Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) vs Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | MSGS | 1.2% revenue growth vs WBD's -4.8% |
| Value | MSGS | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | WBD | 1.3% net margin vs MSGS's -1.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MSGS | Beta 0.66 vs WBD's 1.73 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WBD | +145.8% vs MSGS's +62.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WBD | 0.5% ROA vs MSGS's -1.1%, ROIC -9.7% vs 1.5% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is a professional sports holding company that owns major league franchises including the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL). It generates revenue primarily from media rights deals, ticket sales and premium seating, and arena sponsorships — with media rights being the largest contributor. The company's moat lies in its ownership of iconic, geographically-protected professional sports franchises in the lucrative New York market, which creates scarcity value and strong brand loyalty.
Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media and entertainment conglomerate that produces and distributes content across film, television, and streaming platforms. It generates revenue primarily through three segments: Studios (film and TV production), Networks (cable and broadcast channels), and Direct-to-Consumer (streaming services like Max and discovery+). The company's key advantage is its massive content library and iconic franchises — including DC, Harry Potter, HBO originals, and Discovery's unscripted programming — which create a deep moat in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MSGS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). WBD leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WBD is the larger business by revenue, generating $37.9B annually — 35.4x MSGS's $1.1B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 1.3% (WBD) to -1.5% (MSGS). On growth, MSGS holds the edge at +12.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $37.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $8M | $16.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $485M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $3M | $4.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +25.9% | +44.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.4% | +1.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.5% | +1.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.3% | +10.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.8% | -6.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +6.5% | -2.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, WBD's 10.1x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MSGS's 140.6x.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.5B | $76.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.5B | $110.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -356.62x | -6.10x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 140.57x | 10.09x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.45x | 1.94x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 1.98x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.08x | 17.23x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MSGS scores 5/9 vs WBD's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +1.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.1% | +0.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.5% | -9.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | -10.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.13x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.0B | $34.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $153M | $5.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.2B | $39.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.73x | 1.85x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MSGS five years ago would be worth $16,534 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,842 for WBD. Over the past 12 months, WBD leads with a +145.8% total return vs MSGS's +62.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WBD at 21.7% vs MSGS's 20.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +28.1% | -1.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +62.8% | +145.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +73.5% | +80.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +65.3% | -51.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +340.5% | +12.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.2% | +21.7% |
Risk & Volatility
MSGS is the less volatile stock with a 0.66 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than WBD's 1.73 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.66x | 1.73x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $345.46 | $30.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $173.26 | $7.52 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.0% | +93.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.7 | 58.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 195K | 20.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MSGS as "Buy" and WBD as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply -0.6% upside for MSGS (target: $330) vs -9.2% for WBD (target: $26).
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $329.75 | $25.59 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 28 | 31 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.0% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.03 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.8% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 100 | 221.87 | +121.9% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 100 | 104.88 | +4.9% |
Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) returned +65% over 5 years vs Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD)'s -52%. A $10,000 investment in MSGS 5 years ago would be worth $16,534 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | $1.1B | $1.0B | -6.8% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | $6.5B | $39.3B | +505.2% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s revenue grew from $1.1B (2016) to $1.0B (2025) — a -0.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -6.9% | -2.2% | +68.8% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 18.4% | -28.8% | -256.5% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s net margin went from -7% (2016) to -2% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 22.4 | 92.5 | +312.9% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 28.8 | 15.3 | -46.9% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. has traded in a 22x–96x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-357x. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has traded in a 11x–29x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-6x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -3.12 | -0.93 | +70.2% |
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 1.96 | -4.62 | -335.7% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s EPS grew from $-3.12 (2016) to $-0.93 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. generated $88M FCF in 2025 (+346% vs 2021). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. generated $4B FCF in 2024 (+83% vs 2021).
MSGS vs WBD: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MSGS or WBD a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) a "Buy" — based on 28 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — MSGS or WBD?
Over the past 5 years, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) delivered a total return of +65.3%, compared to -51.6% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD). A $10,000 investment in MSGS five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MSGS returned +340.5% versus WBD's +12.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — MSGS or WBD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.66β versus Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s 1.73β — meaning WBD is approximately 161% more volatile than MSGS relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MSGS or WBD?
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the more profitable company, earning -2.2% net margin versus -28.8% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. — meaning it keeps -2.2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MSGS leads at 1.4% versus -25.5% for WBD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WBD leads at 41.6%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — MSGS or WBD?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
06Is MSGS or WBD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.66), +340.5% 10Y return). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) carries a higher beta of 1.73 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (MSGS: +340.5%, WBD: +12.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between MSGS and WBD?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 6%
- Gross Margin > 15%