We've been talking in recent weeks. I It's great to finally have you on Bloomberg Tech. Likewise.Now, now bear with me on this one. But let's just start by asking, what is your day job. How would you describe what it is that you do.In technical terms, I'm a content creator. How I might want to describe it is just I love sharing my life online. I love to entertain people. I love to make people happy.That's about it. I'd say it it started with with video games on Twitch like quite a long time ago. you you you ...

There's a lot of folks who say YouTube great as a quote unquote distribution platform. It is not great as an economic platform unto itself. Meaning the ability to solely monetize just off of the ads that the check that YouTube will send you is is not going to pay the bills. That what's going to pay the bills is you, you know, having a different kind, you know, an influencer deal on a brand talking about, you know, AG1 or whatever the the product is.And that that's really where the money is. Yeah, that's I m ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, total revenue was $286.9 million, a decrease of $10.5 million or 3.5% compared to Q1 2024, primarily due to decreases in admissions per capita and attendance [18][21] - Attendance decreased by approximately 59,000 guests or 1.7% year-over-year, with the Easter shift impacting attendance by about 140,000 guests [19][21] - Adjusted EBITDA was $67.4 million, a decrease of $11.7 million compared to the prior year, influenced by revenue declines and timing-related expenses [21][22] - The net loss for Q1 2025 was $16.1 million, compared to a net loss of $11.2 million in Q1 2024 [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In-park per capita spending increased by 1.1%, marking growth for 19 of the last 20 quarters [6][21] - Total revenue per capita decreased by 1.8%, with admissions per capita down 4.2% due to a shift in peak visitation days [19][21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - April 2025 attendance was up 8.1% compared to April 2024, indicating a positive trend despite the Q1 challenges [6][21] - Year-to-date attendance through April showed approximately 1.3% growth on a fiscal basis [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on significant investments in new rides, attractions, and events to enhance guest experience and drive revenue [6][10] - There are ongoing discussions regarding integrating branded hotels into parks and unlocking the value of owned real estate [11][12] - The company is pursuing sponsorship opportunities, expecting to generate over $20 million in high-margin revenue over time [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving new records in revenue and adjusted EBITDA for 2025, with 75% of historical attendance and revenue opportunities still ahead [7][17] - The company is optimistic about the impact of new attractions and events, as well as the potential increase in visitors due to competitive attractions in the area [35][66] Other Important Information - The balance sheet remains strong, with a net total leverage ratio of 3.1 times and approximately $764 million in total available liquidity [14][22] - The company repurchased 100,000 shares for approximately $4.6 million during the first quarter, indicating confidence in the stock's valuation [16][22] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the company plan to bridge the Q1 EBITDA loss to expected record levels? - Management highlighted strong April performance, with attendance up over 8%, and emphasized upcoming new rides and attractions as key drivers for growth [31][33] Question: What was the impact of Easter on April attendance? - Management noted that April's attendance benefited from the Easter shift, with additional attendance beyond that expected from the holiday [43] Question: How are international sales performing? - International ticket sales are up low single digits year-over-year, with group bookings also running ahead of last year [50][53] Question: What are the expectations regarding labor costs due to competition from Epic? - Management acknowledged planned labor increases but stated they have effectively managed costs and matched labor needs to attendance forecasts [82][83] Question: What is the company's strategy regarding capital allocation and buybacks? - Management indicated a focus on maximizing shareholder returns and mentioned that they are comfortable with the current leverage ratio while considering future buybacks [87][89]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported total revenues of $280.6 million and adjusted operating income of $36 million for the quarter [10] - The Sphere segment generated revenues of $157.5 million, a decrease from $170.4 million in the prior year period, primarily due to lower revenues from the Sphere experience and advertising campaigns [10][11] - Adjusted operating income for the Sphere segment was $13.1 million, slightly up from $12.9 million in the prior year period, reflecting a decrease in revenues offset by lower SG&A expenses [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Sphere experience welcomed over half a million guests, contributing to total revenues exceeding $500 million since its debut in October 2023 [6] - MSG Networks generated $123 million in revenues and $22.8 million in adjusted operating income, down from $151 million and $48.6 million respectively in the prior year period, mainly due to a non-carriage period and a decrease in subscribers [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Las Vegas market continues to attract over 40 million visitors annually, with international guests accounting for over 20% of Sphere attendees and 10% for concerts [22] - The company has seen strong consumer demand, with acts like Dead and Company and the Eagles scheduled for over 40 performances at the Sphere [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to drive growth by hosting a variety of concerts and events, optimizing the go-to-market strategy for the Exosphere, and enhancing operational efficiencies [5] - Plans are underway to develop a smaller Sphere model for faster and cheaper deployment in various markets, alongside the ongoing project in Abu Dhabi [37] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that despite macroeconomic concerns, there has not been a significant change in visitation or spending in Las Vegas [23] - The company remains optimistic about the demand for concerts, stating that demand exceeds capacity [23] Other Important Information - The company has entered into new marketing partnerships with major brands like Pepsi and Google, enhancing exposure on the Exosphere [8] - The company is focused on creating a diverse slate of original content and has multiple projects in development [6] Q&A Session Summary Question: Inquiry about the partnership with Google - Management acknowledged the question but noted connectivity issues and promised to circle back later [18] Question: Observations on the tourism market in Vegas - Management reported that international guests account for over 20% of Sphere attendees and noted no significant changes in visitation or spending [22][23] Question: Opportunities for new Sphere experience shows - Management expressed optimism about new shows driving higher revenues, expecting better performance compared to previous productions [30] Question: Update on concert residencies - Management confirmed ongoing discussions with multiple artists and noted that demand exceeds available slots [31][33] Question: Sphere expansion and geopolitical tensions - Management confirmed global discussions for Sphere expansion and mentioned designing a smaller Sphere for various markets [37] Question: Long-term plan for MSG Networks - Management discussed pursuing a hybrid model between traditional and streaming distribution, with potential strategic partnerships [42] Question: Cost management moving forward - Management emphasized a focus on driving profitable growth and optimizing infrastructure to identify cost efficiencies [44]