Cumulus Media Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Cumulus Media Inc (CMLS) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Cumulus Media Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 701M vs 13,292M combined for its competitors (5.0% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-4.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (+0.0%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Cumulus Media Inc generated -9.7% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 1.7% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its -5.5% net margin compares with 6.0% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: Cumulus Media Inc accounted for 4.8% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 5.4% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.24M compares with $0.49M for the peer group (0.5x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CMLS Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Cumulus Media Inc reported revenue contraction of 9.74 % year on year in Q2 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 1.68 %.
With a net margin of -5.49 %, Cumulus Media Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (6.01 %).
Cumulus Media Inc generated 4.81 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 5.39 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Cumulus Media Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Cumulus Media Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Cumulus Media Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (1) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Cumulus Media Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Broadcasting Media & Cable TV industry grew revenue 5.3% year over year, combined, vs -9.7% for Cumulus Media Inc. Cumulus Media Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.11% to 0.09%, a loss of 0.02 percentage points.
Cumulus Media Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | No | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (5) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CMLS Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CMLS Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
CMLS Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Saga Communications inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Iheartmedia Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Townsquare Media Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Cumulus Media Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Publicly Traded Peers of Cumulus Media Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Cumulus Media Inc |
0.12 | 700.68 |
 Sirius Xm Holdings Inc |
11,880.99 | 8,597.00 |
 Iheartmedia Inc |
295.86 | 3,974.55 |
 Saga Communications inc |
47.33 | 103.94 |
 Townsquare Media Inc |
34.12 | 425.53 |
 Beasley Broadcast Group Inc |
10.73 | 190.74 |
| SUBTOTAL | 12,269.15 | 13,992.45 |
Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Cumulus Media Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Cumulus Media Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Cumulus Media Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Podcast Network | Company report | 85% |
| Westwood One | Company report | 85% |
| Defense Technologies International Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Salem Media Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Saga Communications inc | Company report | 85% |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Iheartmedia Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Townsquare Media Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Audacy Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Cumulus Media Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Cumulus Media Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | Sirius XM 74.50 % |
| Iheartmedia Inc | Multiplatform Group 54.81 % |
| Townsquare Media Inc | Broadcast Advertising 42.53 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Cumulus Media Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | 0 | 244,823 | -63,447 |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | 11,881 | 1,679,430 | 175,816 |
| Iheartmedia Inc | 296 | 211,412 | -15,169 |
| Saga Communications inc | 47 | 133,427 | -11,461 |
| Townsquare Media Inc | 34 | 235,880 | -32,386 |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | 11 | 270,940 | -150,849 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 12,269 | 488,560 | 16,220 |
Cumulus Media Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 40 companies in Cumulus Media Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Cumulus Media Inc ranks #0 of 40 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.00 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,834, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netflix Inc | 270,209 | 31.22 % |
| 2 | Liberty Media Corporation | 191,919 | 22.17 % |
| 3 | Spotify Technology S a | 125,944 | 14.55 % |
| 4 | Comcast corporation | 87,072 | 10.06 % |
| 5 | Everpure Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Tencent Music Entertainment Group | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Fox Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Roku Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Charter Communications Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Rogers Communications Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 0 | Cumulus Media Inc | 0 | 0.00 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Cumulus Media Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-05-12.
Cumulus Media Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Broadcasting Media & Cable TV industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (78 companies). See the full Broadcasting Media & Cable TV industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 0.00 % | 28.93 % (avg) | -28.9 pp |
| Operating Margin | -21.57 % | industry median | -26.1 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | -6.34 % | 11.80 % (avg) | -18.1 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 2.32 % | 7.08 % (avg) | -4.8 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Cumulus Media Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Broadcasting Media & Cable TV industry average (78 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Broadcasting Media & Cable TV industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | - | 22.5x | - |
| EV / EBITDA | - | 14.4x | - |
| P/B | 0.0x | 3.6x | -3.6x |
| Return on Equity | - | industry aggregate | - |
| Return on Invested Capital | -25.94 % | 4.73 % (avg) | -30.67 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Cumulus Media Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | - | - | - | - | -14.25 % | -11.43 % | -2.07 % | -10.32 % |
| Operating Margin | - | - | 3.79 % | 5.41 % | 8.37 % | -4.89 % | -28.98 % | -18.62 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | - | - | 2.37 % | 2.95 % | 4.11 % | -2.06 % | -14.69 % | -14.95 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | 17.9x | 8.5x | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Cumulus Media Inc's Strategic Group Map
Cumulus Media Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Cumulus Media Inc's trailing-12-month revenue growth of -11.9% and operating margin of -21.6% compares with an average of -7.6% growth and -19.8% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Cumulus Media Inc sits below that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Cumulus Media Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,834 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 2.32 % vs industry average 7.08 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Cumulus Media Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Cumulus Media Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Cumulus Media Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Cumulus Media Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Operating margin 26.1 points below the industry median.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-4.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Cumulus Media Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | 0.72 | 2.31 | - |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | 0.05 | 0.37 | 1.20 |
| Iheartmedia Inc | 0.21 | 1.50 | - |
| Saga Communications inc | 1.09 | 2.68 | 0.04 |
| Townsquare Media Inc | 0.03 | 0.87 | - |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | 0.18 | 1.11 | 10.34 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Cumulus Media Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | Q2 2026 | -9.7 % | - |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | Q3 2026 | -0.3 % | +6.7 % |
| Iheartmedia Inc | Q2 2026 | +4.7 % | - |
| Saga Communications inc | Q2 2026 | -6.5 % | -18.6 % |
| Townsquare Media Inc | Q2 2026 | -0.1 % | - |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | Q2 2026 | -16.7 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +0.2 % | +32.2 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Cumulus Media Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | Q2 2026 | - | -42.1 % |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | Q3 2026 | +50,750.0 % | -5.1 % |
| Iheartmedia Inc | Q2 2026 | +2.4 % | -5.3 % |
| Saga Communications inc | Q2 2026 | - | -4.0 % |
| Townsquare Media Inc | Q2 2026 | - | -10.3 % |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | Q2 2026 | - | +40.2 % |
Cumulus Media Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | - | - | - |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | 3.31% | 3.31% | 7.60% |
| Iheartmedia Inc | - | - | - |
| Saga Communications inc | - | - | - |
| Townsquare Media Inc | - | - | - |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | - | - | - |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Cumulus Media Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulus Media Inc | - | 0.00 |
| Sirius Xm Holdings Inc | 13.41 | 1.38 |
| Iheartmedia Inc | - | 0.07 |
| Saga Communications inc | - | 0.46 |
| Townsquare Media Inc | - | 0.08 |
| Beasley Broadcast Group Inc | - | 0.06 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 47.24 | 0.88 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.