As the Q1 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the digital media & content platforms industry, including Getty Images (NYSE:GETY) 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 7 digital media & content platforms stocks we track reported a slower Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.2% below.

While some digital media & content platforms stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.5% since the latest earnings results.

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 $224.1 million, flat year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 4.7%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“Results in the first quarter were consistent with our expectations, with growth highlighted by gains across our subscription business, and continued customer value delivered through our offerings,” said Craig Peters, Chief Executive Officer for Getty Images.

Getty Images delivered the weakest full-year guidance update of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 13.4% since reporting and currently trades at $1.77.

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

Best Q1: 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 $23.71 million, up 33.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.1%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Rumble scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 16.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $9.07.

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

Weakest Q1: 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 $570.5 million, down 8.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 29.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

IAC delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 10.9% since the results and currently trades at $39.23.

Read our full analysis of IAC’s results here.

WEBTOON (NASDAQ:WBTN)

Pioneering a vertical-scrolling format optimized for mobile devices, WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ:WBTN) operates a global platform where creators publish serialized web-comics and web-novels that users can read in bite-sized episodes.

WEBTOON reported revenues of $325.7 million, flat year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 1%. It was a softer quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 7.2% since reporting and currently trades at $9.16.

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

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 $328.6 million, up 4.5% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Taking a step back, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EPS guidance in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 1.8% since reporting and currently trades at $31.79.

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

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

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