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Liberty Formula One Group (FWONA) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and ...

In This Article:

  • Attributed Cash and Liquid Investments: $2.6 billion at year-end, including $1.3 billion at F1 and $78 million at Quint.

  • Total Debt: $2.9 billion, with $2.4 billion at F1 and $528 million at the corporate level.

  • Revenue Growth: 6% increase in 2024, driven by additional races and new sponsors.

  • Sponsorship Revenue: 10% increase year over year.

  • Team Payments: 61.5% of pre-team adjusted OIBDA in 2024, down from 62.6% in 2023.

  • Adjusted OIBDA Margin: Improved by nearly 70 basis points year over year.

  • CapEx: $75 million in 2024, with $73 million at Formula One, including IT and track improvements.

  • Future Revenue Contracted: $14.4 billion under multiyear agreements.

  • F1 TV Subscribers: Increased by 15%.

  • Social Media Followers: 97 million, up 38% year over year.

  • Race Attendance: Over 6.5 million people attended races in 2024, a 9% increase over 2023.

Release Date: February 27, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Liberty Formula One Group (NASDAQ:FWONA) reported a 6% revenue growth in 2024, driven by additional races and new sponsorships.

  • The company has $14.4 billion in future revenue contracted under multiyear agreements, providing strong financial visibility.

  • F1 TV subscribers increased by 15%, with plans to launch a new premium tier offering enhanced features.

  • The Las Vegas Grand Prix, despite initial financial setbacks, has been a significant driver of F1's growth in the Americas.

  • Liberty Formula One Group (NASDAQ:FWONA) is in a strong financial position with $2.6 billion in cash and liquid investments, and a leverage ratio of 1.3 times at year-end 2024.

Negative Points

  • The Las Vegas Grand Prix missed internal expectations on revenue and OIBDA, primarily due to ticket sales underperformance.

  • There was softness in certain hospitality offerings at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, impacting overall revenue growth.

  • The Phase 2 regulatory process for the Dorna acquisition is ongoing, with a long stop date extended to June 30, 2025, indicating potential delays.

  • The integration of the Las Vegas Grand Prix operations into the London team suggests challenges in local execution and cost management.

  • Despite strong overall performance, the standalone event economics for the Las Vegas Grand Prix need improvement to meet original financial targets.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Derek, could you talk about your strategic priorities for Liberty Media and your philosophy around M&A? A: Derek Chang, President and CEO, emphasized Liberty's focus on closing the Dorna acquisition, structural simplification, and continuing Formula One's growth. He mentioned Liberty's history of being opportunistic with M&A and expressed interest in opportunities that involve premium IP and commercialization, similar to F1.