Charter Communications reported adjusted earnings of $10.34 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, missing the consensus estimate of $10.40. Net income attributable to shareholders totaled $1.3 billion, down from $1.35 billion a year earlier. Total revenue declined 2.3% year-over-year to $13.6 billion, driven by a 6.5% drop in residential video revenues and a 12% decrease in political advertising income. Residential connectivity revenue partially offset these declines, growing 2.3% sequentially.

Charter added 44,000 video customers in Q4, reversing a loss of 123,000 in the prior-year quarter, following the launch of simplified video pricing and inclusion of streaming apps in its basic packages. Internet subscribers fell by 119,000, an improvement versus a 177,000 decline in Q4 2024, as Spectrum rolled out multi-gigabit speeds in select markets. Broadband losses totaled 95,000, compared with 119,000 in the year-ago period, while mobile lines grew by 428,000 to 11.8 million, reflecting strength in bundled wireless offerings.

Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $5.7 billion, down 1.2% year-over-year, with margin compression from lower high-margin video revenues. Capital expenditures reached $3.9 billion for line extensions, part of a $11.7 billion full-year capex program. Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $1.2 billion, contributing to a full-year free cash flow of $5.0 billion, up from $4.3 billion in 2024, driven by lower cash taxes and interest outlays despite higher spending on network upgrades.

CEO Chris Winfrey emphasized investments in network evolution—aiming for symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds nationwide by 2027—and the roll-out of Invincible WiFi with 5G and battery backup. The company plans to leverage converged bundles of internet, mobile and video to reduce churn and stabilize margins. Charter reiterated its full-year 2026 targets: modest revenue growth, low-single-digit Adjusted EBITDA expansion and free cash flow exceeding $5 billion, supported by cost controls and lower cash taxes.