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 ...

Alliance Entertainment Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Alliance Entertainment (NasdaqCM:AENT) - **Industry**: Entertainment product distribution, including movies, music, video games, toys, and collectibles - **Key Operations**: Distribution center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, with over 325,000 SKUs and approximately 871,000 sq ft of warehouse space, generating over $1 billion in revenue annually [4][5] Financial Performance - **Record Quarter**: The company reported a record-breaking quarter, with significant growth across all categories [2] - **Revenue**: Consistent revenue around $1.1 billion for the trailing 12 months [7] - **Earnings Per Share (EPS)**: Increased from $0.09 in fiscal year 2024 to $0.30 in fiscal year 2025, with a trailing 12-month EPS of $0.38 [8] - **Adjusted EBITDA**: Grew significantly, with a margin increase from 11.2% to 14.6% year-over-year, driven by higher gross profit from new product lines [37] Strategic Initiatives - **HubSpot Implementation**: Transitioning to HubSpot to enhance revenue and sales efficiency without increasing headcount [3] - **New Partnerships**: Added Virgin Music Group and secured exclusive agreements with Paramount Pictures and MGM (Amazon) for home entertainment distribution [14][15] - **Collectibles Growth**: Focus on collectibles, particularly vinyl, with plans to enhance offerings through the Alliance Authentic platform [10][42] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - **Key Competitors**: Competed against Warner Home Video and Studio Distribution Services for the MGM contract [34] - **Market Strategy**: Positioned as a leading distributor in the collectibles value chain, with a focus on exclusive distribution and licensing agreements [10][13] Operational Highlights - **Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sales**: DTC now contributes approximately 37% of net revenue, with plans to maintain similar margins as B2B sales [39] - **Inventory Management**: Anticipated inventory increase ahead of the holiday season, with a historical turnover rate of seven times per year [53] - **Debt Management**: Focus on reducing debt while pursuing acquisitions, leveraging a low-cost line of credit [54][55] Future Outlook - **Growth Projections**: Aiming for Handmade by Robots to reach $100 million in revenue over the next three years, contributing an estimated $40 million to EBITDA [47] - **Licensing Expansion**: Anticipated additional revenue from new licensing agreements, including a projected $40 million from the Amazon MGM deal [49] - **Technological Advancements**: Introduction of Nstate technology for product authentication to combat counterfeiting, enhancing product value and consumer trust [21][26] Additional Insights - **Employee Ownership**: High insider ownership at approximately 78%, fostering a vested interest in company performance [26] - **Board Composition**: Strong board with independent directors to ensure governance and oversight [29] This summary encapsulates the key points from the Alliance Entertainment conference call, highlighting the company's performance, strategic initiatives, market position, and future outlook.