Stingray Says TuneIn Acquisition Is Exceeding Expectations, Boosting Ads and In-Car Streaming

Stingray’s acquisition of TuneIn is shaping up to be far more than just another corporate buyout — and according to the company’s leadership, the results are already outperforming internal forecasts.

On its latest fiscal third-quarter earnings call, Stingray CEO Eric Boyko described the recently completed $175 million purchase of TuneIn as “a perfect marriage,” signaling strong confidence in how quickly the integration is accelerating the company’s revenue, advertising strength, and strategic influence in the highly competitive in-car streaming market.

The deal officially closed in December, yet Stingray says it is already generating meaningful cost efficiencies, revenue lift, and advertising opportunities that are exceeding what management originally projected.

Stingray and TuneIn logos displayed together highlighting the $175 million acquisition deal and streaming advertising growth

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Stingray CEO Says TuneIn Integration Is “Better Than Planned”

During the earnings discussion, Boyko highlighted that TuneIn’s integration has progressed faster than anticipated, adding that the acquisition is already producing measurable synergies across Stingray’s ecosystem.

“The integration of TuneIn has progressed even better than planned,” Boyko said. “TuneIn’s performance has exceeded our expectations, creating powerful new synergies that are already reflected in our strong financial performance.”

Boyko’s comments suggest that Stingray is not merely absorbing TuneIn as a new business unit, but actively weaving the streaming platform into its broader portfolio — turning TuneIn into a key pillar for growth in the U.S. market and beyond.

Stingray Reports Strong Fiscal Q3 Performance After TuneIn Deal

The company’s earnings report shows that TuneIn is already making a visible impact on its financial performance.

Key Financial Highlights (Fiscal Q3)

Stingray CFO Marie-Hélène Fournier attributed the sharp jump in U.S. revenue largely to TuneIn’s advertising power, pointing to enhanced monetization performance after the acquisition.

The figures demonstrate that the acquisition is not only contributing to topline growth but also strengthening profitability — a major win for investors watching whether the company can turn scale into sustainable earnings.

Advertising Revenue Becomes Stingray’s Biggest Growth Driver

One of the clearest takeaways from the earnings call was that TuneIn is giving Stingray a much stronger position in digital advertising — particularly in the United States.

Fournier described the jump in U.S. performance as being driven by:

With TuneIn now part of Stingray’s portfolio, the company is increasingly positioning itself as a serious audio advertising powerhouse, competing more aggressively in a market dominated by major players like Spotify, iHeartMedia, and SiriusXM.

Cost Synergies Surpass Expectations: Stingray Eyes $16 Million in Savings

Before the TuneIn deal closed, Stingray had communicated to investors that it expected:

These cost improvements were expected to come from areas such as:

However, Boyko now says the company is on track to exceed even those forecasts.

Updated Savings Forecast

Boyko revealed that at the current pace, Stingray expects to generate:

This is a significant development because it suggests the company is integrating operations quickly, eliminating redundancies faster than expected, and maximizing its combined technology stack earlier than planned.

In an industry where margins can be squeezed by music licensing fees and streaming infrastructure costs, such savings can be transformative.

TuneIn Already Embedded Across Stingray’s Portfolio

Although the acquisition closed just two months ago, Boyko told investors that TuneIn is already deeply integrated into Stingray’s ecosystem.

He noted that TuneIn is already creating synergy across nine different Stingray products, signaling a wide-scale operational merger rather than a standalone acquisition.

This suggests Stingray is aggressively pursuing cross-platform value, using TuneIn as a distribution and monetization engine for its wider content ecosystem.

Stingray Says Revenue Guidance Was Too Conservative

In a statement that caught investor attention, Boyko suggested that Stingray may have underestimated how much upside TuneIn could unlock.

“There is no limit to the positive sell side that we can have,” Boyko said.

That is a bold message — essentially telling analysts that the company believes its revenue growth potential is larger than previously expected, especially with TuneIn’s advertising stack now available across Stingray’s network.

Boyko also highlighted how quickly cross-selling opportunities emerged, even before the acquisition officially closed.

“The deal wasn’t even closed — and three days later, we already had eight different vectors that TuneIn is already helping us sell.”

This indicates that the business combination was operationally aligned well before paperwork was finalized, suggesting planning and integration efforts were underway early.

A “World-Class Advertising Engine” for Audio and Video

Stingray’s CEO described TuneIn as more than just a streaming platform — he framed it as a major upgrade to Stingray’s advertising capabilities.

Boyko said TuneIn brings:

He emphasized that the acquisition gives Stingray the ability to monetize both audio and video advertising across its entire ecosystem.

“With the acquisition of TuneIn we now have a world-class advertising engine to turn reach into revenue.”

This matters because streaming platforms often struggle with monetization unless they have a mature advertising system and deep relationships with advertisers.

TuneIn’s long-established presence in digital radio and streaming audio provides that infrastructure — and Stingray now has access to it at scale.

Programmatic Advertising Emerges as a Major Tailwind

Perhaps one of the most significant revelations from the earnings call was how quickly Stingray is growing in programmatic advertising — a space where ad inventory is bought and sold automatically through digital platforms.

Boyko stated that just a year ago, Stingray had:

Now, with TuneIn integrated, the company expects to generate:

And Boyko believes the growth could accelerate rapidly.

“That can easily double in six months,” he predicted.

Why Programmatic Matters

Programmatic advertising is often considered a goldmine for digital media businesses because it can:

If Stingray successfully scales programmatic revenue, it could become a consistent growth engine for years to come.

The In-Car Streaming Battle: Stingray Gains a Stronger Position

Beyond financials, Stingray leadership repeatedly emphasized that TuneIn is providing strategic leverage in one of the most competitive arenas in digital audio: the in-car dashboard ecosystem.

Car infotainment systems are rapidly becoming a new battleground for media companies, as consumers shift away from traditional FM/AM listening toward streaming services and podcasts.

Boyko explained that before the acquisition, automakers were negotiating separately with Stingray and TuneIn — essentially playing them against each other.

“They were each talking to both of us, one against each other,” Boyko said.

But now, with the two companies combined, Stingray says automakers are dealing with one unified entity.

Why Automakers Like the Merger

According to Boyko, car manufacturers are enthusiastic about the consolidation because it creates:

“But now that we have merged together, the car manufacturers are very excited. They feel that we’re well-positioned.”

This suggests the acquisition may have strengthened Stingray’s ability to secure long-term automotive partnerships — a key growth area as more vehicles become connected and streaming-first.

Nissan Expands TuneIn Partnership in the U.S.

One of the major developments reinforcing TuneIn’s automotive strength is its recent collaboration with Nissan.

Earlier this month, Nissan announced a deal with TuneIn that will bring:

to select Nissan models in the United States.

The agreement also extends to:

This partnership underscores TuneIn’s value as a trusted audio distribution platform inside vehicles, and now that Stingray owns TuneIn, it directly benefits from these high-profile automotive relationships.

Stingray Launches Co-Branded Automotive Streaming Solution

In December, Stingray launched a co-branded solution designed specifically for automakers worldwide — combining music, radio, and podcasts under one integrated experience.

This move signals that Stingray is aggressively positioning itself as a turnkey infotainment partner for global car brands.

BYD Partnership: “BYD Audio by Stingray” to Debut Globally

In another major automotive push, Stingray revealed a unique partnership with Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD.

The service will debut as:

This co-branded streaming solution is expected to bring Stingray’s audio content directly into BYD vehicles globally, expanding Stingray’s footprint into one of the world’s fastest-growing EV markets.

The BYD partnership is especially notable because BYD has rapidly expanded internationally and is increasingly competing with Tesla and other global EV manufacturers.

Why the TuneIn Acquisition Could Reshape Stingray’s Future

Stingray’s acquisition of TuneIn appears to be a calculated move aimed at achieving three long-term goals:

1. Becoming a Major Player in Digital Audio Advertising

TuneIn provides the scale, ad stack, and U.S. market reach that Stingray previously lacked at full strength.

2. Strengthening Programmatic Monetization

Programmatic advertising is growing fast, and TuneIn gives Stingray the tools to accelerate this shift.

3. Winning the In-Car Streaming Market

With dashboards becoming the new “home screen” for audio, TuneIn’s automotive integrations are a strategic asset.

What This Means for Broadcasters, Podcasters, and Audio Creators

The merger may also have major implications for creators, broadcasters, and podcast publishers.

With TuneIn and Stingray operating together, the combined entity could potentially offer:

For U.S. broadcasters and independent podcasters, this could translate into stronger discoverability — especially in vehicles, where streaming listening is rising quickly.

Industry Outlook: Audio Streaming Consolidation Is Accelerating

Stingray’s aggressive integration strategy reflects a broader trend across the audio streaming world: consolidation.

As competition increases and licensing costs rise, companies are under pressure to:

TuneIn, with its massive content library and long-established relationships with automakers, provides Stingray a strong foothold in that evolving ecosystem.

Key Takeaways: Stingray and TuneIn Deal in a Nutshell

Here’s what stood out most from Stingray’s earnings call:

Conclusion: A Deal That Could Redefine Stingray’s Market Power

Stingray’s $175 million acquisition of TuneIn is quickly proving to be a defining move for the company.

From stronger advertising revenue and faster-than-expected cost savings to a rapidly expanding presence in the automotive streaming space, Stingray is signaling that TuneIn may be the catalyst that pushes the company into a new league of global digital audio competitors.

CEO Eric Boyko’s enthusiastic tone — calling the deal “a perfect marriage” — reflects confidence not just in financial upside, but in the long-term strategic position Stingray now holds in the rapidly evolving world of streaming audio, podcasts, and in-car infotainment.

With programmatic ad revenue rising and automakers increasingly demanding unified streaming solutions, the TuneIn deal may turn out to be one of Stingray’s most impactful acquisitions to date.

FAQs

Why did Stingray acquire TuneIn?

Stingray acquired TuneIn to strengthen its advertising capabilities, expand U.S. revenue, accelerate programmatic monetization, and gain a stronger position in automotive streaming partnerships.

How much did Stingray pay for TuneIn?

Stingray acquired TuneIn for $175 million.

What impact has TuneIn had on Stingray’s earnings?

Stingray reported fiscal Q3 revenue of around $92 million, up 15.4%, with U.S. revenue surging 42.5%, largely driven by TuneIn advertising growth.

What cost savings does Stingray expect from TuneIn?

Stingray now expects about $16 million in efficiencies in the first year, exceeding its earlier projections.

Why is the automotive market important for TuneIn and Stingray?

In-car infotainment is becoming one of the most important distribution channels for streaming audio, podcasts, and radio. TuneIn already has major partnerships with automakers, giving Stingray an advantage.

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