faces headwinds-like lower political ad spend in a non-election year-their core advertising revenue still saw a 1.8% increase in Q3, driven by categories like local services and their strategic sports programming. They are using sports, like the NBA on ABC which delivered more than $5.5 million in revenue in Q2 2025, to deepen their local community ties and drive core revenue.

Pillar 3: Integrity and Culture

Integrity is the unseen framework holding the structure up, and it's a core value that shapes the company's culture and its relationship with investors. The company's commitment to 'elevating its culture' is a recognition that ethical conduct and a strong internal environment are the foundation for long-term value creation.

This principle is most visible in their financial discipline and transparency, especially in debt management. While the company reported a year-to-date net loss of $(72.4) million through Q3 2025, management has prioritized reducing leverage. They executed a significant debt refinancing in August 2025, issuing $750 million in new senior secured notes to pay off existing debt and reduce their 2028 term loan by over $200 million.

This proactive management of their balance sheet, which reduced their net leverage ratio to 4.6x from 4.9x at the start of the year, shows a commitment to financial integrity and shareholder value, even while navigating a tough media environment. For a deeper dive into how this all comes together, you should check out The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

• Execute debt reduction.
• Prioritize objective journalism.
• Grow connected TV revenue.

What this estimate hides is the ongoing challenge of subscriber count declines, which makes the growth in connected TV revenue and cost discipline-like the 7% reduction in Scripps Networks expenses in Q3 2025-even more critical.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) Vision Statement

You're looking for the bedrock of a media company navigating a landscape that changes every six months. The E.W. Scripps Company's (SSP) mission, famously, is to Give light and the people will find their own way, a motto they've held since 1923. But the near-term strategy-the vision-is simpler and more actionable: We create connection.

This vision isn't corporate fluff; it's a direct map to their two primary revenue streams: Local Media and Scripps Networks. For the first nine months of 2025, the company reported total revenue of roughly $1.6 billion, so this connection strategy is directly tied to how they make money and manage their debt, which has improved their net leverage to 4.6 times by the end of Q3 2025. Here's how they break down that connection into clear operational goals.

Serving Audiences: Quality Journalism and Local Depth

The first pillar of the vision is about deepening the connection with the audience, which for Scripps means a renewed focus on local, objective journalism and adapting to new viewing habits. They operate a portfolio of more than 60 local television stations across over 40 markets, making them one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters.

To be fair, the Local Media division faces headwinds; its Q3 2025 revenue was down due to the absence of political advertising compared to the prior-year election cycle. Still, core advertising revenue-the everyday business-increased by nearly 2% in Q3 2025, which shows their execution is defintely working against industry trends. This growth is driven by a commitment to quality journalism, including investment in investigative reporting and providing a platform for community voices.

• Deliver objective local news coverage.
• Adapt content for streaming and digital platforms.
• Maintain trust through ethical reporting and transparency.

Their long-term value rests on being the most reliable source in the communities they serve.

Growing Businesses: The Sports and Streaming Play

The second pillar is the financial engine: growing the business by strategically expanding their national networks and distribution. The Scripps Networks division, which includes ION, Bounce, Grit, and Court TV, generated $201 million in revenue in Q3 2025.

The quick math here shows a clear trend: streaming is the future. Connected TV (CTV) revenue was up a significant 41% year over year in Q3 2025, fueling their margin expansion. Plus, their aggressive sports strategy, unique among local broadcasters, is paying off. They've secured key partnerships, like the multi-year renewal to broadcast WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION, which saw average viewership increase by 133% in the 2024 season over 2023. This isn't chasing rights they can't afford; it's carving out a leadership position in high-growth, underserved content like women's sports.

Elevating Culture: Integrity and Financial Discipline

The final component is about the internal culture and the financial discipline required to sustain the mission. This means fostering a culture of integrity and transparency, which is paramount in a media company. But right now, this pillar is heavily focused on financial health and deleveraging the balance sheet.

The company has been very public about its focus on reducing its debt. In Q3 2025, they closed on a placement of $750 million in new senior secured second-lien notes, using the proceeds to pay down debt and improve their structure. They also successfully executed asset sales, including television stations in Fort Myers and Indianapolis, generating $123 million in cash sales. This is a realist approach: you can't 'give light' if your balance sheet is too dark. The strategic moves are all about creating a more financially stable foundation for the long haul.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) Core Values

You're trying to understand what truly drives The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) beyond the Q3 2025 revenue of $526 million and the strategic debt reduction. It's not just about the numbers; it's about the principles that guide their decisions, especially in a volatile media market. The company's long-standing motto, which is now its mission, is: "Give light and the people will find their own way." This simple, powerful idea, along with their vision to "create connection," anchors their three core values, translating into clear actions you can see in their operations and financial moves.

Here's the quick math: A focus on core values like quality journalism and strategic growth is what helped the Scripps Networks division deliver a segment profit of nearly $53 million in the third quarter of 2025, even as the industry faced economic headwinds. That's a 27% segment margin, which speaks to operational discipline.

This value is the foundation of a media company, but for Scripps, it's a non-negotiable business strategy. Quality journalism means objective, factual reporting that serves the public, acting as a watchdog for the communities they serve. They know that trust is their most valuable asset, so they continue to invest in the people and resources that deliver it.

In 2025, this commitment is defintely visible through their national news outlets like Scripps News and Court TV, as well as their local news operations across more than 60 stations in over 40 markets. The company's dedication to in-depth reporting is a key differentiator, which they support through ongoing training and development for their journalists to maintain accuracy and fairness.

• Invest in investigative reporting.
• Provide objective, local journalism.
• Uphold journalistic integrity as a core brand value.

Scripps understands that its local media division is a vital part of the civic fabric, not just a broadcast signal. This value moves beyond reporting the news to actively improving the lives of those they serve. It's about being a source of comfort during a crisis and a platform for community dialogue.

A concrete example of this is the work of the Scripps Howard Fund, which supports literacy and childhood education. In October 2025, the Fund invested a record-breaking $1.8 million to provide books for children at low-income schools, demonstrating a direct, measurable impact on community well-being. Plus, their local stations host town halls and forums, ensuring community voices are heard and local issues are addressed.

The company also serves as the steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a long-running educational program that reaches millions of students and families across the country. This effort isn't a profit center, but it's a massive investment in their public service mandate.

To honor the first two values in a rapidly changing media landscape, Scripps must be a trend-aware realist focused on adaptation. This value drives their strategic plan to create shareholder value, especially as they navigate the shift from traditional linear television to streaming (over-the-top or OTT) and connected TV (CTV) platforms.

The numbers show this strategy is working: Connected TV revenue was up a massive 41% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, a clear sign the company is successfully diversifying its revenue streams. They are also strategically optimizing their portfolio, like the recent sales of two network-affiliated stations for total proceeds of $123 million, which helps pay down their total debt of $2.7 billion and improve their net leverage to 4.6 times. This is smart business: sell non-core assets at a premium to fund growth in high-potential areas like their Scripps Networks and Scripps Sports divisions.

Their sports strategy, including partnerships with the WNBA and the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning, is another key component. This content commands premium advertising rates and is a major driver of their core advertising revenue, which was up nearly 2% in the Local Media division in Q3 2025. You can learn more about the context of their business strategy and financial structure here: The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.