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PENN Entertainment, Inc. (PENN)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • PENN delivered Q3 results broadly in line on revenue but missed on EPS amid a large non-cash interactive goodwill impairment and softer digital performance; revenue was $1.72B vs S&P Global consensus $1.73B*, and Adjusted EPS was $(0.22) vs $(0.05)*. Customer-friendly sports outcomes and lower OSB volumes weighed on interactive profitability .
  • Strategic pivot: PENN and ESPN agreed to early terminate the U.S. OSB agreement effective Dec 1, 2025; PENN will rebrand U.S. OSB to theScore Bet, cease fixed ESPN media fees, and focus resources on iCasino and Canada. PENN will pay $38.1M in Q4 and $5M for transition media; ESPN retains vested warrants (~0.2% potential dilution) .
  • Core retail remained stable where not impacted by new supply/promotions; West, Ohio, St. Louis, and Illinois outperformed. Retail Q4 guide: revenue $1.41–$1.43B and Adjusted EBITDA $455–$475M .
  • Capital allocation: ~$354M repurchased YTD through Nov 5 (goal ≥$350M met) and a new $750M authorization starting 2026. Liquidity $1.1B; traditional net debt $2.19B .
  • Stock reaction catalysts: early end of ESPN alliance and brand reversion to theScore Bet; the $825M interactive goodwill impairment; Q4 retail guidance; and a shift to performance-based, regionally targeted digital marketing .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Retail resilience where not impacted by new supply/promotional intensity; West, Ohio, St. Louis, and Illinois highlighted. “Demand was generally stable… particularly at our properties not impacted by new supply or increased competitor promotional activity” .
    • iCasino momentum: “highest quarterly gaming revenue to date,” ~40% YoY growth, with record cross-sell from OSB of 62%; MAUs rose for the third consecutive quarter and set new October records (MAUs, GGR, NGR) .
    • Strategic clarity: exit of ESPN OSB deal to shift to theScore Bet and iCasino-first approach. “We are realigning our digital focus to leverage the strength of our U.S. iCasino and Canadian operations” .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Interactive underperformance: “Gaming revenues and Adjusted EBITDA… came in below expectations due to customer-friendly hold… and lower than anticipated OSB volumes”; Q3 interactive Adjusted EBITDA loss $(76.6)M .
    • Large non-cash impairment: $825M in Interactive (plus $15M in Midwest), driving GAAP net loss $(865.1)M and diluted loss/share $(6.03); goodwill impairment in Canada is non-deductible, providing no tax benefit .
    • Competitive/promotional pressure: management cited increased competition and higher promotional reinvestment and temporary labor cost spikes in supply-impacted markets; corporate expense also included $3.9M of activist-related legal/advisory costs in Q3 .

Financial Results

Consolidated results by quarter

Metric (USD)Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Revenues ($ Millions)$1,672.5 $1,765.0 $1,717.3
Net Income (Loss) ($ Millions)$111.5 $(18.3) $(865.1)
Diluted EPS ($)$0.68 $(0.12) $(6.03)
Adjusted EBITDA ($ Millions)$173.3 $236.1 $194.9 (Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA)
Adjusted EPS ($)$(0.25) $0.10 $(0.22)

Q3 2025 actuals vs S&P Global consensus

MetricActualConsensus*Surprise
Revenue ($ Millions)$1,717.3 $1,726.8*$(9.5)
Adjusted/Primary EPS ($)$(0.22) $(0.05)*$(0.17)
EBITDA ($ Millions, S&P definition)$163.6*$384.5*$(220.9)

Note: Asterisked values retrieved from S&P Global via GetEstimates.

Segment revenue and profitability (Q3 2025)

Segment (USD Millions)RevenuesSegment Adj. EBITDAR
Northeast$690.5 $197.9
South$291.0 $97.7
West$138.3 $51.1
Midwest$298.3 $119.1
Interactive$297.7 $(76.6)
Other$4.1 $(36.2)
Intersegment Eliminations$(2.6)
Total$1,717.3 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA: $194.9

Retail and Interactive KPIs (Q3 2025)

KPIQ3 2025
Retail property-level Revenues ($B)$1.4
Retail Segment Adjusted EBITDAR ($M)$465.8
Retail Segment Adjusted EBITDAR Margin (%)32.8%
Interactive Revenues ($M, incl. tax gross-up)$297.7
Interactive Adjusted EBITDA ($M)$(76.6)
iCasino YoY Gaming Revenue Growth~40%
OSB-to-iCasino Cross-sell Rate62%
Digital Users Acquired During ESPN Relationship2.9M (incl. 300k this football season)
Shares Repurchased in Q3 ($M)$154.1 at $19.34 avg; 7.97M shares
Shares Repurchased YTD through Nov 5 ($M)$354.4
Liquidity ($B)$1.1
Cash & Equivalents ($M)$660.1
Traditional Net Debt ($B)$2.19
Capital Expenditures in Q3 ($M)$172.7
Cash Payments to REIT Landlords in Q3 ($M)$241.9
Non-cash Impairment ($M)$825 (Interactive) + $15 (Midwest)
Adjusted EPS Reconciliation – Impairment Impact+$5.75 per share

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Retail RevenuesQ4 2025$1.41–$1.43B New
Retail Adjusted EBITDAQ4 2025$455–$475M New
Interactive Adjusted EBITDAQ4 2025Earlier guide referenced; now supersededExpect a loss smaller than Q3; precision difficult due to rebrand/retention Updated/lowered vs earlier framework
Cash Payments under Triple-Net LeasesQ4 2025~$246M New
2025 Project CapExFY 2025$490M (prior) $430M Lowered
2025 Total CapExFY 2025$730M (prior) $685M Lowered
2025 Net Cash Interest ExpenseFY 2025~$160M New/affirmed
2025 Cash TaxesFY 2025Not a cash taxpayer New/affirmed
Share Repurchase Authorization2026–2028New $750M program effective Jan 1, 2026 New
ESPN Agreement PaymentsQ4 2025$38.1M for fees + $5M transition media New one-time
Warrant Expense (non-cash)Q4 2025~ $14M New one-time

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q1–Q2 2025)Current Period (Q3 2025)Trend
Digital strategy/OSB brandRecord OSB/iCasino gaming revenue; product features (Player Insights, FanCenter) Early termination of ESPN deal; rebrand U.S. OSB to theScore Bet; focus on iCasino and Canada Pivot to owned brands and iCasino-first
iCasino momentumRecord online gaming revenue; standalone Hollywood iCasino expansion Highest quarterly gaming revenue; 62% OSB cross-sell; 79% MAU lift; October records Strengthening
Competitive/promotionsStable demand; omnichannel engagement growth Pressure in supply-impacted markets; higher promos and temporary labor costs Mixed; headwinds where supply increases
Capital allocationOngoing buybacks; convertible note repurchase $354M repurchased YTD; new $750M authorization Aggressively returning capital
Development projectsJoliet opening Aug 11; projects on schedule Joliet strong early trends; M Resort tower opens Dec 1; Aurora/Columbus late Q2’26 On track; incremental catalysts
Leverage targetsLT lease-adjusted leverage target somewhat below 5x Deleveraging focus
Regulatory/prediction marketsManagement sees prediction markets as major threat; urges industry “offense” Elevated risk awareness

Management Commentary

  • “We are realigning our digital focus to leverage the strength of our U.S. iCasino and Canadian operations, while continuing to use OSB to drive… cross-sell… across PENN’s retail and digital assets.”
  • “Our North America iCasino business achieved its highest quarterly gaming revenue to date, an improvement of nearly 40% year-over-year, driven by record cross-sell from OSB of 62%...”
  • On cost structure post-ESPN: “Most of those [ESPN] dollars will take down to the bottom line. Some… will be redeployed to… highest returns, primarily… Canada [and] iCasino hybrid states in the U.S.”
  • On rebrand/retention: “There will be no new app to download or new registration… the current app [will] be automatically updated to theScore Bet… all account information… transfer over automatically.”
  • On interactive profitability: “Our interactive financial goals for 2026 of being break-even or better have not changed.”

Q&A Highlights

  • Cost & marketing post-ESPN: Fixed $150M/yr media obligation goes away; redeploy to high-ROI cohorts/geographies; expect spend “significantly below” prior ESPN fees .
  • Retention strategy: Seamless in-app brand switch, no re-registration; improved product and CRM personalization support retention through rebrand .
  • Competitive dynamics: Supply-driven competition and higher promos drove temporary cost and margin pressure; management expects normalization over time .
  • Capital allocation: Continued opportunistic buybacks; GLPI funding support for projects (e.g., M Resort tower at 7.79% cap rate; Aurora funding at 7.75% cap rate) .
  • Regulatory risk: Management framed prediction markets as an “existential” threat and urged industry to coordinate proactive responses with regulators/legislators .

Estimates Context

  • Relative to S&P Global consensus for Q3 2025, PENN slightly missed on revenue ($1,717.3M actual vs $1,726.8M consensus*) and missed on EPS (Adjusted/Primary EPS $(0.22) vs $(0.05)*), driven by weaker interactive performance and customer-friendly sports outcomes . Values with asterisk retrieved from S&P Global via GetEstimates.
  • S&P Global EBITDA series show $163.6M actual vs $384.5M consensus* for Q3, reflecting a large shortfall on S&P’s EBITDA basis. Company-reported Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was $194.9M; the difference reflects definitional adjustments. Values with asterisk retrieved from S&P Global via GetEstimates .
  • Estimate revisions likely: interactive profitability expectations should reset lower near-term given rebrand/retention uncertainty and one-time Q4 costs, while retail outlook remains constructive with Q4 guidance brackets .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • The decisive end of the ESPN alliance removes a large fixed cost, simplifies the brand, and should improve digital unit economics as marketing pivots to performance/regional channels .
  • Core retail trends are stable ex supply shocks; Q4 retail guidance brackets ($1.41–$1.43B revenue; $455–$475M Adj. EBITDA) provide near-term visibility .
  • iCasino is the growth engine (40% YoY gaming revenue growth; strong cross-sell), and theScore Bet rebrand centralizes North American OSB under owned IP .
  • GAAP optics are noisy from the $825M impairment (non-cash, no tax benefit) and Q4 one-time ESPN wind-down costs, but cash generation remains supported by retail and disciplined capex .
  • Capital returns are substantial: $354M repurchased YTD; new $750M authorization (2026–2028) signals confidence and flexibility alongside deleveraging targets below 5x lease-adjusted over time .
  • Watch retention KPIs through the Dec 1 rebrand, interactive losses narrowing in Q4, and 2026 path to break-even or better in digital as key narrative movers .
  • Regulatory overhang: management spotlighted prediction markets as a sector risk; any policy moves could affect competitive dynamics and sentiment .

Appendix: Additional Detail and Cross-References

  • Q3 Summary/Adjusted EPS reconciliation and impairment detail .
  • ESPN termination economics, warrants, and data ownership .
  • Share repurchase cadence and authorizations .
  • Liquidity, leverage, and capex .

Footnote: Asterisk-marked estimate figures are retrieved from S&P Global via GetEstimates.