Cannabis Sales Growth Put in Perspective


Image Credit: Beverly Yuen Thompson (Flickr)


Marijuana Sales Growth Breaking Records While Barely Scratching the Surface

 

While non-CBD cannabis products are legal in only 74% of the United States, sales revenue exceeds that of many products that trade freely. For example, the U.S. market for athletic shoes is $14 billion annually. By comparison, during the first half of 2021, cannabis sales were $12 billion. The current cannabis growth trajectory suggests sales will become more than double the entire athletic footwear market this year. Milk, which can be found in most households, restaurants, and coffee shops, had sales in 2020 of only $12.6 billion. The businesses that make up legal cannabis are all thought to be in their infancy; what do current numbers tell us about the future?

The Numbers

Cannabis sales were approximately $18 billion in 2020. The six-month trend, plus growth from new state roll-outs, place the industry on pace to reach $25 billion to as much as $30 billion in sales by the end of 2021. At worst, this is a $7 billion increase on 2020’s $18 billion, or 38.9%. This potential is not found in other consumables or industries. Looking at figures from a year earlier, during the 2020 Covid driven events, sales revenue increased by 60% over the prior year.  According to information published by Whitney Economics and Leafly, that level of growth would continue the marijuana industry’s position as the country’s fastest-growing business.

 

Whitney Economics and Leafly cannabis industry growth and projected growth

 

Mid-Year Cannabis Industry Numbers

During the first half of 2021, revenues were near $12.5 billion (medical and adult-use combined). This indicates an acceleration as the first-quarter revenues were less than half that amount at about $5.8 billion.

These newer legal states that have more recently put a framework in place (distribution, admin, recordkeeping, etc.) are hovering around $1.2 billion in sales each.

Massachusetts, where legal cannabis sales are on pace to reach $1.2 billion in 2021 would attain roughly a 70% gain over 2020. Massachusetts state’s stores opened in Nov. 2018.

Michigan was experiencing monthly sales of approximately $100 million earlier in the year. Sales in March and April increased by 50% putting them at the $150 million pace. The trend suggests, Michigan’s 2021 sales could be $1.6 billion. This would be a 65% increase over 2020 sales.

Illinois leaves us with the same projection of $1.2 billion in annual sales for all of 2021. This would be a 20% increase – weak by cannabis standards, coveted in most industries.  Slower growth may be a result of delayed implementation because of political battles over licensing and equity.

 

 

Take-Away

The fastest-growing industry (sales) in the U.S. over the past few years is cannabis – and the growth streak is expected to continue. Its also accelerating and has the potential to expand for years to come. While this should keep investor attention, individual company success are derived by more than just an industry’s expansion. Even the incredible tech revolution of the 90s had businesses in the right place, at the right time, fail because of competition, management errors, lack of capital, etc.

Channelchek is a resource for investors interested in growing companies and growing or mature industries to find solid, unbiased research. Sorting through the myriad of opportunities within an industry, can benefit from taking in research, data, and video conversations with management on Channelchek.

 

Suggested Reading:



The Future of Cannabis Crosses Many Industries



Psychedelic’s Laws and Investment May Follow Cannabis’ Success





Cannabis Fundamentals, Not Hype is Important to Investors



About the New Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act

 

Sources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1

https://whitneyeconomics.com/

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/cannabis-jobs-report

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/americans-on-pace-to-spend-twice-as-much-on-weed-as-on-milk

 

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Release – Schwazze Closes Acquisition of Southern Colorado Growers


Schwazze Closes Acquisition of Southern Colorado Growers

 

Acquisition Substantially Increases Cultivation Capabilities;

Provides Major Boost to Wholesale Supply of Distillate to Colorado CPG Manufacturers

DENVER, CO – July 22, 2021 – Schwazze, (OTCQX:SHWZ) (“Schwazze” or the “Company”), announced that it has closed the transaction to acquire the assets of Southern Colorado Growers (“SCG”) in Huerfano County, Colorado; previously announced June 1, 2021.  The acquisition includes 34 acres of land with outdoor cultivation capacity, as well as indoor, greenhouse, and hoop house cultivation facilities and equipment.  This purchase continues Schwazze’s expansion in Colorado and, is the company’s first major move into cultivation, which will provide high-end, premium cannabis directly to its Star Buds dispensaries and significant production of biomass for its PurpleBee’s extraction and manufacturing facility. PurpleBee’s is Colorado’s largest supplier of wholesale distillate for the CPG market, providing high quality distillate to leading vaporizer, concentrates and edibles companies.

The consideration for the acquisition is $6.8 million for the business and $4.5 million for the real estate and farm assets.  Total consideration of $11.3 million was paid as $5.9 million of cash and $5.4 million in Schwazze common stock upon closing.

Schwazze has major expansion plans for SCG, which includes the buildout of cultivation capacity over the next four quarters. SCG produces premium flower with approximately 30 strains and has won multiple Connoisseur Cup awards for select strains in 2020 (Best Hybrid Flower – Banger & Mac) and 2021 (Best Rec Hybrid – The Mac). 

“Our team is excited to add SCG, a premier cannabis cultivator, to our growing platform. This acquisition will provide premium quality flower to our 17 Star Buds Colorado locations.  In addition, the SCG garden will significantly increase our capability to produce a substantial amount of biomass for our Purplebee’s distillate manufacturing operation, which will benefit the entire cannabis industry throughout the state. The addition of SCG to our portfolio is expected to provide a positive margin impact for Schwazze,” said Justin Dye, Schwazze’s CEO.  

About Schwazze
Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building the premier vertically integrated cannabis company in Colorado and plans to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated leadership position.  Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition.  Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company’s leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector.  Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices.  Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze’s former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “plan,” “will,” “may,”, “predicts,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, ({ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Investors
Joanne Jobin
Investor Relations
Joanne.jobin@schwazze.com
647 964 0292

Media
Julie Suntrup, Schwazze
Vice President | Marketing & Merchandising
julie.suntrup@schwazze.com
303 371 0387

Schwazze Closes Acquisition of Southern Colorado Growers


Schwazze Closes Acquisition of Southern Colorado Growers

 

Acquisition Substantially Increases Cultivation Capabilities;

Provides Major Boost to Wholesale Supply of Distillate to Colorado CPG Manufacturers

DENVER, CO – July 22, 2021 – Schwazze, (OTCQX:SHWZ) (“Schwazze” or the “Company”), announced that it has closed the transaction to acquire the assets of Southern Colorado Growers (“SCG”) in Huerfano County, Colorado; previously announced June 1, 2021.  The acquisition includes 34 acres of land with outdoor cultivation capacity, as well as indoor, greenhouse, and hoop house cultivation facilities and equipment.  This purchase continues Schwazze’s expansion in Colorado and, is the company’s first major move into cultivation, which will provide high-end, premium cannabis directly to its Star Buds dispensaries and significant production of biomass for its PurpleBee’s extraction and manufacturing facility. PurpleBee’s is Colorado’s largest supplier of wholesale distillate for the CPG market, providing high quality distillate to leading vaporizer, concentrates and edibles companies.

The consideration for the acquisition is $6.8 million for the business and $4.5 million for the real estate and farm assets.  Total consideration of $11.3 million was paid as $5.9 million of cash and $5.4 million in Schwazze common stock upon closing.

Schwazze has major expansion plans for SCG, which includes the buildout of cultivation capacity over the next four quarters. SCG produces premium flower with approximately 30 strains and has won multiple Connoisseur Cup awards for select strains in 2020 (Best Hybrid Flower – Banger & Mac) and 2021 (Best Rec Hybrid – The Mac). 

“Our team is excited to add SCG, a premier cannabis cultivator, to our growing platform. This acquisition will provide premium quality flower to our 17 Star Buds Colorado locations.  In addition, the SCG garden will significantly increase our capability to produce a substantial amount of biomass for our Purplebee’s distillate manufacturing operation, which will benefit the entire cannabis industry throughout the state. The addition of SCG to our portfolio is expected to provide a positive margin impact for Schwazze,” said Justin Dye, Schwazze’s CEO.  

About Schwazze
Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building the premier vertically integrated cannabis company in Colorado and plans to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated leadership position.  Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition.  Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company’s leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector.  Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices.  Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze’s former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “plan,” “will,” “may,”, “predicts,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, ({ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Investors
Joanne Jobin
Investor Relations
Joanne.jobin@schwazze.com
647 964 0292

Media
Julie Suntrup, Schwazze
Vice President | Marketing & Merchandising
julie.suntrup@schwazze.com
303 371 0387

Travelzoo (TZOO) – Fast Road Toward Recovery

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Travelzoo (TZOO)
Fast Road Toward Recovery

Travelzoo is a US-based company which acts as a publisher of travel and entertainment offers. The company informs a varied number of members in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America, as well as millions of website users, about the best travel, entertainment and local deals available from various companies. It provides travel, entertainment, and local businesses in a flexible manner to the various customer. The company operates in three geographic segments namely Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. Travelzoo derives its revenue through advertising fees including listing fees paid by travel, entertainment, and local businesses to advertise their offers on company’s media properties. Most of the company’s revenue is derived from the North America.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Q2 tops expected results. Total company revenues were $19.1 million versus our $16.1 million estimate. The revenues benefited from recovering advertising trends, particularly in North America. Adjusted EBITDA was roughly $4.9 million versus our $1.7 million estimate, benefiting from higher gross margins, (86.8% versus our 79.8% estimate).

    What gross margins imply? Management indicated that full year 2021 gross margins are expected to be relatively stable from that of Q2 at 86.8%.  This is quite favorable, indicating that the company is returning toward a more “normalized” business model, one that is based on higher margin advertising, rather than lower margin Travel Voucher sales …



This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Release – Travelzoo Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

 

 


Travelzoo Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

 

NEW YORK
July 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 
Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO):

  • Consolidated revenue of 
    $19.1 million, up 172% year-over-year and up 34% quarter-over-quarter
  • Non-GAAP consolidated operating profit of 
    $4.9 million
  • Earnings per share (EPS) of 
    $0.22 attributable to 
    Travelzoo from continuing operations
  • Cash flow from operations of 
    $12.8 million

Travelzoo, a global Internet media company that publishes exclusive offers and experiences for members, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended 
June 30, 2021. Consolidated revenue was 
$19.1 million, up 172% from 
$7.0 million year-over-year and up 34% from 
$14.3 million in the prior quarter. Reported revenue excludes revenue from discontinued operations in 
Asia Pacific
Travelzoo’s reported revenue consists of advertising revenues and commissions, derived from and generated in connection with purchases made by 
Travelzoo members.

The reported net income attributable to 
Travelzoo from continuing operations was 
$3.0 million for Q2 2021. At the consolidated level, including minority interests, the reported net income from continuing operations was 
$3.0 million. EPS from continuing operations was 
$0.22, compared to a loss per share of (
$0.48) in the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP operating profit was 
$4.9 million. The calculation of non-GAAP operating profit excludes amortization of intangibles (
$0.3 million), stock option expenses (
$0.9 million), and severance-related expenses (
$0.2 million). See section “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

“We see continued improvement in our business. We seize the exceptional industry opportunities for providing 30 million 
Travelzoo members exclusive and irresistible travel, entertainment, and local offers and experiences. 
Travelzoo members are affluent, active, and open for new experiences. 75% say 
Travelzoo influences their travel destinations because they trust 
Travelzoo“, said  Holger Bartel, Global CEO.

Cash Position
As of 
June 30, 2021, consolidated cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were 
$82.1 million. Cash flow from operations was 
$12.8 million. There were no significant capital expenditures.

Reserve
Reported revenues include a reserve of 
$3.7 million related to commissions to be earned from refundable vouchers sold. The reserve is booked as contra revenue. For Q2 2021, an adjustment to the reserve increased reported revenue by 
$286,000.

Travelzoo North America

North America business segment revenue increased 233% year-over-year to 
$14.0 million. Operating profit for Q2 2021 was 
$3.5 million, or 25% of revenue, compared to an operating loss of 
$4.7 million in the prior-year period.

Travelzoo Europe

Europe business segment revenue increased 128% year-over-year to 
$4.2 million. Operating loss for Q2 2021 was 
$227,000, compared to an operating loss of 
$1.7 million in the prior-year period.

Jack’s Flight Club
On 
January 13, 2020
Travelzoo acquired 60% of Jack’s 
Flight Club, a membership subscription service. Jack’s 
Flight Club revenue decreased 9% year-over-year to 
$860,000. Operating income for Q2 2021 was 
$170,000, compared to an operating loss of 
$248,000 in the prior-year period. After consolidation with 
Travelzoo, Jack’s 
Flight Club’s net income was 
$98,000, with 
$59,000 attributable to 
Travelzoo as a result of recording 
$275,000 of amortization of intangible assets related to the acquisition.

Licensing
In 
June 2020
Travelzoo sold its subsidiary in 
Japan, Travelzoo Japan K.K., to Mr.  Hajime Suzuki. In connection with the sale, 
Travelzoo and Travelzoo Japan K.K. entered into a royalty-bearing licensing agreement for the exclusive use of 
Travelzoo members in 
Japan. In 
August 2020
Travelzoo sold its 
Singapore subsidiary to Mr.  Julian Rembrandt and entered into a royalty-bearing licensing agreement for, among other things, the exclusive use of 
Travelzoo’s members in 
Australia
New Zealand, and 
Singapore. Under the licensing agreements, 
Travelzoo’s existing members in 
Australia
Japan
New Zealand, and 
Singapore will continue to be owned by 
Travelzoo as the licensor. Licensing revenue is booked with a lag of one quarter. 
Travelzoo did not record any licensing revenue from either subsidiary in Q2 2021.

Members and Subscribers
As of 
June 30, 2021, we had 31.3 million members worldwide. In 
North America, the unduplicated number of 
Travelzoo members was 17.7 million as of 
June 30, 2021, up 6% from 
June 30, 2020. In 
Europe, the unduplicated number of 
Travelzoo members was 8.5 million as of 
June 30, 2021, down 6% from 
June 30, 2020. Jack’s 
Flight Club had 1.7 million subscribers as of 
June 30, 2021, consistent with 1.7 million subscribers as of 
June 30, 2020.

Discontinued Operations
As announced in a press release on 
March 10, 2020
Travelzoo decided to exit its 
Asia Pacific business which in 2019 reduced EPS by 
$0.60. The 
Asia Pacific business has been classified as discontinued operations since 
March 31, 2020. Prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current presentation. Certain reclassifications have been made for current and prior periods between the continued operations and the discontinued operations in accordance with 
U.S. GAAP.

Income Taxes
Income tax expense was 
$1.1 million in Q2 2021, compared to an income tax benefit of 
$1.3 million in the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management calculates non-GAAP operating income when evaluating the financial performance of the business. Travelzoo’s calculation of non-GAAP operating income, also called “non-GAAP operating profit” in this press release and today’s earnings conference call, excludes the following items: impairment of intangibles and goodwill, amortization of intangibles, stock option expenses, and severance- related expenses. This press release includes a table which reconciles GAAP operating income to the calculation of non-GAAP operating income. Non-GAAP operating income is not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in 
the United States of America (“GAAP”). This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be the same as similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Looking Ahead
We currently expect for Q3 2021 to report higher revenue and profitability. We see a trend of recovery of our revenue. We have been able to reduce our operating expenses, and we believe we can continue the trend of lower fixed costs in the foreseeable future.

Conference Call

Travelzoo will host a conference call to discuss second quarter results today at 
11:00 a.m. ET. Please visit http://ir.travelzoo.com/events-presentations to download the management presentation (PDF format) to be discussed in the conference call; and access the webcast.

About Travelzoo
Travelzoo® provides our 30 million members insider deals and one-of-a-kind experiences personally reviewed by one of our deal experts around the globe. We have our finger on the pulse of outstanding travel, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences. For over 20 years we have worked in partnership with more than 5,000 top travel suppliers—our long-standing relationships give 
Travelzoo members access to irresistible deals.

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions, markets in which we participate and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts. When used in this press release, the words “expect”, “predict”, “project”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including changes in our plans, objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions and other factors discussed in our filings with the 
SEC. We cannot guarantee any future levels of activity, performance or achievements. 
Travelzoo undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Travelzoo, Top 20, and 
Jack’s Flight Club are registered trademarks of 
Travelzoo.

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
Revenues $ 19,079     $ 7,004     $ 33,363     $ 27,331  
Cost of revenues 2,522     2,141     5,540     4,844  
Gross profit 16,557     4,863     27,823     22,487  
Operating expenses:              
Sales and marketing 7,340     4,288     14,130     17,382  
Product development 685     566     1,368     1,994  
General and administrative 5,056     6,642     9,616     12,164  
Impairment of intangible asset and goodwill             2,920  
Total operating expenses 13,081     11,496     25,114     34,460  
Operating income (loss) 3,476     (6,633 )   2,709     (11,973 )
Other income (loss), net 684     (179 )   518     (185 )
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes 4,160     (6,812 )   3,227     (12,158 )
Income tax expense (benefit) 1,136     (1,309 )   1,878     (1,826 )
Income (loss) from continuing operations 3,024     (5,503 )   1,349     (10,332 )
Income (loss) from discontinued operations,
net of tax
29     (795 )   14     (3,714 )
Net income (loss) 3,053     (6,298 )   1,363     (14,046 )
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 39     (108 )   (9 )   (1,247 )
Net income (loss) attributable to 
Travelzoo
$ 3,014     $ (6,190 )   $ 1,372     $ (12,799 )
               
Net income (loss) attributable to Travelzoo—continuing operations $ 2,985     $ (5,395 )   $ 1,358     $ (9,085 )
Net income (loss) attributable to Travelzoo—discontinued operations $ 29     $ (795 )   $ 14     $ (3,714 )
               
Income (Loss) per share—basic              
Continuing operations $ 0.26     $ (0.48 )   $ 0.12     $ (0.80 )
Discontinued operations $     $ (0.07 )   $     $ (0.33 )
Net income (loss) per share —basic $ 0.26     $ (0.55 )   $ 0.12     $ (1.13 )
               
Income (Loss) per share—diluted              
Continuing operations $ 0.22     $ (0.48 )   $ 0.10     $ (0.80 )
Discontinued operations $     $ (0.07 )   $     $ (0.33 )
Net income (loss) per share—diluted $ 0.22     $ (0.55 )   $ 0.10     $ (1.13 )
Shares used in per share calculation from continuing operations—basic 11,488     11,310     11,440     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from discontinued operations—basic 11,488     11,310     11,440     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from continuing operations—diluted 13,408     11,310     13,248     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from discontinued operations—diluted 13,408     11,310     13,248     11,375  
                       

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

  June 30,
2021
  December 31,
2020
Assets      
Current assets:      
Cash and cash equivalents $ 80,962     $ 63,061  
Accounts receivable, net 9,905     4,519  
Prepaid income taxes 1,616     931  
Deposits 105     137  
Prepaid expenses and other 3,253     1,166  
Assets from discontinued operations 84     230  
Total current assets 95,925     70,044  
Deposits and other 1,552     745  
Deferred tax assets 3,647     5,067  
Restricted cash 1,164     1,178  
Operating lease right-of-use assets 8,559     8,541  
Property and equipment, net 1,034     1,347  
Intangible assets, net 3,975     4,534  
Goodwill 10,944     10,944  
Total assets $ 126,800     $ 102,400  
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
Current liabilities:      
Accounts payable $ 8,503     $ 6,996  
Merchant payables 82,236     57,104  
Accrued expenses and other 8,222     8,649  
Deferred revenue 2,213     2,688  
Operating lease liabilities 3,751     3,587  
PPP notes payable (current portion) 3,156     2,849  
Income tax payable 98     326  
Liabilities from discontinued operations 482     671  
Total current liabilities 108,661     82,870  
PPP notes payables     814  
Deferred tax liabilities 38     357  
Long-term operating lease liabilities 10,353     10,774  
Other long-term liabilities 2,146     1,085  
Total liabilities 121,198     95,900  
Non-controlling interest 4,600     4,609  
Common stock 115     114  
Treasury stock (at cost) (1,583 )    
Additional paid-in capital 4,988     6,239  
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 969     (403 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3,487 )   (4,059 )
Total stockholders’ equity 1,002     1,891  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 126,800     $ 102,400  
               

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
Cash flows from operating activities:              
Net income (loss) $ 3,053     $ (6,298 )   $ 1,363     $ (14,046 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:              
Depreciation and amortization 476     667     960     1,218  
Stock-based compensation 934     4,031     1,816     4,054  
Deferred income tax 599     (1,152 )   1,140     (1,761 )
Impairment of intangible assets and goodwill             2,920  
Gain on notes payable settlement     (1,500 )       (1,500 )
Loss on long-lived assets             437  
Loss on equity investment in WeGo     141         336  
Gain on PPP notes payable forgiveness (429 )       (429 )    
Net foreign currency effects (103 )   225     (255 )   (456 )
Provision (reversal) of loss on accounts receivable and other reserves (417 )   986     (871 )   2,427  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:              
Accounts receivable (2,552 )   3,674     (4,781 )   6,183  
Prepaid income taxes (168 )       (713 )   989  
Prepaid expenses and other (418 )   558     (2,775 )   1,420  
Accounts payable (312 )   1,602     1,415     2,149  
Merchant payables 11,973     15,100     25,185     8,160  
Accrued expenses and other 321     (2,084 )   (320 )   (1,380 )
Income tax payable (102 )   266     (228 )   (67 )
Other liabilities (80 )   263     332     2,340  
Net cash provided by operating activities 12,775     16,479     21,839     13,423  
Cash flows from investing activities:              
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired             (679 )
Other investment     (430 )       (430 )
Purchases of property and equipment (77 )   (72 )   (84 )   (203 )
Net cash used in investing activities (77 )   (502 )   (84 )   (1,312 )
Cash flows from financing activities:              
Repurchase of common stock         (1,583 )   (1,205 )
Payment of promissory notes     (6,800 )       (7,800 )
Proceeds from notes payable     3,663         3,663  
Exercise of stock options and taxes paid for net share settlement (3,066 )       (3,066 )    
Net cash used in financing activities (3,066 )   (3,137 )   (4,649 )   (5,342 )
Effect of exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 427     (239 )   697     (511 )
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 10,059     12,601     17,803     6,258  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 72,129     14,367     64,385     20,710  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 82,188     $ 26,968     $ 82,188     $ 26,968  
                               

Travelzoo
Segment Information from Continuing Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

Three months ended June 30, 2021 Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 13,650     $ 4,569     $ 860     $       $ 19,079  
Intersegment revenue 335     (335 )              
Total net revenues 13,985     4,234     860           19,079  
Operating income (loss) $ 3,533     $ (227 )   $ 170     $       $ 3,476  
                   
Three months ended June 30, 2020 Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 4,254     $ 1,805     $ 945     $       $ 7,004  
Intersegment revenue (52 )   52                
Total net revenues 4,202     1,857     945           7,004  
Operating loss $ (4,702 )   $ (1,683 )   $ (248 )   $       $ (6,633 )

 

Six months ended
June 30, 2021
Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 23,478     $ 8,138     $ 1,747     $     $ 33,363  
Intersegment revenue 326     (326 )            
Total net revenues 23,804     7,812     1,747         33,363  
Operating income (loss) $ 3,572     $ (923 )   $ 60     $     $ 2,709  
                   
Six months ended
June 30, 2020
Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 16,803     $ 8,908     $ 1,628     $ (8 )   $ 27,331  
Intersegment revenue 96     (104 )       8      
Total net revenues 16,899     8,804     1,628         27,331  
Operating loss $ (5,678 )   $ (3,024 )   $ (3,263 )   $ (8 )   $ (11,973 )


Travelzoo
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Information
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
GAAP operating expense $ 13,081     $ 11,496     $ 25,114     $ 34,460  
Non-GAAP adjustments:              
Impairment of intangible and goodwill (A)             2,920  
Amortization of intangibles (B) 275     396     559     611  
Stock option expenses (C) 934     4,031     1,816     4,054  
Severance-related expenses (D) 175     67     398     284  
Non-GAAP operating expense 11,697     7,002     22,341     26,591  
               
GAAP operating income (loss) 3,476     (6,633 )   2,709     (11,973 )
Non-GAAP adjustments (A through D) 1,384     4,494     2,773     7,869  
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) 4,861     (2,139 )   5,482     (4,104 )

Investor Relations:
Almira Pusch
ir@travelzoo.com

Source: Travelzoo

Todays Drug Policies are Part of a Long History


Image Credit: Ignacio Ferre Pérez (Flickr)


When Did Humans Start Experimenting With Alcohol and Drugs?

 

Humans constantly alter the world. We burn fields, turn forests into farms, and breed plants and animals. But humans don’t just reshape our external world – we engineer our internal worlds, and reshape our minds.

One way we do this is by upgrading our mental “software”, so to speak, with myths, religion, philosophy and psychology. The other is to change our mental hardware – our brains. And we do that with chemistry.

Today, humans use thousands of psychoactive compounds to alter our experience of the world. Many derive from plants and fungi, others we manufacture. Some, like coffee and tea, increase alertness; others, like alcohol and opiates, decrease it.Psychiatric drugs affect mood, while psychedelics alter reality.

We alter brain chemistry for all kinds of reasons, using substances recreationally, socially, medicinally, and ritually. Wild animals sometimes eat fermented fruit, but there’s little evidence that they eat psychoactive plants. We’re unusual animals in our enthusiasm for getting drunk and high. But when, where and why did it all start?

 

High on Life in the Pleistocene

Given humanity’s love of drugs and alcohol, you might assume getting high is an ancient, even prehistoric tradition. Some researchers have suggested prehistoric cave paintings were made by humans experiencing altered states of consciousness. Others, perhaps inspired more by hallucinogens than hard evidence, suggest that drugs triggered the evolution of human consciousness. Yet there’s surprisingly little archaeological evidence for prehistoric drug use.

African hunter-gathers – Bushmen, Pygmies and the Hadzabe people – likely live their lives in ways similar to ancestral human cultures. The most compelling evidence for the use of drugs by such early humans is a potentially hallucinogenic plant, kaishe, used by Bushmen healers, which supposedly makes people “go mad for a while”. Yet how much Bushmen historically used drugs is debated, and otherwise, there’s little evidence for drug use in hunter-gatherers.

The implication is that, despite Africa’s diverse plants and fungi, early humans used drugs rarely, maybe to induce trances during rituals, if at all. Perhaps their lifestyle meant they rarely felt the need for escape. Exercise, sunlight, nature, time with friends and family – they’re powerful antidepressants. Drugs are also dangerous; just as you shouldn’t drive drunk, it’s risky to get high when lions lurk in the bush, or a hostile tribe waits one valley over.

Out of Africa

Migrating out of Africa 100,000 years ago, humans explored new lands and encountered new substances. People discovered opium poppies in the Mediterranean, and cannabis and tea in Asia.

 

Author Provided Map

 

Archaeologists have found evidence of opium use in Europe by 5,700 BC. Cannabis seeds appear in archaeological digs at 8,100 BC in Asia, and the ancient Greek historian Herodotus reported Scythians getting high on weed in 450 BC. Tea was brewed in China by 100 BC.

It’s possible our ancestors experimented with substances before the archaeological evidence suggests. Stones and pottery preserve well, but plants and chemicals decay quickly. For all we know, Neanderthals could have been the first to smoke pot. But archaeology suggests the discovery and intensive use of psychoactive substances mostly happened late, after the Neolithic Revolution in 10,000 BC, when we invented farming and civilization.

 

Evidence suggests human drug use came after the Neolithic Revolution, Author provided

The American Psychonauts

When hunters trekked across the Bering Land Bridge 30,000 years ago into Alaska and headed south, they found a chemical cornucopia. Here, the hunters discovered tobacco, coca and maté. But for some reason, indigenous Americans were especially fascinated with psychedelics.

American psychedelics included peyote cactus, San Pedro cactus, morning-glory, Datura, Salvia, Anadenanthera, Ayahuasca, and over 20 species of psychoactive mushrooms. It was a pre-Columbian Burning Man. Indigenous Americans also invented the nasal administration of tobacco and hallucinogens. They were the first to snort drugs – a practice Europeans later borrowed.

 

 A Mixtec Codex showing the ceremonial use of mushrooms. British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA

This American psychedelic culture is ancient. Peyote buttons have been carbon-dated to 4,000 BC, while Mexican mushroom statues hint at Psilocybe use in 500 BC. A 1,000 year-old stash found in Bolivia contained cocaine, Anadenanthera and ayahuasca – and must’ve been one hell of a trip.

Inventing Alcohol

A huge step in the evolution of debauchery was the invention of agriculture because farming made booze possible. It created a surplus of sugars and starches which, mashed and left to ferment, magically transformed into potent brews.

Humans invented alcohol many times independently. The oldest booze dates to 7,000 BC, in China. Wine was fermented in the Caucasus in 6,000 BC; Sumerians brewed beer in 3,000 BC. In the Americas, Aztecs made pulque from the same agaves used today for tequila; Incas brewed chicha, a corn beer.

While in America, psychedelics appear to have been particularly important, Eurasian and African civilizations seem to have preferred alcohol. Wine was central to ancient Greek and Roman cultures, was served at Plato’s Symposium and at the Last Supper, and remains incorporated in the Jewish Seder and Christian communion rituals.

 

Civilization and Intoxication

Archaeology suggests alcohol and drugs date back millennia to early agricultural societies. But there’s little evidence early hunter-gatherers used them. That implies something about agricultural societies and the civilizations they gave rise to promoted substance use. But why?

It’s possible large civilizations simply drive innovation of all kinds: in ceramics, textiles, metals – and psychoactive substances. Perhaps alcohol and drugs also promoted civilization – drinking can help people socialize, altered perspectives encourage creativity, and caffeine makes us productive. And it may just be safer to get drunk or high in a city than the savannah.

A darker possibility is that psychoactive substance use developed in response to civilization’s ills. Large societies create large problems – wars, plagues, inequalities in wealth and power – against which individuals are relatively powerless. Perhaps when people couldn’t change their circumstances, they decided to change their minds.

 

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news site
dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the
research-based findings and opinions of 
Nicholas R. Longrich Senior
Lecturer in Evolutionary Biology and Paleontology, University of Bath.

 

 

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Today’s Drug Policies are Part of a Long History


Image Credit: Ignacio Ferre Pérez (Flickr)


When Did Humans Start Experimenting With Alcohol and Drugs?

 

Humans constantly alter the world. We burn fields, turn forests into farms, and breed plants and animals. But humans don’t just reshape our external world – we engineer our internal worlds, and reshape our minds.

One way we do this is by upgrading our mental “software”, so to speak, with myths, religion, philosophy and psychology. The other is to change our mental hardware – our brains. And we do that with chemistry.

Today, humans use thousands of psychoactive compounds to alter our experience of the world. Many derive from plants and fungi, others we manufacture. Some, like coffee and tea, increase alertness; others, like alcohol and opiates, decrease it.Psychiatric drugs affect mood, while psychedelics alter reality.

We alter brain chemistry for all kinds of reasons, using substances recreationally, socially, medicinally, and ritually. Wild animals sometimes eat fermented fruit, but there’s little evidence that they eat psychoactive plants. We’re unusual animals in our enthusiasm for getting drunk and high. But when, where and why did it all start?

 

High on Life in the Pleistocene

Given humanity’s love of drugs and alcohol, you might assume getting high is an ancient, even prehistoric tradition. Some researchers have suggested prehistoric cave paintings were made by humans experiencing altered states of consciousness. Others, perhaps inspired more by hallucinogens than hard evidence, suggest that drugs triggered the evolution of human consciousness. Yet there’s surprisingly little archaeological evidence for prehistoric drug use.

African hunter-gathers – Bushmen, Pygmies and the Hadzabe people – likely live their lives in ways similar to ancestral human cultures. The most compelling evidence for the use of drugs by such early humans is a potentially hallucinogenic plant, kaishe, used by Bushmen healers, which supposedly makes people “go mad for a while”. Yet how much Bushmen historically used drugs is debated, and otherwise, there’s little evidence for drug use in hunter-gatherers.

The implication is that, despite Africa’s diverse plants and fungi, early humans used drugs rarely, maybe to induce trances during rituals, if at all. Perhaps their lifestyle meant they rarely felt the need for escape. Exercise, sunlight, nature, time with friends and family – they’re powerful antidepressants. Drugs are also dangerous; just as you shouldn’t drive drunk, it’s risky to get high when lions lurk in the bush, or a hostile tribe waits one valley over.

Out of Africa

Migrating out of Africa 100,000 years ago, humans explored new lands and encountered new substances. People discovered opium poppies in the Mediterranean, and cannabis and tea in Asia.

 

Author Provided Map

 

Archaeologists have found evidence of opium use in Europe by 5,700 BC. Cannabis seeds appear in archaeological digs at 8,100 BC in Asia, and the ancient Greek historian Herodotus reported Scythians getting high on weed in 450 BC. Tea was brewed in China by 100 BC.

It’s possible our ancestors experimented with substances before the archaeological evidence suggests. Stones and pottery preserve well, but plants and chemicals decay quickly. For all we know, Neanderthals could have been the first to smoke pot. But archaeology suggests the discovery and intensive use of psychoactive substances mostly happened late, after the Neolithic Revolution in 10,000 BC, when we invented farming and civilization.

 

Evidence suggests human drug use came after the Neolithic Revolution, Author provided

The American Psychonauts

When hunters trekked across the Bering Land Bridge 30,000 years ago into Alaska and headed south, they found a chemical cornucopia. Here, the hunters discovered tobacco, coca and maté. But for some reason, indigenous Americans were especially fascinated with psychedelics.

American psychedelics included peyote cactus, San Pedro cactus, morning-glory, Datura, Salvia, Anadenanthera, Ayahuasca, and over 20 species of psychoactive mushrooms. It was a pre-Columbian Burning Man. Indigenous Americans also invented the nasal administration of tobacco and hallucinogens. They were the first to snort drugs – a practice Europeans later borrowed.

 

 A Mixtec Codex showing the ceremonial use of mushrooms. British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA

This American psychedelic culture is ancient. Peyote buttons have been carbon-dated to 4,000 BC, while Mexican mushroom statues hint at Psilocybe use in 500 BC. A 1,000 year-old stash found in Bolivia contained cocaine, Anadenanthera and ayahuasca – and must’ve been one hell of a trip.

Inventing Alcohol

A huge step in the evolution of debauchery was the invention of agriculture because farming made booze possible. It created a surplus of sugars and starches which, mashed and left to ferment, magically transformed into potent brews.

Humans invented alcohol many times independently. The oldest booze dates to 7,000 BC, in China. Wine was fermented in the Caucasus in 6,000 BC; Sumerians brewed beer in 3,000 BC. In the Americas, Aztecs made pulque from the same agaves used today for tequila; Incas brewed chicha, a corn beer.

While in America, psychedelics appear to have been particularly important, Eurasian and African civilizations seem to have preferred alcohol. Wine was central to ancient Greek and Roman cultures, was served at Plato’s Symposium and at the Last Supper, and remains incorporated in the Jewish Seder and Christian communion rituals.

 

Civilization and Intoxication

Archaeology suggests alcohol and drugs date back millennia to early agricultural societies. But there’s little evidence early hunter-gatherers used them. That implies something about agricultural societies and the civilizations they gave rise to promoted substance use. But why?

It’s possible large civilizations simply drive innovation of all kinds: in ceramics, textiles, metals – and psychoactive substances. Perhaps alcohol and drugs also promoted civilization – drinking can help people socialize, altered perspectives encourage creativity, and caffeine makes us productive. And it may just be safer to get drunk or high in a city than the savannah.

A darker possibility is that psychoactive substance use developed in response to civilization’s ills. Large societies create large problems – wars, plagues, inequalities in wealth and power – against which individuals are relatively powerless. Perhaps when people couldn’t change their circumstances, they decided to change their minds.

 

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news site
dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the
research-based findings and opinions of 
Nicholas R. Longrich Senior
Lecturer in Evolutionary Biology and Paleontology, University of Bath.

 

 

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Reading:



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The NFL and Big Companies are Changing their Thinking on Cannabis



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Travelzoo Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

 

 


Travelzoo Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

 

NEW YORK
July 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 
Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO):

  • Consolidated revenue of 
    $19.1 million, up 172% year-over-year and up 34% quarter-over-quarter
  • Non-GAAP consolidated operating profit of 
    $4.9 million
  • Earnings per share (EPS) of 
    $0.22 attributable to 
    Travelzoo from continuing operations
  • Cash flow from operations of 
    $12.8 million

Travelzoo, a global Internet media company that publishes exclusive offers and experiences for members, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended 
June 30, 2021. Consolidated revenue was 
$19.1 million, up 172% from 
$7.0 million year-over-year and up 34% from 
$14.3 million in the prior quarter. Reported revenue excludes revenue from discontinued operations in 
Asia Pacific
Travelzoo’s reported revenue consists of advertising revenues and commissions, derived from and generated in connection with purchases made by 
Travelzoo members.

The reported net income attributable to 
Travelzoo from continuing operations was 
$3.0 million for Q2 2021. At the consolidated level, including minority interests, the reported net income from continuing operations was 
$3.0 million. EPS from continuing operations was 
$0.22, compared to a loss per share of (
$0.48) in the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP operating profit was 
$4.9 million. The calculation of non-GAAP operating profit excludes amortization of intangibles (
$0.3 million), stock option expenses (
$0.9 million), and severance-related expenses (
$0.2 million). See section “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

“We see continued improvement in our business. We seize the exceptional industry opportunities for providing 30 million 
Travelzoo members exclusive and irresistible travel, entertainment, and local offers and experiences. 
Travelzoo members are affluent, active, and open for new experiences. 75% say 
Travelzoo influences their travel destinations because they trust 
Travelzoo“, said  Holger Bartel, Global CEO.

Cash Position
As of 
June 30, 2021, consolidated cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were 
$82.1 million. Cash flow from operations was 
$12.8 million. There were no significant capital expenditures.

Reserve
Reported revenues include a reserve of 
$3.7 million related to commissions to be earned from refundable vouchers sold. The reserve is booked as contra revenue. For Q2 2021, an adjustment to the reserve increased reported revenue by 
$286,000.

Travelzoo North America

North America business segment revenue increased 233% year-over-year to 
$14.0 million. Operating profit for Q2 2021 was 
$3.5 million, or 25% of revenue, compared to an operating loss of 
$4.7 million in the prior-year period.

Travelzoo Europe

Europe business segment revenue increased 128% year-over-year to 
$4.2 million. Operating loss for Q2 2021 was 
$227,000, compared to an operating loss of 
$1.7 million in the prior-year period.

Jack’s Flight Club
On 
January 13, 2020
Travelzoo acquired 60% of Jack’s 
Flight Club, a membership subscription service. Jack’s 
Flight Club revenue decreased 9% year-over-year to 
$860,000. Operating income for Q2 2021 was 
$170,000, compared to an operating loss of 
$248,000 in the prior-year period. After consolidation with 
Travelzoo, Jack’s 
Flight Club’s net income was 
$98,000, with 
$59,000 attributable to 
Travelzoo as a result of recording 
$275,000 of amortization of intangible assets related to the acquisition.

Licensing
In 
June 2020
Travelzoo sold its subsidiary in 
Japan, Travelzoo Japan K.K., to Mr.  Hajime Suzuki. In connection with the sale, 
Travelzoo and Travelzoo Japan K.K. entered into a royalty-bearing licensing agreement for the exclusive use of 
Travelzoo members in 
Japan. In 
August 2020
Travelzoo sold its 
Singapore subsidiary to Mr.  Julian Rembrandt and entered into a royalty-bearing licensing agreement for, among other things, the exclusive use of 
Travelzoo’s members in 
Australia
New Zealand, and 
Singapore. Under the licensing agreements, 
Travelzoo’s existing members in 
Australia
Japan
New Zealand, and 
Singapore will continue to be owned by 
Travelzoo as the licensor. Licensing revenue is booked with a lag of one quarter. 
Travelzoo did not record any licensing revenue from either subsidiary in Q2 2021.

Members and Subscribers
As of 
June 30, 2021, we had 31.3 million members worldwide. In 
North America, the unduplicated number of 
Travelzoo members was 17.7 million as of 
June 30, 2021, up 6% from 
June 30, 2020. In 
Europe, the unduplicated number of 
Travelzoo members was 8.5 million as of 
June 30, 2021, down 6% from 
June 30, 2020. Jack’s 
Flight Club had 1.7 million subscribers as of 
June 30, 2021, consistent with 1.7 million subscribers as of 
June 30, 2020.

Discontinued Operations
As announced in a press release on 
March 10, 2020
Travelzoo decided to exit its 
Asia Pacific business which in 2019 reduced EPS by 
$0.60. The 
Asia Pacific business has been classified as discontinued operations since 
March 31, 2020. Prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current presentation. Certain reclassifications have been made for current and prior periods between the continued operations and the discontinued operations in accordance with 
U.S. GAAP.

Income Taxes
Income tax expense was 
$1.1 million in Q2 2021, compared to an income tax benefit of 
$1.3 million in the prior-year period.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management calculates non-GAAP operating income when evaluating the financial performance of the business. Travelzoo’s calculation of non-GAAP operating income, also called “non-GAAP operating profit” in this press release and today’s earnings conference call, excludes the following items: impairment of intangibles and goodwill, amortization of intangibles, stock option expenses, and severance- related expenses. This press release includes a table which reconciles GAAP operating income to the calculation of non-GAAP operating income. Non-GAAP operating income is not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in 
the United States of America (“GAAP”). This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be the same as similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Looking Ahead
We currently expect for Q3 2021 to report higher revenue and profitability. We see a trend of recovery of our revenue. We have been able to reduce our operating expenses, and we believe we can continue the trend of lower fixed costs in the foreseeable future.

Conference Call

Travelzoo will host a conference call to discuss second quarter results today at 
11:00 a.m. ET. Please visit http://ir.travelzoo.com/events-presentations to download the management presentation (PDF format) to be discussed in the conference call; and access the webcast.

About Travelzoo
Travelzoo® provides our 30 million members insider deals and one-of-a-kind experiences personally reviewed by one of our deal experts around the globe. We have our finger on the pulse of outstanding travel, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences. For over 20 years we have worked in partnership with more than 5,000 top travel suppliers—our long-standing relationships give 
Travelzoo members access to irresistible deals.

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions, markets in which we participate and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts. When used in this press release, the words “expect”, “predict”, “project”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including changes in our plans, objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions and other factors discussed in our filings with the 
SEC. We cannot guarantee any future levels of activity, performance or achievements. 
Travelzoo undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Travelzoo, Top 20, and 
Jack’s Flight Club are registered trademarks of 
Travelzoo.

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
Revenues $ 19,079     $ 7,004     $ 33,363     $ 27,331  
Cost of revenues 2,522     2,141     5,540     4,844  
Gross profit 16,557     4,863     27,823     22,487  
Operating expenses:              
Sales and marketing 7,340     4,288     14,130     17,382  
Product development 685     566     1,368     1,994  
General and administrative 5,056     6,642     9,616     12,164  
Impairment of intangible asset and goodwill             2,920  
Total operating expenses 13,081     11,496     25,114     34,460  
Operating income (loss) 3,476     (6,633 )   2,709     (11,973 )
Other income (loss), net 684     (179 )   518     (185 )
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes 4,160     (6,812 )   3,227     (12,158 )
Income tax expense (benefit) 1,136     (1,309 )   1,878     (1,826 )
Income (loss) from continuing operations 3,024     (5,503 )   1,349     (10,332 )
Income (loss) from discontinued operations,
net of tax
29     (795 )   14     (3,714 )
Net income (loss) 3,053     (6,298 )   1,363     (14,046 )
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 39     (108 )   (9 )   (1,247 )
Net income (loss) attributable to 
Travelzoo
$ 3,014     $ (6,190 )   $ 1,372     $ (12,799 )
               
Net income (loss) attributable to Travelzoo—continuing operations $ 2,985     $ (5,395 )   $ 1,358     $ (9,085 )
Net income (loss) attributable to Travelzoo—discontinued operations $ 29     $ (795 )   $ 14     $ (3,714 )
               
Income (Loss) per share—basic              
Continuing operations $ 0.26     $ (0.48 )   $ 0.12     $ (0.80 )
Discontinued operations $     $ (0.07 )   $     $ (0.33 )
Net income (loss) per share —basic $ 0.26     $ (0.55 )   $ 0.12     $ (1.13 )
               
Income (Loss) per share—diluted              
Continuing operations $ 0.22     $ (0.48 )   $ 0.10     $ (0.80 )
Discontinued operations $     $ (0.07 )   $     $ (0.33 )
Net income (loss) per share—diluted $ 0.22     $ (0.55 )   $ 0.10     $ (1.13 )
Shares used in per share calculation from continuing operations—basic 11,488     11,310     11,440     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from discontinued operations—basic 11,488     11,310     11,440     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from continuing operations—diluted 13,408     11,310     13,248     11,375  
Shares used in per share calculation from discontinued operations—diluted 13,408     11,310     13,248     11,375  
                       

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

  June 30,
2021
  December 31,
2020
Assets      
Current assets:      
Cash and cash equivalents $ 80,962     $ 63,061  
Accounts receivable, net 9,905     4,519  
Prepaid income taxes 1,616     931  
Deposits 105     137  
Prepaid expenses and other 3,253     1,166  
Assets from discontinued operations 84     230  
Total current assets 95,925     70,044  
Deposits and other 1,552     745  
Deferred tax assets 3,647     5,067  
Restricted cash 1,164     1,178  
Operating lease right-of-use assets 8,559     8,541  
Property and equipment, net 1,034     1,347  
Intangible assets, net 3,975     4,534  
Goodwill 10,944     10,944  
Total assets $ 126,800     $ 102,400  
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
Current liabilities:      
Accounts payable $ 8,503     $ 6,996  
Merchant payables 82,236     57,104  
Accrued expenses and other 8,222     8,649  
Deferred revenue 2,213     2,688  
Operating lease liabilities 3,751     3,587  
PPP notes payable (current portion) 3,156     2,849  
Income tax payable 98     326  
Liabilities from discontinued operations 482     671  
Total current liabilities 108,661     82,870  
PPP notes payables     814  
Deferred tax liabilities 38     357  
Long-term operating lease liabilities 10,353     10,774  
Other long-term liabilities 2,146     1,085  
Total liabilities 121,198     95,900  
Non-controlling interest 4,600     4,609  
Common stock 115     114  
Treasury stock (at cost) (1,583 )    
Additional paid-in capital 4,988     6,239  
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 969     (403 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3,487 )   (4,059 )
Total stockholders’ equity 1,002     1,891  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 126,800     $ 102,400  
               

Travelzoo
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
Cash flows from operating activities:              
Net income (loss) $ 3,053     $ (6,298 )   $ 1,363     $ (14,046 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:              
Depreciation and amortization 476     667     960     1,218  
Stock-based compensation 934     4,031     1,816     4,054  
Deferred income tax 599     (1,152 )   1,140     (1,761 )
Impairment of intangible assets and goodwill             2,920  
Gain on notes payable settlement     (1,500 )       (1,500 )
Loss on long-lived assets             437  
Loss on equity investment in WeGo     141         336  
Gain on PPP notes payable forgiveness (429 )       (429 )    
Net foreign currency effects (103 )   225     (255 )   (456 )
Provision (reversal) of loss on accounts receivable and other reserves (417 )   986     (871 )   2,427  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:              
Accounts receivable (2,552 )   3,674     (4,781 )   6,183  
Prepaid income taxes (168 )       (713 )   989  
Prepaid expenses and other (418 )   558     (2,775 )   1,420  
Accounts payable (312 )   1,602     1,415     2,149  
Merchant payables 11,973     15,100     25,185     8,160  
Accrued expenses and other 321     (2,084 )   (320 )   (1,380 )
Income tax payable (102 )   266     (228 )   (67 )
Other liabilities (80 )   263     332     2,340  
Net cash provided by operating activities 12,775     16,479     21,839     13,423  
Cash flows from investing activities:              
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired             (679 )
Other investment     (430 )       (430 )
Purchases of property and equipment (77 )   (72 )   (84 )   (203 )
Net cash used in investing activities (77 )   (502 )   (84 )   (1,312 )
Cash flows from financing activities:              
Repurchase of common stock         (1,583 )   (1,205 )
Payment of promissory notes     (6,800 )       (7,800 )
Proceeds from notes payable     3,663         3,663  
Exercise of stock options and taxes paid for net share settlement (3,066 )       (3,066 )    
Net cash used in financing activities (3,066 )   (3,137 )   (4,649 )   (5,342 )
Effect of exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 427     (239 )   697     (511 )
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 10,059     12,601     17,803     6,258  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 72,129     14,367     64,385     20,710  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 82,188     $ 26,968     $ 82,188     $ 26,968  
                               

Travelzoo
Segment Information from Continuing Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)

Three months ended June 30, 2021 Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 13,650     $ 4,569     $ 860     $       $ 19,079  
Intersegment revenue 335     (335 )              
Total net revenues 13,985     4,234     860           19,079  
Operating income (loss) $ 3,533     $ (227 )   $ 170     $       $ 3,476  
                   
Three months ended June 30, 2020 Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 4,254     $ 1,805     $ 945     $       $ 7,004  
Intersegment revenue (52 )   52                
Total net revenues 4,202     1,857     945           7,004  
Operating loss $ (4,702 )   $ (1,683 )   $ (248 )   $       $ (6,633 )

 

Six months ended
June 30, 2021
Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 23,478     $ 8,138     $ 1,747     $     $ 33,363  
Intersegment revenue 326     (326 )            
Total net revenues 23,804     7,812     1,747         33,363  
Operating income (loss) $ 3,572     $ (923 )   $ 60     $     $ 2,709  
                   
Six months ended
June 30, 2020
Travelzoo
North

America
  Travelzoo
Europe
  Jack’s Flight
Club
  Elimination   Consolidated
Revenue from unaffiliated customers $ 16,803     $ 8,908     $ 1,628     $ (8 )   $ 27,331  
Intersegment revenue 96     (104 )       8      
Total net revenues 16,899     8,804     1,628         27,331  
Operating loss $ (5,678 )   $ (3,024 )   $ (3,263 )   $ (8 )   $ (11,973 )


Travelzoo
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Information
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

  Three months ended   Six months ended
  June 30,   June 30,
  2021   2020   2021   2020
GAAP operating expense $ 13,081     $ 11,496     $ 25,114     $ 34,460  
Non-GAAP adjustments:              
Impairment of intangible and goodwill (A)             2,920  
Amortization of intangibles (B) 275     396     559     611  
Stock option expenses (C) 934     4,031     1,816     4,054  
Severance-related expenses (D) 175     67     398     284  
Non-GAAP operating expense 11,697     7,002     22,341     26,591  
               
GAAP operating income (loss) 3,476     (6,633 )   2,709     (11,973 )
Non-GAAP adjustments (A through D) 1,384     4,494     2,773     7,869  
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) 4,861     (2,139 )   5,482     (4,104 )

Investor Relations:
Almira Pusch
ir@travelzoo.com

Source: Travelzoo

Release – Esports Entertainment Group Provides an Update on Crypto Mining Application for LAN Centers

 


Esports Entertainment Group Provides an Update on Crypto Mining Application for LAN Centers

 

Since launch > 100 centers have mined a total of $250K+ in Ethereum

Newark, New Jersey–(Newsfile Corp. – July 20, 2021) – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) (NASDAQ: GMBLW) (or the “Company”), an esports entertainment and online gambling company, is pleased to provide an update on the rollout of ggCircuit’s crypto mining application for LAN centers. The crypto mining application is an add-on to the ggLeap subscription offering that enables center owners to utilize idle computing power to mine for Ethereum by opting into the initiative with the click of a button. Since launching in beta in early May, over 100 centers have opted in and mined a total of more than $250K of Ethereum.

“The crypto mining application has exceeded our expectations so far in terms of center participation as well as revenue,” commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “This is a great example of the value that ggCircuit can bring to the customers in their network. The feedback and enthusiasm we have received from centers so far has been fantastic.”

ggCircuit is a B2B software company that provides cloud-based management for LAN centers, a tournament platform, and integrated wallet/point-of-sale solutions for enterprise customers.

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group is a full stack esports and online gambling company fueled by the growth of video-gaming and the ascendance of esports with new generations. Our mission is to help connect the world at large with the future of sports entertainment in unique and enriching ways that bring fans and gamers together. Esports Entertainment Group and its affiliates are well-poised to help fans and players to stay connected and involved with their favorite esports. From traditional sports partnerships with professional NFL/NHL/NBA/FIFA teams, community-focused tournaments in a wide range of esports, and boots-on-the-ground LAN cafes, EEG has influence over the full-spectrum of esports and gaming at all levels. The Company maintains offices in New Jersey, the UK and Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

U.S. Investor Relations
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
dave@redchip.com

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
Jeff@esportsentertainmentgroup.com

Esports Entertainment Group Provides an Update on Crypto Mining Application for LAN Centers

 


Esports Entertainment Group Provides an Update on Crypto Mining Application for LAN Centers

 

Since launch > 100 centers have mined a total of $250K+ in Ethereum

Newark, New Jersey–(Newsfile Corp. – July 20, 2021) – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMBL) (NASDAQ: GMBLW) (or the “Company”), an esports entertainment and online gambling company, is pleased to provide an update on the rollout of ggCircuit’s crypto mining application for LAN centers. The crypto mining application is an add-on to the ggLeap subscription offering that enables center owners to utilize idle computing power to mine for Ethereum by opting into the initiative with the click of a button. Since launching in beta in early May, over 100 centers have opted in and mined a total of more than $250K of Ethereum.

“The crypto mining application has exceeded our expectations so far in terms of center participation as well as revenue,” commented Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. “This is a great example of the value that ggCircuit can bring to the customers in their network. The feedback and enthusiasm we have received from centers so far has been fantastic.”

ggCircuit is a B2B software company that provides cloud-based management for LAN centers, a tournament platform, and integrated wallet/point-of-sale solutions for enterprise customers.

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group is a full stack esports and online gambling company fueled by the growth of video-gaming and the ascendance of esports with new generations. Our mission is to help connect the world at large with the future of sports entertainment in unique and enriching ways that bring fans and gamers together. Esports Entertainment Group and its affiliates are well-poised to help fans and players to stay connected and involved with their favorite esports. From traditional sports partnerships with professional NFL/NHL/NBA/FIFA teams, community-focused tournaments in a wide range of esports, and boots-on-the-ground LAN cafes, EEG has influence over the full-spectrum of esports and gaming at all levels. The Company maintains offices in New Jersey, the UK and Malta. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

U.S. Investor Relations
RedChip Companies, Inc.
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
dave@redchip.com

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
Jeff@esportsentertainmentgroup.com

Bassett Furniture (BSET) – Raises Dividend, Increases Buyback Authorization

Monday, July 19, 2021

Bassett Furniture (BSET)
Raises Dividend, Increases Buyback Authorization

Bassett Furniture Industries Inc is a manufacturer, importer, and retailer of home furnishings products in the United States. It operates through the following segments: The Wholesale segment focuses on the design, manufacture, sourcing, sale, and distribution of furniture products. The Retail segment consists of company-owned stores. The Logistical Services segment offers shipping, delivery, and warehousing services.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Dividend Increase. Basset’s Board of Directors approved a 12% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.14 per share from a prior $0.125 per share. At the current price, the projected annual dividend of $0.56 per share equates to a 2.2% dividend yield. And this does not include the special dividend the Company often announces that has historically ranged in the $0.20-$0.35 per share range.

    Increases Buyback Authorization.  Bassett also increased its share repurchase authorization by $16 million to $20 million. Back in October 2018, Bassett had increased its authorization to $20 million, indicating the Company has repurchased $16 million of stock, or roughly 6.5% of the current market capitalization, since then. With the shares drifting lower since hitting a 52-week high of $37 in …



This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Sports and Esports M&A in High Gear


Image Credit: K putt (Flickr)


Golden Age of Sports M&A to Take Place Over Next 24 Months

 

The first half of 2021 was particularly active for sports-related mergers and acquisitions. There were at least 10 deals announced within the sports betting and data category; a handful of large-scale transactions within collectibles (Topps, Collectors Universe, Goldin Auctions 2x), ticketing (Vivid Seats), events/experiential (Bowlero) and hospitality (Legends); and several smaller, more opportunistic acquisitions sprinkled across the ecosystem (The Spun, Locked On Sports Podcast Network). By comparison, one could count the number of deals announced in all of 2020 on two hands.

But dealmakers and private equity executives alike believe the second half will be even busier. In fact, Fifth Generation Sports CEO Chris Russo suggested the industry is likely headed into “the biggest bull market of sports M&A that [anyone] has ever seen.”

 

This article was originally published July 6, 2021 as part of the JohnWallStreet daily e-newsletter in Sportico. The e-newsletter is well respected in how it covers the business of sports. Cha

 

Our Take: H1 2021 may well be considered the beginning of sports M&A’s golden age, as several catalysts could drive transaction volume to even greater heights over the next 18 months. These include pent-up consumer demand (a result of the pandemic), the existence of three sectors ripe for consolidation (see: esports, sports betting, and collectibles) and the SPAC frenzy (a once-in-20-year phenomenon).

 

 

Coming out of social lockdown, the desire to live life again is high. It’s believed strong demand for live events will drive M&A opportunities. Experiential businesses were “hit really hard [over the last 15 months]. So, some [companies] are challenged [financially] and may need to sell,” Russo said. “People are also thinking about [creating] new retail experiences because of all the retail [businesses] that went belly up.” How much of that deal flow is M&A versus new business origination remains to be seen.

Enormous amounts of investment capital have been pumped into esports in recent years. But the disruption has not really led to consolidation within the business—at least not yet (save GameSquare Esports’ recent purchase of Jerry Jones’ Complexity Gaming). Russo suspects some could take place within the next 12-24 months, as businesses hurt by the absence of live events look to be swallowed up.

Sports betting was a particularly active M&A category in H1 2021. But there are a couple of reasons to think activity will accelerate. With nearly all of the large media outlets spoken for (in terms of content partnerships), operators will be looking for other ways to distinguish themselves. That could result in the acquisition of some marketing-tech companies and affiliate businesses. Of course, the process of picking off affiliate sites has already begun. We counted at least seven transactions involving sports betting affiliates over the last 18 months. The pending/potential legalization of mobile sports betting in large states, like New York and Florida (plus Canada), could also lead to some deals as operators look to quickly acquire users in those markets.

 

 

The fragmented collectibles business is ripe for consolidation. The industry now has a handful of big fish (see: SPAC-supported Topps, Steve Cohen-backed Collectors Holdings, Fanatics and Dapper Labs), but the majority of legacy collectibles-related companies still operate as mom-and-pop shops. Said Russo, “There is certainly potential for a lot of those [entities] to get rolled up or bought by some of the bigger players.” That would include companies looking to find their place in the digital collectibles world. It should be noted that Sportico reported Collectors Holdings agreed to purchase The Chernin Group-backed Goldin Auctions late last week.

One vertical unlikely to serve as a growth engine for M&A, however, is sports media. “When you think about sports media, a lot of the major deals have already been done (think: Fox RSNs),” Russo said. “There may be some smaller deals—we saw Outkick, The Spun and Locked On Sports Podcast Network all sold in H1 2021—but [there is unlikely to be] a whole lot happening in between.”

The large number of SPACs looking for a sports-themed company is expected to drive M&A activity, too (assuming the PIPE market holds it up). Remember, each SPAC that goes public needs to complete a business combination within two years (or return the money raised to shareholders and shutter the SPAC). As of June 24, Sportico’s SPAC tracker shows there are 113 sports-focused SPACs and/or SPACs led by sports executives currently planning an IPO (12), pricing an IPO (51) or seeking a target (50).

SPACs that get through (i.e., consummate a business combination) should also be acquisitive moving forward. “There’s a lot of pressure on SPAC companies, once they get de-SPAC’d, to grow quickly and buy things now that they have access to liquid currency,” Russo said. “If each of those companies buys two more [assets] each year, the amount of deals that will occur over the next 24 months will be astounding.”

SPAC acquisitions will be larger transactions (simply because that is the nature of SPACs and the public markets). But most of the deals that take place over the next 18 or so months—“roll-ups and niche buys,” Russo said—are likely to be of the middle-market variety (think: $25 million to $100 million). Strong demand and competitive marketplace dynamics could push asset valuations higher than they might otherwise be.

One of the reasons demand is expected to be so strong is because institutional investors only recently discovered that sports is a viable business. “The combination of COVID and a lot of investment activity just opened up everyone’s eyes that this is a category you can invest in. [Sports] might not provide the full upside you get from tech and venture. But you also don’t have the downside,” said a partner at one sports PE firm.

While we anticipate an active sports M&A market through the summer of 2023, team control transactions are likely to be few and far between. “For the most part, owners today want these teams to be legacy businesses that they pass down to their kids,” Russo said. The PE executive we spoke to agreed, before suggesting that limited partnership stake sales could ramp up as “people now accept they can invest in a team either through a fund or separately.”

 

Suggested Reading:



How Does the Esports Industry Make Money



Esports Investors are Now Better Able to Evaluate Performance Comparisons





Ad Tech – Back in the Saddle and Riding High



The Lifecycle of a SPAC

 

Special thanks to Sportico.

You can stay up to date on the business of sports by clicking their logo above.

 

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Release – Motorsport Games Signs Agreement To Bring The Official Indycar Game To Market


Motorsport Games Signs Agreement To Bring The Official Indycar Game To Market

 

LEADING RACING VIDEO GAME COMPANY ENTERS INTO LONG-TERM LICENSE WITH PREMIER OPEN WHEEL RACING SERIES, FIRST GAME RELEASE ANTICIPATED FOR 2023

MIAMI, July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”), a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, announced today it has entered into gaming and esports licenses. The esports license was entered into with an intent by the parties to the license to form an exclusive relationship to develop official esports INDYCAR SERIES events. The debut title is expected to launch in 2023 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC. The partnership additionally includes an esports agreement that could kick off as early as this year. Details on competitions that will feature NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes are expected to be announced at a later date.

“Motorsport Games and INDYCAR are thrilled to provide fans with a long overdue dedicated gaming experience,” said Dmitry Kozko, CEO of Motorsport Games. “After decades of world class racing, we cannot think of a more deserving league for a video game franchise. INDYCAR shares our commitment to bringing authentic experiences to motor racing enthusiasts. Fans can anticipate the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to meet the same level of excellence and immersive gameplay they expect from Motorsport Games.”

“Our partnership with Motorsport Games will bring the fierce competition of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to a global gaming audience hungry for quality motorsports content,” said Mark Miles, President & CEO, Penske Entertainment. “Like the talent and depth of our field, INDYCAR’s universe continues to expand and grow rapidly. Motorsport Games is an industry leader with a track record of innovation and we know our fans will have 2023 and the debut of this new NTT INDYCAR SERIES video game circled on their calendars.”

Motorsport Games’ relationship with INDYCAR will produce a brand new franchise that has been eagerly anticipated by racing and gaming fans alike. INDYCAR’s bold, audacious and unapologetic style of racing is primed for a video game franchise built entirely around its expanding brand. North America’s premier open wheel racing series features a growing roster of rising young stars and talented veterans with global name recognition. These daredevil athletes compete across a uniquely challenging and diverse set of ovals, road and street courses.

“I am super excited our fans will be able to bring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES into their homes with this new video game franchise,” said Arrow McLaren SP driver Pato O’Ward. “This is such a great opportunity for fans to connect to our series even more, from watching us on the weekends to playing as us on their favorite tracks whenever they want.”

For more information, please visit: https://indycargame.com/

About Motorsport Games:

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”). Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League among others.
For more information about Motorsport Games visit: www.motorsportgames.com

About INDYCAR:

INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The series features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The season consists of 16 races in the United States and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: (i) Motorsport Games’ (or the “Company”) future business, future results of operations and/or financial condition, including without limitation, as to the Company’s future growth; (ii) the expected future impact of new or planned products or offerings and the timing of launching such products and offerings, such as Motorsport Games’ expectation that the debut title of the INDYCAR video game will launch in 2023 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC and that its partnership with INDYCAR additionally includes an esports agreement that could kickoff as early as this year; and (iii) the expected future impact of implementing management strategies and the impact of other industry trends. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Motorsport Games and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) difficulties, delays or less than expected results in achieving the Company’s growth plans, objectives and expectations, such as due to a slower than anticipated economic recovery and/or the Company’s inability, in whole or in part, to continue to execute its business strategies and plans; (ii) difficulties, delays in or unanticipated events that may impact the timing and scope of new product launches; and/or (iii) difficulties, delays or less than expected results in implementing the Company’s management strategies, such as due to higher than anticipated costs or delays and expenses added by the ongoing and prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its variants. Factors other than those referred to above could also cause Motorsport Games’ results to differ materially from expected results. Additional examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to (i) Motorsport Games’ ability (or inability) to maintain existing, and to secure additional, licenses and other agreements with the various racing series; (ii) Motorsport Games’ ability to successfully manage and integrate any joint ventures, acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (iii) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (iv) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (v) adverse effects of increased competition on Motorsport Games’ business, results of operations and/or financial condition; (vi) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Motorsport Games’ business, results of operations and/or financial condition; (vii) Motorsport Games’ ability to protect its intellectual property; and (viii) local, industry and general business and economic conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in Motorsport Games’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021, as well as in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Motorsport Games anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Motorsport Games assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Motorsport Games’ plans and expectations as of any subsequent date.

Website and Social Media Disclosure

Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (ir.motorsportgames.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels, as well as social media and blogs, to communicate with our investors and the public about our company and our products. It is possible that the information we post on our websites, social media and blogs could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in our company to review the information we post on the websites, social media channels and blogs, including the following (which list we will update from time to time on our investor relations website):

 Websites
 
 Social Media
 motorsportgames.com
 
 Twitter: @msportgames & @traxiongg
 traxion.gg
 
 Instagram: msportgames & traxiongg
 motorsport.com
 
 Facebook: Motorsport Games & traxiongg
   LinkedIn: Motorsport Games
 
   Twitch: traxiongg
 
   Reddit: traxiongg
 

The contents of these websites and social media channels are not part of, nor will they be incorporated by reference into, this press release.

Contacts:
Investors:
Ashley DeSimone
Ashley.Desimone@icrinc.com

Press:
ASTRSK PR
motorsportgames@astrskpr.com