MediaAlpha Announces Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Third Quarter Revenue Growth of 18% and Transaction Value Growth of 30%;Record Transaction Value of $548 million in Property & Casualty Insurance Vertical Third Quarter Net Income of $17.6 million; Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $29.1 million New $50 million Share Repurchase Program Authorized by Board of Directors LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediaAlpha, Inc. (NYSE: MAX) ("MediaAlpha" or the "Company"), today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025. “We delivered record third quarter results, driven by continued robust growth in our Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance vertical as carrier demand intensified and our partner base expanded,” said Steve Yi, CEO of MediaAlpha. “More auto insurance carriers are focusing on growth as they restore underwriting profitably, driving increased advertising budgets across the industry. We expect sustained growth in our P&C vertical as these increases continue, with broader participation in our marketplace having a positive effect on our profitability.” Yi continued, “Consistent with our continued commitment to delivering long-term value for shareholders, our Board has authorized an additional $50 million share repurchase program. We believe buying back our stock, particularly at the current share price level, is an attractive use of cash.” Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results Revenue of $306.5 million, an increase of 18% year over year;Transaction Value of $589.3 million, an increase of 30% year over year; Transaction Value from Property & Casualty up 41% year over year to $548 millionTransaction Value from Health down 40% year over year to $33 million Gross margin of 14.2%, compared with 15.1% in the third quarter of 2024;Contribution Margin(1) of 14.9%, compared with 16.0% in the third quarter of 2024;Net income was $17.6 million, compared with net income of $11.9 million in the third quarter of 2024;Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $29.1 million, compared with $26.3 million in the third quarter of 2024;Repurchased approximately 3.2 million shares for $32.9 million ($10.17 per share). (1)A reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP financial measures has been provided at the end of this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Financial Outlook Our guidance for the fourth quarter of 2025 reflects continued positive momentum. We expect Transaction Value in our P&C insurance vertical to grow approximately 45% year over year in the fourth quarter, driven by strong carrier growth investment and continued share gains. We expect fourth quarter Transaction Value in our Health insurance vertical, which includes both Medicare and under-65 health, to decline approximately 45% year over year, driven primarily by under-65 health, which is stabilizing at a lower baseline. On a year-over-year basis, we expect fourth quarter Transaction Value and Contribution from under-65 health to decline by $34 million - $38 million (61% - 68%) and $8 million - $9 million (80% - 90%), respectively. For the fourth quarter of 2025, MediaAlpha currently expects the following: Transaction Value between $620 million - $645 million, representing a 27% year-over-year increase at the midpoint of the guidance range. Excluding under-65 health, we expect Transaction Value to be up 38% year over year at the midpoint.Revenue between $280 million - $300 million, representing a 4% year-over-year decrease at the midpoint of the guidance range.Adjusted EBITDA between $27.5 million - $29.5 million, representing a 22% year-over-year decrease at the midpoint of the guidance range, including an $8 million - $9 million year-over-year decline in Contribution from under-65. Excluding under-65 health, we expect Contribution to increase by high single digits and Adjusted EBITDA to be roughly flat year over year. We expect Contribution less Adjusted EBITDA to be approximately the same as the Q3 2025 level. With respect to the Company’s projections of Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution under “Financial Outlook,” MediaAlpha is not providing a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), or of Contribution to gross profit, because the Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the reconciling items that may affect the corresponding GAAP measures without unreasonable effort. These reconciling items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could significantly impact, either individually or in the aggregate, the corresponding GAAP measures for the applicable period. For a detailed explanation of the Company’s non-GAAP measures, please refer to the appendix section of this press release. Additional Information Regarding Share Repurchase Program On October 28, 2025, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a new Share Repurchase Program to repurchase up to $50 million of shares of Class A common stock. The Company may repurchase such shares through open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, preset trading plans, block trades or any combination of such methods. The timing and amount of any share repurchases will be determined by the Company’s management in its discretion based on their ongoing evaluation of market and economic conditions, the trading price and volume of the Company’s Class A common stock, the Company’s capital needs and investment opportunities, and other factors. The Repurchase Program is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, but may be suspended or discontinued at any time, and does not obligate the Company to acquire any amount of Class A common stock. Conference Call Information MediaAlpha will host a Q&A conference call today to discuss the Company's third quarter 2025 results and its financial outlook for the fourth quarter of 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). A live audio webcast of the call will be available on the MediaAlpha Investor Relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com. To register for the webcast, click here. Participants may also dial-in, toll-free, at (800) 715-9871 or (646) 307-1963, with passcode 8453843. An audio replay of the conference call will be available following the call and available on the MediaAlpha Investor Relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com. The Company has also posted a letter to shareholders on its investor relations website. MediaAlpha has used, and intends to continue to use, its investor relations website at https://investors.mediaalpha.com as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation statements that more P&C carriers are focusing on growth, driving increased advertising budgets; our expectation that increases in P&C marketing spend and broader carrier participation in our marketplace will have a positive effect on our profitability; our expectations regarding the timing and amounts of share repurchases; and our financial outlook for the fourth quarter of 2025. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would,” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. There are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, including those more fully described in MediaAlpha’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2025 and the Forms 10-Q filed on April 30, 2025, August 6, 2025, and to be filed on October 29, 2025. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. MediaAlpha disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Metrics This press release includes Adjusted EBITDA, Contribution, and Contribution Margin, which are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company also presents Transaction Value, which is an operating metric not presented in accordance with GAAP. See the appendix for definitions of Adjusted EBITDA, Contribution, Contribution Margin and Transaction Value, as well as reconciliations to the corresponding GAAP financial metrics, as applicable. We present Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA, Contribution, and Contribution Margin because they are used extensively by our management and board of directors to manage our operating performance, including evaluating our operational performance against budget and assessing our overall operating efficiency and operating leverage. Accordingly, we believe that Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution Margin provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management team and board of directors. Each of Transaction Value, Adjusted EBITDA and Contribution Margin has limitations as a financial measure and investors should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. About MediaAlphaWe believe we are the insurance industry’s leading programmatic customer acquisition platform. With more than 1,200 active partners, excluding our agent partners, we connect insurance carriers with online shoppers and generated nearly 119 million Consumer Referrals in 2024. Our programmatic advertising technology powered $2.0 billion in spend over the past four quarters on brand, comparison, and metasearch sites across property & casualty insurance, health insurance, life insurance, and other industries. For more information, please visit www.mediaalpha.com. Contacts: InvestorsDenise GarciaHayflower PartnersDenise@HayflowerPartners.com MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Balance Sheets(Unaudited; in thousands, except share data and per share amounts) September 30,2025 December 31,2024Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $38,841 $43,266 Restricted cash 33,500 — Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $958 and $1,005, respectively 129,171 142,932 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 4,226 3,711 Total current assets 205,738 189,909 Intangible assets, net 4,102 19,985 Goodwill 47,739 47,739 Other assets 8,651 4,814 Total assets $266,230 $262,447 Liabilities and stockholders' deficit Current liabilities Accounts payable $102,681 $105,563 Accrued expenses 65,001 18,542 Current portion of long-term debt 22,001 8,849 Total current liabilities 189,683 132,954 Long-term debt, net of current portion 133,686 153,596 Liabilities under tax receivables agreement, net of current portion — 7,006 Other long-term liabilities 8,638 15,123 Total liabilities $332,007 $308,679 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' deficit Class A common stock, $0.01 par value - 1.0 billion shares authorized; 56.9 million and 55.5 million shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively 569 555 Class B common stock, $0.01 par value - 100 million shares authorized; 8.3 million and 11.6 million shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively 83 116 Preferred stock, $0.01 par value - 50 million shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 — — Additional paid-in capital 481,309 507,640 Accumulated deficit (511,716) (505,933)Total stockholders' (deficit) equity attributable to MediaAlpha, Inc. $(29,755) $2,378 Non-controlling interests (36,022) (48,610)Total stockholders' deficit $(65,777) $(46,232)Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $266,230 $262,447 MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Operations(Unaudited; in thousands, except share data and per share amounts) Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Revenue $306,514 $259,133 $822,445 $564,056 Costs and operating expenses Cost of revenue 263,108 219,907 699,713 469,465 Sales and marketing 5,224 6,496 16,078 18,608 Product development 5,829 5,328 16,068 14,743 General and administrative 12,620 11,794 77,363 36,767 Write-off of intangible assets — — 13,416 — Total costs and operating expenses 286,781 243,525 822,638 539,583 Income (loss) from operations 19,733 15,608 (193) 24,473 Other (income), net (772) (154) (1,923) (1,971)Interest expense 2,808 3,562 8,633 11,158 Total other expense, net 2,036 3,408 6,710 9,187 Income (loss) before income taxes 17,697 12,200 (6,903) 15,286 Income tax expense 54 312 321 469 Net income (loss) $17,643 $11,888 $(7,224) $14,817 Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 2,736 2,406 (1,441) 2,828 Net income (loss) attributable to MediaAlpha, Inc. $14,907 $9,482 $(5,783) $11,989 Net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock -Basic $0.26 $0.17 $(0.10) $0.23 -Diluted $0.26 $0.17 $(0.11) $0.22 Weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding -Basic 56,617,837 54,909,772 56,134,035 52,293,622 -Diluted 56,617,837 54,909,772 67,420,272 66,087,041 MediaAlpha, Inc. and subsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Cash Flows(Unaudited; in thousands) Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2025 2024 Cash flows from operating activities Net (loss) income $(7,224) $14,817 Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities: Equity-based compensation expense 22,798 26,452 Non-cash lease expense 688 596 Depreciation expense on property and equipment 201 191 Amortization of intangible assets 2,467 4,827 Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs 518 569 Write-off of intangible assets 13,416 — Credit losses (13) 519 Tax receivables agreement liability related adjustments (80) — Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 13,774 (73,560)Prepaid expenses and other current assets (382) 547 Other assets (4,039) 375 Accounts payable (2,882) 53,298 Accrued expenses 33,804 2,712 Net cash provided by operating activities $73,046 $31,343 Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of property and equipment (300) (207)Acquisition of intangible assets — (400)Net cash (used in) investing activities $(300) $(607)Cash flows from financing activities Repayments on long-term debt (7,125) (10,172)Payments of debt issuance costs (284) — Repurchases of Class A common stock (32,893) — Contributions from QLH’s members 433 756 Distributions to non-controlling interests (841) (1,111)Shares withheld for taxes on vesting of restricted stock units (2,961) (5,176)Net cash (used in) financing activities $(43,671) $(15,703)Net increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 29,075 15,033 Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 43,266 17,271 Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $72,341 $32,304 Key business and operating metrics and Non-GAAP financial measures Transaction Value We define “Transaction Value” as the total gross dollars transacted by our partners on our platform. Transaction Value is an operating metric not presented in accordance with GAAP, and is a driver of revenue based on the economic relationships we have with our partners. Our partners use our platform to transact via Open and Private Marketplace transactions. In our Open Marketplace model, revenue recognized represents the fees paid by our Demand Partners for Consumer Referrals sold and is equal to the Transaction Value and revenue share payments to our Supply Partners represent costs of revenue. In our Private Marketplace model, revenue recognized represents a platform fee billed to the Demand Partner or Supply Partner based on an agreed-upon percentage of the Transaction Value for the Consumer Referrals transacted, and accordingly there are no associated costs of revenue. We utilize Transaction Value to assess the overall level of transaction activity through our platform. We believe it is useful to investors to assess the overall level of activity on our platform and to better understand the sources of our revenue across our different transaction models and verticals. The following table presents Transaction Value by platform model for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024: Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months EndedSeptember 30,(dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 2025 2024 Open Marketplace transactions $299,815 $253,016 $803,514 $546,949 Percentage of total Transaction Value 50.9% 56.0% 52.1% 55.1%Private Marketplace transactions 289,488 198,759 739,669 445,742 Percentage of total Transaction Value 49.1% 44.0% 47.9% 44.9%Total Transaction Value $589,303 $451,775 $1,543,183 $992,691 The following table presents Transaction Value by vertical for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024: Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months EndedSeptember 30,(dollars in thousands) 2025 2024 2025 2024 Property & Casualty insurance $548,225 $387,451 $1,390,423 $777,521 Percentage of total Transaction Value 93.0% 85.8% 90.1% 78.3%Health insurance 33,480 55,615 128,572 179,980 Percentage of total Transaction Value 5.7% 12.3% 8.3% 18.1%Life insurance 7,320 6,261 21,095 24,384 Percentage of total Transaction Value 1.2% 1.4% 1.4% 2.5%Other(1) 278 2,448 3,093 10,806 Percentage of total Transaction Value 0.1% 0.5% 0.2% 1.1%Total Transaction Value $589,303 $451,775 $1,543,183 $992,691 (1) Our other verticals include Travel and Consumer Finance. Contribution and Contribution Margin We define “Contribution” as revenue less revenue share payments and online advertising costs, or, as reported in our consolidated statements of operations, revenue less cost of revenue (i.e., gross profit), as adjusted to exclude the following items from cost of revenue: equity-based compensation; salaries, wages, and related costs; internet and hosting costs; amortization; depreciation; other services; and merchant-related fees. We define “Contribution Margin” as Contribution expressed as a percentage of revenue for the same period. Contribution and Contribution Margin are non-GAAP financial measures that we present to supplement the financial information we present on a GAAP basis. We use Contribution and Contribution Margin to measure the return on our relationships with our Supply Partners (excluding certain fixed costs), the financial return on and efficacy of our online advertising costs to drive consumers to our proprietary websites, and our operating leverage. We do not use Contribution and Contribution Margin as measures of overall profitability. We present Contribution and Contribution Margin because they are used by our management and board of directors to manage our operating performance, including evaluating our operational performance against budget and assessing our overall operating efficiency and operating leverage. For example, if Contribution increases and our headcount costs and other operating expenses remain steady, our Adjusted EBITDA and operating leverage increase. If Contribution Margin decreases, we may choose to re-evaluate and re-negotiate our revenue share agreements with our Supply Partners, to make optimization and pricing changes with respect to our bids for keywords from primary traffic acquisition sources, or to change our overall cost structure with respect to headcount, fixed costs and other costs. Other companies may calculate Contribution and Contribution Margin differently than we do. Contribution and Contribution Margin have their limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results presented in accordance with GAAP. The following table reconciles Contribution with gross profit, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024: Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months EndedSeptember 30,(in thousands) 2025 2024 2025 2024 Revenue $306,514 $259,133 $822,445 $564,056 Less cost of revenue (263,108) (219,907) (699,713) (469,465)Gross profit $43,406 $39,226 $122,732 $94,591 Adjusted to exclude the following (as related to cost of revenue): Equity-based compensation 265 405 836 2,654 Salaries, wages, and related 707 907 2,308 2,474 Internet and hosting 199 145 570 402 Other expenses 213 170 580 539 Depreciation 5 5 17 15 Other services 616 549 1,856 2,008 Merchant-related fees 204 75 534 217 Contribution $45,615 $41,482 $129,433 $102,900 Gross margin 14.2% 15.1% 14.9% 16.8%Contribution Margin 14.9% 16.0% 15.7% 18.2% Adjusted EBITDA We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as net income (loss) excluding interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation expense on property and equipment, amortization of intangible assets, as well as equity-based compensation expense and certain other adjustments as listed in the table below. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we present to supplement the financial information we present on a GAAP basis. We monitor and present Adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management to understand and evaluate our operating performance, to establish budgets and to develop operational goals for managing our business. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses that we exclude in the calculations of Adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects. In addition, presenting Adjusted EBITDA provides investors with a metric to evaluate the capital efficiency of our business. Adjusted EBITDA is not presented in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures presented in accordance with GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of Adjusted EBITDA rather than net income, which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. These limitations include the fact that Adjusted EBITDA excludes interest expense on debt, income tax expense (benefit), equity-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, and certain other adjustments that we consider to be useful to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results. In addition, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, including different definitions of “Adjusted EBITDA,” which could reduce the usefulness of our Adjusted EBITDA as a tool for comparison. The following table reconciles Adjusted EBITDA with net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024: Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months EndedSeptember 30,(in thousands) 2025 2024 2025 2024 Net income (loss) $17,643 $11,888 $(7,224) $14,817 Equity-based compensation expense 7,662 8,597 22,798 26,452 Interest expense 2,808 3,562 8,633 11,158 Income tax expense 54 312 321 469 Depreciation expense on property and equipment 71 65 201 191 Amortization of intangible assets 511 1,609 2,467 4,827 Transaction expenses(1) 303 (45) 303 1,172 Write-off of intangible assets(2) — — 13,416 — Contract settlement(3) — — — (1,725)Changes in TRA related liability (159) — (80) — Changes in Tax Indemnification Receivable (5) (84) (211) (86)Legal expenses(4) 191 367 42,333 2,155 Adjusted EBITDA $29,079 $26,271 $82,957 $59,430 (1) Transaction expenses consist of $0.3 million of legal and accounting fees incurred for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, in connection with an amendment to the 2021 Credit Facilities. Transaction expenses consist of immaterial expenses and $1.2 million of legal and accounting fees incurred by us for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, in connection with resale registration statements filed with the SEC.(2) Write-off of intangible assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 consist of a charge of $13.4 million related to the write-off of customer relationships and trademarks, trade names, and domain names intangible assets acquired as part of the acquisition of Customer Helper Team, LLC.(3) Contract settlement consists of $1.7 million of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 recorded in connection with a one-time contract termination fee receivable from one of our partners in the Health vertical that ceased operations during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.(4) Legal expenses of $0.2 million and $42.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, respectively, consist of increases of $0.0 million and $38.0 million, respectively, to the loss reserve established in connection with the FTC Matter and legal fees and costs incurred in connection with such matter. Legal expenses of $0.4 million and $2.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, consist of legal fees and costs incurred in connection with the FTC Matter.

MediaAlpha Announces Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results

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