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News Corp profit soars 167% as 'digital-first' strategy delivers record quarter. Published on: 6th August 2026 at 10:38 AM News Corp has delivered a record fourth quarter, with net income surging 167 per cent (US$230 million) as the media giant credited its "digital-first" transformation, AI licensing opportunities and growth across its core businesses for the result. The strong finish comes after News Corp's second-quarter results earlier this year showed a more mixed picture for its traditional media operations, with the company continuing to argue that premium journalism and trusted content will become increasingly valuable as artificial intelligence reshapes the media landscape. For the three months ended 30 June, News Corp reported revenue of US$2.3 billion, up 11 per cent year-on-year, while total segment EBITDA climbed 31 per cent to US$423 million. Net income from continuing operations jumped to $230 million, compared with $86 million in the prior corresponding period, while reported earnings per share increased to $0.33 from $0.09. News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson described the quarter as one of "record profitability", saying the company's investment in digital businesses, subscriptions and recurring revenue streams had strengthened its position despite ongoing disruption across media. "These results mean that we have posted twelve consecutive quarters of year-on-year revenue growth and thirteen consecutive quarters of year-on-year Total Segment EBITDA growth," Thomson said. "For a company that is majority digital and has vastly expanded its portfolio of premium recurring revenues, the robustness of our strategy has allowed us to navigate tech and economic and political turbulence." For the full financial year, News Corp reported revenue of $9 billion, up 7 per cent, while EBITDA increased 15 per cent to more than $1.6 billion. Free cash flow also rose 42 per cent to $811 million, allowing the company to accelerate its share buyback program, with $643 million worth of shares repurchased during the year. News Corp highlighted three major growth engines - Dow Jones, Digital Real Estate Services and Book Publishing - as key drivers behind the record result. Dow Jones revenue increased 7 per cent to $644 million, with EBITDA up 20 per cent to $181 million. The business continued to benefit from subscription growth, with total subscriptions increasing 7 per cent year-on-year to more than 6.7 million. Digital advertising revenue also climbed 10 per cent during the quarter. Digital Real Estate Services, which includes Australia's REA Group and US platform Realtor.com, was one of the strongest performers, with revenue increasing 19 per cent to $553 million and EBITDA jumping 46 per cent to $222 million. REA Group revenue rose 21 per cent, driven by growth in Australian residential listings, pricing increases and additional product offerings. HarperCollins also delivered a strong quarter, with revenue increasing 15 per cent to $566 million. Avoiding 'slimy sea of AI slop' Thomson also used the earnings call to reinforce News Corp's position in the emerging AI economy, arguing that trusted journalism, intellectual property and premium content would become increasingly important as generative AI expands. The company has been pursuing licensing partnerships with AI companies while also taking legal action against organisations it believes have used News Corp content without permission. "Artificial intelligence itself is only as useful, only as trustworthy as the quality and integrity of its inputs," Thomson said. "Without our journalists, our authors, our data, our brands and our professional expertise, users would be drowning in a slimy sea of AI slop." The comments echo Thomson's stance earlier this year, when he argued that AI platforms would increasingly need access to high-quality, authoritative content rather than low-value material generated at scale. News Corp said 61 per cent of its fiscal 2026 revenue now came from digital businesses, reflecting its transition away from a historically print-led model. The company said it expects continued growth in the current financial year, with further margin expansion anticipated across its major businesses. Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

Wall Street Journal publisher News Corp beats revenue estimates on real estate, Dow Jones strength. Dow Jones' revenue grew 7 per cent during the quarter, while digital real estate services revenue rose 19 per cent. Published Aug 06, 2026, 08:10 AM Updated Aug 06, 2026, 09:55 AM Wall Street Journal publisher News Corp beat fourth-quarter revenue estimates on Aug 5, driven by growth in its digital real estate, book publishing and Dow Jones subscription businesses. The media conglomerate is benefiting from its pivot from traditional print media to a digital-first content business, positioning it to capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom through licensing deals with technology companies. News Corp, whose brands also include HarperCollins, reported fourth-quarter revenue of US$2.34 billion (S$3 billion). Analysts on average estimated US$2.23 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Its adjusted earnings per share nearly doubled to 35 US cents, from 19 US cents a year ago, and comfortably beat analysts' estimate of 21 US cents. Dow Jones' revenue grew 7 per cent during the quarter, while digital real estate services revenue rose 19 per cent. "We have trusted content relationships with OpenAI and Meta, and are in advanced discussions with several other companies," chief executive Robert Thomson said. REUTERS

News Corp posts record profitability, 11% jump in Q4 revenue. Published Aug. 5, 2026, 6:28 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. News Corp, the parent company of The New York Post, posted its highest profitability on record on Wednesday, driven by growth in its Dow Jones, digital real estate and book publishing divisions. The New York-based media giant said its fourth-quarter revenue grew 11% to $2.34 billion, beating analyst expectations. News Corp saw $230 million from continuing operations, or 33 cents a share - a whopping 167% increase compared to $86 million in the prior year. Adjusted earnings per share totaled 35 cents. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected 24 cents a share. "We concluded Fiscal 2026 with an exceptional fourth quarter performance," News Corp CEO Robert Thomson said in a statement. "Our record performance is a product of sustained focus on, and reinvestment in, News Corp's core growth engines and our transformation to a digital-first company underpinned by insightful and trusted content," he added. During the quarter, News Corp's financial results were powered by a 7% jump in revenue to $644 million at its Dow Jones unit, which publishes The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch. The firm saw a 19% increase at its real estate division to $553 million and a 15% jump in book publishing revenue to $566 million. Thomson - who previously ripped AI companies for failing to pay enough for content - touted News Corp's artificial intelligence partnerships. "Much of the world is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, but artificial intelligence itself is only as useful and only as trustworthy as the quality of its inputs," he said. "We believe that makes News Corp an absolutely critical participant in the emerging AI ecosystem. Without our journalists, our authors, our data, our brands and our professional expertise, users would be drowning in a slimy sea of AI slop." He cited the company's content relationships with OpenAI and Meta, noting that News Corp is in advance discussions with several other companies, before issuing a stern warning. "However, under our woo and sue approach, we are taking aggressive action against those who pilfer and profit from our work," the exec said. "We will pursue those pilferers, and companies that are clients of these crass kleptomaniacs should know they are patently in possession of stolen goods." For fiscal 2026, net income from continuing operations grew 15% to $743 million. Adjusted diluted earnings per share totaled $1.18. Annual revenue ticked up 7% to $9.03 billion.