Rivalry Reports 192% Growth in Handle and 60% Growth in Revenue for Q2 2023, Projects Profitability in H1 2024

Rhea-AI Summary

Rivalry Corp. reports significant YoY growth in betting handle and revenue, with a record $112.2 million handle in Q2 2023, up 192% YoY. Gross profit also increased by 86% YoY. The company aims to achieve profitability in H1 2024. However, increased margin volatility and unique betting habits from Gen Z users negatively impacted revenue, leading to a net loss of $6.3 million in Q2 2023. The company plans to stabilize margin, reduce volatility, and increase bottom-line results through operational adjustments and product innovation.

Positive

• Significant YoY growth in betting handle and revenue
• Record $112.2 million handle in Q2 2023, up 192% YoY
• Gross profit increased by 86% YoY
• Company aims to achieve profitability in H1 2024
• Operational adjustments and product innovation to stabilize margin and increase bottom-line results

Negative

• Increased margin volatility and unique betting habits from Gen Z users negatively impacted revenue
• Net loss of $6.3 million in Q2 2023

Bespoke Product, Creative Marketing Deliver Significant Year-Over-Year Growth, Cost Efficiencies, and Strong Revenue Trajectory; Company Forecasts Profitability in H1 2024

• Betting handle of $112.2 million,¹ up 192% year-over-year, while reducing marketing spend 6% year-over-year.
  
• Revenue of $8.5 million grew 60% year-over-year.
• Gross profit of $3.8 million was up 86% year-over-year.
• Increased product depth and organic marketing build on user acquisition and engagement ahead of tentpole esports events in H2, acquiring 44% more new customers YoY at a 41% lower cost of customer acquisition; average betting handle per customer increased by 63% year-over-year.
• Momentum has continued into the third quarter with $46.6 million in betting handle in July 2023, a single-month record, up 99% year-over-year.
• Company provides guidance, anticipates achieving profitability in H1 2024.

TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rivalry Corp. (the “Company” or “Rivalry”) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), an internationally regulated sports betting and media company, today announced its financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023. Rivalry has also provided revenue guidance that the Company anticipates reaching profitability in the first half of next year. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“In Q2 we delivered a nearly three-fold increase in handle year-over-year,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “Increased marketing sophistication and enhancements to our core product have led to operational improvements, increased player wallet share, and a material year-over-year reduction in cost of customer acquisition, positioning us well in the coming quarters. The growing strength in these underlying fundamentals continues to validate Rivalry’s global brand leadership in esports betting, and more broadly, in delivering a world class online gambling experience for the next generation of fans.”

“Our position among young Millennial and Gen Z customers represents one of our greatest competitive advantages, but has also presented unique learnings regarding betting behaviors. Generally we experience higher margin volatility within the sportsbook among this demographic, which impacted revenue this quarter,” Salz added. “That said, challenges like this come with our position at the bleeding edge of a demographic shift in online gambling, and it has also allowed Rivalry to learn more than other operators about what is needed to succeed among this coveted cohort. In the immediate term we have been tuning our operational initiatives to address normalizing margin and seeing early results. And to contextualize the upside potential of this work, at consistent industry average margins Rivalry would have been profitable in Q1 and Q2 this year against the betting handle we generated. With these ongoing adjustments being made based on our learnings, alongside the general benefits scaling handle through growth provides to margin, we expect to reduce volatility, positively impacting bottom-line results, and propelling us to profitability in the first half of next year.”

Second Quarter 2023 Highlights

• Betting handle for the three-month period ended June 30, 2023 was $112.2 million, an increase of $73.8 million or 192% from $38.4 million in Q2 2022, while reducing marketing spend 6% year-over-year.
• Casino has helped offset historical esports seasonality slowdown in Q2, contributing toward revenue diversity and growth, adding $57.5 million in handle during the second quarter.
• Revenue was $8.5 million in Q2 2023, a record result for a second quarter, representing an increase of $3.2 million or 60% from $5.3 million of revenue in Q2 2022.
• Gross profit was $3.8 million in Q2 2023, an increase of $1.8 million or 86% from $2.1 million of gross profit in Q2 2022.
• Net loss was $6.3 million for Q2 2023, a 1% increase from the net loss of $6.2 million in Q2 2022. A select number of low probability esports and sports outcomes, alongside unique behavioral betting habits from Gen Z users, caused increased margin volatility and negatively impacted revenue, which combined with several one-time expenses expanded the Company’s net loss.
• Adjusting for non-recurring items in the Company’s operational expenses over the last four quarters, Rivalry is pleased to note that its operational expenses have remained nearly flat, while simultaneously delivering triple digit year-over-year growth in betting handle every quarter. It is this clear operating leverage trend, combined with concerted efforts to increasingly stabilize margin at scale, that has led the Company to provide its H1/24 profitability guidance.
• The Company has continued to broaden its product offering in recent months, including the launch of its mobile app in Ontario and more recently, an industry-first same-game parlay product for esports, structural sportsbook hold rate and customer experience improvements.
• The Company had $14.0 million of cash and no debt as at June 30, 2023.²

Guidance

• The Company is providing guidance as it projects to reach profitability in the first half of 2024. This projection is based on several factors, including an expectation of consistent year-over-year revenue growth, slower increases in costs due to operating leverage and disciplined management of expenses, and ongoing product innovation that strengthens the Rivalry brand and leads to increased betting activity and lower cost of customer acquisition.
  

“We are keen to share a number of additional product releases coming in Q3, beginning with Same Game Combos, our own proprietary version of same-game parlays for esports, which we released just last week,” Salz added. “This feature, and others arriving in the third quarter, strengthens our position at the edge of technical and product innovation, and more broadly, our ability to continue delivering a market-leading betting experience catered to young Millennial and Gen Z consumers. We have barely scratched the surface of the feature set on our deep product roadmap, which we are confident will enable us to win this global generational opportunity in betting.”

Investor Conference Call

Management will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 to discuss the Company’s second quarter 2023 financial results.

Dial-in:	888-886-7786 (toll free) or (+1) 416-764-8658 (local or international calls)
Webcast:	A live webcast can be accessed from the Events section of the Company’s website at www.rivalrycorp.com or at this link. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website for one year.

Rivalry’s financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the period ended June 30, 2023 are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and on the Company’s website at www.rivalrycorp.com.

About Rivalry

Rivalry Corp. wholly owns and operates Rivalry Limited, a leading sport betting and media company offering fully regulated online wagering on esports, traditional sports, and casino for the next generation of bettors. Based in Toronto, Rivalry operates a global team in more than 20 countries and growing. Rivalry Limited has held an Isle of Man license since 2018, considered one of the premier online gambling jurisdictions. Rivalry holds a sports bookmaker license in Australia and an internet gaming registration in Ontario and is currently in the process of obtaining additional country licenses. The Company also has a variety of originally developed products, including Quest, an on-site engagement experience, a first-party casino game called Rushlane, and a proprietary casino platform that houses third-party games, Casino.exe.

Investor Contact:
Oakstrom Advisors
Jeff Codispodi
investors@rivalry.com

Rivalry Contact:
Cody Luongo, PR & Communications
cody@rivalry.com
203-947-1936

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “project” and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions.

Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown, variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses; the esports and sports betting industry being a heavily regulated industry; the complex and evolving regulatory environment for the online gaming and online gambling industry; the success of esports and other betting products are not guaranteed; changes in public perception of the esports and online gambling industry; failure to retain or add customers; the Company having a limited operating history; negative cash flow from operations; operational risks; cybersecurity risks; reliance on management; reliance on third parties and third-party networks; exchange rate risks; risks related to cryptocurrency transactions; risk of intellectual property infringement or invalid claims; the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and general economic, market and business conditions. For additional risks, please see the Company’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other disclosure documents available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Financial Outlook

This news release contains a financial outlook within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. The financial outlook has been prepared by management of the Company to provide an outlook for the Company’s ability to generate sustainable net income prior to June 30, 2024 and may not be appropriate for any other purpose. The financial outlook has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements”. The actual results of the Company’s operations for any period will likely vary from the amounts set forth in these projections and such variations may be material. The Company and its management believe that the financial outlook has been prepared on a reasonable basis. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks, including the risks discussed under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements", it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Source: Rivalry Corp.

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^{¹ The Company defines “Betting Handle” or “Handle” as the total dollar value accepted in wagers, adjusted for cancellations and corrections.
² Includes cash and cash equivalents of $9.0 million and restricted cash of $5.0 million.}