Gaia, Inc. (NASDAQ:GAIA) Q1 2023 Earnings Name Transcript Might 1, 2023 4:30 PM ET

Firm Contributors

Jirka Rysavy – Founder and Chairman

Paul Tarell – Workplace of President and Chief Monetary Officer

Convention Name Contributors

Mark Argento – Lake Road Capital

Thierry Wuilloud – Water Tower Analysis

Operator

Good afternoon, everybody. And thanks for taking part in in the present day’s convention name to debate Gaia Inc.’s Monetary Outcomes for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2023. Becoming a member of us in the present day are Gaia’s CEO, Jirka Rysavy; and CFO, Paul Tarell.

Following some ready remarks, we’ll open the decision up in your questions. Earlier than we get began, nevertheless, I wish to take a minute to learn the Protected Harbor language. The next constitutes to Protected Harbor assertion beneath the Personal Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The issues mentioned in the present day embody forward-looking statements that contain quite a few assumptions, dangers and uncertainties. These embody, however will not be restricted to, our skill to draw new members and retain current members, our skill to compete successfully together with for buyer engagement with totally different modes leisure, upkeep and enlargement of system by type of streaming, fluctuation in buyer utilization of service. Fluctuations in quarterly working outcomes, service disruptions, product dangers, basic financial circumstances, future losses, lack of key personnel, worth modifications, model popularity, acquisitions, new initiatives we undertake, safety and data programs, authorized liabilities for web site content material, failure of third events to supply ample service, future web associated taxes, our founders management of us, litigation, client traits, the impact of presidency regulation and packages, the impression of public well being threats, together with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, and our response to it and different dangers and uncertainties detailed every so often in our filings with the Securities and Alternate Fee, together with our stories on Kind 10-Ok and Kind 10-Q. Gaia assumes no obligation to publicly replace or revise any forward-looking statements.

With that. I might now like to show the decision over to Gaia CEO, Jirka Rysavy. Please go forward.

Jirka Rysavy

Good afternoon, everybody. And I am glad that I can once more report optimistic outcomes after the difficult final yr when each income and adjusted EBITDA elevated on-line single digit as a consequence of COVID lockdown, member cleanup. Throughout the first quarter, we ever returned to the member progress. Gross achieve from our direct membership, whereas the third social gathering suppliers like Amazon had been nonetheless adverse in January and February, we added 7,500 members throughout the first quarter, ending with 7,666 vibrant members on March 31. With the expansion accelerating throughout April, even membership at our third social gathering supplier began to develop once more. And we count on member progress charges to extend throughout the yr. The gross can also be being helped by enhance retention. In April, the member losses hit all time low, benefiting from our advertising and marketing specializing in marketing campaign producing larger retention, fairly than totally on value of the trial and conversion charges.

One other important enchancment change into the price per member acquisition that decreased by 13% throughout the first quarter as in comparison with fourth quarter. Advertising and marketing funding in non-English particularly French and German which have decrease CP and fewer churn can also be serving to. The viewing time per member began to develop once more after declining since COVID lockdown ended. Lot of small enhancements we did since September additionally begin to make a optimistic distinction. As we talked about beforehand, now we have eradicated over $5 million of annualized spending, which together with roughly 36 headcounts largely contractors. They had been added over final two years to offset cut back effectivity we expertise because of this from do business from home. Whereas some tail pay association will nonetheless impression second Q value, we count on to see the partial advantages of some saving already within the second quarter. The 20% discount in headcount return us to pre-COVID degree of working effectivity, this annualized gross revenue per worker reaching $600,000 in March.

Now Paul will discuss extra about specifics outcomes.

Paul Tarell

Revenues for the primary quarter had been $19.6 million, a slight sequential improve for the primary time previously 12 months reflecting the return to progress in our member base throughout the quarter. In comparison with the yr in the past quarter revenues declined 10% due primarily to Q1 2022 benefiting from the COVID associated progress of 2020 and 2021. As we proceed to spend money on and launch new content material, significantly to help our language enlargement efforts, now we have elevated our viewership on the unique portion of our library to over 85%. And because of this, and as anticipated gross margins had been 85.9% throughout the first quarter of 2023, and we count on them to stay at this degree for the close to time period.

Whole member acquisition prices throughout the quarter had been $7.9 million, or 40.7% of revenues, in comparison with $8.6 million within the yr in the past quarter. We’ve got began to appreciate the advantages of our focus over the previous a number of quarters, with per buyer acquisition prices down 13% sequentially, and an analogous enchancment in comparison with the yr in the past interval. Whereas we proceed to expertise internet member contraction in our bigger third social gathering distribution companions within the first half of the quarter, now we have returned to progress with our largest associate starting in March. The return to progress on each our direct member base and third social gathering member foundation throughout the quarter is constructing our confidence that we’re by way of the worst of the publish COVID unwinding.

Promoting and working bills, excluding advertising and marketing and member acquisition prices within the first quarter had been $8.1 million, which is down barely from the prior yr. Company and G&A bills within the first quarter had been $1.8 million, which is consistent with the yr in the past quarter. We’ve got applied important value discount measures over the previous few months. And as Jirka talked about, we’ll start to see the advantages beginning within the second quarter of 2023. We had a internet lack of $1.1 million or $0.05 per share throughout the first quarter of 2023 in comparison with internet revenue of $0.1 million within the yr in the past interval. The decline was primarily pushed by the reductions in revenues between durations offset by $0.8 million discount in bills. Adjusted EBITDA because of this was $3.2 million within the quarter in comparison with $4.8 million within the yr in the past quarter. With our return to member base progress throughout the interval, our working capital benefited from a sequential improve of deferred income of $1.4 million, with our deferred revenues ending at $15.6 million as of March 31, 2023. We took benefit of this robust progress in deferred revenues to cut back our payables stability throughout the interval by $0.9 million from December 31. We count on to proceed to learn from the inherent adverse working capital cycle in our recurring subscription enterprise mannequin as we proceed to develop our member base and revenues.

As well as, we’ll start to learn from the $5 million in reductions that Jirka talked about throughout the second quarter and count on to be ready to generate money flows from operations in extra of the money flows, we reinvest again into our content material library and product enhancements going ahead. As a result of our in-house manufacturing capabilities, and lack of contractual commitments tied to our content material manufacturing, now we have important discretion within the quantity and timing of this funding. Flexibility permits us the flexibility to regulate our funding ranges to face up to an extra downturn within the macroeconomic surroundings, if essential. Whereas we’re centered each day on accelerating our progress charges and getting again to optimistic working margins, now we have made super progress over the previous a number of quarters on key areas of the enterprise. With continued self-discipline to execution and the anticipated launch of the Gaia Market in July. We’re effectively positioned to proceed rising revenues and money flows going ahead.

With that, I’ll hand it again to Jirka for some closing remarks.

Jirka Rysavy

Sure, we on a observe to launch the Gaia Market, which concentrate on current members to extend our ARPU with minimal further advertising and marketing bills. Know-how for it was finalized in April efficiently and providing will begin subsequent week and the launch must be in July as deliberate. For the abstract, now we have additional cash than we borrow on our credit score line because the money stability on March 31, being $10.8 million and we count on the enterprise to generate good money move for the rest of the yr. And this concludes our remarks, so I wish to open it for the questions. Operator please.

Query-and-Reply Session

Operator

[Operator Instructions]

Our first query comes from the road of Mark Argento with Lake Road.

Mark Argento

Hey, Jirka. Hey, Paul. Good to see a pleasant quarter you bought. Paul, might you converse, you had talked about deferred income was up, are you able to simply stroll us by way of form of how that, and form of simply the mechanics there by way of as you are doing extra direct versus third social gathering subscribers, then what is the mixture of month to month versus prepaids?

Paul Tarell

Certain, in order that’s a great, astute remark there as we shift the member base progress from oblique members to direct members. We get the advantage of the adverse working capital versus our companions amassing the cash after which remitting it to us month-to-month. In order that’s a great pick-up there. After which by way of the month-to-month versus annual combine on our direct member base, we’re about 50:50 of the prevailing member base between month-to-month and annual. And after we have a look at our new signups, we differ between 25% and 30%, of latest signups that convert on the annual plan versus the month-to-month plan.

Mark Argento

Received it. Then by way of pricing, have you ever taken any worth will increase or finished something on the pricing facet not too long ago?

Paul Tarell

We’ve got not. And I feel because the world is unwound from COVID, we have been watching what different gamers within the business are doing. We all know from prior research that now we have some room. However I feel client preferences and luxury ranges are being examined proper now as individuals are launching AVOD fashions and Netflix is doing what they’re doing with the password sharing crack down. So we’re maintaining a tally of it. And we positively have the chance to maneuver it up based mostly on prior research. However I feel we’re simply ready to see how the macroeconomic surroundings performs out the remainder of this yr earlier than we make a last resolution.

Mark Argento

Then one final one, simply on buyer acquisition. Did you guys see higher conversion as issues form of normalize somewhat bit on the market? What do you see by way of conversion or value to amass?

Paul Tarell

Sure, so I feel it is, as Jirka talked about, we’re much less centered on the price of conversion, we’re extra centered on retention. And the best way that we have a look at that’s one and three month retention of our campaigns. So we’re really discovering that it would make sense to pay barely extra for a given marketing campaign based mostly on the way it retains. After which conversely, it really is smart to chop environment friendly, measured by conversion fee and CPA campaigns, as a result of they don’t seem to be retaining in addition to the opposite campaigns. And that is actually, we began that about 5 months in the past, and this quarter displays the early advantages of that kind of tweaking of what we’re doing because it pertains to our spending.

Jirka Rysavy

As I mentioned, our prices are literally acquisition, not the conversion, however really member lower 13% from fourth to first quarter, which could be very important for us. And, however it’s positively serving to that our retention is best. As I mentioned, the losses had been the bottom in historical past with the corporate, so on the premise of p.c, and so I will be very proud of the outcome. And it is really getting even higher in April than within the first quarter. So it’s extremely encouraging what’s taking place form of they bode for us.

Mark Argento

In order that minus 13% per acquired clients or is that 13% complete {dollars} spent down.

Paul Tarell

For acquired buyer, the spend is flat, roughly.

Mark Argento

Received it.

Jirka Rysavy

What we name CPA, value per acquisition, it is, so we have a look at value of the member after they, to get any individual in a trial, however we’re speaking really value of buyer after they convert from the trial.

Mark Argento

And last for me on content material, what is the expectation by way of, are you going to spend just like final yr, how does that get moderated, if any?

Paul Tarell

Nicely, I feel we have a look at it as a mixture of content material plus product spending that flows by way of the investing facet of the money flows assertion and a part of the discount that Jirka talked about by way of the contractor ranges was on our growth facet, which was in that line. In order that quantity goes to come back down because it pertains to the prior yr. Because it pertains to total content material spend as a mixture of that line, we’re actually evaluating if we will proceed to see this progress in our overseas language markets, we would speed up our spending there. However as I mentioned in my ready remarks, it is actually as much as our discretion of how we spend money on at what ranges we make investments. So if we preserve seeing progress, we would ramp up content material and if the macroeconomic surroundings deteriorates, now we have the flexibility to tug again.

Jirka Rysavy

Sure, we typically tried to form of count on to, content material to the revenues the place we’re working however as I mentioned, our viewing, the shopper viewing begin to develop as a result of we used to develop however it’s as a consequence of COVID however after COVID ended, clearly, as folks begin to not be maintain, the viewing decline, however it began rising once more first quarter. So it is a significantly better mark, benchmark to form of have a look at new content material, however typically we attempt to peg it to the income.

Operator

Our subsequent query comes from the road of Thierry Wuilloud with Water Tower Analysis.

Thierry Wuilloud

Thanks. Hello, Jirka. Hello, Paul. Good quarter. Mark coated a number of points. However possibly only a couple extra, possibly a bit extra colour. The acquisition prices being down, is it, are you simply having extra success with the prevailing advertising and marketing technique? Or did you modify one thing and are capable of be more practical with the advertising and marketing {dollars}?

Paul Tarell

I feel it is a mixture of being more practical with the advertising and marketing {dollars} and the channels that we’re already spending in, as we mentioned, it from that marketing campaign dynamic perspective, and never simply what’s the price and quantity of acquisition, however what is the retention. And in order that’s clearly serving to as we tune that. After which secondarily, we’re all the time testing and evaluating new platforms and channels to market as we proceed to try to drive progress, significantly given the privateness modifications and the way that is impacted advertising and marketing form of writ giant on-line. And that isn’t going to vary, it is solely going to proceed to change into increasingly difficult to make use of focused or hyper focused advertising and marketing to go after clients as folks pull again on their availability to share knowledge.

Jirka Rysavy

And we additionally had a number of new folks in advertising and marketing, particularly the lead. In order that they begin to suggest their creativity, I feel that performs additionally the function. So I feel it is also credit score to the folks.

Thierry Wuilloud

Nice. Considerably related query about retention, is it the brand new program that you have launched? How — what is the breakdown between that versus possibly you misplaced a number of members final yr, now you might have the hardcode members who will not be going to go wherever, what is the breakdown between actions you made versus an enchancment within the form of high quality of the prevailing members?

Jirka Rysavy

Nicely, there are actually two issues, I imply first, clearly, we had very difficult microenvironment, it wasn’t simply us just about anyone on streaming, individuals who we get throughout COVID they had been leaving and it was like business vast. In order that form of ended by finish of the yr, really form of begin to actually come down and absolutely fall. However by finish of the yr, most of that was over. There have been another nonetheless facets at the start, first couple of months, just like the third half like Amazon, as a result of they make a worth change on their very own so that they in all probability form of added to it. In order that development is form of gone for us at the very least we do not see that anymore. So it is form of normalize. However I feel largest impression is that we begin to focus in by the marketing campaign, on the campaigns, they’ve excessive retention, what was a brand new recruit a brand new algorithm however that not solely value on the conversion and acquisition and the price of trials, however primarily eliminating marketing campaign, they could be environment friendly, however they did not result in longer retention. In order that was in all probability the primary change we did as optimistic in fall. I imply, like form of late summer time, really after we began. And it is actually paying good dividends. So I feel that is the primary driver behind it.

Paul Tarell

Sure, after which we’re all the time tinkering, if you’ll, for lack of a greater time period on our cost processing infrastructure and dealing to optimize the passive losses that we get from bank cards on file being unsuccessfully charged, significantly annual members. In order that’s form of the bread and butter of what we concentrate on with our current member base, as a result of shedding these folks is not an lively cancellation. That is actually only a bank card going stale. And so we’re beginning to make enhancements on that line, as effectively. And while you suppose again to what I mentioned about what our composition of month-to-month versus annual members is each proportion level enchancment we will make on these passive losses goes to compound as we improve the quantity of annual memberships so.

Thierry Wuilloud

Okay, nice. And, Paul, a query for you. The severance prices, had been they spends within the quarter or is that unfold over time?

Paul Tarell

It is unfold over time, the best way that they are accounted for, they’re principally they should proceed to abide by the principles of the settlement. And so we maintain the funds again after which pay them. So we did not do an accrual. However given the truth that nearly all of these had been contractors, they usually simply wanted time to wind down on their discover durations with their underlying contracts, it is not a lot severance as it’s only a timing artifact of after we let folks know, after which how these contracts wound down.

Jirka Rysavy

Sure, a few of the contractors price works for firms, particularly the surface of US, when now we have a dedication, now we have to provide them discover earlier than we will terminate. I imply, if we give them, so we dedicated to finish of the contract, no finish of the contract, however there’s a discover interval, so now we have to pay them by way of the discover interval.

Thierry Wuilloud

Okay, possibly the final query on any incremental colour on the Gaia Market by way of, are you getting a way for the service suppliers, how they’re responding, how they’re gearing up for that, any, I am questioning when you’ve got any colour round that?

Jirka Rysavy

I feel that may be extra query for first quarter, we simply completed like per week in the past, our expertise. So be glad that was finished on time, as a result of we form of actually wish to be finished by in April. So it is principally it is working, now we have successfully stay however we did not begin promoting the product. If you happen to go on that facet, you might have principally only for proper now simply Gaia branded merchandise and stuff. So now we have one thing working and examined. However I can’t actually say on a supplier’s but. However it’s form of positively problem I form of see that very optimistic. And it is simply one other half is I form of see that lots of issues would really occur from the price of retention and all that stuff begin to get optimistic. So I really feel excellent about our firm.

Thierry Wuilloud

Nice, effectively, good to see the inflection level within the member counts. That’s it for me, guys. Thanks very a lot.

Operator

Right now, this concludes our question-and-answer session. I might now like to show the decision again over to Mr. Rysavy for closing remarks.

Jirka Rysavy

Thanks everybody for becoming a member of. And we stay up for talking with you after we will report our second quarter at which might be like early August. Thanks very a lot.

Operator

And this concludes in the present day’s convention. And you could disconnect your line right now. Thanks in your participation.