Key Financial Data
- Q3 Total revenue: $76.2 million (-14.3% year-over)
- Q3 Restructuring-related cash payments: $3 million
- Net loss: $65.5 million (compared to ~$500,000 net income)
- Loss per common share: $4.26 (compared to $0.86 loss)
- Non-cash goodwill impairment: $57.3 million
- Q3 Strategic transaction-related cash payments: $1.9 million
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Media measurement company Comscore reported a $65.5 million net loss during the third quarter (Q3) of 2026, as declining revenue and charges related to its restructuring program weighed on financial results.
Revenue fell 14.3 percent to $76.2 million during the three months ending September 30, compared with $88.9 million a year earlier. Excluding revenue from its Movies business, which was divested in May, revenue declined 4.1 percent on a comparable basis.
The quarterly loss compared with net income of $500,000 during the same period last year. Comscore attributed most of the decline to a $57.3 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge and $5.5 million in restructuring expenses.
Stock Price
The impairment followed a review prompted partly by a decline in the company’s stock price and market capitalization, along with changes associated with its business realignment. Comscore said the charge does not directly affect its cash flow or liquidity.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) declined to $5.8 million from $11 million, with the adjusted EBITDA margin falling to 7.6 percent from 12.4 percent.
Comscore’s Content and Ad Measurement business reported a 14.4 percent revenue decline, largely because of the Movies divestiture and weaker performance in syndicated digital measurement products. Cross-Platform revenue remained flat, with lower usage of Proximic offset by new business in the company’s CCM offerings. Research and Insight Solutions revenue declined 13.9 percent, reflecting lower renewals and reduced deliveries of certain custom digital products.
The company reduced core operating expenses by 8 percent to $79.6 million, primarily through lower employee compensation, data costs and facilities expenses. Comscore introduced a restructuring initiative during the quarter, known as its “ROI strategy,” which the company intended to reduce operating costs, reorganize business operations and redirect investment toward areas with greater growth potential.
In a statement that accompanied its financial release, Comscore CEO Matt McLaughlin acknowledged more work needs to be done as the company continues with its turnaround plans.
“We are taking aggressive actions to rationalize our operational footprint and are focused on serving customers in our core business, as well as identifying and capitalizing on long-term growth opportunities in the evolving media landscape,” McLaughlin said.
Comscore expects the restructuring to produce between $20 million and $25 million in annualized cost savings, with some of those funds earmarked for future investment.
The company ended September with $19.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Its remaining debt obligations consisted of equipment-related finance leases after it repaid its senior secured credit facility in May.
Despite the quarterly loss, Comscore maintained its full-year financial outlook, forecasting revenue between $315 million and $325 million and an adjusted EBITDA margin in the low-to-mid single digits.
“We are in the early innings of executing our ROI strategy, which is rooted in building a foundation for long-term value creation, and we are already seeing signs of progress,” Comscore Chief Financial Officer Mary Margaret Curry said in a statement.
She said Comscore remains “focused on our transformation efforts as we close out the year, and we are on track to generate the $20 to $25 million in annual run-rate cost savings we expected from our realignment plan. We plan to use a portion of these savings to execute our ROI strategy and invest in long-term growth opportunities as we move into 2027.”
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