Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Debt Disclosure
DEBT
The table below presents the components of outstanding debt (in millions).
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
Weighted-Average Interest Rate as of 12/31/2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Bridge loan with maturity of 18 months | 7.22 | % | $ | 15,000 | $ | — | ||||||||||||||
Senior notes with maturities of 5 years or less | 3.92 | % | 6,659 | 13,744 | ||||||||||||||||
Senior notes with maturities between 5 and 10 years | 4.37 | % | 3,509 | 7,853 | ||||||||||||||||
Senior notes with maturities greater than 10 years | 5.17 | % | 7,677 | 17,930 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total debt | 32,845 | 39,527 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Unamortized discount, premium, debt issuance costs, and fair value adjustments for acquisition accounting, net | (278) | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Debt, net of unamortized discount, premium, debt issuance costs, and fair value adjustments for acquisition accounting | 32,567 | 39,505 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current portion of debt | (139) | (2,748) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Noncurrent portion of debt | $ | 32,428 | $ | 36,757 | ||||||||||||||||
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repaid $2,000 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its Bridge Loan Facility, repaid in full at maturity $97 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due July 2025, completed open market repurchases for $59 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes, and purchased $2 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes to finalize the Tender Offers further described below.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Discovery Communications, LLC (“DCL”), Discovery Global Holdings, Inc. (“DGH”) (formerly known as WarnerMedia Holdings, Inc.), Warner Media, LLC (“WML”), and Historic TW Inc. (“TWI”), commenced cash tender offers to purchase (the “Tender Offers”) up to approximately $14,600 million in aggregate purchase price of their outstanding notes and debentures. In conjunction with the Tender Offers, DCL, DGH and TWI also commenced solicitations of consents (the “Consent Solicitations”) from holders of substantially all of its outstanding notes and debentures to adopt certain proposed amendments to the indentures governing such notes and debentures, to, among other things, remove substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of defaults under such indentures.
To fund the Tender Offers and Consent Solicitations, as well as repay in full and terminate its $1,500 million 364-day senior unsecured term loan facility, the Company and DGH entered into a non-investment grade leveraged bridge loan facility (“Bridge Loan Facility”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in June 2025, which was amended and extended in February 2026. (See Note 24.) The obligations under the Bridge Loan Facility are secured by a lien on substantially all of the personal property assets of the Company, DGH, and certain of its wholly owned domestic subsidiaries and are guaranteed by the Company and certain of its wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. Borrowings under the Bridge Loan Facility will bear interest at the SOFR rate plus (i) until March 30, 2026, 3.50% per annum and (ii) from March 31, 2026 until the termination date of the Bridge Loan Facility, 4.00%. Borrowings under the Bridge Loan Facility, net of any prepayments, will become payable in full on the earlier of (i) June 30, 2027 and (ii) the date the previously proposed Separation Transaction occurs. In addition, the Company will pay JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as the administrative agent a duration fee equal to the applicable percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the loan outstanding on the following dates: on each of March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2026, a fee rate of 0.50%; and on each of September 30, 2026, December 31, 2026 and March 31, 2027, a fee rate of 1.00%. On June 30, 2025, DGH drew $17,000 million of the available Bridge Loan Facility to finance the early settlement of the Tender Offers, Consent Solicitations, and the repayment in full and termination of its $1,500 million 364-day senior unsecured term loan facility, and the payment of fees and expenses therewith and for general corporate purposes. The Bridge Loan Facility is expected to be refinanced prior to its maturity. The Bridge Loan Facility contains customary representations and warranties, as well as affirmative and negative covenants. The Bridge Loan Facility does not contain any financial maintenance covenant.
The Company substantially completed the Tender Offers in June 2025 by purchasing senior notes and debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $17,665 million validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offers and recorded a gain on extinguishment of approximately $2,959 million. The Company also paid $293 million for the Consent Solicitations. Additionally, the Company repaid in full at maturity $487 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due June 2025.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repaid in full at maturity $2,165 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due March 2025, and redeemed in full $1,500 million aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due March 2026. The redemption was funded with the proceeds of borrowings pursuant to a $1,500 million 364-day senior unsecured term loan credit facility.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash up to $2,610 million in aggregate purchase price (excluding accrued and unpaid interest) of (i) DCL’s outstanding 3.900% Senior Notes due 2024, 4.000% Senior Notes due 2055, 4.650% Senior Notes due 2050, 4.950% Senior Notes due 2042, 4.875% Senior Notes due 2043, 5.200% Senior Notes due 2047, and 5.300% Senior Notes due 2049; (ii) Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.’s (“Scripps Networks”) outstanding 3.900% Senior Notes due 2024; (iii) the legacy WarnerMedia Business’s outstanding 4.650% Senior Notes due 2044, 4.850% Senior Notes due 2045, 4.900% Senior Notes due 2042, and 5.350% Senior Notes due 2043; and (iv) DGH’s outstanding 5.050% Senior Notes due 2042, which was funded using the aggregate net proceeds from debt financing transactions together with available cash on hand and other available sources of liquidity. The Company completed the tender offer in June 2024 by purchasing senior notes in the aggregate principal amount of $3,399 million validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the offer and recorded a gain on extinguishment of $542 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company also repaid in full at maturity $296 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due November 2024; £400 million ($529 million equivalent at repayment) of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due September 2024; $48 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due June 2024; $726 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes due February and March 2024; and completed open market repurchases for $965 million of aggregate principal amount outstanding of its senior notes.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued €650 million of 4.302% fixed rate senior notes due January 2030 and €850 million of 4.693% fixed rate senior notes due May 2033, the proceeds of which were used to fund the aforementioned tender offer. After December 2029 and February 2033, respectively, the senior notes are redeemable at par plus accrued and unpaid interest.
We are obligated to cause certain of our subsidiaries to conduct one or more offers to exchange (collectively, the “Junior Lien Exchange Offer”) certain of the senior notes issued by DGH and DCL, as applicable, for new junior lien secured notes with the same economic terms (including denominations, interest rate, interest payment dates, maturity date and redemption provisions) to be issued by DGH or DCL, as applicable (the “junior lien notes”). If the Junior Lien Exchange Offer is not completed by December 30, 2026, WBD will be required to pay to each holder of the applicable senior notes entitled to participate in the Junior Lien Exchange Offer a one-time cash payment in the amount of $100 per $1,000 principal amount or €100 per €1,000 principal amount, as applicable, of the applicable senior notes held by such holder, equal to an aggregate amount of approximately $1.5 billion.
The PSKY Merger Agreement provides that, prior to October 15, 2026, PSKY may deliver one formal request (a “Specified Request”) in writing to WBD requesting that WBD either, subject to certain exceptions, (i) commence and use reasonable best efforts to effectuate a consent solicitation (on terms mutually determined by PSKY and WBD in good faith) to eliminate the obligation to commence the Junior Lien Exchange Offer or otherwise modify the required terms of the Junior Lien Exchange Offer, (ii) commence and use reasonable best efforts to effectuate the Junior Lien Exchange Offer (on terms mutually determined by PSKY and WBD in good faith, subject to certain conditions) or (iii) make a payment in the amount of $100 per $1,000 principal amount or €100 per €1,000 principal amount of such outstanding senior notes in lieu of effectuating the Junior Lien Exchange Offer (the “Amended Notes Payment Amount”); provided that, if the Amended Notes Payment Amount becomes due and payable pursuant to the above, PSKY shall timely and fully pay such amount (such amount not to exceed $1,528 million in the aggregate).
If PSKY does not make a Specified Request by October 15, 2026, WBD may, after such date, commence one or more consent solicitations with respect to the outstanding senior notes or commence the Junior Lien Exchange Offer, in each case, on terms determined by WBD in its sole discretion, or pay the Amended Notes Payment Amount; provided that, if the Amended Notes Payment Amount becomes due and payable pursuant to the above, PSKY shall timely and fully pay such amount (subject to the aggregate limit described above).
As of December 31, 2025, all senior notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company, Scripps Networks, DCL (to the extent it is not the primary obligor on such senior notes), and DGH (to the extent it is not the primary obligor on such senior notes), except for $192 million of senior notes of the legacy WarnerMedia Business.
Revolving Credit Facility and Commercial Paper Programs
DCL and certain subsidiaries of the Company, as borrowers, have a multicurrency revolving credit agreement, which was amended in June 2025 (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement provides for a senior revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) with aggregate commitments of $4,000 million and includes a $150 million sublimit for the issuance of standby letters of credit. DCL may also request additional commitments up to $1,000 million from the lenders upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. The obligations of the borrowers under the Credit Agreement are secured by the same collateral and have the benefit of the same guarantees as provided in respect of the Bridge Loan Facility, as described above. The Credit Agreement is available on a revolving basis until October 2029, with an option for up to two additional 364-day renewal periods subject to the lenders’ consent, and provides for an early termination of the Credit Agreement upon completion of the previously proposed Separation Transaction.
Additionally, the Company’s commercial paper program is supported by the Credit Facility. Under the commercial paper program, the Company may issue up to $2,000 million. In March 2025, the Company increased the issuance capacity under the commercial paper program from $1,000 million to $2,000 million. Borrowing capacity under the Credit Facility is effectively reduced by any outstanding borrowings under the commercial paper program.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company and DCL had no outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility or issuances under the commercial paper program.
The Credit Agreement contains customary representations and warranties as well as affirmative and negative covenants, and also requires maintenance of a minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio of 3.00 to 1.00 and a maximum consolidated leverage ratio of 4.50 to 1.00. As of December 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants and there were no events of default under the Credit Agreement.
Long-term Debt Repayment Schedule
The following table presents a summary of scheduled debt and estimated interest payments, excluding the revolving credit facility and commercial paper borrowings, for the next five years based on the amount of the Company’s debt outstanding as of December 31, 2025 (in millions).
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | Thereafter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt repayments | $ | 139 | $ | 16,483 | $ | 1,409 | $ | 2,274 | $ | 1,354 | $ | 11,186 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest payments | $ | 1,947 | $ | 1,353 | $ | 723 | $ | 648 | $ | 584 | $ | 5,454 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 27, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 27, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 23, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 24, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 24, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 22, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 27, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 1, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 14, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 18, 2016 | |
About Debt Disclosures
Debt disclosures detail a company's borrowing structure — the types of instruments, interest rates, maturity schedule, and covenant restrictions that define its financial obligations and flexibility. This section is essential for assessing refinancing risk, interest rate exposure, and the margin of safety against financial distress.
Key signals: the maturity schedule reveals concentration risk — large maturities within 1-2 years during tight credit markets can force dilutive refinancing or asset sales. Compare the fair value of debt against carrying amount to gauge whether the market views the company's credit risk differently than the balance sheet suggests. Watch covenant compliance disclosures for tightening cushions, especially leverage and interest coverage ratios. Variable-rate debt exposure quantifies sensitivity to interest rate changes. Secured versus unsecured mix affects recovery rates and future borrowing capacity. Compare net debt-to-EBITDA against industry peers and covenant limits to assess financial health.