As the Q1 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the digital media & content platforms industry, including IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) and its peers.

AI-driven content creation, personalized media experiences, and digital advertising are evolving, which could benefit companies investing in these themes. For example, companies with a portfolio of licensed visual content or platforms facilitating direct monetization models could see increased demand for years. On the other hand, headwinds include growing regulatory scrutiny on AI-generated content, with many publishers balking at anything that gets no human oversight. Additional areas to navigate include the phasing out of third-party cookies, which could make traditional ways of tracking the online behavior of consumers (a secret sauce in digital marketing) much less effective.

The 6 digital media & content platforms stocks we track reported a softer Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 5.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.9% below.

While some digital media & content platforms stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.9% since the latest earnings results.

IAC (NASDAQ: IAC)

Originally known as InterActiveCorp and built through Barry Diller's strategic acquisitions since the 1990s, IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) operates a portfolio of category-leading digital businesses including Dotdash Meredith, Angi, and Care.com, focusing on digital publishing, home services, and caregiving platforms.

IAC reported revenues of $422.9 million, down 12.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 17.1%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

IAC delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 9.4% since reporting and currently trades at $40.93.

Read our full report on IAC here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Stride (NYSE: LRN)

Formerly known as K12, Stride (NYSE: LRN) is an education technology company providing education solutions through digital platforms.

Stride reported revenues of $629.9 million, up 2.7% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. The business performed better than its peers, but it was unfortunately a mixed quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 4% since reporting. It currently trades at $88.90.

Is now the time to buy Stride? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Rumble (NASDAQ: RUM)

Founded in 2013 as a champion for content creator rights and free expression, Rumble (NASDAQ: RUM) is a video sharing platform that positions itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream platforms, offering creators more favorable revenue-sharing opportunities.

Rumble reported revenues of $25.46 million, up 7.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 10.2% since the results and currently trades at $7.33.

Read our full analysis of Rumble’s results here.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD)

Originally a pioneering technology publisher founded in 1927 that became famous for PC Magazine, Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) operates a portfolio of digital media brands and subscription services across technology, shopping, gaming, healthcare, and cybersecurity markets.

Ziff Davis reported revenues of $267.6 million, down 1.9% year on year. This number lagged analysts' expectations by 6.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

The stock is down 3.8% since reporting and currently trades at $41.65.

Read our full, actionable report on Ziff Davis here, it’s free.

Getty Images (NYSE: GETY)

With a vast library of over 562 million visual assets documenting everything from breaking news to iconic historical moments, Getty Images (NYSE: GETY) is a global visual content marketplace that licenses photos, videos, illustrations, and music to businesses, media outlets, and creative professionals.

Getty Images reported revenues of $226.6 million, up 1.1% year on year. This result came in 5.9% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a softer quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

Getty Images scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 22.5% since reporting and currently trades at $0.99.

Read our full, actionable report on Getty Images here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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