Q3 FY2026
Filed Nov 4, 2026BuzzFeed reported Q3 2026 revenue of $ 26,030 (dollars in thousands), down (44) %, with net loss of $ (18,662) (dollars in thousands) and Adjusted EBITDA of $ (4,764) (USD in thousands), while deferring its full-year 2026 financial outlook.
Total revenue declined (44) % year over year, all three revenue lines declined, loss from operations widened to $ (17,460) (dollars in thousands), net loss widened to $ (18,662) (dollars in thousands), and Adjusted EBITDA moved from $ 753 to $ (4,764) (USD in thousands).
Key metrics
shortened, hover for the filing’s print| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 total revenueGAAP | $26.03M | – | (44) % |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 total revenueGAAP | $93.89M | – | (27) % |
| Q3 2026 cost of revenue, excluding depreciation and amortizationGAAP | $19.82M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 sales and marketing expenseGAAP | $2.91M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 general and administrative expenseGAAP | $12.25M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 research and development expenseGAAP | $4.49M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 depreciation and amortizationGAAP | $4.01M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 total costs and expensesGAAP | $43.49M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 loss from operationsGAAP | −$17.46M | – | NM |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 loss from operationsGAAP | −$41.25M | – | (78) % |
| Q3 2026 net lossGAAP | −$18.66M | – | NM |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 net lossGAAP | −$45.62M | – | (49) % |
| Q3 2026 net loss attributable to BuzzFeed, Inc.GAAP | −$18.44M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 net loss per Class A and Class B common share, basic and dilutedGAAP | $ (0.22) | – | – |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 net loss per Class A and Class B common share, basic and dilutedGAAP | $ (0.77) | – | – |
| Q3 2026 weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and dilutedGAAP | 84.36M | – | – |
| Q3 2026 Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | −$4.76M | – | NM |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | −$14.31M | – | NM |
| Q3 2026 Adjusted EBITDA marginnon-GAAP | (18.3) % | – | – |
| Nine months ended September 30, 2026 Adjusted EBITDA marginnon-GAAP | (15.2) % | – | – |
| Q3 2026 net loss as a percentage of revenueGAAP | (71.7) % | – | – |
| Q3 2026 audience Time Spentother | 50.7 million hours | – | – |
| Q3 2026 BuzzFeed brand total U.S. time spentother | 28.9 million hours | – | – |
| Q3 2026 HuffPost total U.S. time spentother | 16.2 million hours | – | – |
| U.S. traffic on BuzzFeed owned and operated properties from direct visits and internal web and app referralsother | 67% | – | – |
Segments
| Segment | Revenue | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdvertisingAdvertising revenues are primarily generated from advertisers, both programmatically and directly, for ads distributed against editorial and news content. | $15.39M | – | (31) % |
| ContentContent revenues are primarily generated from clients for custom assets, including long-form and short-form content, branded quizzes, Instagram takeovers, and sponsored content. | $5.80M | – | (20) % |
| Commerce and otherCommerce and other revenues consist primarily of affiliate commissions earned on transactions initiated from editorial shopping content, with product licensing revenue also included. | $4.84M | – | (71) % |
Amounts quoted below without a unit are in thousands, as in the filing’s tables. Per-share figures are as printed.
Capital returns
- Repurchase of common stock was $ — for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared with $ (3,332) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
- Payment for shares withheld for employee taxes was $ (165) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared with $ (191) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
What drove it
- The July restructuring reduced the workforce and dedicated contractors by approximately 35%; management expects it to yield approximately $30 million in annualized savings.
- Direct visits and internal web and app referrals represented 67% of U.S. traffic on BuzzFeed owned and operated properties, versus 65% in the prior quarter.
- BuzzFeed reached 28.9 million hours of total U.S. time spent, compared with People.com at 29.9 million hours.
- HuffPost recorded 16.2 million hours of total U.S. time spent. The release cited competitor figures of 3.3 million hours for Vogue.com, 3.6 million hours for The New Yorker, 2.2 million hours for New York Magazine, 1.8 million hours for Vanity Fair, 0.6 million hours for Vox.com, and 0.6 million hours for Bustle.com.
- The company is seeking to bring content to audiences across digital platforms and connected TV and position BuzzFeed as a premier global free streaming platform.
Concerns
- Advertising revenue declined (31) %, content revenue declined (20) %, and commerce and other revenue declined (71) % year over year in Q3 2026.
- Q3 2026 loss from operations was $ (17,460) (dollars in thousands), versus $ (5,986) (dollars in thousands) in Q3 2025.
- Q3 2026 Adjusted EBITDA margin was (18.3) %, versus 1.6 % in Q3 2025.
- Cash used in operating activities increased to $ (15,411) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, from $ (7,019) (USD in thousands).
- The company deferred its full-year 2026 financial outlook while it continues to integrate the Allen Family Digital transaction and July restructuring.
What to watch
- Whether the approximately $30 million in expected annualized savings from the July restructuring is realized.
- The direction of advertising, content, and commerce and other revenue following Q3 declines of (31) %, (20) %, and (71) %, respectively.
- Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin following Q3 Adjusted EBITDA of $ (4,764) (USD in thousands) and a margin of (18.3) %.
- Cash use, liquidity, and debt service requirements, given cash used in operating activities of $ (15,411) (USD in thousands) during the first nine months of 2026.
- Any reinstatement of financial outlook as the company integrates the Allen Family Digital transaction and restructuring.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Cash and cash equivalents were $ 8,828 (dollars in thousands) at September 30, 2026, compared with $ 8,465 (dollars in thousands) at December 31, 2025.
- Restricted cash was $ 525 (dollars in thousands) current and $ 2,999 (dollars in thousands) noncurrent at September 30, 2026.
- Current debt was $ 7,810 (dollars in thousands) and debt was $ 25,944 (dollars in thousands) at September 30, 2026, compared with $ 30,524 (dollars in thousands) and $ 27,861 (dollars in thousands), respectively, at December 31, 2025.
- Total assets were $ 137,895 (dollars in thousands), total liabilities were $ 96,795 (dollars in thousands), and total stockholders’ equity was $ 41,100 (dollars in thousands) at September 30, 2026.
- Cash used in operating activities was $ (15,411) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared with $ (7,019) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
- Capital expenditures were $ (326) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared with $ (1,678) (USD in thousands) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
- Capitalization of internal-use software was $ (8,871) (USD in thousands), compared with $ (9,636) (USD in thousands).
- Cash used in investing activities was $ (9,122) (USD in thousands), compared with $ (11,247) (USD in thousands).
- Cash provided by financing activities was $ 9,171 (USD in thousands), compared with $ 13,531 (USD in thousands).
- Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents was $ (15,387) (USD in thousands), compared with $ (4,356) (USD in thousands).
- Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period were $ 12,352 (USD in thousands), compared with $ 34,292 (USD in thousands).
Analysis
BuzzFeed’s Q3 2026 results showed broad revenue contraction. Total revenue was $ 26,030 (dollars in thousands), down (44) % from $ 46,317 (dollars in thousands). Advertising revenue declined (31) % to $ 15,393 (dollars in thousands), content revenue declined (20) % to $ 5,801 (dollars in thousands), and commerce and other revenue declined (71) % to $ 4,836 (dollars in thousands). For the first nine months, total revenue was $ 93,890 (dollars in thousands), down (27) %.
Profitability weakened sharply. Loss from operations was $ (17,460) (dollars in thousands), compared with $ (5,986) (dollars in thousands), while net loss was $ (18,662) (dollars in thousands), compared with $ (7,426) (dollars in thousands). Adjusted EBITDA changed from $ 753 (USD in thousands) to $ (4,764) (USD in thousands), and Adjusted EBITDA margin changed from 1.6 % to (18.3) %. Q3 research and development expense was $ 4,493 (dollars in thousands), compared with $ 2,527 (dollars in thousands), while general and administrative expense was $ 12,252 (dollars in thousands), compared with $ 12,732 (dollars in thousands).
Management characterized the period as transitional following the Allen Family Digital transaction in May and a July restructuring. The restructuring reduced the workforce and dedicated contractors by approximately 35%, and management expects approximately $30 million in annualized savings. Q3 restructuring expense included in the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation was $ 7,189 (USD in thousands), compared with $ 1,561 (USD in thousands) a year earlier.
Audience engagement remained a stated strategic support point. Total audience Time Spent was 50.7 million hours. BuzzFeed recorded 28.9 million hours of total U.S. time spent and HuffPost recorded 16.2 million hours. Direct visits and internal web and app referrals accounted for 67% of U.S. traffic on BuzzFeed owned and operated properties, up from 65% in the prior quarter, which the company said reduces dependence on distributed platforms and increases resilience to platform algorithm changes.
Cash flow and liquidity warrant attention. Cash used in operating activities was $ (15,411) (USD in thousands) for the first nine months of 2026, compared with $ (7,019) (USD in thousands) a year earlier. Cash and cash equivalents were $ 8,828 (dollars in thousands) at September 30, 2026; current debt was $ 7,810 (dollars in thousands) and debt was $ 25,944 (dollars in thousands). The company deferred its full-year 2026 financial outlook as it continues to integrate the transaction and restructuring, leaving revenue, profitability, and cash-flow visibility unquantified for the remainder of the year.
Management, verbatim
This was a transitional quarter. The restructuring we announced in July reduced our workforce and dedicated contractors by approximately 35% and we expect this to yield approximately $30 million in annualized savings.
Byron Allen, BuzzFeed Chairman and CEO
At the core of BuzzFeed, Inc. are three very popular brands with engaged audiences. In the fourth quarter, our strategy is to bring compelling content to audiences wherever they are—across digital platforms and connected TV—as we work to position BuzzFeed to be a premier global free streaming platform.
Byron Allen, BuzzFeed Chairman and CEO
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Gross profit and gross margin were not reported.
- Free cash flow was not reported.
- Q3 2026 sequential revenue, segment revenue, profitability, EPS, and cash-flow comparisons were not reported.
- A Q3 2026 GAAP tax rate was not reported.
- Dividend information was not reported.
- Full-year 2026 quantitative financial guidance was deferred; no revenue, gross margin, operating expense, tax rate, or other financial guidance figures were provided.
- Prior-period guidance was not provided, so comparison with prior guidance is unavailable.
Written by an AI language model from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure is checked against the filing text, and a metric the filing does not print, or whose value, prior period and change do not add up, is dropped from the metrics. The model can still misread a table, in the metrics or in the text, so check a number in the filing before you rely on it. Consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.