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Side-by-side financial comparison of Crown Castle (CCI) and NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC. (NXST). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.4B vs $1.0B, roughly 1.4× Crown Castle). NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC. runs the higher net margin — 11.5% vs -45.9%, a 57.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (13.1% vs -4.8%). NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($267.0M vs $-43.0M). Over the past eight quarters, NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (4.9% CAGR vs -4.5%).
Crown Castle Inc. is a real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States headquartered in Houston, Texas. Operating with 100 offices worldwide, its network includes over 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber systems.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded media company with headquarters in Irving, Texas; Midtown Manhattan; and Chicago. Founded on June 17, 1996, the company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 television stations across the United States, most of which are affiliated with the four major American television networks and MyNetworkTV in markets as large as New York City and as small as San Angelo, Texas. It also operates all of the station...
CCI vs NXST — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.0B | $1.4B |
| Net Profit | $-464.0M | $160.0M |
| Gross Margin | — | — |
| Operating Margin | 46.0% | 0.0% |
| Net Margin | -45.9% | 11.5% |
| Revenue YoY | -4.8% | 13.1% |
| Net Profit YoY | — | 146.5% |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.48 | — |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q1 26 | $1.0B | $1.4B | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.1B | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.1B | $1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1B | $1.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.1B | $1.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | $1.3B |
| Q1 26 | $-464.0M | $160.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $294.0M | $-166.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $323.0M | $70.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $291.0M | $97.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-464.0M | $108.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $242.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $303.0M | $187.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $251.0M | $118.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 97.4% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 97.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 97.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 97.4% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 97.7% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 97.6% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 97.7% | — |
| Q1 26 | 46.0% | 0.0% | ||
| Q4 25 | 48.8% | 18.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 49.0% | 14.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 47.7% | 17.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 49.1% | 17.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 51.0% | 28.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 47.5% | 24.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 44.7% | 18.9% |
| Q1 26 | -45.9% | 11.5% | ||
| Q4 25 | 27.5% | -12.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 30.1% | 5.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 27.5% | 7.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | -43.7% | 8.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 16.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 27.1% | 13.7% | ||
| Q2 24 | 22.7% | 9.3% |
| Q1 26 | $1.48 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.67 | $-5.57 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.74 | $2.14 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.67 | $3.06 | ||
| Q1 25 | $-1.07 | $3.37 | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $7.44 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.70 | $5.27 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.58 | $3.54 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $55.0M | — |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | — | — |
| Total Assets | $31.4B | — |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $55.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $99.0M | $280.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $57.0M | $236.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $94.0M | $234.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $60.0M | $253.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $100.0M | $144.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $194.0M | $181.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $155.0M | $146.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $21.6B | $6.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $21.6B | $6.4B | ||
| Q2 25 | $22.0B | $6.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $22.9B | $6.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $23.5B | $6.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.5B | $6.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $22.9B | $6.8B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-1.6B | $2.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-1.5B | $2.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-1.4B | $2.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $-1.3B | $2.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-133.0M | $2.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.3B | $2.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.7B | $2.3B |
| Q1 26 | $31.4B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $31.5B | $10.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $31.5B | $11.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $31.6B | $11.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $31.8B | $11.4B | ||
| Q4 24 | $32.7B | $11.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $38.0B | $11.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $38.2B | $11.8B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 3.07× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 2.78× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 2.83× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 2.89× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 2.89× | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.43× | 3.02× | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.04× | 2.99× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | — | $289.0M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-43.0M | $267.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -4.3% | 19.1% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.0% | 1.6% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 1.81× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $4.3B | $708.0M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $289.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.1B | $190.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $714.0M | $117.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $832.0M | $247.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $641.0M | $337.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.9B | $411.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $699.0M | $387.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $768.0M | $176.0M |
| Q1 26 | $-43.0M | $267.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $2.9B | $136.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $671.0M | $87.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $792.0M | $218.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $601.0M | $302.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.8B | $376.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $661.0M | $358.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $729.0M | $139.0M |
| Q1 26 | -4.3% | 19.1% | ||
| Q4 25 | 268.4% | 10.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 62.6% | 7.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 74.7% | 17.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 56.6% | 24.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | 247.3% | 25.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 59.0% | 26.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 65.9% | 11.0% |
| Q1 26 | 1.0% | 1.6% | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.0% | 4.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.0% | 2.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.8% | 2.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.8% | 2.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.7% | 2.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.4% | 2.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| Q1 26 | — | 1.81× | ||
| Q4 25 | 10.40× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.21× | 1.67× | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.86× | 2.55× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 3.12× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 1.70× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.31× | 2.07× | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.06× | 1.49× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
CCI
| Site rental | $961.0M | 95% |
| Services and other | $49.0M | 5% |
NXST
| Distribution | $837.0M | 60% |
| Advertising | $548.0M | 39% |
