WOW (2025 - Q2)

Release Date: Aug 11, 2025

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Stock Data provided by Financial Modeling Prep

Current Financial Performance

WOW Q2 2025 Financial Highlights

$144.2 million
Total Revenue
$70.3 million
Adjusted EBITDA
48.8%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin
$104.8 million
HSD Revenue

Key Financial Metrics

ARPU

$75.30
4.9%

Capital Expenditures

$47.9 million

Down $3.2M YoY

Unlevered Adj. Free Cash Flow

$22.4 million

Leverage Ratio

3.5x

Period Comparison Analysis

Total Revenue

$144.2 million
Current
Previous:$158.8 million
9.2% YoY

Adjusted EBITDA

$70.3 million
Current
Previous:$70 million
0.4% YoY

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

48.8%
Current
Previous:44.1%
10.7% YoY

HSD Revenue

$104.8 million
Current
Previous:$105 million
0.2% YoY

Capital Expenditures

$47.9 million
Current
Previous:$51.1 million
6.3% YoY

Leverage Ratio

3.5x
Current
Previous:3.4x
2.9% YoY

Earnings Performance & Analysis

Video Subscribers

42,500
40.6%

HSD Subscribers Lost

3,900

Net loss in quarter

Greenfield Homes Passed

91,100

Greenfield Penetration Rate

16%

Financial Health & Ratios

Key Financial Ratios

48.8%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin
2 percentage points QoQ
Incremental Contribution Margin Increase
18.9%
Core CapEx Efficiency
3.5x
Leverage Ratio

Financial Guidance & Outlook

2025 Greenfield CapEx Plan

$60M-$70M

On track

Q3 2025 Guidance

Not provided

Surprises

Acquisition Offer Premium

37.2% premium to unaffected price and 63% premium to recent close

The Board unanimously approved this offer, which represents a premium of 37.2% to the unaffected price of $3.79 prior to the May 2, 2024 offer and a 63% premium to Friday's close.

Record High ARPU

$75.30, up 4.9% year-over-year

ARPU was another record high increasing 4.9% year-over-year to $75.30, predominantly reflecting the impact of a rate increase that went into effect on June 1.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin Strength

48.8%

Adjusted EBITDA margin remained strong at 48.8%, reflecting the impact of restructuring and cost discipline.

Decline in Traditional Video Subscribers

40.6% decrease year-over-year to 42,500 subscribers

Traditional video business declined further during the quarter and has now dropped to 42,500 subscribers, a 40.6% decrease from the same period last year.

Total Revenue Decline

9.2% decrease to $144.2 million

Total revenue for the second quarter decreased 9.2% to $144.2 million as video and telephony revenue dropped 39.9% and 10.3%, respectively.

Impact Quotes

The Board unanimously approved this offer, which represents a premium of 37.2% to the unaffected price of $3.79 prior to the May 2, 2024 offer and a 63% premium to Friday's close, which we believe is a very good offer for investors.

We maintained strong penetration rates of 16%, all while growing our footprint with an additional 15,500 new greenfield homes cast during the quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 0.4% for the same period last year to $70.3 million, while adjusted EBITDA margin remained strong at 48.8%.

ARPU was another record high increasing 4.9% year-over-year to $75.30, predominantly reflecting the impact of a rate increase that went into effect on June 1.

Total revenue for the second quarter decreased 9.2% to $144.2 million as video and telephony revenue dropped 39.9% and 10.3%, respectively.

The steps we introduced last year, such as complementary speed upgrades and our simplified pricing plans, which include an optional price lock, modem included, no data caps and no contract are continuing to benefit our business.

We ended the quarter with total cash of $31.8 million and total outstanding debt of $1.05 billion, with our leverage ratio at 3.5x.

We are now seeing the growth of subscribers in our greenfield markets, coupled with improving subscriber dynamics in our legacy markets, pushing us significantly closer to hitting the inflection point where our net adds return to positive.

Notable Topics Discussed

  • WOW! announced a definitive agreement for affiliated investment funds of DigitalBridge Investments and Crestview Partners to acquire all outstanding shares for $5.20 per share, valuing the company at approximately $1.5 billion.
  • The transaction includes a rollover of shares by Crestview, WOW!'s largest stockholder, indicating strong insider support.
  • The deal is expected to close by the end of 2025 or early 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
  • This sale represents a significant strategic shift, potentially leading to a change in company direction and ownership structure.
  • Management emphasized the importance of the approval process and regulatory compliance, indicating a transitional phase for the company.
  • The transaction's premium of 37.2% to the unaffected price and 63% to recent close highlights its attractiveness to investors.
  • WOW! reported passing an additional 15,500 homes in greenfield markets during Q2 2025, bringing total homes passed to 91,100.
  • The company maintained a 16% penetration rate in greenfield markets, demonstrating strong adoption and market interest.
  • All-fiber newbuilds in Florida, Michigan, and South Carolina showed clear consumer demand for high-speed, cost-effective broadband with excellent customer service.
  • Fiber-to-the-home expansion remains a central part of WOW!'s growth strategy, with continued focus on greenfield and Edge-Out markets.
  • The company’s success in higher speed tiers, with 76% of new HSD connections purchasing 500 Mbps or higher, underscores product value.
  • The fiber expansion strategy is supported by a record-high ARPU of $75.30, driven by rate increases and demand for higher speeds.
  • Traditional video subscribers declined sharply to 42,500, a 40.6% decrease from the previous year, reflecting ongoing industry shifts.
  • The decline in video subscribers contributed to a slight reduction in operating expenses, aligning costs with the shrinking legacy business.
  • WOW! is transitioning to YouTube TV to modernize its product offerings and meet current market trends.
  • Cost savings from reduced programming and support costs due to fewer video subscribers have positively impacted EBITDA margins.
  • The company expects the decline in traditional video to continue, emphasizing a strategic shift towards fiber and broadband services.
  • This transition allows WOW! to reallocate resources towards greenfield expansion and fiber infrastructure investments.
  • The pending acquisition by DigitalBridge and Crestview is a major milestone, with the deal expected to close in early 2026.
  • Management highlighted that the future strategic direction will be influenced by the new ownership, with potential shifts in expansion focus.
  • The deal's premium and the support from the company's independent board suggest confidence in the company's long-term value.
  • Post-transaction, WOW! plans to extend its revolving credit facility, indicating ongoing financial flexibility.
  • The acquisition could accelerate fiber deployment and market expansion, depending on the new owners' strategic priorities.
  • The company is currently focused on completing the approval process and ensuring a smooth transition.
  • WOW! reached an agreement to amend and extend its revolving credit facility, with a six-month extension beyond 2026.
  • Conditional on the closing of the sale, the revolver will be further extended through September 2028.
  • The company plans to disclose full terms of the amended credit agreement in an upcoming SEC filing.
  • This enhanced flexibility provides the company with additional liquidity to fund greenfield and Edge-Out projects.
  • The company’s leverage ratio remains at 3.5x, with total debt of $1.05 billion, indicating manageable leverage levels.
  • The extension of credit facilities reflects confidence from lenders and supports ongoing expansion efforts.
  • Greenfield markets showed strong momentum, with 15,500 homes passed in Q2 2025, supporting the growth strategy.
  • The 2025 vintage passed an additional 3,500 homes, with penetration increasing to 28%, indicating successful market penetration.
  • The 2024 vintage achieved a 45.8% penetration rate, while the 2023 vintage remained flat at 31.4%.
  • The company’s focus on fiber-to-the-home in greenfield markets is driving subscriber growth and ARPU increases.
  • Expansion efforts include both greenfield and Edge-Out markets, with all performing extremely well.
  • The company remains committed to its CapEx plan of $60-$70 million for greenfield projects in 2025.
  • Despite a slight decline in overall HSD subscribers, greenfield market subscriber growth is now positive.
  • The company added 2,300 greenfield HSD subscribers and 1,100 in Edge-Out markets during Q2 2025.
  • ARPU increased by 4.9% year-over-year to $75.30, driven by rate hikes and higher speed tier demand.
  • 76% of new HSD-only connections purchased 500 Mbps or higher, reflecting strong demand for premium services.
  • Subscriber growth in greenfield markets is approaching a positive inflection point, supporting revenue stability.
  • The shift towards fiber and higher speed tiers is a key driver of ARPU and subscriber value.
  • Operating expenses decreased slightly due to the decline in legacy video subscribers, reflecting cost discipline.
  • The company’s restructuring away from traditional video has led to lower programming and support costs.
  • Cost savings have enabled increased investment in fiber expansion and greenfield projects.
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin remained strong at 48.8%, demonstrating operational efficiency.
  • Total CapEx was $47.9 million, with a focus on greenfield and edge-out investments, aligned with strategic priorities.
  • The company is actively managing costs to support growth initiatives while maintaining financial health.
  • The company’s focus on fiber-to-the-home aligns with broader industry trends towards high-speed broadband demand.
  • The decline in traditional video is consistent with industry shifts towards streaming and OTT platforms.
  • WOW! is positioning itself as a fiber-centric provider, emphasizing high quality and lower costs.
  • The success in higher speed tiers and fiber expansion positions WOW! competitively in its markets.
  • Management highlighted the importance of market trends in shaping future growth and investment priorities.
  • The company's strategic focus on greenfield markets aims to capitalize on emerging broadband opportunities.

Key Insights:

  • Future business strategy and operations post-acquisition will be determined by the new owners.
  • No guidance provided for Q3 2025 due to the pending acquisition transaction.
  • The acquisition by DigitalBridge Investments and Crestview Partners is expected to close by end of 2025 or Q1 2026, subject to approvals.
  • The company plans to continue its greenfield and edge-out expansion strategy with 2025 CapEx expected between $60 million and $70 million.
  • Edge-Out vintage homes passed increased with penetration rates improving to 28% for 2025 vintage and 45.8% for 2024 vintage.
  • Penetration rate in greenfield markets remained steady at 16%, with strong sell-in of higher speed tiers (76% of new connects purchasing 500 Mbps or higher).
  • Simplified pricing plans with no data caps, no contracts, and modem included continue to support subscriber growth and ARPU improvements.
  • Traditional video subscribers declined by 40.6% year-over-year to 42,500, reflecting ongoing transition to YouTube TV.
  • WOW! expanded its greenfield footprint by passing an additional 15,500 homes in Q2, totaling 91,100 greenfield homes passed.
  • CEO Teresa Elder emphasized the strong momentum in fiber-to-the-home expansion and the success of greenfield markets.
  • Management highlighted the benefits of restructuring away from video, leading to lower operating expenses and improved margins.
  • The Board unanimously approved the acquisition offer, which includes a 37.2% premium over the unaffected price and 63% premium over recent close.
  • The company is nearing an inflection point where net subscriber additions will return to positive, driven by growth in greenfield and improving legacy markets.
  • All 91,100 greenfield homes passed are fiber-to-the-home, with additional fiber presence in legacy markets.
  • CapEx plans for 2025 remain unchanged, continuing focus on greenfield and edge-out expansions.
  • Future strategy post-acquisition will be led by DigitalBridge and Crestview.
  • The acquisition closing timeline is estimated for late 2025 or early 2026, with no known regulatory concerns at this time.
  • The special committee conducted a thorough review and unanimously recommended the acquisition offer.
  • Incremental contribution margin improved by over 2 percentage points from the previous quarter.
  • The company amended and extended its revolving credit facility, extending the term by 6 months and potentially through September 2028 upon deal closing.
  • The restructuring away from video continues to reduce programming and support costs.
  • Unlevered adjusted free cash flow was $22.4 million, down from last quarter due to lower EBITDA and increased expansion CapEx.
  • Crestview, the largest stockholder, will roll over all its shares into the new ownership structure.
  • Customer demand for high-speed fiber broadband remains strong, supporting the company's growth strategy.
  • The acquisition values WOW! at approximately $1.5 billion enterprise value with an all-cash offer of $5.20 per share.
  • The company is focused on maintaining cost discipline while investing in fiber expansion.
Complete Transcript:
WOW:2025 - Q2
Operator:
Thank you for standing by. My name is Kayla, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I'd like to welcome everyone to the WideOpenWest Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the call over to Andrew Posen, Vice President of Investor Relations. You may begin. Andrew S
Andrew S. Posen:
Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining our second quarter 2025 earnings call. I'm joined today by Teresa Elder, WOW!'s Chief Executive Officer; and John Rego, WOW!'s Chief Financial Officer. Before we get started, I would like to remind everyone that during our call, we will make some forward-looking statements about our expected operating results, our business strategy and other matters relating to our business. These forward-looking statements are made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual operating results, financial position or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update such forward-looking statements. For additional information concerning factors that could affect our financial results or cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, please refer to our filings with the SEC, including the Risk Factors section of our Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as the forward-looking statements section of our press release. In addition, please note that on today's call and in the press release we issued this afternoon, we may refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. While the company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information for investors, the presentation of this information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the final information presented in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP metrics for our historical reported results can be found in our earnings releases and our trending schedules, which can be found on our website. We have also included a presentation this afternoon to complement our prepared remarks. Now I'll turn the call over to WOW!'s Chief Executive Officer, Teresa Elder.
Teresa L. Elder:
Thanks, Andrew. Welcome to WOW!'s second quarter earnings call. Before we review our second quarter results, I would like to spend a couple of minutes discussing this afternoon's announcement. Earlier this afternoon, we announced that we have entered into a definitive agreement under which affiliated investment funds of DigitalBridge Investments and Crestview Partners will acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of WOW! not already owned by Crestview and its affiliate for $5.20 per share in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $1.5 billion. Crestview, our largest stockholder has agreed to roll over all of the shares of WOW! common stock that they own. Upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of the independent and disinterested directors formed to lead the evaluation of the potential transaction, the Board unanimously approved this offer, which represents a premium of 37.2% to the unaffected price of $3.79 prior to the May 2, 2024 offer and a 63% premium to Friday's close, which we believe is a very good offer for investors. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions, including the receipt of WOW! stockholder approval and of required regulatory approval. More information will be available when we file the proxy materials in the near future. In addition, we also reached an agreement to amend and extend our current revolving credit facility. This amendment provides for our revolver to be extended for 6 months beyond the current term, which expires at the end of 2026. In addition, conditional on the closing of the sale to DigitalBridge and Crestview, the revolver will be further extended through September 11, 2028. The full terms of the amended agreement will be disclosed in an upcoming Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC. Now I would like to review our second quarter results, which reflects strong momentum in our greenfield markets, building on the success we delivered in the first quarter. We maintained strong penetration rates of 16%, all while growing our footprint with an additional 15,500 new greenfield homes cast during the quarter. We are pleased with the progress of our all-fiber newbuilds in Central Florida, Fernando Beach, Florida, Brighton, Michigan and Greenville, South Carolina, which have clearly demonstrated consumers' desire for exceptional fiber-to-the-home broadband that delivers high speed at lower cost with exceptional customer service. In the second quarter, high-speed data revenue decreased slightly year-over-year to $104.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA of $70.3 million increased slightly year-over-year while adjusted EBITDA margin increased from the prior year to 48.8%. Momentum in our greenfield expansion efforts further drove growth in our footprint, all while maintaining a penetration rate of 16% in our greenfield market. During the second quarter, we passed an additional 15,500 homes in our greenfield market bringing our total number of greenfield homes passed to 91,100. Our success in these markets include strong sell-in in the higher speed tiers which demonstrates the high quality and value of the product we're bringing to market. The 2025 edge-out vintage passed an additional 3,500 new homes in the second quarter, bringing the total vintage to 5,000 homes while growing penetration to 28%. Our 2024 Edge-Out vintage increased its penetration rate of 45.8% and while the 2023 vintage remained flat at 31.4%. Our expansion efforts include both our greenfield and Edge-Out markets are all performing extremely well, supporting our growth strategy as we move into the second half of the year. With regard to our HSD subscribers, we lost a total of 3,900 during the quarter. We added 2,300 HSD subscribers in our greenfield markets and 1,100 in our Edge-Out expansion markets, which partially offset the drop in our legacy footprint. Importantly, we are now seeing the growth of subscribers in our greenfield markets, coupled with improving subscriber dynamics in our legacy markets, pushing us significantly closer to hitting the inflection point where our net adds return to positive. The steps we introduced last year, such as complementary speed upgrades and our simplified pricing plans, which include an optional price lock, modem included, no data caps and no contract are continuing to benefit our business in both our legacy and expansion markets. The charts on the bottom half of the slide highlight a shift that reflects the growing success of our fiber expansion strategy as well as the impact of our initiatives to strengthen our legacy footprint. ARPU was another record high increasing 4.9% year-over-year to $75.30, predominantly reflecting the impact of a rate increase that went into effect on June 1 as well as demand for higher speed tiers, which continues to grow with 76% of HSD-only new connects purchasing 500 meg or higher during the second quarter, a 4% increase year-over-year. Overall, we continue to see the success of our simplified pricing strategy, which is showing particular strength in our greenfield market. As expected, our traditional video business declined further during the quarter and has now dropped to 42,500 subscribers, a 40.6% decrease from the same period last year. We anticipate this trend will continue as we transition to YouTube TV to align our total product offering with current market trends. As a result of our declining traditional video business, overall operating expenses decreased slightly year-over-year, reflecting the lower number of video subscribers. The lower cost base in our legacy business enables us to maximize investment in our greenfield expansion initiatives, which partially offsets the decrease in the legacy operating expenses and aligns our cost base with our core strategy. To conclude before handing the call to John, I would like to emphasize how our results this quarter reflect momentum in our greenfield expansion as we continue to focus on our fiber-to-the-home expansion while maintaining a commitment to cost discipline and effective pricing strategy that again resulted in a record high ARPU while showing improvements in our HSV subscriber trends, moving us nearer to positive net add inflection point. I will now turn the call over to John, who will go over our financial results in more detail.
John S. Rego:
Thank you, Teresa. In the second quarter, we reported $104.8 million of HSD revenue, which decreased 0.2% year-over-year, largely reflecting the decrease in HSD subscribers. Total revenue for the second quarter decreased 9.2% to $144.2 million as video and telephony revenue dropped 39.9% and 10.3%, respectively, in addition to the slight decline in HSD revenue during the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased 0.4% for the same period last year to $70.3 million, while adjusted EBITDA margin remained strong at 48.8%. The year-over-year growth in our adjusted EBITDA reflects the impact of our continued approach to aggressively restructure our business away from our video platform. And although integration increased from the same period last year, we saw the benefit this quarter from the lower number of video subscribers, which is now reflected in lower programming cost and video support costs. As we said last quarter, costs associated with this restructuring will continue to come down as we execute our broadband strategy. The incremental contribution margin increased over 2 percentage points from the previous quarter and continued to grow year-over- year, driven by the proportionate increase in HSD revenue, which increased to 72.7% of our total revenue this quarter, which is up from 66.1% in the same period last year. We ended the quarter with total cash of $31.8 million and total outstanding debt of $1.05 billion, with our leverage ratio at 3.5x. We reported total capital spend of $47.9 million, down $3.2 million from the same quarter last year. Our core CapEx efficiency was 18.9% in the second quarter. Expansion CapEx increased $3 million from the same period last year and $5.9 million from last quarter. In the second quarter, we spent $14.1 million on greenfields and remain on track to spend between $60 million and $70 million in 2025. Additionally, we spent $4.3 million on edge-outs and $2.2 million on business services. Our unlevered adjusted free cash flow, which we define as adjusted EBITDA less CapEx was $22.4 million for the second quarter, a decrease from last quarter driven by lower EBITDA and increased expansion CapEx spend. Finally, before we open the line for questions due to this afternoon's transaction announcement, we will not be providing guidance for the third quarter. Thank you so much, and we'll now open up the line for questions.
Operator:
[Operator Instructions] Your first question comes from the line of Frank Louthan with Raymond James.
Frank Garrett Louthan:
And congratulations on getting the deal done. Going forward, what's the to continue with the greenfield builds or Edge-Outs? Or is it going to be a broader expansion? Just curious what the longer-term plan is for the business.
Teresa L. Elder:
Yes, I would redirect you to the press release that was put out right before this call. Our focus is now making sure we continue to run the business very well, while also going through all of the appropriate approvals with stockholders and with the regulatory authorities to get us to the close. And then the future really of the company, I will leave that to DigitalBridge and Crestview to talk about, and once again, refer you to the quotes that are in the document.
Frank Garrett Louthan:
Okay. And what is the -- I think the release had some time frame for the close. Is there anything that would make that materially longer? Any potential concerns you would have from a regulatory perspective or anything like that?
Teresa L. Elder:
Not that we know of right now. But I think what we referenced was it could be later this year or first quarter is our estimate. Of course, no one can completely predict, but that's the estimate.
Operator:
And your next question comes from the line of Batya Levi with UBS.
Batya Levi:
Teresa, can you provide a little more color on your strategic review since the initial unsolicited offer you got to bring you to this decision? And I think the deal implies maybe a low 5 multiple. The thoughts around that in terms of if you could give us maybe a fiber versus cable mix of the footprint would be helpful. And is there a breakup fee that we should consider?
Teresa L. Elder:
Yes. I will have to direct you to the documents that will be filed as we put out the proxy. There will be lots of detail in all of those. What I can tell you in terms of the process is, as you know, the nonbinding unsolicited purchase proposal came in from DigitalBridge and Crestview Partners in May of last year. At that time, a special committee of WOW!'s Board of Directors was formed that included the non-Crestview affiliated Board members. And I can tell you, the special committee had a very thorough and diligent process and from that process, they unanimously recommended the offer presented by DigitalBridge and Crestview to the Board and then the Board unanimously approved that. So there will be more detail as the proxy comes out.
Batya Levi:
Got it. Maybe just a quick 1 on CapEx. Should we assume that you will continue at least on this year's plans to build out to Edge-Out and greenfield?
Teresa L. Elder:
Yes, there's no change in this year's CapEx plan. And I think the strategy of the company clearly was reflected in the bid that we got and the comments from those companies.
Batya Levi:
And all of your -- so roughly 2 million homes passed, what percent is directly fiber to the home?
Teresa L. Elder:
I'm not sure if we've broken that out. I can tell you, certainly, all of the 91,100, I think, is where we're at in terms of the end of the second -- the third quarter -- I'm sorry, the second quarter. All of those are fiber-to-the-home. And then we also have some within our legacy footprint as well, but the bulk of them are in our greenfield markets.
Operator:
And there are no further questions at this time. Teresa Elder, I'll turn the call back over to you.
Teresa L. Elder:
Okay. Well, thank you all so much for dialing in today. And before we close, I just want to thank the people of WOW! whose passion for wowing our customers inspires me every day. And as always, we appreciate you joining our earnings call today, and we appreciate your interest in WOW!.
Operator:
This concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect.

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