As the Q4 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the media & entertainment industry, including EchoStar (NASDAQ: ECHO) and its peers.

Simply put, traditional media like linear TV is losing eyeballs and as a result, ad dollars as well. On the other hand, digital media such as streaming and social media are taking share of audience and ad spend. AI-driven content creation and digital advertising are continuing to evolve, which benefits companies in the sector that invest behind these themes. 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 for companies in the space 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 16 media & entertainment stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.5% on average since the latest earnings results.

EchoStar (NASDAQ: ECHO)

Following its 2023 acquisition of DISH Network, EchoStar (NASDAQ: ECHO) provides satellite communications, pay-TV services, wireless networks, and broadband solutions across consumer and enterprise markets.

EchoStar reported revenues of $3.80 billion, down 4.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 13.7% since reporting and currently trades at $99.75.

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

Best Q4: Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO)

With thousands of digital and traditional displays lighting up America's highways, city streets, and airports, Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) operates billboards, street furniture, and airport displays, connecting advertisers with millions of consumers across the US.

Clear Channel Outdoor reported revenues of $461.5 million, up 8.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. The business had a stunning quarter with EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 1.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $2.43.

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

Weakest Q4: People (NASDAQ: PPLI)

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

People reported revenues of $422.9 million, down 12.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 17.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

People delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $44.97.

Read our full analysis of People’s results here.

Sinclair (NASDAQ: SBGI)

With over 2,400 hours of local news produced weekly and 640 broadcast channels reaching millions of American homes, Sinclair (NASDAQ: SBGI) operates a network of 185 local television stations across 86 U.S. markets, producing news programming and distributing content from major networks.

Sinclair reported revenues of $807 million, up 4% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 7.4% since reporting and currently trades at $14.39.

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

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. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

Stride had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $87.16.

Read our full, actionable report on Stride 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.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.