Jeff Walker: Thank you, Paul, and good afternoon, everyone. We appreciate you joining us today. I want to begin by framing the second quarter in very clear terms because the most important takeaway this quarter is the continued strength and durability of our earnings profile. During the second quarter, Alliance delivered another period of meaningful profitability. Net income increased year over year to $9.4 million, adjusted EBITDA rose to $18.5 million, and gross margin expanded by 210 basis points to 12.8 ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net income increased year-over-year to $9.4 million, up from $7.1 million, representing an increase of 32.4% [5][17] - Adjusted EBITDA rose to $18.5 million, an increase of $2.4 million year-over-year [5][17] - Gross margin expanded by 210 basis points to 12.8% [5][16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Physical movie revenue increased 33% year-over-year to $114 million, driven by premium formats [9] - Collectibles revenue increased 31% year-over-year, reflecting growth in premium and licensed offerings [11][12] - Gross profit for the six-month period increased to $84.3 million, compared with $67.8 million a year ago [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Overall net revenue for the quarter was $369 million, down from $394 million in the prior year, reflecting softness in lower margin categories [16] - The collectibles business is expected to grow as the company expands its portfolio and licensing agreements [12][27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on building a business that generates sustainable profitability and positions itself for long-term value creation [8] - The strategy emphasizes higher quality revenue, stronger margins, and disciplined growth, particularly in premium physical media and collectibles [7][8] - The acquisition of Endstate Authentic is aimed at enhancing the collectibles market through technology-enabled trust and authentication [13][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the durability of the margin profile and the ongoing shift towards higher value products [25] - The company is not providing formal guidance but is optimistic about the pipeline of premium and exclusive content [25][27] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining operational rigor while investing selectively in growth areas [24][29] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with approximately $74 million in working capital, reflecting disciplined management of inventory and payables [22] - A new $120 million senior secured revolving credit facility was established, reducing borrowing costs and extending maturity [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about your ability to sign additional exclusive deals with studios? - Management is in active conversations with various studios and believes that the recent partnerships with Paramount and MGM position the company as a premier solution for licensing physical DVD products [32][33] Question: Can you discuss the gaming hardware revenue performance? - The gaming hardware segment has been affected by supply issues with Microsoft consoles, while Nintendo has performed well [34][35] Question: What are your thoughts on strategic M&A opportunities? - Management is optimistic about ongoing M&A conversations and is focused on finding the right opportunities that are financially accretive [36][37] Question: Can you provide an update on the gaming division's performance? - The gaming hardware and arcade business saw significant declines, but management expects improvements as inventory issues are resolved [44][45] Question: What is the status of the Alliance Authentic initiative? - The company is launching products with NFC digital chips and expects to see traction in sales soon [53][69]