DoubleDown Interactive Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results
- Revenue for Q4 2023 increased to $83.1 million compared to $76.2 million in Q4 2022.
- Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2023 was $36.2 million, up from $24.7 million in Q4 2022.
- Net income for Q4 2023 was $25.5 million, a positive turnaround from the loss in Q4 2022.
- Full-year 2023 revenue decreased to $308.9 million, excluding SuprNation contributions.
- Adjusted EBITDA for full-year 2023 increased to $118.9 million.
- Operating expenses declined significantly in both Q4 and full-year 2023 compared to 2022.
- The acquisition of SuprNation in Q4 2023 marked DoubleDown's entry into the European iGaming market.
- DoubleDown emphasized capital efficiency, strong Adjusted EBITDA margins, and free cash flow generation in its operations.
- The company's net cash position and ability to generate free cash flow provide flexibility for future growth opportunities.
- None.
Insights
The substantial decrease in operating expenses for DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. from $634.9 million in the previous year to $190.7 million in the reported year is a significant financial highlight. This sharp decline is attributed to the absence of large, one-time charges experienced in the prior period, including the $141.8 million Benson class action settlement and a $269.9 million goodwill and intangibles impairment. Such non-recurring expenses can heavily skew year-over-year comparisons, so their exclusion provides a clearer picture of the company's operational efficiency and cost management.
The reported net income of $100.4 million, contrasted with a net loss of $(234.0) million in the previous year, indicates a robust recovery and a strong turnaround in profitability. This is further underscored by the improved Adjusted EBITDA margin, which rose to 38.5% from 31.6%, reflecting effective cost control and potentially successful strategic initiatives. Investors should note these figures as they offer insight into the company's ability to manage expenses and optimize operations for enhanced profitability.
DoubleDown's increase in Average Revenue Per Daily Active User (ARPDAU) and average monthly revenue per payer for their social casino/free-to-play games suggests a growing monetization efficiency within their user base. An increase in ARPDAU from $0.98 to $1.24 and in average monthly revenue per payer from $227 to $279 year over year indicates that DoubleDown has successfully leveraged its customer engagement strategies to extract more value per user. This is a critical metric for businesses in the digital gaming sector, as it demonstrates the company's ability to retain and monetize its players in a competitive market.
However, the overall decrease in revenue from $321.0 million to $308.9 million, excluding SuprNation's contributions, may raise concerns about the company's growth trajectory and market position. The decline suggests that despite effective monetization strategies, the company may be facing challenges in attracting new users or retaining its existing user base at scale. This could be due to market saturation, increased competition, or changes in consumer behavior. These factors are essential for investors to consider when evaluating the company's future growth potential.
The financial results of DoubleDown Interactive should be contextualized within the broader economic environment, particularly considering the reference to 'global economic concerns' as a factor for changes in player behavior. The gaming industry, while often considered recession-resistant, is not immune to macroeconomic trends such as inflation and shifts in discretionary spending. The normalization of player activities post-COVID-19, coupled with economic headwinds, may have contributed to the slight revenue decline when excluding the contributions from SuprNation.
It's noteworthy that DoubleDown's strategic acquisition of SuprNation, a European iGaming operator, signifies an expansion into new geographic markets, which could mitigate risks associated with economic fluctuations in a single region. This diversification can be a prudent approach to sustaining growth amid uncertain economic conditions. The company's focus on capital efficiency, as evidenced by strong free cash flow generation and a robust net cash position, provides it with a cushion to navigate economic downturns and invest in growth opportunities.
SEATTLE, Feb. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: DDI) (“DoubleDown” or the “Company”), a leading developer and publisher of digital games on mobile and web-based platforms, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. The Company’s consolidated financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2023 include 61 days of contributions from European iGaming operator, SuprNation, which was acquired by the Company on October 31, 2023.
Fourth Quarter 2023 vs. Fourth Quarter 2022 Summary:
- Revenue was
$83.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to$76.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Revenue contributed by SuprNation totaled$4.3 million for the 61 days the Company owned and operated the business. Revenue exclusive of the contributions from SuprNation increased3% year over year to$78.8 million . - Operating expenses declined to
$47.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 from$321.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, primarily reflecting the one-time, non-cash goodwill and intangibles impairment of$269.9 million incurred in the fourth quarter of 2022. - Adjusted EBITDA was
$36.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase from$24.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, primarily due to higher revenue and lower cost of revenues and sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to43.5% in the fourth quarter of 2023 from32.4% in the fourth quarter of 2022. - Net income was
$25.5 million , or earnings per fully diluted common share of$10.27 ($0.51 per American Depositary Share (“ADS”)), in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to a loss of$(194.4) million , or a loss of$(78.47) per fully diluted common share ($(3.92) per ADS), in the fourth quarter of 2022. Note each ADS represents 0.05 share of a common share. - Average Revenue Per Daily Active User (“ARPDAU”) for the Company’s social casino/free-to-play games increased to
$1.24 in the fourth quarter of 2023 from$0.98 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and$1.06 in the third quarter of 2023. - Average monthly revenue per payer for the social casino/free-to-play games increased to
$279 in the fourth quarter of 2023 from$227 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and$245 in the third quarter of 2023.
“Our fourth quarter results, which include a
“Our acquisition of SuprNation in the fourth quarter marked our entrance into the European iGaming market and we are moving quickly on a range of initiatives to scale the business which will be our initial focus before we turn to optimizing the cash flow generated by this business. These initiatives include increasing marketing investment and leveraging our legacy of marketing and product expertise to grow SuprNation’s market share in its core U.K. and Sweden markets.
“We place a primary focus on being capital efficient as reflected in our strong Adjusted EBITDA margins and free cash flow generation. At 2023 year-end, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments net of current borrowing were approximately
Full Year 2023 vs. Full Year 2022 Summary:
- Revenue, inclusive of the 61-day contributions from SuprNation noted above, decreased from
$321.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 to$308.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Revenue exclusive of the contributions from SuprNation, declined to$304.6 million . - Operating expenses decreased from
$634.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 to$190.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2023. Full year 2022 operating expenses include a$141.8 million charge related to the settlement of the Benson class action and associated proceedings and the$269.9 million goodwill and intangibles impairment charge noted above. Both of these charges were one-time in nature and not recurring. Additionally, lower cost of revenues and sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses, contributed to the decrease in operating expenses. - Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased to
$118.9 million from$101.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting in an Adjusted EBITDA margin of38.5% in 2023, compared to an Adjusted EBITDA margin of31.6% in 2022. The increases in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin in 2023 were primarily due to lower cost of revenues and sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by higher general and administrative expenses. - The Company recorded net income of
$100.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, or$40.53 per common share on a fully diluted basis ($2.03 per ADS), compared to a net loss of$(234.0) million for the year ended December 31, 2022, or a loss of$(94.43) per common share on a fully diluted basis (loss of$(4.72) per ADS) inclusive of the Benson class action settlement and goodwill and intangibles impairment charges noted above. - ARPDAU for the Company’s social casino/free-to-play games increased to
$1.09 for the year ended December 31, 2023 from$0.97 for the year ended December 31, 2022. - Average monthly revenue per payer for the social casino/free-to-play games increased to
$245 for the year ended December 31, 2023 from$226 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Summary Operating Results for DoubleDown Interactive (Unaudited)
| Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Revenue ($ MM) | |||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 47.5 | 51.5 | 190.7 | 223.3 | |||||||||||
| Loss contingency | - | - | - | 141.8 | |||||||||||
| Impairment of goodwill and intangibles | - | 269.9 | - | 269.9 | |||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA ($ MM) | 36.2 | 24.7 | 118.9 | 101.6 | |||||||||||
| Net income ($ MM) | |||||||||||||||
| Net income margin | (255.2)% | (72.9)% | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | |||||||||||||||
| Non-financial performance metrics(1) | |||||||||||||||
| Average MAUs (000s) | 1,488 | 2,084 | 1,750 | 2,247 | |||||||||||
| Average DAUs (000s) | 703 | 855 | 772 | 919 | |||||||||||
| ARPDAU | |||||||||||||||
| Average monthly revenue per payer | |||||||||||||||
| Payer conversion | |||||||||||||||
(1) Social casino/free-to-play games only
Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results
Revenue inclusive of the contributions from SuprNation in the fourth quarter of 2023 was
Operating expenses in the fourth quarter of 2023 were
The Company recorded net income of
Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2023 was
Net cash flows provided by operating activities for the fourth quarter of 2023 was
Full Year 2023 Financial Results
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were
Net income was
Adjusted EBITDA for 2023 increased to
Net cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, were
Conference Call
DoubleDown will hold a conference call today (February 13, 2024) at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Time) to discuss these results. A question-and-answer session will follow management's presentation.
To access the call, please use the following link: DoubleDown Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Earnings Call. After registering, an email will be sent, including dial-in details and a unique conference call access code required to join the live call. To ensure you are connected prior to the beginning of the call, please register a minimum of 15 minutes before the start of the call.
A simultaneous webcast of the conference call will be available with the following link: DoubleDown Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Earnings Webcast, or via the Investor Relations page of the DoubleDown website at ir.doubledowninteractive.com. For those not planning to ask a question on the conference call, the Company recommends listening via the webcast.
A replay will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website shortly after the event.
About DoubleDown Interactive
DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. is a leading developer and publisher of digital games on mobile and web-based platforms. We are the creators of multi-format interactive entertainment experiences for casual players, bringing authentic Vegas entertainment to players around the world through an online social casino experience. The Company’s flagship social casino title, DoubleDown Casino, has been a fan-favorite game on leading social and mobile platforms for years, entertaining millions of players worldwide with a lineup of classic and modern games. Following its acquisition of SuprNation in October 2023, the Company also operates three real-money iGaming sites in Western Europe.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements” about future events and expectations for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of industry trends, our future financial and operating performance, and our growth plans, taking into account the information currently available to us. These statements are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Words such as “anticipates,” believes,” “continues,” “estimates,” “expects,” “goal,” “objectives,” “intends,” “may,” “opportunity,” “plans,” potential,” “near-term,” long-term,” “projections,” “assumptions,” “projects,” “guidance,” “forecasts,” “outlook,” “target,” “trends,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. We qualify any forward-looking statements entirely by these cautionary factors. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
Use and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), we believe the following non-GAAP financial measure is useful in evaluating our operating performance. We present “adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization” (“Adjusted EBITDA”) because we believe it assists investors and analysts by facilitating comparison of period-to-period operational performance on a consistent basis by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. The items excluded from the Adjusted EBITDA may have a material impact on our financial results. Certain of those items are non-recurring, while others are non-cash in nature. Accordingly, the Adjusted EBITDA is presented as supplemental disclosure and should not be considered in isolation of, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements furnished in our report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC.
In our reconciliation from our reported GAAP “net income before provision for taxes” to our Adjusted EBITDA, we eliminate the impact of the following eight line items: (i) depreciation and amortization; (ii) loss contingency related to the Benson case; (iii) impairment of goodwill and intangibles; (iv) interest income; (v) interest expense; (vi) foreign currency transaction/remeasurement (gain) loss; (vii) short-term investments (gain) loss; and (viii) other (income) expense, net. The below table sets forth the full reconciliation of our non-GAAP measures:
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures | Three Months Ended December 31, | Twelve Months Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except percentages) | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. | |||||||||||||
| Income tax (expense) benefit | (8.6) | 60.3 | (30.7) | 71.2 | |||||||||
| Income (loss) before tax | 34.1 | (254.7) | 131.1 | (305.2) | |||||||||
| Adjustments for: | |||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 3.8 | |||||||||
| Loss contingency | - | - | - | 141.8 | |||||||||
| Impairment of goodwill and intangibles | - | 269.9 | - | 269.9 | |||||||||
| Interest income | (3.2) | (2.3) | (13.7) | (5.0) | |||||||||
| Interest expense | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | |||||||||
| Foreign currency transaction/remeasurement (gain) loss | 4.2 | 11.2 | (1.2) | (5.8) | |||||||||
| Short-term investments (gain) loss | 0.0 | (0.0) | 0.1 | 0.2 | |||||||||
| Other (income) expense, net | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | |||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | |||||||||||||
We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.
Company Contact:
Joe Sigrist
ir@doubledown.com
+1 (206) 773-2266
Chief Financial Officer
https://www.doubledowninteractive.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Joseph Jaffoni or Richard Land
JCIR
+1 (212) 835-8500
DDI@jcir.com
| DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands of U.S. dollars, except share and per share amounts) | ||||
| Years ended December 31, | ||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Assets | (unaudited) | |||
| Current assets: | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | ||||
| Short-term investments | 67,756 | 67,891 | ||
| Accounts receivable, net | 32,517 | 21,198 | ||
| Prepaid expenses, and other assets | 8,570 | 6,441 | ||
| Total current assets | ||||
| Property and equipment, net | 444 | 436 | ||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets, net | 6,785 | 3,858 | ||
| Intangible assets, net | 51,571 | 35,051 | ||
| Goodwill | 396,596 | 379,072 | ||
| Deferred tax asset | 27,611 | 59,290 | ||
| Other non-current assets | 2,807 | 1,463 | ||
| Total assets | ||||
| Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | ||||
| Short-term operating lease liabilities | 3,157 | 3,050 | ||
| Income taxes payable | 112 | - | ||
| Contract liabilities | 2,520 | 2,426 | ||
| Loss contingency | - | 95,250 | ||
| Current portion of borrowing with related party | 38,778 | - | ||
| Other current liabilities | 1,144 | 1,926 | ||
| Total current liabilities | ||||
| Long-term borrowings with related party | - | 39,454 | ||
| Long-term operating lease liabilities | 4,420 | 1,625 | ||
| Other non-current liabilities | 10,837 | 8,265 | ||
| Total liabilities | ||||
| Shareholders’ equity | ||||
| Common stock, KRW 10,000 par value - 200,000,000 Shares authorized; | ||||
| 2,477,672 issued and outstanding | 21,198 | 21,198 | ||
| Additional paid-in-capital | 359,280 | 359,280 | ||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 19,986 | 19,360 | ||
| Retained earnings | 326,800 | 226,388 | ||
| Total shareholders’ equity attributable to shareowners of DDI Co. Ltd. | ||||
| Equity attributable to noncontrolling interests | 43 | - | ||
| Total equity | ||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | ||||
| DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income (Unaudited, in thousands except share and per share amounts) | |||||||||||||
| Three months ended December 31, | Twelve Months ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue(1) | 24,787 | 25,841 | 99,069 | 109,305 | |||||||||
| Sales and marketing(1) | 9,912 | 16,855 | 49,645 | 71,911 | |||||||||
| Research and development(1) | 4,658 | 4,478 | 19,131 | 18,182 | |||||||||
| General and administrative(1) | 7,573 | 4,287 | 22,100 | 20,058 | |||||||||
| Loss contingency(1) | - | - | - | 141,750 | |||||||||
| Impairment of goodwill and intangibles(1) | - | 269,893 | - | 269,893 | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 571 | 50 | 728 | 3,801 | |||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 47,501 | 321,404 | 190,673 | 634,900 | |||||||||
| Operating income (loss) | |||||||||||||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||||||||
| Interest expense | (457) | (476) | (1,798) | (1,831) | |||||||||
| Interest income | 3,166 | 2,251 | 13,677 | 4,993 | |||||||||
| Gain on foreign currency transactions | 889 | 6,138 | 4,796 | 6,994 | |||||||||
| Gain (loss) on foreign currency remeasurement, net | (5,089) | (17,341) | (3,606) | (1,179) | |||||||||
| Gain (loss) on short-term investments | (6) | 3 | (82) | (152) | |||||||||
| Other, net | (30) | (22) | (33) | (120) | |||||||||
| Total other income (expense), net | |||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax | |||||||||||||
| Income tax (expense) benefit | (8,574) | 60,264 | (30,690) | 71,190 | |||||||||
| Net income (loss) | |||||||||||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | 43 | - | 43 | - | |||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. | |||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (expense): | |||||||||||||
| Pension adjustments, net of tax | (441) | 32 | (597) | (154) | |||||||||
| Gain (loss) on foreign currency translation | 4,392 | 7,567 | 1,223 | (3,519) | |||||||||
| Comprehensive income (loss) | |||||||||||||
| Earnings per share: | |||||||||||||
| Basic | |||||||||||||
| Diluted | |||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding: | |||||||||||||
| Basic | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | |||||||||
| Diluted | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | 2,477,672 | |||||||||
| (1) Excluding depreciation and amortization | |||||||||||||
| DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited, in thousands of U.S. dollars) | ||||||
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Cash flow from (used in) operating activities: | ||||||
| Net Income (loss) | ||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 728 | 3,801 | ||||
| Impairment of goodwill and intangibles | - | 269,893 | ||||
| Loss on foreign currency remeasurement | 3,605 | 1,179 | ||||
| Loss on short-term investments | 82 | 152 | ||||
| (Gain) on disposition of property and equipment | (2) | - | ||||
| Deferred taxes | 30,051 | (84,983) | ||||
| Working capital adjustments: | ||||||
| Accounts receivable | (11,398) | (46) | ||||
| Prepaid expenses, other current and non-current assets | (3,113) | (142) | ||||
| Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other payables | (1,946) | (239) | ||||
| Contract liabilities | 94 | 180 | ||||
| Income tax payable | (35) | - | ||||
| Loss contingency | (95,250) | 91,750 | ||||
| Other current and non-current liabilities | (2,423) | 3,224 | ||||
| Net cash flows from operating activities | ||||||
| Cash flow (used in) investing activities: | ||||||
| Acquisition, net of cash acquired, and other | (26,877) | - | ||||
| Purchases of intangible assets | - | (4) | ||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (198) | (269) | ||||
| Disposals of property and equipment | 5 | 26 | ||||
| Purchases of short-term investments | (146,363) | (518,629) | ||||
| Sales of short-term investments | 143,164 | 451,046 | ||||
| Net cash flows (used in) investing activities | ||||||
| Cash flow from (used in) financing activities: | ||||||
| Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities: | - | - | ||||
| Net foreign exchange difference on cash and cash equivalents | (1,020) | (7,669) | ||||
| Net (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | ||||||
| Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information | ||||||
| Cash paid during year for: | ||||||
| Interest | $- | |||||
| Income taxes | ||||||
FAQ
What was DoubleDown Interactive's revenue in Q4 2023?
How did Adjusted EBITDA perform in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022?
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Did DoubleDown Interactive's revenue increase or decrease in full-year 2023?
What was DoubleDown Interactive's Adjusted EBITDA for full-year 2023?
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