fuboTV(FUBO) - 2023 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics - Total revenue for Q3 2023 increased 43% YoY to $320.9 million, driven by 43% growth in North America and 45% growth in Rest of World [16] - North America ad revenue grew 34% YoY to$ 30.3 million, reflecting strong performance in direct sales and programmatic business [12][17] - Net loss improved by $21 million YoY to$ 84.4 million, with net loss margin improving to -26.3% from -47% in Q3 2022 [18] - Adjusted EBITDA loss improved to $61.5 million from$ 83 million in Q3 2022, with adjusted EBITDA margin improving to -19.2% from -36.9% [44] - Gross margin reached 6%, an 884 basis point improvement YoY, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of positive gross margin [43] - Free cash flow improved by $40 million, and the company ended the quarter with$ 266 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash [19] Business Line Performance - North America delivered $313 million in total revenue, up 43% YoY, with a record 1.477 million paid subscribers, up 20% YoY [12] - Rest of World revenue grew 45% YoY, with 411,000 subscribers, representing 15% YoY growth [42] - North America ARPU reached an all-time high of$ 83.51, while Rest of World ARPU was $6.98 [42] - Subscriber-related expenses (SRE) decreased to 89% of revenue, a 619 basis point improvement YoY [37] Market Performance - The company raised its 2023 North America guidance to$ 1.319 billion to $1.324 billion in total revenue, representing 34% YoY growth at the midpoint, and 1.584 million to 1.599 million paid subscribers, representing 10% YoY growth at the midpoint [6][20] - For Rest of World, full-year 2023 guidance projects 388,000 to 393,000 subscribers, representing a 7% YoY decline at the midpoint, and revenue of$ 32 million to $33 million, representing 33% YoY growth at the midpoint [46] Strategy and Industry Competition - The company aims to be a "super aggregator," focusing on sports-first content and personalized streaming experiences, leveraging technology like MultiView and 4K streaming [7][14] - The industry is shifting towards "The Great Rebundling," with Fubo positioning itself as a leader in aggregation, offering diverse content packages at multiple price points [13][38] - The company is focused on direct ad sales and programmatic guaranteed, with direct sales increasing to 20% of total ad revenue in Q3 2023, up from a third of that in Q3 2022 [55] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's growth trajectory, citing strong operational and go-to-market initiatives [21] - The company is making progress towards its 2025 positive cash flow goal, with significant improvements in cash usage and cost discipline [37] - Management highlighted the impact of the Charter-Disney dispute, which accelerated the shift towards aggregation and benefited Fubo's market position [57] Other Important Information - The company added FAST channels, which have contributed significantly to advertising revenue, with over 100 hours of viewership on the platform [31] - The company is focused on improving profitability by driving revenue over subscriber growth, with a conservative approach to marketing in Q4 to maintain efficiency [74] Q&A Session Summary Question: Advertiser sentiment and ad revenue trends [23] - Advertiser sentiment remains cautious due to geopolitical uncertainties, but the company has not seen significant cancellations [25] - Strong ad revenue growth was driven by retail, e-commerce, auto, home and garden, and pharma, while food and beverage, insurance, and tech were weaker [48] - October ad revenue trends were lighter than Q3, with Q4 expected to be closer to Q2 growth rates [50] Question: Impact of Charter-Disney dispute on subscriber growth [60] - The dispute had a limited impact on subscriber growth due to its short duration, but it helped increase brand awareness and market share [71] - The company expects continued growth in subscribers and engagement, with viewing hours per subscriber up significantly YoY [90] Question: Operating leverage and sustainability [56] - The company has demonstrated operating leverage, with sales and marketing expenses growing at a slower rate than revenue [69] - The company expects continued operating leverage on an annual basis, driven by lower-cost channels and efficient marketing strategies [69] Question: FAST channels and content strategy [75] - FAST channels have been successful in driving advertising revenue and viewership, with the company limiting the number of channels to under 150 to maintain quality [76] - The company has removed some entertainment content but has seen FAST channels compensate for the loss in viewership [77] Question: Progress towards profitability [84] - The company has made significant progress towards profitability, with adjusted EBITDA improving by nearly$ 100 million YoY and incremental EBITDA margin at 22% [85] - Contribution profit has expanded for six consecutive quarters, and the company is on track to achieve its 2025 positive cash flow goal [97] Question: Distribution relationships and competition [91] - The company expects stronger relationships with distributors and content partners, leveraging its technology platform and execution capabilities [82] - The company remains confident in its position despite competition from tech giants like Amazon and Apple, citing strong relationships and a robust sports content portfolio [99]