Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST) Q3 2020 Earnings Call Transcript @themotleyfool #stocks $NXST

Perry A. SookChairman and Chief Executive Officer

Yes, we are.

Tom CarterChief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Yes. And we don’t have any mismatched timing contracts. If you go back and look at our 10-K, you’ll see that we have approximately 18 — we have 150 — four — big four affiliates, and we have approximately 18% of those coming up for renewal in 2021. If you look at — and we have approximately 18% of our subscribers on the retrans revenue side, renewing between now and year-end. So we’ve got a much better match of the renewing revenue and the renewing expense contracts. So we don’t see any material impediments from that perspective.

Perry A. SookChairman and Chief Executive Officer

And there are also annual escalators in our existing contracts that, by and large, reset at the beginning of a calendar year. A short answer to your question is, yes, we expect continued net retrans growth.

Dan KurnosThe Benchmark — Analyst

Yes. No, thanks, Perry and Tom. Just quickly, just — I don’t know, Perry, I know you spend a lot of time discussing capital return. You guys are probably going to end the year within spitting distance of your original free cash flow guidance despite all the noise we’ve had this year. And with the incremental cost in…

Tom CarterChief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Wait a minute, Dan, say that again. Say that again one more time.

Dan KurnosThe Benchmark — Analyst

I’m pretty sure you’re going to end the year within spitting distance of your original pre-COVID free cash flow guidance unless my math is wrong. So feel free to correct me, Tom. But with your incremental cost savings here, you guys have incredible optionality at this point. And I know, Perry, there’s the FCC Supreme Court case, and there are some things that you could do. But at what point — how do you just view the balance here? I mean you guys have this tremendous amount of flexibility. So when do you get more aggressive on either the dividend or the buyback? And I know you’re focusing on debt near term, but just any incremental color there would be really helpful.

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