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
Notes: Adjusted OIBDA is non-GAAP; see reconciliations in the press releases .
F1 Revenue Breakdown (Quarterly)
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
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
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
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.