Versant Q1 2026: Digital Growth Offsets Pay-TV Slump

Versant Media, the NBCUniversal spinout behind CNBC, posted Q1 2026 results with revenue of $1.69 billion, down ~1% as linear pay-TV and advertising declined, while licensing surged 113.5% and platforms revenue rose 9.5%; net income fell 22% to $286 million, but adjusted EBITDA was up about 5% on a standalone basis. The company also raised its dividend to 37.5 cents per share and announced a $100 million accelerated share repurchase as it continues to rebalance away from traditional pay TV in its first quarter as an independent company.