How did Comcast's operating profit change in Q4 2024?

Comcast's operating profit in Q4 2024 is not available. However, the company reported its financial results for Q3 2024, which may provide insights into its operating performance.

1. Overall Performance in Q3 2024:
   • Comcast reported a revenue increase of 6.5% year-over-year, reaching $32.07 billion.
   • Net income attributable to Comcast decreased by 10.3% to $3.63 billion.
   • Adjusted net income fell by 3.3% to $4.34 billion.
   • Adjusted EBITDA declined by 2.3% to $9.74 billion.
   • Earnings per share (EPS) decreased by 4.2% to $0.94, while adjusted EPS increased by 3.3% to $1.12.
2. Business Highlights:
   • Comcast's connectivity businesses showed strong performance, with broadband ARPU increasing by 3.6% and revenue in connectivity businesses growing by 5%.
   • The company reported a successful Paris Summer Olympics, which significantly boosted Peacock's revenue and paid subscribers.
   • The release of "Despicable Me 4" grossed nearly $1.0 billion in worldwide box office.
3. Capital Management:
   • Comcast returned $3.2 billion to shareholders through dividend payments and share repurchases.
   • The company repurchased $10.1 billion of shares over the trailing twelve months, reducing shares outstanding by 6%.
   • Capital expenditures decreased by 11.6% to $2.9 billion, reflecting lower spending on scalable infrastructure and customer premise equipment.

Given the information available, it is not possible to provide specific data on Comcast's operating profit in Q4 2024. However, the trends and performance indicators from Q3 2024 suggest that while the company has been successful in certain areas, such as revenue growth in connectivity businesses and the performance of its content arm, there has been a decline in net income and adjusted EBITDA. The decrease in net income and adjusted EBITDA, along with a decrease in free cash flow, indicates that Comcast faced challenges in Q3 2024 that could have impacted its operating profit. Without specific Q4 2024 data, it is not possible to draw a direct conclusion about Q4's operating profit, but the Q3 performance metrics provide a context for understanding the potential operating challenges Comcast faced.