CuriosityStream Reiterates Q4 and Full-Year 2025 Outlook
Rhea-AI Summary
CuriosityStream (NASDAQ: CURI) reaffirmed its Q4 2025 outlook and full-year 2025 metrics on January 8, 2026, and announced management will attend the Needham Growth Conference in New York City on January 13–14, 2026.
Q4 2025 revenue is expected to be $18–$20 million (YoY +27%–42%), implying full-year 2025 revenue $70–$72 million (YoY +38%–42%). Q4 adjusted free cash flow is expected at $2.5–$3.5 million, implying FY2025 adjusted free cash flow $12–$13 million (YoY +27%–37%). The company said it plans to pay 2026 dividends from cash generated by operations, as in 2024.
Positive
- Full-year revenue guidance of $70–$72M (+38%–42% YoY)
- FY2025 adjusted free cash flow guidance of $12–$13M (+27%–37% YoY)
- Plan to pay 2026 dividends from operating cash flow
Negative
- Q4 revenue guidance remains a range at $18–$20M, adding outcome uncertainty
- Absolute FY2025 adjusted free cash flow $12–$13M is modest in dollar terms
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
CURI fell 6.2% while key broadcasting peers like MDIA (-7.69%), SGA (-5.47%), IHRT (-4.87%), SSP (-4.1%) and SBGI (-2.6%) were also down, but momentum scanners did not flag a coordinated sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31 | Conference participation | Neutral | -0.3% | Announced participation in the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference with panels and meetings. |
| Dec 03 | Conference meetings | Neutral | +3.9% | Planned one-on-one meetings at the 14th Annual ROTH Deer Valley investor event. |
| Nov 12 | Earnings results | Positive | +0.3% | Reported 46% YoY Q3 revenue growth with record margins, cash flow and Q4 guidance. |
| Nov 06 | Strategic hire | Positive | -7.6% | Named VP, Content Partnerships to expand AI licensing and strategic alliances. |
| Nov 04 | Conference schedule | Neutral | -2.4% | Outlined November 2025 participation at three New York investor conferences. |
Recent news skewed toward conferences and strategic updates, with financial results showing strong growth; only the AI partnerships hire saw a clear negative price divergence.
Over the past few months, CuriosityStream highlighted conference participation, strategic hiring, and strong financial performance. On Nov 12, 2025, it reported Q3 2025 revenue of $18.4 million, up 46% year-over-year with record gross profit and cash flow, and issued Q4 guidance that matches today’s reiterated outlook. Multiple November and December releases focused on investor conference appearances, while a Nov 6, 2025 announcement detailed a new VP for content partnerships to drive AI licensing and alliances. Today’s reaffirmed Q4 and 2025 outlook fits this trajectory of emphasizing growth and cash generation.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement reiterates CuriosityStream’s outlook for Q4 and full-year 2025, calling for Q4 revenue of $18–$20 million and full-year revenue of $70–$72 million, alongside higher adjusted free cash flow. Management also signals intent to fund 2026 dividends from operating cash, consistent with 2024. Historically, the company has paired strong growth metrics with increased investor outreach through conferences. Investors may watch upcoming results for confirmation of these targets and monitor insider activity and cash generation trends.
Key Terms
adjusted free cash flow financial
non-gaap financial measures financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Management to participate in fireside chat and one-on-one meetings at 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference January 14, 2026
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND / ACCESS Newswire / January 8, 2026 / CuriosityStream Inc. (NASDAQ:CURI), a global factual entertainment company, today reiterated its financial outlook for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, as previously disclosed.
"We are reaffirming our fourth-quarter outlook, reflecting continued growth and disciplined execution across our business," said Clint Stinchcomb, President & CEO of CuriosityStream. "As we expand our global reach and strengthen distribution partnerships, we are confident that both top-line and bottom-line growth will continue into 2026. We also plan to pay 2026 dividends from cash generated by operations, as we did in 2024, underscoring the strength and sustainability of our strategy and cash flow."
Financial Outlook
CuriosityStream expects the following for the fourth quarter of 2025:
Revenue within the range of
$18 -$20 million , which represents year-over-year growth of27% -42% and implies full year 2025 revenue in the range of$70 million to$72 million , representing a38% to42% increase from 2024.Adjusted Free Cash Flow1 within the range of
$2.5 -$3.5 million , which implies full year 2025 adjusted free cash flow of$12 million to$13 million , representing a27% to37% increase from 2024.
1 See Non-GAAP Financial Measures below.
Investor Conference
Management will participate in a fireside chat at 3:45 pm ET on January 14, 2026 at the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference and host in person one-on-one meetings during the conference. The event is being held at the Lotte NY Palace Hotel, New York City.
In addition, Clint Stinchcomb, CEO will be a panelist during the following conference panels:
"Future of Streaming" at 11:45 am ET on Tuesday, January 13, 2026
"AI & Tech Impacts in Media, Advertising & Internet Industries in 2026" at 11:45 am ET on January 14, 2026
Please contact your Needham salesperson if you would like to attend any of these events or schedule a one-on-one meeting.
For more information about the conference, please visit
https://www.needhamco.com/conferences/28th-annual-needham-growth-conference/
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited to, CuriosityStream's expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance or conditions, consumers' valuation of factual content, and the Company's continued success. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "forecasts," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "plans," "scheduled," "anticipates," "predicts" or "intends" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. Certain of these risks are identified and discussed under "Risk Factors" in CuriosityStream's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, that CuriosityStream filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 25, 2025, and in CuriosityStream's other SEC filings. These risk factors are important to consider in determining future results and should be reviewed in their entirety.
Forward-looking statements are based on the current belief of the management of CuriosityStream, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events, and involve factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from such statements. However, there can be no assurance that the events, results or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and CuriosityStream is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports that CuriosityStream has filed or will file from time to time with the SEC.
In addition to factors previously disclosed in CuriosityStream's reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (i) risks related to CuriosityStream's ability to maintain and develop new and existing revenue-generating relationships and partnerships or to significantly increase CuriosityStream's subscriber base and retain customers; (ii) the effects of pending and future legislation; (iii) risks of the internet, online commerce and media industry; (iv) the highly competitive nature of the internet, online commerce and media industry and CuriosityStream's ability to compete therein; (v) litigation, complaints, and/or adverse publicity; and (vi) privacy and data protection laws, privacy or data breaches, or the loss of data.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement our unaudited consolidated statement of operations, which is prepared in accordance with GAAP, we present Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow in this press release. Our use of non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow, has limitations as an analytical tool, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of financial results as reported under GAAP.
The Company is not able to provide expectations of net cash generated from operating activities, the closest comparable GAAP measure to Adjusted Free Cash Flow (a non-GAAP measure), on a forward-looking basis. The Company is unable to predict without unreasonable costs and efforts the ultimate amounts of certain cash receipts and outlays because, in part, such items may have not yet occurred, are out of the Company's control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. These items are further described in the reconciliation tables and related descriptions below. Further, these items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could be material to the Company's results computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We use these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP for planning purposes, including in the preparation of our annual operating budget, as a measure of our core operating results and the effectiveness of our business strategy, and in evaluating our financial performance. These measures provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of core operating results, and also facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash Flow are widely used by investors and securities analysts to measure a company's operating performance. We exclude the following items from net income to calculate Adjusted EBITDA: interest and other income (expense), provision for income taxes, depreciation and non-content amortization, loss/(gain) on the change in fair value of our warrants, equity interests loss (gain), impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and content assets, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation. Adjusted Free Cash Flow is calculated as net cash flow used in operating activities less purchases of property and equipment, restructuring charges and nonrecurring license fees.
Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. In particular, (1) although depreciation and amortization expense are non-cash charges, the assets subject to depreciation and amortization may have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect cash capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new capital expenditure requirements; (2) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect: (a) changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; or (b) tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to us; and (3) Adjusted Free Cash Flow does not reflect: (a) our cash flow available for discretionary payments; (b) our future contractual commitments (such as any debt service requirements or dividend payments); (c) funds available for investment or other discretionary uses; (d) certain capital expenditure requirements; or (e) the total increase or decrease in our cash balances for the stated period. The non-GAAP financial measures we use may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the financial statements tables included in this press release and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.
About CuriosityStream Inc.
CuriosityStream Inc. is the entertainment brand for people who want to know more. The global media company is home to award-winning original and curated factual films, shows, and series covering science, nature, history, technology, society, and lifestyle. With millions of subscribers worldwide and thousands of titles, the company operates the flagship Curiosity Stream SVOD service, available in more than 175 countries worldwide; Curiosity Channel, the linear television channel available via global distribution partners; Curiosity University, featuring talks from the best professors at the world's most renowned universities as well as courses, short and long-form videos, and podcasts; Curiosity Now, Curiosity Explora, and other free, ad-supported channels; Curiosity Audio Network, with original content and podcasts; and Curiosity Studios, which oversees original programming. For more information, visit CuriosityStream.com.
Contacts:
CuriosityStream Investor Relations
Brett Maas
IR@CuriosityStream.com
SOURCE: CuriosityStream
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
FAQ
What Q4 2025 revenue did CuriosityStream (CURI) reiterate on January 8, 2026?
What full-year 2025 revenue and growth did CuriosityStream (CURI) imply?
What adjusted free cash flow guidance did CuriosityStream (CURI) provide for FY2025?
Will CuriosityStream (CURI) pay dividends in 2026?
When and where will CuriosityStream (CURI) management appear at the Needham conference?
