PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) today reported financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020.

Fourth Quarter Summary

• Net revenues for the quarter were $319.5 million, up 19% compared to the third quarter of 2020 and down 23% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019
• Our events business, which contributed 7% of our fourth quarter 2019 net revenues, continued to be significantly disrupted by COVID-19 and our event revenues for the quarter were down 98% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019
• Digital revenues were $58.8 million, up 23% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, propelled by continued strong audience and revenue growth in streaming and podcasting
• Station expenses for the quarter declined 16% to $238.8 million compared to the prior year and corporate expenses declined 6% to $20.2 million
• Operating loss for the quarter was $204.9 million, which included a non-cash impairment charge of $247.4 million, compared to an operating loss of $455.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019
• Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $66.5 million, compared to $113.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2019
• Liquidity at year end was $160.2 million comprised of $129.2 million of available revolver capacity and $31.0 million of cash on-hand

CEO Comment

David J. Field, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “I am pleased to report that Entercom continued to drive strong sequential operating improvement with revenues up 19% and EBITDA more than doubling vs. the third quarter. Digital, podcasting, sports betting and network radio all posted strong double digit growth over prior year and we are continuing to drive innovation across these businesses to enhance future growth potential. While the pandemic continues to hobble a large number of our advertisers, particularly locally, we are optimistic about a strong recovery in our local ad sales later this year driven by vaccinations, fiscal stimulus and pent-up consumer demand in heavily impacted categories.

During the quarter, we announced and completed the acquisition of the QL Gaming Group, a rapidly emerging sports betting data and predictive analytics platform that ideally complements our unrivaled position in the sports audio business. In addition, we announced a landmark multi-year partnership with Fan Duel, which we believe is the largest advertising deal in the history of the radio industry.”

Recent Company Developments

• QL Gaming Group Acquisition. We acquired sports data and iGaming affiliate platform QL Gaming Group in November in an all-cash deal for approximately $32 million, bringing unrivaled data, analytics and insight-driven content to our best-in-class sports broadcast stations and influential podcasts to RADIO.COM. We believe QLGG is an outstanding complement to our sports business, enabling significant cross-platform opportunities to accelerate subscription and affiliate growth on the BetQL platform while enhancing our programming with exclusive, compelling betting-oriented content. More recently, we launched the BetQL Audio Network establishing a new destination for premier sports betting programming across our platform.
• LockedOn Podcast Network Partnership. We launched a sales and content partnership with LockedOn, the No. 1 daily local sports podcast network, recently acquired by TEGNA. Under the partnership, we will feature the LockedOn library of podcasts and develop new content on RADIO.COM. The partnership further enhances our national sports offerings and continues to expand our leadership in sports entertainment.
• Accelerating Digital Growth. We continue to drive rapid growth in consumer demand and advertising revenues for our streaming content. Our digital audio platform, RADIO.COM, delivered 34% year-over-year growth in monthly active users in the fourth quarter and 53% growth in smart speaker listenership.

About Entercom Communications Corp.

Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) is a leading audio and entertainment company engaging over 170 million consumers each month through its iconic broadcast brands, expansive digital platform, premium podcast network and live events and experiences. With presence in every major U.S. market, and accessible on every device, Entercom delivers the industry’s most compelling live and on-demand content and experiences from voices and influencers its communities trust and love. The company’s robust portfolio of assets and integrated solutions offer advertisers today’s most engaged audiences through targeted reach, brand amplification and local activation—all at national scale. Entercom is the unrivaled leader in local radio sports and news and the #1 creator of live, original local audio content in the U.S. Learn more at www.entercom.com, Facebook and Twitter (@Entercom).