As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at digital media & content platforms stocks, starting with Getty Images (NYSE: GETY).

AI-driven content creation, personalized media experiences, and digital advertising are evolving, which could benefit companies investing in these themes. For example, companies with a portfolio of licensed visual content or platforms facilitating direct monetization models could see increased demand for years. On the other hand, headwinds include growing regulatory scrutiny on AI-generated content, with many publishers balking at anything that gets no human oversight. Additional areas to navigate include the phasing out of third-party cookies, which could make traditional ways of tracking the online behavior of consumers (a secret sauce in digital marketing) much less effective.

The 6 digital media & content platforms stocks we track reported a softer Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, digital media & content platforms stocks have performed well with share prices up 15.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Getty Images (NYSE: GETY)

With a vast library of over 562 million visual assets documenting everything from breaking news to iconic historical moments, Getty Images (NYSE: GETY) is a global visual content marketplace that licenses photos, videos, illustrations, and music to businesses, media outlets, and creative professionals.

Getty Images reported revenues of $282.3 million, up 14.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 15%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and full-year revenue guidance slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

“In our 30th anniversary year we delivered record revenue, with growth across both Creative and Editorial,” said Craig Peters, Chief Executive Officer at Getty Images.

Getty Images scored the biggest analyst estimates beat, fastest revenue growth, and highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. The stock is up 12.3% since reporting and currently trades at $0.85.

Read our full report on Getty Images here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Stride (NYSE: LRN)

Formerly known as K12, Stride (NYSE: LRN) is an education technology company providing education solutions through digital platforms.

Stride reported revenues of $631.3 million, up 7.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. The business had a very strong quarter with revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 26.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $91.90.

Is now the time to buy Stride? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: WEBTOON (NASDAQ: WBTN)

Pioneering a vertical-scrolling format optimized for mobile devices, WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ: WBTN) operates a global platform where creators publish serialized web-comics and web-novels that users can read in bite-sized episodes.

WEBTOON reported revenues of $330.7 million, down 6.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

WEBTOON delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $11.47.

Read our full analysis of WEBTOON’s results here.

Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD)

Originally a pioneering technology publisher founded in 1927 that became famous for PC Magazine, Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) operates a portfolio of digital media brands and subscription services across technology, shopping, gaming, healthcare, and cybersecurity markets.

Ziff Davis reported revenues of $406.7 million, down 1.5% year on year. This number came in 1.9% below analysts' expectations. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter as it also recorded a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 49.8% since reporting and currently trades at $44.28.

Read our full, actionable report on Ziff Davis here, it’s free.

Rumble (NASDAQ: RUM)

Founded in 2013 as a champion for content creator rights and free expression, Rumble (NASDAQ: RUM) is a video sharing platform that positions itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream platforms, offering creators more favorable revenue-sharing opportunities.

Rumble reported revenues of $27.07 million, down 10.5% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a softer quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 7.7% since reporting and currently trades at $5.18.

Read our full, actionable report on Rumble here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.