Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis provides information that management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our results of operations and financial condition. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” to “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” are intended to mean the business and operations of CuriosityStream Inc.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains certain statements that are, or may deemed to be, “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, regarding the Company’s plans, expectations, thoughts, beliefs, estimates, goals and outlook for the future that are intended to be covered by the protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q including, without limitation, statements under this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, words such as “anticipate,” “attribute,” “believe,” “continue,” “hope,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “potential,” “seek,” “should,” “will” and “would,” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or the Company’s management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in our filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Company’s behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those included in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023, and any other subsequent periodic reports and future periodic reports. We assume no obligation to revise or publicly release any revision to any forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless required by law.
Overview
Created by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel and former Chairman of Discovery Communications, CuriosityStream is a media and entertainment company that offers premium video and audio programming across the principal categories of factual entertainment, including science, history, society, nature, lifestyle and technology. Our mission is to provide premium factual entertainment that informs, enchants and inspires.
We are seeking to meet demand for high-quality factual entertainment via SVOD platforms, as well as via bundled content licenses for SVOD and linear offerings, content licensing, brand sponsorship and advertising, talks and courses and partner bulk sales.
We operate our business as a single operating segment that provides premium streaming content through multiple channels, including the use of various applications, partnerships and affiliate relationships. We generate our revenue through five products and services: Direct Business, Bundled Distribution, Content Licensing, Enterprise and Other. The table below shows our revenue generated through each of the foregoing products and services for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022:
Currently, the main sources of our revenue are (i) subscriber and license fees earned from our Direct Business (“Direct Business”), (ii) bundled license fees from distribution affiliates (“Bundled Distribution”), (iii) license fees from content licensing arrangements (“Content Licensing”), (iv) subscriber fees from our Enterprise business (“Enterprise”), and (v) Other revenue, including advertising and sponsorships (“Other”).
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| | Three Months Ended June 30, | | | Six Months Ended June 30, | |
| | 2023 | | | 2022 | | | 2023 | | | 2022 | |
| | (in thousands) | | | (in thousands) | |
Direct Business | | $ | 8,310 | | | | 59 | % | | $ | 8,554 | | | | 38 | % | | $ | 16,894 | | | | 64 | % | | $ | 16,888 | | | | 42 | % |
Bundled Distribution | | | 1,509 | | | | 11 | % | | | 3,888 | | | | 17 | % | | | 2,983 | | | | 12 | % | | | 7,655 | | | | 19 | % |
Content Licensing | | | 3,615 | | | | 26 | % | | | 6,655 | | | | 30 | % | | | 5,633 | | | | 21 | % | | | 10,904 | | | | 27 | % |
Enterprise | | | 41 | | | | 0 | % | | | 1,559 | | | | 7 | % | | | 80 | | | | 0 | % | | | 2,722 | | | | 7 | % |
Other | | | 622 | | | | 4 | % | | | 1,692 | | | | 8 | % | | | 894 | | | | 3 | % | | | 1,806 | | | | 5 | % |
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Revenues | | $ | 14,097 | | | | | | | $ | 22,348 | | | | | | | $ | 26,484 | | | | | | | $ | 39,975 | | | | | |
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CuriosityStream’s award-winning content library features more than 15,000 programs that explore topics ranging from space engineering to ancient history to the rise of Wall Street. Our extensive catalog of originally produced and owned content includes more than 10,000 short-, mid- and long-form video and audio titles, including One Day University and Learn 25 recorded lectures that are led by some of the most acclaimed college and university professors in the world. Our library also features a rotating catalog of more than 5,500 internationally licensed videos and audio programs. Every month, we launch dozens of new video titles, which are available on-demand in high- or ultra-high definition. Through new and long-standing international partnerships, we have localized a large portion of our video library from English to ten different languages.
Our Direct Business revenue is derived from consumers subscribing directly through our owned and operated website (“O&O Service”), App Services, and Partner Direct relationships. Our O&O Direct-to-Consumer service is available in more than 175 countries to any household with a broadband connection. Currently, most legacy subscribers pay $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for our standard CuriosityStream service. As of March 27, 2023, we increased our standard pricing for new subscribers to this service to $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year. We also provide a Smart Bundle service for $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Our Smart Bundle membership includes everything in our standard service, plus subscriptions to third-party platforms Tastemade, Topic, SommTV, DaVinci Kids, our equity investee Watch Nebula, LLC (“Nebula”), and our One Day University stand-alone service.
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