Sign in

You're signed outSign in or to get full access.

LM

Liberty Media Corp (FWONK)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q4 2024 attributed Formula One Group revenue declined year over year to $1.167B (vs $1.230B in Q4 2023), with operating income down to $23M (vs $122M) and Adjusted OIBDA to $200M (vs $243M); sequentially, revenue rose vs Q3 ($0.911B) but profitability weakened, largely due to Las Vegas and season-based revenue recognition mix .
  • Management highlighted a record 2024 for F1 on race count, revenue and Adjusted OIBDA, with 6% full-year F1 revenue growth to $3.411B and 9% Adjusted OIBDA growth to $791M; fan KPIs hit highs (6.5M attendance, 1.6B cumulative TV viewers, 97M social followers) .
  • 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix economics missed internal expectations on revenue and OIBDA; F1 reorganized LVGP into the London team, is revising ticketing/pricing, bringing ticket sales in-house, and targeting cost improvements to deliver better 2025 top- and bottom-line outcomes; the majority of the perceived Q4 miss analysts model off team payments was Vegas-related .
  • Sponsorship and licensing catalysts are robust: extensions with Crypto.com through 2030, Allwyn partnership, LVMH and Lenovo as global partners, and Hot Wheels/LEGO licensing rolling out in 2025; U.S. media rights negotiations are active with multiple parties and ESPN relationship remains constructive .
  • S&P Global consensus EPS/revenue estimates for Q4 were unavailable at time of analysis due to data access limits; we cannot quantify beats/misses vs Street for Q4 2024 in this report [GetEstimates error].

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • “Formula 1 capped off a record 2024 in race count, revenue and Adjusted OIBDA” with full-year total F1 revenue up 6% to $3.411B and Adjusted OIBDA up 9% to $791M; operating income rose 26% to $492M .
  • Strong commercial pipeline: renewed Belgian (rotation), Dutch (2026), Chinese (2030), Italian and Monaco (2031), extended Crypto.com (2030), added Allwyn, and held a high-profile O2 season launch to mark F1’s 75th anniversary .
  • Fan engagement momentum: 6.5M event attendance (+9% YoY), 1.6B cumulative TV viewers, 97M social followers (+38%), and F1 TV subscribers +15%, with a new premium tier launching in 2025 .

What Went Wrong

  • Q4 softness: primary F1 revenue fell 5% YoY and total F1 revenue fell 8% YoY; operating income down 18% YoY and Adjusted OIBDA down 15% YoY, driven by lower race promotion/media rights recognition and Las Vegas ticketing weakness .
  • Las Vegas Grand Prix stand-alone economics missed internal targets on revenue and OIBDA in 2024; hospitality softness at LVGP weighed on “Other F1 revenue” despite strong Paddock Club trends elsewhere .
  • SG&A pressures: Q4 selling, general and administrative expense at F1 increased (marketing, personnel, IT, property, legal/pro fees), partially offset by FX favorability .

Financial Results

Formula One Group – Key Financials

MetricQ4 2023Q3 2024Q4 2024
Total Revenue ($USD Billions)$1.230B $0.911B $1.167B
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$122M $110M $23M
Adjusted OIBDA ($USD Millions)$243M $207M $200M

Notes: Adjusted OIBDA is non-GAAP; see reconciliations in the press releases .

F1 Revenue Breakdown (Quarterly)

MetricQ4 2023Q4 2024
Primary F1 Revenue ($USD Millions)$838 $797
Other F1 Revenue ($USD Millions)$392 $329
Total F1 Revenue ($USD Millions)$1,230 $1,126
Number of Races in Period6 6

Drivers and mix: Q4 media rights decline reflected a lower proportionate recognition of season-based income (6/24 vs 6/22), partially offset by F1 TV growth; race promotion revenue decreased due to lower LVGP ticketing; sponsorship increased on new partners .

KPIs

KPIFY 2023FY 2024
Event Attendance (millions)6.0 (implied prior)6.5 (+9% YoY)
Cumulative TV Viewers (billions)1.6
Social Media Followers (millions)97 (+38% YoY)
F1 TV Subscribers YoY Growth (%)+15%
Total Races in Season22 24

Additional Q4 corporate & other revenue included $13M LVGP Plaza rental income and Quint’s seasonal contributions; corporate adjusted OIBDA loss was $2M in Q4 .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Number of Races2025 Season24 in 2024 24 planned in 2025 Maintained
Cash Tax Rate (F1)FY 2025Not providedLow double-digit % of Adjusted OIBDA; modest increase thereafter New disclosure
Operating Company CapEx (ex-Vegas)FY 2025Historically 1–2% of total F1 revenue Expected broadly consistent in 2025 Maintained
Media Rights Revenue DriversFY 2025Not providedContractual uplifts; continued F1 TV growth incl. premium tier Qualitative update
SponsorshipFY 2025Pipeline building (Q3) Derisked by early signings (LVMH, Lenovo); Crypto.com extension to 2030; Allwyn added Raised qualitative confidence
Las Vegas Grand Prix EconomicsFY 2025Not providedTargeting top/bottom-line improvement via ticketing/pricing revamp, in-house sales, cost management, London integration New operational plan

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2 and Q-1)Current Period (Q4 2024)Trend
U.S. Media RightsQ-2: N/A; Q-1: limited disclosure in 8-KActive negotiations with multiple parties; constructive ESPN relationship; potential timeline by mid-year Increasing focus; robust demand
Las Vegas Grand Prix EconomicsQ-1: LVGP Plaza rental income ($7M in Q3) 2024 missed targets; restructuring (London integration), in-house ticketing, cost actions; race time moved 2 hours earlier Improving operationally
Sponsorship PipelineQ-1: LVMH, Lenovo; LEGO/Hot Wheels licensing Crypto.com extension (2030); Allwyn added; 2025 pipeline strong; premium partners expanding Strengthening
F1 TV / Direct-to-ConsumerQ-1: “continued growth in F1 TV” F1 TV subscribers +15%; premium tier launching (4K, Multiview, multi-device) Expanding product
Sustainability & DEIQ-1: N/ASustainable aviation fuel initiative (~19% 2024 relative emissions reduction); net zero by 2030; D&I charter with teams/FIA Progressing
MotoGP AcquisitionQ-1: funding secured; targeted closing (year-end) Phase 2 EC review; long-stop date extended to June 30, 2025; “working constructively” Extended review, advancing
Concorde AgreementQ-1: N/AFundamentals similar to current; aim to avoid degradation; constructive team dynamics Constructive negotiations

Management Commentary

  • Derek Chang (CEO): “2024 stand-alone event economics for Vegas missed internal expectations on revenue and OIBDA… we are making further revisions to ticket product and pricing strategy… bringing the ticketing sales function back in-house… actively managing our cost structure” .
  • Brian Wendling (CFO): “Total revenue grew 6% in 2024… sponsorship revenue up 10% YoY… team payments as a percent of pre-team adjusted OIBDA was 61.5% in 2024, down from 62.6% in 2023… Adjusted OIBDA margin improved nearly 70 basis points YoY” .
  • Stefano Domenicali (F1 CEO): “Our sponsorship roster is the strongest in the sport’s history… As of year-end, F1 had $14.4 billion in future revenue contracted… F1 TV subscribers up 15%; launching a higher-priced premium tier… 6.5 million attendance (+9% YoY); 97 million social followers (+38%)” .
  • Media Rights tone: “We are very happy about the quality of [ESPN’s] service… discussions are going ahead… there is a lot of interest… the hot months will be the next one before summer” .

Q&A Highlights

  • U.S. media rights outlook: Management denied negative press narratives around ESPN; emphasized robust multi-party interest, broader IP activation beyond race broadcasts, and potential resolution by mid-year .
  • Las Vegas economics: Majority of Q4 miss modeled off team payments was Vegas-related; actions underway to improve 2025 results (ticketing/pricing, cost, earlier start time, London integration) .
  • Sponsorship momentum: 2025 pipeline largely set with high-quality brands; opportunities for regional deals, upsells, and tier movement; Monaco tile partner activity noted .
  • Concorde Agreement: Fundamentals expected “quite similar” to current structure; CFO does not expect degradation in next agreement; team relationships “never been stronger” .
  • GM Cadillac entry: Admittance as 11th team seen as a boost to the ecosystem; no impact on current Concorde discussions; expected to grow the overall pie .

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus EPS and revenue (S&P Global Capital IQ) for Q4 2024 were unavailable at time of analysis due to API request limits; as a result, we cannot quantify beats/misses vs consensus in this report [GetEstimates error].
  • Qualitatively, Q4 revenue declined YoY (-8% total F1; -5% primary F1) due to LVGP ticketing and season-based recognition mix, while sponsorship increased on new partners; sequential profitability weakened vs Q3 despite higher seasonal revenue .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Q4 2024 was seasonally higher revenue vs Q3 but softer profitability; YoY declines driven by LVGP and season-based recognition mix; focus near term is operational fixes and cost discipline at Vegas .
  • 2025 setup is favorable: 24 races, majority of revenue under contract, sponsorship derisked with premium partners, F1 TV premium launch; expect steady media rights uplifts and DTC growth .
  • U.S. media rights is a key catalyst; expect developments before summer with multiple parties engaged; ESPN relationship constructive; watch for implications on reach vs monetization .
  • Concorde Agreement looks stable into 2026 regime change; management aims to avoid margin degradation; team relations supportive of continued growth .
  • MotoGP transaction regulatory timeline extended to June 30, 2025; funding in place and strategic rationale intact; closing would add scale and optionality .
  • Licensing/consumer products expanding touchpoints: Hot Wheels and LEGO product lines rolling out globally in 2025, reinforcing brand engagement and ancillary monetization .
  • Trading implications: Near-term sentiment hinges on U.S. media rights negotiation headlines and visible progress on Vegas economics; medium-term thesis supported by contracted revenues, premium sponsorships, and DTC expansion.