YORK, Pa., Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YGS Content Licensing is proud to announce a new partnership with Penske Media Corporation (PMC), becoming the exclusive content licensing agency supporting licensing initiatives for six of PMC’s influential and award-winning media brands: Robb Report, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, StyleCaster, Flow Space, and SheKnows. Starting January 1, YGS Content Licensing will support content licensing initiatives for these six brands, including logo and accolade usage ...

Core Insights - CuriosityStream reported strong Q3 2025 results with revenue growth of 46% year-over-year to $18.4 million, surpassing guidance [1][12] - Adjusted free cash flow increased by 88% to $4.8 million, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of positive adjusted free cash flow [8][15] - The company is focusing on three growth pillars: subscriptions, licensing, and advertising, which are enhancing its market position at the intersection of knowledge, media, and AI [1][10] Financial Performance - Revenue for Q3 2025 was $18.4 million, a 46% increase from $12.6 million in Q3 2024 [12] - Adjusted EBITDA improved by $3.4 million year-over-year, reaching $3 million [12][15] - Licensing revenue surged over 425% year-over-year to $8.7 million, driven by AI training fulfillments [13][15] - Subscription revenue was reported at $9.3 million, showing sequential growth [13] Growth Strategy - The company has engaged with 9 key partners across various media formats, delivering over 1.5 million distinct assets [1] - CuriosityStream aims to double or triple its roster of AI licensing partners by the end of 2026 [9][31] - The company plans to enhance its advertising business and has launched new channels on platforms like Amazon and Roku [8][11] Market Positioning - CuriosityStream is positioning itself as a leading provider of AI training data with a library of nearly 2 million hours of video and audio content [6][10] - The company anticipates that licensing revenue will exceed subscription revenue by 2027 [9][10] - The balance sheet remains strong with over $29 million in liquidity and no debt, providing substantial flexibility for future growth [11][16] Future Outlook - For Q4 2025, the company expects revenue between $18 million and $20 million, projecting full-year revenue of $70 million to $72 million, representing a 38% to 42% increase from 2024 [18][19] - Adjusted free cash flow for the full year is expected to be between $12 million and $13 million, indicating a 27% to 37% increase from 2024 [19] - The company intends to pay dividends from cash generated by operations in 2026, similar to its approach in 2024 [10][19]

Core Insights - AMC Networks reported Q2 fiscal 2025 results with GAAP revenue of $600 million, exceeding analyst expectations of $582.37 million, while adjusted EPS was $0.69, beating projections of $0.61 [1][5] - The company raised its free cash flow outlook for 2025 to approximately $250 million, reflecting successful cost management efforts [1][9] Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS decreased 44.4% to $0.69 compared to $1.24 in Q2 2024 [2][5] - Revenue declined 4.1% year-over-year from $625.9 million in Q2 2024 [2][5] - Adjusted operating income fell 28.4% to $109.4 million compared to $152.8 million in the previous year [2][5] - Streaming revenues increased 12% year-over-year to $169 million, primarily driven by price increases rather than significant subscription growth [2][6] Business Strategy and Focus - AMC Networks focuses on niche and genre audiences through its brands like AMC, Acorn TV, Shudder, and AMC+, emphasizing original content and intellectual property [3][11] - The company aims to grow its streaming platforms, optimize advertising technologies, and maintain financial discipline [4][13] Revenue Streams and Challenges - Traditional revenue streams faced declines, with domestic affiliate revenue down 12% and domestic advertising revenue dropping 18% to $123 million [7] - International segment revenue fell 16%, with adjusted operating income down nearly 50%, attributed to the non-renewal of a Spanish distribution agreement [8][14] Future Outlook - Management did not provide updated guidance for revenue or adjusted operating income but previously targeted $2.3 billion in consolidated revenue [15] - Key areas to monitor include the pace of declines in affiliate and advertising revenue, growth in streaming and content licensing, and sustainability of cash flow improvements [16]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, total revenue was $121 million, a decrease of 30% year over year, with subscription services revenue at $108 million, reflecting a 31% decline in subscribers to 3.2 million [19][21] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was $19 million, representing a margin of 16%, while gross margin was 56%, impacted by a one-time charge of $16.2 million due to accelerated depreciation [21][20] - Free cash flow generated in Q1 was approximately $16 million, despite incurring about $8 million in cash outlays related to employee severance from restructurings [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Skills and other revenue segment generated $14 million in Q1, which includes new revenue from content licensing, with two licensing deals executed generating $4 million in Q1 and an expected additional $7 million in Q2 [19][20] - Busuu, the language learning service, saw a 7% year-over-year revenue increase, with the B2B business achieving a 29% year-over-year revenue increase [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is experiencing ongoing industry headwinds, leading to a notable decline in traffic and subscriber acquisitions, which continues to pressure financial performance [24] - The restructuring plan announced is expected to yield non-GAAP expense savings of $45 million to $55 million in 2025 and $100 million to $110 million in 2026 [22][23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is exploring strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, including potential acquisition or remaining a standalone public company, with positive early indications from interested parties [7][15] - The focus remains on diversifying revenue through licensing question and answer pairs and expanding institutional contracts, with a goal of reaching 40 institutional pilots by year-end [6][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges that macroeconomic trends will continue to exert pressure on the business, with expectations that conditions may worsen before improving [11][12] - The company is taking proactive measures to align costs with business outlook, including further cost reduction plans and restructuring efforts [12][14] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $65 million of its 2026 convertible notes at a discount, enhancing its capital structure [18][22] - The restructuring will impact approximately 22% of the workforce, primarily affecting Chegg Study and Corporate Services, resulting in a 66% reduction in these areas [13][22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more details on the licensing deals signed during the quarter? - Management highlighted that they are licensing question and answer pairs from their extensive archive, with current agreements being a small pilot with major tech companies, indicating potential for a larger business model in the future [27][30] Question: What feedback have you received from university partners regarding the pilots? - Management reported positive feedback from universities, with a growing number of pilots and a seat-based license model that aligns with the financial necessity of improving student success rates [31][33]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total company revenue grew 2% year over year, excluding the Super Bowl, reaching $7.2 billion [6][22] - Direct to Consumer (D2C) revenue increased by 9% year over year to $2 billion, with subscription revenue growing 16% [23] - Adjusted OIBDA improved to $688 million, reflecting year-over-year improvements in D2C and filmed entertainment [22][24] - Free cash flow was $123 million, including $108 million in restructuring payments [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - D2C OIBDA improved by nearly $180 million year over year, with a loss of $109 million [6][23] - Filmed Entertainment revenue was $627 million, up 4% year over year, with OIBDA of $20 million compared to a loss of $3 million in the previous year [24][25] - TV Media advertising revenue, excluding the Super Bowl, was flat year over year, with OIBDA at $922 million [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Paramount Plus ended the quarter with 79 million global subscribers, an increase of 11 million year over year [7] - Global watch time per user on Paramount Plus increased by 17% year over year, and churn improved by 130 basis points [7] - CBS's network audience grew 3% in the quarter compared to last year, with a 12% increase without the Super Bowl comparison [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on driving profitable growth through a differentiated content strategy, emphasizing fewer but bigger original series [7][10] - Paramount is prioritizing key investments while streamlining non-content expenses in response to macroeconomic uncertainties [6][28] - The company plans to achieve domestic profitability for Paramount Plus in 2025, leveraging improvements in churn and ARPU [26][28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's performance despite macroeconomic uncertainties, noting strong engagement and content-driven growth [6][28] - The company anticipates that supply-demand dynamics in digital advertising will stabilize over time, leading to improved monetization [30][34] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining strong relationships with affiliates and securing valuable content partnerships [36] Other Important Information - The company is set to premiere several new series and franchise expansions, including new installments of Yellowstone and Dexter [10][11] - Pluto TV achieved its highest consumption ever, with global viewing time up 26% year over year, although monetization has been softer than expected [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Advertising pressure on Pluto and digital advertising - Management acknowledged the impact of increased supply in digital advertising but expressed confidence that supply-demand dynamics will balance out over time [30][33] Question: Licensing strategy for library content versus original content - Management indicated that content licensing remains a growth area, but the focus will be on using valuable IP to enhance owned and operated assets [39][40] Question: Expectations for linear declines and streaming growth - Management noted that subscriber declines in linear TV are expected to continue, while streaming growth will be driven by subscriber growth, churn improvements, and ARPU [46][48] Question: Importance of Taylor Sheridan and potential acquisitions - Management emphasized the value of the partnership with Taylor Sheridan and the current model as optimal for maximizing value without pursuing acquisitions [52][54] Question: Interest in bundling and joint ventures - Management expressed openness to exploring bundling opportunities and partnerships but emphasized a disciplined approach to ensure value creation [60][62] Question: Current linear trends and guidance for full year OIBDA and free cash flow - Management reiterated that the fundamental drivers of earnings improvement remain in place, despite macroeconomic uncertainties impacting advertising revenue [70][71]