Newsmax Inc. NMAX, the conservative news channel, is bringing in the ratings and investors have taken notice. Hailing from Boca Raton, Florida, Newsmax, which went public this past spring and boasts a market cap of $1.6 billion, is poised to join the Russell 2000 Index later this month, in a testament to its growing importance in the news media world.
The number four cable news provider is proving to be a formidable competitor to Fox News – with over 30 million viewers and over $200 million in its coffers with no long term debt at the end of its first quarter as a public company – and saw shares surge 500% on the company’s first day of trading. Newsmax has become a go-to place for many Americans, particularly right-leaning ones, seeking news about everything from President Donald Trump to the economy.
Newsmax says it has a long and successful operating history. Part of what makes Newsmax appealing to its investors is that, unlike Fox News, Newsmax says it has barely started to monetize its millions of viewers. That means there is the potential for more revenue growth as it continues to expand its viewership and its offerings. It’s partly why investors clamored to get into Newsmax’s IPO, sending the stock soaring well above its $10.00 per share IPO price. Shares are still trading above the company’s IPO price as of mid-June despite uncertainty in the economy.
Distribution Deals = More Viewers
Newsmax knows content is king and distribution is mission-critical – so it has been making moves based on that understanding. Take its new distribution deals for starters. In May, Newsmax announced a multi-year deal with Hulu + Live TV, the Disney-owned popular streaming platform and home to hit TV shows including “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Only Murders in the Building.” The deal with Hulu+ means Newsmax has carriage agreements with every top pay TV operator in the U.S. and puts Newsmax in about 60 million U.S. households. Newsmax says that it is on par with other major news networks, including CNN and Fox News. Newsmax is expected to launch on Hulu+ in July.
On the digital front, Newsmax recently reached a deal in which Newsmax+, the company’s streaming subscription service, will be available for download across all of Comcast’s entertainment devices in the U.S., including Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex, Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV. After a free trial, Newmax+ costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. In addition to Newsmax, subscribers get access to what it says are highly rated programs, documentaries, movies and classic series, including “The Beverly Hillbillies”, “Bonanza”, “Dragnet” and others. Newsmax says its Plus service will appeal to heartland Americans who want family-friendly news and entertainment.
“We’re very excited that Newsmax+ is now available to millions of Xfinity and Xumo customers across the U.S.,” said Andy Biggers, Newsmax’s Senior Vice President of Distribution. “This enables us to reach a wide range of consumers, from streamers to pay-TV subscribers, all of whom can now subscribe and get immediate access to the Newsmax+ app on their TVs.”
Streaming Growth
Newsmax2, the company’s free streaming channel, is also seeing growth, with total viewership in May up 25% year-over-year. The channel airs across more than a dozen top OTT FAST (free ad-sponsored streaming television) platforms and over-the-air digital broadcast channels in 47 markets across the U.S., and on the Newsmax App available on smartphones and televisions. All told, in May, over 21.5 million viewers tuned into Newsmax2. Not only are they tuning in, but they are watching longer, with the average time spent watching up 36% year-over-year in May. Newsmax’s cable channel saw 34 million viewers in Q1 2025, up 50% from the year before.
The company credits the investment it’s been putting into streaming as the market for streaming and FAST channels takes off. The FAST channels market alone is projected to reach $32.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 22%. “Our strategy of offering free and paid channels is working well for Newsmax and we expect to continue to see growth in these areas in the future,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said. So far the plan appears to be working. Newsmax+ revenues were up 52% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Gaining Investment Cred And Awareness
Then there is Newsmax’s inclusion into the Russell 2000 Index, which is expected to happen on June 30. Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies, with about $10.6 trillion in assets being benchmarked against Russell’s U.S. indexes. Getting included in the Russell 2000 may increase visibility and open Newsmax up to a broader base of shareholders. “We feel this addition of Newsmax on the Russell Index will help raise awareness and ownership of Newsmax within the institutional investment community,” said Ruddy.
From news to entertainment, Newsmax is moving beyond breaking news into mainstream media. Whether it’s beaming its conservative-leaning content through a TV or mobile phone, it is reaching tens of millions of Americans daily. In June 2024, Reuters Institute said it was one of the top 12 news brands in the U.S. With new content and distribution deals under its belt and a Russell Index listing coming soon, this channel seems worth staying tuned to.
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