Arena Group Holdings, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2023 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission file number 1-12471

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(212) 321-5002

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicated by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ or No ☒

As of November 10, 2023, the Registrant had 23,834,891 shares of common stock outstanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Quarterly Report”) of The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. (the “Company,” “Arena, ” “we,” “our,” and “us”) contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and include, without limitation, statements concerning our business strategy, future revenues, market growth, capital requirements, product introductions, the timing, outcome or financial impacts of the planned Business Combination (as defined below) and related transactions and expansion plans and the adequacy of our funding. Other statements contained in this Quarterly Report that are not historical facts are also forward-looking statements. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and other stylistic variants denoting forward-looking statements.

We caution investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this Quarterly Report, or that we may make orally or in writing from time to time, are based on information currently available, as well as our beliefs and assumptions. The actual outcome related to forward-looking statements will be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties, and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance, and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements, which are based only on known results and trends at the time they are made, to anticipate future results or trends. We detail other risks in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023 and in Item 1A of Part II of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The discussion in this Quarterly Report should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

This Quarterly Report and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report except as may be required by law.

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Index to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIENCY

(unaudited)

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIENCY

(unaudited)

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE ARENA GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(unaudited)

($ in thousands, unless otherwise stated)

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as TheMaven, Inc.) and its wholly owned subsidiaries (“The Arena Group” or the “Company”), after eliminating all significant intercompany balances and transactions. The Company changed its legal name to The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. from TheMaven, Inc. on February 8, 2022.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete audited financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in The Arena Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023.

The condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2023, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited but, in management’s opinion, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of interim periods. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year.

The Company is subject to continuing risks and uncertainties in connection with the current macroeconomic environment, including as a result of inflation, increasing interest rates, instability in the global banking system, geopolitical factors, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, supply chain disruptions and the remaining effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that certain of the Company’s sports businesses rely on sporting events to generate content and comprise a material portion of the Company’s revenues, the Company’s cash flows and results of operations could be negatively impacted by a significant downturn in economic activity, or general spending on sporting events or a general limitation of societal activity, due to market conditions, economic uncertainty or recession.

The Company operates in one reportable segment.

Reverse Stock Split

On February 8, 2022, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) approved a one-for-twenty-two (1-for-22) reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock that was effective February 8, 2022. The Company’s common stock began trading on the NYSE American on February 9, 2022. At the effective time, every twenty-two shares of issued and outstanding common stock were automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock, without any change in the number of authorized shares. No fractional shares were issued as a result of the reverse stock split. Any fractional shares that would otherwise have resulted from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the next whole number.

Going Concern

The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if it is unable to continue as a going concern.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $50,027. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and year ended December 31, 2022, the Company had cash on hand of $7,290 and $13,871 and a working capital deficit of $68,332 and $137,669, respectively. The Company’s net loss and working capital deficit have been evaluated by management to determine if the significance of those conditions or events would limit its ability to meet its obligations when due. Furthermore, while the Company has executed an amendment to extend the maturity of its 2022 Bridge Notes of $36,000, Senior Secured Notes of $62,691, Delayed Draw Term Notes of $4,000 and to extend additional borrowings on its 2023 Notes of $6,000 (each as described in Note 11 and Note 12), totaling $108,691, if the Business Combination (as further described under the heading Business Combination in Note 20) is not completed by December 31, 2023 it would represent an event of default under the related debt agreements in which case the Company may not be able to meet its obligations when due.

As a result, management determined there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a one-year period following the financial statement issuance date, unless they are able to close the Business Combination by December 31, 2023 or extend the date at which such a default would occur.

The Company plans to consummate the Business Combination to alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, however, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate the Business Combination.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to the allowance for credit losses, fair values of financial instruments, capitalization of platform development, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, income taxes, fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business acquisitions, determination of the fair value of stock-based compensation and valuation of derivatives liabilities and contingent liabilities, among others. The Company bases its estimates on assumptions, both historical and forward looking, that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications were immaterial, both individually and in aggregate. These changes did not impact previously reported loss from operations or net loss.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In March 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued ASU 2022-02, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures, addressing areas identified by the FASB as part of its post-implementation review of its previously issued credit losses standard (ASU 2016-13) that introduced the current expected credit losses (CECL) model. ASU 2022-02 eliminates the accounting guidance for troubled debt restructurings by creditors that have adopted the CECL model and enhances disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings made with borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. This update requires an entity to disclose current-period gross write-offs for financing receivables and net investment in leases by year of origination in the vintage disclosures. As the Company has already adopted ASU 2016-13, the new guidance was adopted on January 1, 2023. The adoption of ASU 2022-02 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Loss per Common Share

Basic loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period and excludes any dilutive effects of common stock equivalent shares, such as stock options, restricted stock, and warrants. All restricted stock awards are considered outstanding but are included in the computation of basic loss per common share only when the underlying restrictions expire, the shares are no longer forfeitable, and are thus vested. All restricted stock units are included in the computation of basic loss per common share only when the underlying restrictions expire, the shares are no longer forfeitable, and are thus vested. Contingently issuable shares are included in basic loss per common share only when there are no circumstances under which those shares would not be issued. Diluted loss per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and common stock equivalent shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method.

The Company excluded the outstanding securities summarized below (capitalized terms are described herein), which entitle the holders thereof to acquire shares of the Company’s common stock, from its calculation of net loss per common share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. Common stock equivalent shares are excluded from the diluted calculations when a net loss is incurred as they would be anti-dilutive.

 Schedule of Common Stock Equivalent Shares Excluded From Diluted Calculations

2. Discontinued Operations

The Company, upon Board approval on September 15, 2022, discontinued (i.e., the “discontinued operations”) the Parade print business (“Parade Print”) that was acquired on April 1, 2022 (as part of the Parade acquisition, as further described below in Note 3), on November 13, 2022 (the last date of any obligation to deliver issues of Parade Print).

The table below sets forth the loss from discontinued operations for the period from April 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022:

 Schedule of Discontinued Operations

The discontinued operations of Parade Print also included Relish and Spry Living print products that were acquired as part of the Parade acquisition. Further information is provided under the heading Supplemental Pro Forma Information in Note 3 and Note 16.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded depreciation and amortization of $0 and $0, respectively; and operating and investing noncash items of $209 and $209, respectively, as part of the discontinued operations.

3. Acquisitions

The Company uses the acquisition method of accounting, which is based on ASC, Business Combinations (Topic 805), and uses the fair value concepts which requires, among other things, that most assets acquired, and liabilities assumed be recognized at their fair values as of the acquisition date.

2023 Acquisition

Teneology, Inc. – On January 11, 2023, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Teneology, Inc., (“Teneology”) pursuant to which it acquired certain assets (consisting of the RoadFood media business, including digital and television assets; the Moveable Feast media business, including digital and television assets; the Fexy-branded content studio business; and the MonkeySee YouTube Channel media business, collectively “Fexy Studios”), for a purchase price of $3,307. The purchase price consisted of the following: (1) $500 cash paid at closing (including an advance payment of $250 prior to closing); (2) $75 deferred cash payments due in three equal installments of $25 on March 1, 2023 (paid), April 1, 2023 (paid) and May 1, 2023 (paid); (3) $200 deferred cash payment due on the first anniversary of the closing date, subject to certain indemnity provisions; and (4) the issuance of 274,692 shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to certain lock-up provisions, with a fair value of $2,000 on the transaction closing date (fair value was determined based on a preliminary independent appraisal); and which is subject to a put option under certain conditions (the “contingent consideration”) (as further described below in Note 10). The number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued was determined based on a $2,225 value using the common stock trading price on the day immediately preceding the January 11, 2023 closing date (on the closing date the common stock trading price was $7.94 per share). The agreement also provided for a cash retention pool for certain employees of $300, subject to vesting over three years upon continued employment and other conditions.

The composition of the preliminary purchase price is as follows:

 Schedule of Composition Preliminary Assets Purchase Price

The Company accounted for the asset acquisition as a business combination in accordance with ASC 805 since the acquisition met the definition of a business under the applicable guidance.

The Company incurred $99 in transaction costs related to the acquisition, which primarily consisted of legal and accounting expenses. The acquisition-related expenses were recorded in general and administrative expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The preliminary purchase price allocation resulted in the following amounts being allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the closing date of the acquisition based upon their respective fair values as summarized below:

 Summary of Preliminary Assets Purchase Price Allocation

The Company utilized an independent appraisal firm to assist in the preliminary determination of the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which required certain significant management assumptions and estimates. The fair value of the advertiser relationships were valued using the excess earnings method of the income approach and the brand names were valued using the relief-from-royalty method of the income approach. The estimated useful life is fifteen years (15.0 years) for the advertiser relationships and twelve years (12.0 years) for the brand names.

The excess-of purchase price over the fair value amounts assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed represents goodwill from the acquisition. Goodwill is recorded as a non-current asset that is not amortized but is subject to an annual review for impairment. A portion of the goodwill will be deductible for tax purposes.

Supplemental Pro forma Information

The pro forma disclosures have been deemed impracticable for this acquisition since after making reasonable efforts the Company is unable to accept assumptions made by Teneology. The Company has determined, based on the information provided by Teneology and made available to the Company, that the earnings from the prior periods could not be verified since the acquisition only included certain activities of Teneology and financial statements were not available. In this regard, the Company: (1) made reasonable effort to obtain certain financial results of the certain activities but Teneology was unable to comply with this request; and (2) the presentation of the pro forma results and the assumptions made by Teneology management were unable to be independently substantiated.

2022 Acquisition

Athlon Holdings, Inc. - On April 1, 2022, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Athlon Holdings, Inc. (“Athlon” or Parade), a Tennessee corporation, for a purchase price of $15,854, as adjusted for the working capital adjustment as of the closing date of the transaction. The working capital adjustment is pending acceptance by the sellers (further details are provided in Note 19). As a part of the closing consideration, the Company also acquired cash of $1,840, that was further adjusted post-closing for the working capital adjustment. The purchase price of $15,854, as discounted, is comprised of (i) a cash portion of $12,827, with $11,840 paid at closing and $987 estimated to be paid post-closing (as further described below) and (ii) the issuance of 314,103 shares of the Company’s common stock with a fair market value of $3,141. The number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued was determined based on a $3,000 value using the common stock trading price for the 10 trading days preceding the April 1, 2022 closing date. Certain of Parade’s key employees entered into either advisory agreements or employment agreements with the Company. Parade operates in the United States.

The amount estimated to be paid post-closing of $987 will be or was paid as follows: (i) $742 is expected to be paid upon receipts of certain tax refunds due to the sellers (consisting of $3,000 for the deferred cash payments, as discounted, less a $2,258 cash adjustment); and (ii) $245 was paid within two business days from the date the Company received proceeds from the sale of the equity interest in Just Like Falling Off a Bike, LLC that was held by Parade as of the closing date (paid on April 7, 2022).

The Company received a final valuation report from a third-party valuation firm after the preliminary purchase price was adjusted during the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022. After considering the results of the final valuation report, the Company estimated that the purchase consideration decreased by $321. The decrease in the purchase price was related to an increase in identifiable assets of $54, an increase in deferred tax liabilities of $27, with a decrease in the working capital adjustment of $321, resulting in a decrease in goodwill of $348.

The composition of the purchase price is as follows:

 Schedule of Composition of Purchase Price

The Company incurred $200 in transaction costs related to the acquisition, which primarily consisted of legal and accounting expenses. The acquisition-related expenses were recorded within general and administrative expense on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The purchase price allocation resulted in the following amounts being allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the closing date of the acquisition based upon their respective fair values as summarized below:

 Summary of Purchase Price Allocation

The Company utilized an independent appraisal firm to assist in the determination of the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which required certain significant management assumptions and estimates. The fair value of the digital content was determined using a cost approach. The fair values of the advertiser relationships were determined by projecting the acquired entity’s cash flows, deducting notional contributory asset charges on supporting assets (working capital, tangible assets, trade names, and the assembled workforce) to compute the excess cash flows associated with the advertiser relationships. The fair values of the trade names were determined by projecting revenue associated with each trade name and applying a royalty rate to compute the amount of the royalty payments the company is relieved from paying due to its ownership of the trade names. The estimated weighted average useful life is two years (2.00 years) for digital content, eight point seventy-five years (8.75 years) for advertiser relationships, and fourteen point five years (14.50 years) for trade names.

The excess purchase price over the fair value amounts assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed represents goodwill from the acquisition. Goodwill is recorded as a non-current asset that is not amortized but is subject to an annual review for impairment. No portion of the goodwill related to the acquisition will be deductible for tax purposes.

Supplemental Pro forma Information

The following table summarizes the results of operations of the Parade acquisition from the acquisition date included in the condensed consolidated results of operations and the unaudited pro forma results of operations of the combined entity had the date of the acquisition been as of the beginning of the reporting period during the year of the acquisition, or January 1, 2021:

 Schedule of Supplemental Proforma Information

The information presented above is for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of results that would have been achieved if the acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the Company’s reporting period and does not reflect the discontinued operations of Parade Print that was acquired on April 1, 2022 (as part of the Parade acquisition).

The adjustments for the three months ended September 2022 of $317, represents adjustments: (1) to record depreciation and amortization expense related to the fixed and intangible assets acquired from the acquisition of ($216); and (2) to reverse the deferred tax provision related to the acquisition $533. The adjustments for the nine months ended September 2022 of ($1,724), represents adjustments: (1) to record depreciation and amortization expense related to the fixed and intangible assets acquired from the acquisition of ($648); (2) to reverse the nonrecurring transaction cost related to the acquisition of $200; and (3) to reverse the deferred tax benefit related to the acquisition of ($1,276).

Buffalo Groupe, LLC – On September 27, 2022, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Buffalo Groupe, LLC, doing business as Morning Read, a Virginia limited liability company, where it purchased certain intellectual properties (including all media properties, trademarks, service marks, domain names, trade names corporate names and other identifiers of goodwill), certain assumed contracts, and other certain rights related to the intellectual properties (collectively, the “Morning Read Purchased Assets”) and assumed certain liabilities related to the Morning Read Purchased Assets. The purchase consideration consisted of a cash payment of $850,000 at closing.

The Company accounted for the asset acquisition in accordance with ASC 805-50, as substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired by the Company is concentrated in a group of similar identifiable assets.

The purchase consideration totaled $850,000, which was assigned to the brand name acquired on the closing date of the acquisition. The useful life for the brand name is ten years (10.0 years).

4. Balance Sheet Components

The components of certain balance sheet amounts are as follows:

Accounts Receivable – The Company receives payments from advertising customers based upon contractual payment terms; accounts receivable is recorded when the right to consideration becomes unconditional and are generally collected within 90 days. The Company generally receives payments from digital and print subscription customers at the time of sign up for each subscription; accounts receivable from merchant credit card processors are recorded when the right to consideration becomes unconditional and are generally collected weekly. Accounts receivable have been reduced by an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company maintains the allowance for estimated losses resulting from the inability of the Company’s customers to make required payments. The allowance represents the current estimate of lifetime expected credit losses over the remaining duration of existing accounts receivable considering current market conditions and supportable forecasts when appropriate. The estimate is a result of the Company’s ongoing evaluation of collectability, customer creditworthiness, historical levels of credit losses, and future expectations. Accounts receivable are written off when deemed uncollectible and collection of the receivable is no longer being actively pursued. Accounts receivable as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 of $37,977 and $33,950, respectively, are presented net of allowance for doubtful accounts. The following table summarizes the allowance for doubtful accounts activity:

 Schedule of Allowance For Doubtful Accounts

Subscription Acquisition Costs – Subscription acquisition costs include the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer, paid to external parties, if the Company expects to recover those costs. The Company has determined that sales commissions paid on all third-party agent sales of subscriptions are direct and incremental and, therefore, meet the capitalization criteria. The Company has elected to apply the practical expedient to account for these costs at the portfolio level. The sales commissions paid to third-party agents are amortized as magazines are sent to the subscriber on an issue-by-issue basis. Subscription acquisition costs are included within selling and marketing expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The current portion of the subscription acquisition costs as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $31,944 and $25,931, respectively. The noncurrent portion of the subscription acquisition costs as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $9,751 and $14,133, respectively. Subscription acquisition costs as of September 30, 2023 presented as current assets of $31,944 are expected to be amortized over a one-year period, or through September 30, 2024, and presented as long-term assets of $9,751 are expected to be amortized after the one-year period ending September 30, 2024.

Amortization of subscription acquisition costs of $9,819 and $9,778 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are included in selling and marketing expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Amortization of subscription acquisition costs of $29,166 and $28,236 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are included in selling and marketing expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. No impairment losses have been recognized for subscription acquisition costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.

Prepayments and other current assets – Prepayments and other current assets are summarized as follows:

 Schedule of Prepayments and Other Current Assets

Under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and the subsequent extensions of the Cares Act, the Company is eligible for a refundable employee retention credit subject to certain criteria. The Company determined that it qualifies for the tax credit under the CARES Act. In connection with the CARES Act, the Company adopted a policy to recognize the employee retention credit when earned and to offset the credit against the related expenditure. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recorded the employee retention credits as a reduction to payroll and related expenses of $0 and $6,868, respectively, in operating expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations with a corresponding receivable included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the condensed balance sheets for the respective periods. During the three months ended September 30, 2023 the Company received $4,400 in employee retention credits and has a receivable balance remaining of $2,468 as of September 30, 2023.

Property and Equipment – Property and equipment are summarized as follows:

 Schedule of Property and Equipment

Depreciation and amortization expense for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $79 and $150, respectively. Depreciation and amortization expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $276 and $395, respectively. Impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 of $0 and $55, respectively, were recorded for property and equipment on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. No impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 were recorded for property and equipment.

Platform Development – Platform development costs are summarized as follows:

 Summary of Platform Development Costs

A summary of platform development activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 is as follows:

 Summary of Platform Development Cost Activity

Amortization expense for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, was $1,595 and $1,511, respectively. Amortization expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, was $4,753 and $4,268, respectively. Amortization expense for platform development is included in cost of revenues on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 of $0 and $64, respectively, were recorded for platform development on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 of $0 and $210, respectively, were recorded for platform development on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Intangible Assets – Intangible assets subject to amortization consisted of the following:

 Schedule of Intangible Assets Subjects to Amortization

Intangible assets subject to amortization were recorded as part of the Company’s business acquisitions. Amortization expense for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $5,243 and $5,230, respectively, of which amortization expense for developed technology of $596 and $902, respectively, is included in cost of revenues on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Amortization expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $16,081 and $15,560, respectively, of which amortization expense for developed technology of $2,130 and $2,831, respectively, is included in cost of revenues on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. No impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 were recorded for the intangible assets. Impairment charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 of $0 and $47, respectively, were recorded for the intangible assets on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

5. Leases

The Company’s real estate lease for the use of office space is subleased (as further described below). The Company’s current lease is a long-term operating lease with a remaining fixed payment term of 1.01 years.

The table below presents supplemental information related to operating leases:

 Schedule of Supplemental Information Related to Operating Leases

The Company generally utilizes its incremental borrowing rate based on information available at the commencement of the lease in determining the present value of future payments since the implicit rate for the Company’s leases is not readily determinable.

Variable lease expense includes rental increases that are not fixed, such as those based on amounts paid to the lessor based on cost or consumption, such as maintenance and utilities.

The components of operating lease costs were as follows:

 Schedule of Operating Lease Costs

Maturities of the operating lease liability as of September 30, 2023 are summarized as follows:

 Summary of Maturity of Lease Liabilities

Sublease Agreement – In November 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to sublease its leased office space for the duration of its operating lease through September 2024. As of September 30, 2023, the Company is entitled to receive sublease income of $288.

Business Membership – Effective October 1, 2021, the Company entered into a business membership agreement with York Factory LLC, doing business as SaksWorks, that permits access to certain office space with furnishings (the “membership”), referred to as SaksWorks Memberships. This membership provides a certain number of accounts that equate to the use of the space granted. Effective June 1, 2022, the SaksWorks membership agreement was amended and assigned to Convene SW MSA Holdings, LLC (“Convene”). The term of the agreement with Convene is for twenty-seven months from the initial effective date of October 1, 2021 with SaksWorks. The annual membership fee with Convene is $620 ($500 for dedicated area and $120 for minimum membership accounts) payable in equal monthly installments. The agreement also provides for: (1) additional accounts at predetermined pricing; and (2) renewal of the agreement at the end of the term for a twelve-month period at the then-current market price and pricing structure on such renewal date. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $259 of remaining payments under the agreement with Convene.

6. Goodwill

The changes in carrying value of goodwill are as follows:

 Schedule of Changes in Carrying Value of Goodwill

In connection with the acquisition of Men’s Journal, the Company received a final valuation report during the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023 from a third-party valuation firm after the preliminary purchase price was determined. After considering the results of the final valuation report, the Company estimated that the purchase consideration increased by $1,246 as a result of an increase in the fair value of the assumed lease obligation with an offset recorded to goodwill.

7. Line of Credit

SLR Line of Credit – On December 15, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment to its financing and security agreement for its line of credit with SLR Digital Finance LLC (formerly FPP Finance LLC) (“SLR” or the “amended line of credit”), as further amended on August 31, 2023 in connection with the Business Combination (see Note 20) (the “SLR Amendment”) pursuant to which the SLR Amendment provided for an extension of the maturity date, additional event of default provisions in connection with the Business Combination, payment of certain fees in connection with the Business Combination, additional borrowings under the 2023 Notes pursuant to the First Amendment (see Note 11 and Note 18), and issuance of Series L preferred stock in connection with the Business Combination, all of which are more fully described herein and collectively the amended line of credit and SLR Amendment are referred to as the “line of credit”. The line of credit provides for (i) $40,000 maximum amount of advances available (subject to certain limits and eighty-five (85%) of eligible accounts receivable), (ii) an interest rate at the prime rate plus 4.0% per annum of the amount advanced (subject to minimum utilization of at least 10% of the maximum amount of advances available) (as of September 30, 2023 the stated interest rate was 12.5%), (iii) payment of a fee equal to 2.25% of the maximum line amount with respect to any termination of the agreement prior to December 31, 2025 at the option of the Company at any time with 60 day notice, (iv) a payment of a performance fee in the amount equal to 2.25% of the maximum line amount, under certain circumstances pursuant to the Business Combination in connection with a deal deadline or in the event of a deal failure, as defined in the SLR Amendment, further the performance fee will survive the termination of the agreement, (v) a payment of a success fee if the Business Combination is consummated, of 0.3% or 0.6% of the maximum line amount if the Business Combination closes on or before December 31, 2023 or after December 31, 2023, respectively, or $0 if the transaction closes after the deal deadline, and (vi) a maturity date of December 31, 2025. The SLR Amendment also provided that an event of default will occur thereunder if the Business Combination is not consummated by March 31, 2024 (or June 30, 2024 if the lenders under the Note Purchase Agreement (see Note 18) agree to extend the deadline for consummation of the Business Combination to March 31, 2024 or thereafter). The SLR Amendment also permitted the Company to enter into the 2023 Notes in an aggregate of $8,000 and permits the issuance of the Series L preferred stock for $25,000 in connection with the Business Combination. The line of credit is for working capital purposes and is secured by a first lien on all the Company’s cash and accounts receivable and a second lien on all other assets.

In connection with the SLR Amendment and amended line of credit, the Company incurred debt costs of $200 of $441, respectively, with the SLR Amendment debt cost plus the unamortized debt cost at the time of the SLR Amendment being amortized over the life of the extended maturity date of line of credit. The unamortized balance, as of September 30, 2023, reflected in prepayment and other current assets of $216 and other long-term assets of $254. As of December 31, 2022, the unamortized balance was reflected in prepayments and other current assets of $216 and other long-term assets of $216. As of September 30, 2023, the effective interest rate on the line of credit was 13.7%. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the balance outstanding under the line of credit was $17,303 and $14,092, respectively, as reflected on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 with respect to interest expense related to the line of credit is provided under the heading Interest Expense in Note 12.

8. Restricted Stock Liabilities

On December 15, 2020, the Company entered into an amendment for certain restricted stock awards and units that were previously issued to certain employees in connection with a previous merger with HubPages. Pursuant to the amendment, the Company agreed to purchase the vested restricted stock awards, at a price of $88.00 per share in 24 equal monthly installments on the second business day of each calendar month beginning on January 4, 2021, subject to certain conditions.

The Company recorded the repurchase of 26,214 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 on the condensed consolidated statements of stockholders’ deficiency. Effective April 4, 2022, there are no longer any shares of the Company’s common stock subject to repurchase. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company paid $2,307 in cash for the repurchase ($2,152 in principal and $155 in interest).

Further details are provided under the heading Repurchases of Restricted Stock in Note 18.

9. Liquidated Damages Payable

Liquidated damages were recorded as a result of the following: (i) certain registration rights agreements provide for damages if the Company does not register certain shares of the Company’s common stock within the requisite time frame (the “Registration Rights Damages”); and (ii) certain securities purchase agreements provide for damages if the Company does not maintain its periodic filings with the SEC within the requisite time frame (the “Public Information Failure Damages”).

Obligations with respect to the liquidated damages payable are summarized as follows:

Summary of Liquidated Damages