Charter Communications Reports Q1 2026 Financial Results with Revenue Decline

Charter Communications, Inc. reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2026, revealing a total revenue of $13.6 billion, a decrease of 1% from $13.7 billion in the same period of 2025. The company's net income attributable to shareholders was $1.16 billion, down from $1.22 billion year-over-year. Earnings per share increased to $9.27 from $8.59, reflecting a reduction in the weighted average shares outstanding, which fell from approximately 141.6 million to 125.5 million. The decline in revenue was primarily attributed to a higher allocation of seamless entertainment costs, despite growth in connectivity revenue.

In terms of operational metrics, Charter experienced a loss of 120,000 Internet customers, bringing the total to approximately 27.5 million. However, mobile service lines grew by 368,000, totaling 12.1 million lines. Video and voice customer losses improved, with video customers decreasing by 139,000 to 12.0 million and voice customers down by 707,000 to 5.9 million. The company reported a total of 31.7 million customer relationships, a decline from 32.2 million in the previous year. Monthly residential revenue per customer decreased to $118.44 from $120.07.

Charter's strategic initiatives included significant investments in its network, with capital expenditures reaching $2.9 billion, up from $2.4 billion in the prior year. The company activated approximately 89,000 subsidized rural passings as part of its rural construction initiative, spending $427 million in the quarter. Additionally, Charter is focused on enhancing its product offerings, including the deployment of Xumo stream boxes and the integration of seamless entertainment applications into its Spectrum TV packages.

Looking ahead, Charter anticipates continued challenges in customer growth due to competitive pressures, particularly in the Internet segment. The company remains committed to improving customer experience through enhanced service offerings and pricing strategies. Charter's leverage ratio stood at 4.15 times Adjusted EBITDA as of March 31, 2026, and it plans to maintain a leverage range of 4.0 to 4.5 times Adjusted EBITDA leading up to the closing of its pending transactions with Liberty Broadband and Cox Enterprises. The company expects to utilize its free cash flow and available credit facilities to support its operational and strategic initiatives.