Lee Enterprises, Incorporated · NASDAQ:LEE

Lee Enterprises — Q2 FY2024 Earnings Presentation

21 slides from Lee Enterprises's earnings presentation, May 2, 2024

  1. Slide 1: Second Quarter FY2024 Earnings

    SECOND QUARTER FY2024 EARNINGS MAY 2, 2024

  2. Slide 2: Safe Harbor

    SAFE HARBOR The information provided in this presentation may include forward-looking statements relating to future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or

  3. Slide 3: Lee's Strategy for Digital Transformation: The Three Pillars

    LEE’S STRATEGY FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: THE THREE PILLARS LEE IS RAPIDLY TRANSFORMING FROM A PRINT-CENTRIC TO A DIGITAL-CENTRIC COMPANY PILLAR 1 PILLAR 2 PILLAR 3 Expand our audience by Accelerate digital Diversify and expand providing compelling local subscription growth offerings content for lo

  4. Slide 4: Industry-Leading Digital Growth

    INDUSTRY-LEADING DIGITAL GROWTH Digital Sub Revenue Digital Agency Revenue Total Digital Revenue Growth Leads Industry Growth Leads Industry Growing Significantly $74M LTM Digital Sub Revenue $92M LTM Amplified Revenue $285M LTM Total Digital Revenue Industry-leading 54% YOY(1) LTM growth Industry-l

  5. Slide 5: Revenue Mix

    STRATEGY IS TRANSFORMING THE COMPOSITION OF REVENUE FY2020 Q2 FY2024 REVENUE MIX 21% 48% Prior to launch of Three Pillar Industry-leading digital % Digital Digital Growth Strategy revenue growth is transforming the mix of revenue 7% Expected to reach inflection point in the next quarter 5

  6. Slide 6: Long-Term Outlook: Digital Subscriptions

    LONG-TERM OUTLOOK: DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS • Content that Drives Conversion Digital Subscription Growth • Impactful local journalism that informs and connects 1.2M our local communities $150M • Branding: WHERE YOUR STORY LIVES • Sophisticated marketing campaign maximizes 771K subscriber & revenue grow

  7. Slide 7: Long-Term Outlook: Digital Revenue

    LONG-TERM OUTLOOK: DIGITAL REVENUE DIGITAL REVENUE GROWTH IS FUELED BY AMPLIFIED AND DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION GROWTH Digital Revenue Outlook • Amplified will drive digital marketing services revenue growth • Our owned & operated digital products provide a unique $500M $450M opportunity to grow high marg

  8. Slide 8: Second Quarter 2024 Results

    SECOND QUARTER 2024 RESULTS Q2 Revenue Adjusted EBITDA Total Digital Revenue $71M, +11% YOY on a Same-store basis(1) growth • Digital subscription revenue $20M, +48%(1) • Digital advertising revenue $45M, flat(1) Continued digital • Amplified Digital® revenue $23M, +5%(1) revenue growth Total Print

  9. Slide 9: Lee Expects to Be Sustainable Without Reliance on Print in 5 Years

    LEE EXPECTS TO BE SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT RELIANCE ON PRINT IN 5 YEARS DIGITAL REVENUE, DIRECT COSTS, DIRECT MARGIN Key Transformation Priorities: Q2 FY24 • Maximize monetization of O&O products Digital Revenue $71M • Retain and grow spending from local advertising partners Digital Direct Costs(1) $21M

  10. Slide 10: Strong Track Record of Sustainable Cost Management

    STRONG TRACK RECORD OF SUSTAINABLE COST MANAGEMENT KEY TAKEAWAYS Total Cash Costs(1) • Proficient in driving efficiencies $1.0B • Current base of $237M of direct costs associated with our $705M $693M legacy revenue streams that will be managed with $615M associated revenue trends • Ongoing initiativ

  11. Slide 11: Strengthened Balance Sheet

    STRENGTHENED BALANCE SHEET • $122M debt reduction since refinancing in March 2020 Significant Gross Debt Reduction • Favorable credit agreement with Berkshire Hathaway • 25-year runway w/ no breakage costs or prepayment penalties $576M • Fixed annual interest rate, no financial performance covenants

  12. Slide 12: 2024 Outlook (Unchanged)

    2024 OUTLOOK (UNCHANGED) 2023 2024 Outlook Total Digital Revenue $273M $310-$330M YoY 14% 13% to 21% Digital-only subscribers 721,000 771,000 YoY 37% 7% Cash Costs(1) $615M $570-$590M YoY -11% -4% to -7% Adjusted EBITDA(1) $85M $83-$90M YoY -11% -3% to 6% (1) Adjusted EBITDA and Cash Costs are non-G

  13. Slide 13: Lee Investment Thesis

    LEE INVESTMENT THESIS WE BELIEVE OUR THREE PILLAR DIGITAL GROWTH STRATEGY WILL CREATE SUBSTANTIAL VALUE: Execute Three Pillar Digital Growth Strategy Generate long-term sustainable digital revenue growth, margin expansion, and strong free cash flow Continued Debt Reduction & Strengthened Balance She

  14. Slide 14: Lee Enterprises

    EE ENTERPRISES

  15. Slide 15: Non-GAAP Reconciliation

    NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION The Company uses non-GAAP financial performance measures to supplement the financial information presented on a U.S. GAAP basis. These non-GAAP financial measures, which may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, should not be considered i

  16. Slide 16: Quarterly Revenue Composition

    QUARTERLY REVENUE COMPOSITION (Millions of Dollars) Q1 FY2023 Q2 FY2023 Q3 FY2023 Q4 FY2023 FY 2023 Q1 FY2024 Q2 FY2024 Digital Advertising and Marketing Services Revenue 47.7 46.3 49.9 49.3 193.2 46.5 45.4 YoY (1) 11.3% 6.2% 7.8% 1.1% 6.4% -1.1% -0.2% Digital Only Subscription Revenue 12.3 14.0 15.

  17. Slide 17: Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial performance (Millions of Dollars) Q2 FY2024 measure that enhances financial statement users’ overall understanding of the operating performance of the Net loss (11.6) Company. The measure isolates unusual, infreque

  18. Slide 18: Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Q2 Q2 Cash Costs represent a non-GAAP financial performance (Millions of Dollars) measure of operating expenses which are measured on an FY2024 FY2023 accrual basis and settled in cash. This measure is useful to investors in understanding the components

  19. Slide 19: Same-Store Non-GAAP Revenue Reconciliation

    SAME-STORE NON-GAAP REVENUE RECONCILIATION(1) Q2 Q2 $ % Q2 Q2 $ % (Millions of Dollars) (Millions of Dollars) FY2024 FY2023 Change Change FY2024 FY2023 Change Change Print Advertising Revenue 18.7 31.5 (12.7) -40.4% Print Other Revenue 8.1 9.6 (1.6) -16.4% Exited operations - (4.8) Exited operations

  20. Slide 20: Same-Store Non-GAAP Revenue Reconciliation

    SAME-STORE NON-GAAP REVENUE RECONCILIATION(1) $ % $ % (Millions of Dollars) FY2023 FY2022 (Millions of Dollars) FY2023 FY2022 Change Change Change Change Print Advertising Revenue 125.8 185.0 (59.2) -32.0% Print Other Revenue 39.5 43.0 (3.5) -8.0% Exited operations (14.6) (34.8) Exited operations (0

  21. Slide 21: Direct Costs Reconciliation

    DIRECT COSTS RECONCILIATION (Millions of Dollars) Q2 FY24 Direct Costs is a non-GAAP financial performance measure that enhances financial statement users overall understanding of the operating Operating expenses 152.3 performance of the Company. The measure isolates operating costs that directly su

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