Urban One reported its 2026 first-quarter financial results. Overall, the company saw a decline compared to the same 2025 window.
What We Know: Urban One has a wide array of holdings that play into revenue ebbs and flows. However, while many companies have reported digital revenue increases, Urban One showed a large drop.
What the Numbers Show:
| Segment: | 2026: | 2025: | Change: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Revenue | $77.651 million | $92.235 million | -15.8% |
| Total Operating Expenses | $79.866 million | $90.137 million | -11.4% |
| Net Loss | -$3.101 million | -$11.739 million | +73.6% |
The company’s Adjusted EBITDA dropped from $12.9 million during 2025’s first quarter to $4.7 million.
What They Said: “First quarter revenue was soft across all divisions, with TV down 18.5%, Digital down 33.5%, Radio down 6.4%, and Reach Media dropped by 17.0%. We had budgeted for a down-quarter in our Radio and TV divisions, but not at Reach Media and Digital … We are in a turnaround situation at Reach Media, where we continue to be impacted by a weak marketplace, key client attrition, and sales team re-building. Digital also had a soft first quarter, driven by weak advertiser demand, but second quarter is forecasted to be up, and there is optimism for the back half of the year based on the current sales pipeline.” -Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins
What Remains Unclear: How the recent purchases of KKDA and KRNB in Dallas will help or hurt the company’s overall revenue plans. It also remains to be seen when those two stations will officially join the Urban One portfolio. Initial expectations are for the deal to close during the third quarter.
What It Means: The first quarter is traditionally slow, so the revenue downturn isn’t surprising. Should similar numbers come through during the remainder of the year, especially with the 2026 midterm election approaching, then there will be cause for concern.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
