Rogers Communications Reports First Quarter 2024 Results

Reports nine straight quarters of industry-leading growth
Reaffirms industry-leading 2024 financial guidance

More Canadians continue to choose Rogers over any other carrier

• 124,000 postpaid mobile phone and retail Internet net adds
• Postpaid mobile phone net adds of 98,000, up 3,000
• Retail Internet net adds of 26,000, up 12,000

Delivers industry-leading growth in Cable and Wireless

• Total service revenue up 31%; adjusted EBITDA up 34%
• Wireless service revenue and adjusted EBITDA up 9%
  • Wireless blended ARPU up 1%; up 3% on a pro forma basis (for Shaw Mobile)
• Cable service revenue up 94%; adjusted EBITDA up 97%

Exceeding Shaw merger commitments

• $1 billion annualized synergy savings achieved - one year ahead of schedule
• Industry-leading Cable margins of 56%
• Debt leverage ratio at 4.7 times; on track to achieve 4.2 times by year-end

Introduces meaningful innovation for Canadians

• First carrier in Canada to complete national live test of 5G network slicing technology
• Announced partnership with CableLabs to introduce "CableLabs North"
• Introduced Rogers 5G Wireless Home Internet service

TORONTO, April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B; NYSE: RCI) today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

"We continued to deliver industry-leading growth in the first quarter, our ninth straight quarter of growth and momentum," said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO. "At the one-year milestone of the Shaw merger, more Canadians continue to choose Rogers than any other carrier and we're one year ahead of our synergy targets. I am proud of our team and I remain confident in our future."

Consolidated Financial Highlights

__________________________
¹ Adjusted EBITDA is a total of segments measure. Free cash flow is a capital management measure. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a non-GAAP ratio. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure and is a component of adjusted diluted earnings per share. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), available at www.sedarplus.ca, and this earnings release for more information about each of these measures. These are not standardized financial measures under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other companies.

Strategic Highlights

The five objectives set out below guide our work and decision-making as we further improve our operational execution and make well-timed investments to grow our core businesses and deliver increased shareholder value. Below are some highlights for the quarter.

Build the biggest and best networks in the country

• Expanded our cable network to approximately 50,000 new homes passed.
• Expanded Canada's largest and most reliable 5G network to over 40 new communities.
• Completed Canada's first national live trial of 5G network slicing.

Deliver easy to use, reliable products and services

• Launched Rogers 5G Home Internet across our wireless network coverage area.
• Launched our Ignite Self Protect home security solution in Western Canada.
• Automated over 84% of Rogers Business wireless activations.

Be the first choice for Canadians

• Led the industry with 98,000 Wireless postpaid mobile phone net additions.
• Broadcast Canada's first Law & Order original series and premiered at #1 in the country.
• Sportsnet was the most-watched specialty channel in Canada.

Be a strong national company investing in Canada

• Advanced our Shaw Transaction commitments with network investments in Western Canada and growth in our Connected for Success program.
• Launched our official telecommunications partnership with the Professional Women's Hockey League.
• Improved wireless coverage on new sections of Highway 16 in British Columbia.

Be the growth leader in our industry

• Grew total service revenue by 31% and adjusted EBITDA by 34%.
• Reported industry-leading growth in our Wireless and Cable operations.
• Completed $1 billion of Shaw Transaction synergy targets one year ahead of schedule.

Quarterly Financial Highlights

Revenue
Total revenue and total service revenue increased by 28% and 31%, respectively, this quarter, driven by revenue growth in our Cable and Wireless businesses.

Wireless service revenue increased by 9% this quarter, primarily as a result of the cumulative impact of growth in our mobile phone subscriber base and revenue from Shaw Mobile subscribers acquired through the Shaw Transaction. Wireless equipment revenue increased by 4%, primarily as a result of a continued shift in the product mix towards higher-value devices.

Cable service revenue increased by 94% this quarter as a result of the Shaw Transaction.

Media revenue decreased by 5% this quarter primarily as a result of lower subscriber revenue, including due to a negotiation of certain content rates last year, and lower Today's Shopping Choice revenue, partially offset by higher advertising revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA and margins
Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased 34% this quarter and our adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 210 basis points, as a result of improving synergies and efficiencies.

Wireless adjusted EBITDA increased by 9%, primarily due to the flow-through impact of higher revenue as discussed above. This gave rise to an adjusted EBITDA margin of 64.3%.

Cable adjusted EBITDA increased by 97% due to the flow-through impact of higher revenue as discussed above and the achievement of cost synergies associated with integration activities. This gave rise to an adjusted EBITDA margin of 56.2%.

Media adjusted EBITDA decreased by $65 million, or 171%, this quarter primarily due to lower revenue as discussed above, higher programming and production costs as a result of the timing of broadcasts, and higher Toronto Blue Jays expenses, including player payroll, as a result of the timing of games played.

Net income and adjusted net income
Net income decreased by 50% and adjusted net income decreased by 2% this quarter, primarily as a result of higher depreciation and amortization associated with assets acquired through the Shaw Transaction and higher finance costs, partially offset by higher adjusted EBITDA. Net income was also impacted by higher restructuring, acquisition and other costs.

Cash flow and available liquidity
This quarter, we generated cash provided by operating activities of $1,180 million (2023 - $453 million); the increase is primarily a result of higher adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by higher interest paid. We also generated free cash flow of $586 million (2023 - $370 million), up 58% as a result of higher adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by higher interest on long-term debt and higher capital expenditures.

As at March 31, 2024, we had $4.6 billion of available liquidity² (December 31, 2023 - $5.9 billion), consisting of $0.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents and $3.8 billion available under our bank credit and other facilities.

Our debt leverage ratio² as at March 31, 2024 was 4.7 (December 31, 2023 - 5.0, or 4.7 on an as adjusted basis to include trailing 12-month adjusted EBITDA of a combined Rogers and Shaw as if the Shaw Transaction had closed on January 1, 2023).

We also returned $265 million in dividends to shareholders this quarter and we declared a $0.50 per share dividend on April 23, 2024.

__________________________
² Available liquidity and debt leverage ratio are capital management measures. Pro forma debt leverage ratio is a non-GAAP ratio. Pro forma trailing 12-month adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and is a component of pro forma debt leverage ratio. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for more information about this measure, available at www.sedarplus.ca. These are not standardized financial measures under IFRS and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other companies. See "Financial Condition" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for a reconciliation of available liquidity.

About this Earnings Release

This earnings release contains important information about our business and our performance for the three months ended March 31, 2024, as well as forward-looking information (see "About Forward-Looking Information") about future periods. This earnings release should be read in conjunction with our First Quarter 2024 Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (First Quarter 2024 Interim Financial Statements) and notes thereto, which have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, Interim Financial Reporting, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB); our First Quarter 2024 MD&A; our 2023 Annual MD&A; our 2023 Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the IASB; and our other recent filings with Canadian and US securities regulatory authorities, including our Annual Information Form, which are available on SEDAR+ at sedarplus.ca or EDGAR at sec.gov, respectively.

For more information about Rogers, including product and service offerings, competitive market and industry trends, our overarching strategy, key performance drivers, and objectives, see "Understanding Our Business", "Our Strategy, Key Performance Drivers, and Strategic Highlights", and "Capability to Deliver Results" in our 2023 Annual MD&A. References in this earnings release to the Shaw Transaction are to our acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. (Shaw) on April 3, 2023. For additional details regarding the Shaw Transaction, see "Shaw Transaction" in our 2023 Annual MD&A and our 2023 Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements.

We, us, our, Rogers, Rogers Communications, and the Company refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and its subsidiaries. RCI refers to the legal entity Rogers Communications Inc., not including its subsidiaries. Rogers also holds interests in various investments and ventures.

All dollar amounts in this earnings release are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated and are unaudited. All percentage changes are calculated using the rounded numbers as they appear in the tables. This earnings release is current as at April 23, 2024 and was approved by RCI's Board of Directors (the Board) on that date.

In this earnings release, this quarter, the quarter, or first quarter refer to the three months ended March 31, 2024, unless the context indicates otherwise. All results commentary is compared to the equivalent period in 2023 or as at December 31, 2023, as applicable, unless otherwise indicated.

Trademarks in this earnings release are owned or used under licence by Rogers Communications Inc. or an affiliate. This earnings release may also include trademarks of other parties. The trademarks referred to in this earnings release may be listed without the ™ symbols. ©2024 Rogers Communications

Reportable segments
We report our results of operations in three reportable segments. Each segment and the nature of its business is as follows:

Wireless and Cable are operated by our wholly owned subsidiary, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (RCCI), and certain other wholly owned subsidiaries. Media is operated by our wholly owned subsidiary, Rogers Media Inc., and its subsidiaries.

Summary of Consolidated Financial Results

¹ As defined. See "Key Performance Indicators".
² Adjusted EBITDA margin is a supplementary financial measure. Adjusted basic earnings per share is a non-GAAP ratio. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure and is a component of adjusted basic earnings per share. These are not standardized financial measures under IFRS and might not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other companies. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for more information about each of these measures, available at www.sedarplus.ca.

Results of our Reportable Segments

WIRELESS

Wireless Financial Results

¹ Calculated using service revenue.

Wireless Subscriber Results ¹

¹ Subscriber counts and subscriber churn are key performance indicators. See "Key Performance Indicators".
² Effective January 1, 2024, and on a prospective basis, we adjusted our postpaid mobile phone subscriber base to remove 110,000 Cityfone subscribers as we stopped selling new plans for this service as of that date. Given this, we believe this adjustment more meaningfully reflects the underlying organic subscriber performance of our postpaid mobile phone business.
³ As at end of period.
⁴ Effective January 1, 2024, and on a prospective basis we adjusted our prepaid mobile phone subscriber base to remove 56,000 Fido prepaid subscribers as we stopped selling new plans for this service as of that date. Given this, we believe this adjustment more meaningfully reflects the underlying organic subscriber performance of our prepaid mobile phone business.
⁵ Mobile phone ARPU is a supplementary financial measure. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for more information about this measure, available at www.sedarplus.ca.

Service revenue
The 9% increase in service revenue this quarter was primarily a result of:

• the cumulative impact of growth in our mobile phone subscriber base over the past year; and
• the impact of the Shaw Mobile subscribers acquired through the Shaw Transaction in April 2023.

The increase in mobile phone ARPU this quarter was primarily associated with the changes in subscribers.

The continued significant postpaid gross and net additions this quarter were a result of sales execution in a growing Canadian market.

Equipment revenue
The 4% increase in equipment revenue this quarter was primarily as a result of:

• an increase in new subscribers purchasing devices; and
• a continued shift in the product mix towards higher-value devices; partially offset by
• lower device upgrades by existing customers.

Operating costs
Cost of equipment
The 6% increase in the cost of equipment this quarter was a result of the equipment revenue changes discussed above.

Other operating costs
The 7% increase in other operating costs this quarter was primarily a result of:

• higher costs associated with the increased revenue and subscriber additions including commissions and costs associated with our expanded network; and
• investments made in customer service.

Adjusted EBITDA
The 9% increase in adjusted EBITDA this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.

CABLE

Cable Financial Results

Cable Subscriber Results ¹

¹ Subscriber results are key performance indicators. See "Key Performance Indicators".
² As at end of period.
³ ARPA is a supplementary financial measure. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for more information about this measure, available at www.sedarplus.ca

Service revenue
The 94% increase in service revenue this quarter was a result of:

• revenue related to our acquisition of Shaw, which contributed approximately $1 billion for the quarter; partially offset by
• continued increased competitive promotional activity; and
• declines in our Home Phone, Smart Home Monitoring, and Satellite subscriber bases.

The higher ARPA this quarter was primarily a result of the acquisition of Shaw.

Operating costs
The 87% increase in operating costs this quarter was primarily a result of:

• our acquisition of Shaw, partially offset by the realization of cost synergies associated with integration activities; and
• investments in customer service.

Adjusted EBITDA
The 97% increase in adjusted EBITDA this quarter was a result of the service revenue and expense changes discussed above.

MEDIA

Media Financial Results

Revenue
The 5% decrease in revenue this quarter was a result of:

• lower subscriber revenue due to the negotiation of certain content rates in the prior year; and
• lower Today's Shopping Choice revenue; partially offset by
• higher advertising revenue.

Operating costs
The 7% increase in operating costs this quarter was a result of:

• higher programming and production costs as a result of the timing of broadcasts; and
• higher Toronto Blue Jays expenses, including players payroll as a result of the timing of games played; partially offset by
• lower Today's Shopping Choice costs in line with lower revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA
The decrease in adjusted EBITDA this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

¹ Includes additions to property, plant and equipment net of proceeds on disposition, but does not include expenditures for spectrum licences, additions to right-of-use assets, or assets acquired through business combinations.
² Capital intensity is a supplementary financial measure. See "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures" in our Q1 2024 MD&A for more information about this measure, available at www.sedarplus.ca.

One of our objectives is to build the biggest and best networks in the country. As we continually work towards this, we once again plan to spend more on our wireless and wireline networks this year than we have in the past several years. We continue to roll out our 5G network (the largest 5G network in Canada as at March 31, 2024) across the country, as we work toward our commitment to expand coverage across Western Canada. We also continue to invest in fibre deployments, including fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), in our cable network and we are expanding our network footprint to reach more homes and businesses, including in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.

These investments will strengthen network resilience and stability and will help us bridge the digital divide by expanding our network further into rural and underserved areas through participation in various programs and projects.

Wireless
The decrease in capital expenditures in Wireless this quarter was due to the timing of investments. We continue to make investments in our network development and 5G deployment to expand our wireless network. The ongoing deployment of 3500 MHz spectrum continues to augment the capacity and resilience of our earlier 5G deployments in the 600 MHz spectrum band.

Cable
The increase in capital expenditures in Cable this quarter reflects our acquisition of Shaw and continued investments in our infrastructure, including additional fibre deployments to increase our FTTH distribution. These investments incorporate the latest technologies to help deliver more bandwidth and an enhanced customer experience as we progress in our connected home roadmap, including service footprint expansion and upgrades to our DOCSIS 3.1 platform to evolve to DOCSIS 4.0, offering increased network resilience, stability, and faster download speeds over time.

Media
The increase in capital expenditures in Media this quarter was primarily a result of higher Toronto Blue Jays stadium infrastructure-related expenditures associated with the second phase of the Rogers Centre modernization project.

Capital intensity
Capital intensity decreased in the quarter as the increase in capital expenditure investments, as noted above, was partially offset by higher revenue.

Review of Consolidated Performance

This section discusses our consolidated net income and other income and expenses that do not form part of the segment discussions above.

n/m - not meaningful

Depreciation and amortization

Total depreciation and amortization increased this quarter, primarily as a result of the property, plant and equipment, right-of-use assets, and customer relationship intangible assets acquired through the Shaw Transaction.

Restructuring, acquisition and other

The Shaw Transaction-related costs in 2023 and 2024 consisted of incremental costs supporting acquisition (in 2023) and integration activities (in 2023 and 2024) related to the Shaw Transaction.

The restructuring and other costs in 2023 and 2024 were primarily severance and other departure-related costs associated with the targeted restructuring of our employee base, which also included costs associated with a voluntary departure program in 2024. These costs also included costs related to real estate rationalization programs.

Finance costs

¹ Interest on borrowings includes interest on short-term borrowings and on long-term debt.

Interest on borrowings, net
The 106% increase in net interest on borrowings this quarter was primarily a result of:

• a reduction in interest earned on restricted cash and cash equivalents, as we used these funds to partially fund the Shaw Transaction on April 3, 2023;
• interest expense associated with senior notes issued in September 2023 and February 2024;
• interest expense associated with the borrowings under the term loan facility used to partially fund the Shaw Transaction; and
• interest expense associated with the long-term debt assumed through the Shaw Transaction; partially offset by
• the repayment at maturity of senior notes in March 2023, October 2023, November 2023, January 2024, and March 2024 at different underlying interest rates.

Income tax expense

Cash income taxes paid decreased this quarter due to the timing of installment payments. The decrease in our statutory income tax rate this quarter was a result of a greater portion of our income being earned in provinces with lower income tax rates.

Net income

Adjusted net income
We calculate adjusted net income from adjusted EBITDA as follows:

¹ Our calculation of adjusted net income excludes depreciation and amortization on the fair value increment recognized on acquisition of Shaw Transaction-related property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. For purposes of calculating adjusted net income, we believe the magnitude of this depreciation and amortization, which is significantly affected by the size of the Shaw Transaction, affects comparability between periods and the additional expense recognized may have no correlation to our current and ongoing operating results. Depreciation and amortization excludes depreciation and amortization on Shaw Transaction-related property, plant and equipment and intangible assets for the three months ended March 31, 2024 of $242 million (2023 - nil). Adjusted net income includes depreciation and amortization on the acquired Shaw property, plant and equipment and intangible assets based on Shaw's historical cost and depreciation policies.
² Income tax expense excludes recoveries of $100 million (2023 - recoveries of $13 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024 related to the income tax impact for adjusted items.

Key Performance Indicators

We measure the success of our strategy using a number of key performance indicators that are defined and discussed in our 2023 Annual MD&A and this earnings release. We believe these key performance indicators allow us to appropriately measure our performance against our operating strategy and against the results of our peers and competitors. The following key performance indicators, some of which are supplementary financial measures (see "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures"), are not measurements in accordance with IFRS. They include:

Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures

Reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA

Reconciliation of pro forma trailing 12-month adjusted EBITDA

Reconciliation of adjusted net income

Reconciliation of free cash flow

¹ Consists of post-employment benefit contributions, net of expense, cash flows relating to other operating activities, and other investment income from our financial statements.

Rogers Communications Inc.
Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(In millions of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited)

Rogers Communications Inc.
Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unaudited)

Rogers Communications Inc.
Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unaudited)

About Forward-Looking Information

This earnings release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information"), and assumptions about, among other things, our business, operations, and financial performance and condition approved by our management on the date of this earnings release. This forward-looking information and these assumptions include, but are not limited to, statements about our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, and about our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates, or intentions.

Forward-looking information

• typically includes words like could, expect, may, anticipate, assume, believe, intend, estimate, plan, project, guidance, outlook, target, and similar expressions;
• includes conclusions, forecasts, and projections that are based on our current objectives and strategies and on estimates, expectations, assumptions, and other factors that we believe to have been reasonable at the time they were applied but may prove to be incorrect; and
• was approved by our management on the date of this earnings release.

Our forward-looking information includes forecasts and projections related to the following items, among others:

Our conclusions, forecasts, and projections are based on a number of estimates, expectations, assumptions, and other factors, including, among others:

Except as otherwise indicated, this earnings release and our forward-looking information do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, or other transactions that may be considered or announced or may occur after the date on which the statement containing the forward-looking information is made.

Risks and uncertainties

Actual events and results can be substantially different from what is expressed or implied by forward-looking information as a result of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

These factors can also affect our objectives, strategies, and intentions. Many of these factors are beyond our control or our current expectations or knowledge. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties, or other factors materialize, our objectives, strategies, or intentions change, or any other factors or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, our actual results and our plans could vary significantly from what we currently foresee.

Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise caution when considering statements containing forward-looking information and caution them that it would be unreasonable to rely on such statements as creating legal rights regarding our future results or plans. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any statements containing forward-looking information or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking information in this earnings release is qualified by the cautionary statements herein.

Before making an investment decision

Before making any investment decisions and for a detailed discussion of the risks, uncertainties, and environment associated with our business, its operations, and its financial performance and condition, fully review the sections in our 2023 Annual MD&A entitled "Regulation in our Industry" and "Risk Management", as well as our various other filings with Canadian and US securities regulators, which can be found at sedarplus.ca and sec.gov, respectively. Information on or connected to sedarplus.ca, sec.gov, our website, or any other website referenced in this document is not part of or incorporated into this earnings release.

About Rogers

Rogers is Canada's leading wireless, cable and media company that provides connectivity and entertainment to Canadian consumers and businesses across the country. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).

Quarterly Investment Community Teleconference

Our first quarter 2024 results teleconference with the investment community will be held on:

• April 24, 2024
• 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
• webcast available at investors.rogers.com
• media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis

A rebroadcast will be available at investors.rogers.com for at least two weeks following the teleconference. Additionally, investors should note that from time to time, Rogers' management presents at brokerage-sponsored investor conferences. Most often, but not always, these conferences are webcast by the hosting brokerage firm, and when they are webcast, links are made available on Rogers' website at investors.rogers.com.

For More Information

You can find more information relating to us on our website (investors.rogers.com), on SEDAR+ (sedarplus.ca), and on EDGAR (sec.gov), or you can e-mail us at investor.relations@rci.rogers.com. Information on or connected to these and any other websites referenced in this earnings release is not part of, or incorporated into, this earnings release.

You can also go to investors.rogers.com for information about our governance practices, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, a glossary of communications and media industry terms, and additional information about our business.