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Skillz Announces Q1 2022 Results, Paving the Path to Profitable Growth

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Delivered $93 million in Revenue with Higher Marketing Efficiency Resulting in $17 million Improvement in Adjusted EBITDA over Q4 2021

Launched Breakthrough Innovation with Cloud Gaming Technology

Announced Finalists for the NFL & Skillz Game Developer Challenge

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Skillz Inc. (NYSE: SKLZ) (“Skillz” or the “Company”), the leading mobile games platform bringing fair competition to players worldwide, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

“Skillz drove strong improvement in marketing efficiency in the first quarter of 2022,” said Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise. “We commenced our transition to profitable growth through both sustained product innovation, including the recent beta launch of our cloud-gaming feature, and rollout of more enhancements that improve the user experience through social and personalization.”

Q1 Financial Highlights

  • Revenue was up 12% over the prior year period to $93 million
  • Gross Profit grew by 6% over the prior year period to $84 million
  • Net Loss increased to $148 million from $54 million in the prior year period, with $65 million of that increase driven by non-recurring stock-based compensation expense related to the cancellation of performance stock units previously granted to the CEO
  • Paying Monthly Active Users increased by 22% over the prior year period to 0.57 million
  • Revenue After Engagement Marketing (RAEM)(1) increased by 8% over the prior year period to $51.3 million

Q1 Business Highlights

  • Improved User Acquisition marketing efficiency, which enabled us to reduce spend significantly over the prior quarter while maintaining RAEM
  • Eliminated low-return engagement marketing programs, resulting in a meaningful reduction in engagement marketing as a percentage of revenue over the prior quarter
  • Revealed our cloud gaming technology, which has the potential to drive improvement in user lifetime value and user acquisition costs
  • Rolled out chat system-wide to drive deeper user engagement
  • Signed a multi-year partnership with UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization for branded mobile game creation and marketing
  • Selected finalists for the NFL & Skillz Game Developer Challenge whose NFL-inspired game creations moved on to the soft launch phase

Financial Outlook

We are making no change to our full-year 2022 revenue guidance of $400 million. Our guidance is based on an estimated reduction in engagement marketing as a percentage of revenue of approximately 10 percentage points, when compared with engagement marketing as a percentage of revenue of 49% in 2021. This implies our RAEM will be $245 million, representing 24% year-over-year growth. Based on that revenue guidance, we expect to achieve an Adjusted EBITDA margin improvement of approximately 10 percentage points when compared with Adjusted EBITDA margin of (47)% in 2021. We expect to exit 2022 with a Q4 year-over-year RAEM growth rate above 30% and a Q4 Adjusted EBITDA margin better than (30)%.

Investor Conference Call

Skillz posted a stockholder letter today discussing the first quarter results on its investor relations website at http://investors.skillz.com. A live question and answer conference call and audio webcast with analysts and investors will begin at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

The Q&A conference call can be accessed by registering online for the Skillz Webcast, at which time registrants will receive dial-in information as well as a passcode and registrant ID. At the time of the call, participants will dial in using the numbers in the confirmation email and enter their passcode and ID, upon which they will enter the conference call. Access to a live audio-webcast of the discussion in listen-only mode will be available at https://investors.skillz.com.

A replay and transcript of the webcast will be archived on the Company’s investor relations website. An audio replay of the Q&A conference call will be available through May 11, 2022 and can be accessed by dialing 1-866-813-9403 (US) or +44-204-525-0658 (international) and entering the passcode 241213.

About Skillz Inc.

Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players in fair, fun, and meaningful competition. The Skillz platform helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for millions of mobile players worldwide, and distributes millions in prizes each month. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the number-one fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000. www.skillz.com

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, the Company includes Adjusted EBITDA, RAEM and Non-GAAP Operating Expenses, which are non-GAAP performance measures that the Company uses to supplement its results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. As required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Company has provided herein a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release to the most directly comparable measures under GAAP. The Company’s management believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating its operating performance and is a similar measure reported by publicly-listed U.S. competitors, and regularly used by security analysts, institutional investors, and other interested parties in analyzing operating performance and prospects. The Company’s management believes that RAEM is a useful measure to enable investors to better measure the Company’s progress in optimizing engagement marketing and the core growth rate of our business. By providing these non-GAAP measures, the Company’s management intends to provide investors with a meaningful, consistent comparison of the Company’s profitability for the periods presented. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a substitute for net loss or any other U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry. RAEM is not intended to be a substitute for revenue or for any other U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry. Further, Non-GAAP Operating Expenses are not intended to be a substitute for GAAP Operating Expenses or any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry.

The Company defines and calculates Adjusted EBITDA as net loss before interest, other non-operating expense or income, (benefit from) provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted for stock-based compensation and other special items determined by management, including, but not limited to, fair value adjustments for certain financial liabilities associated with debt and equity transactions, impairment charges, acquisition related expenses for transaction costs and certain loss contingency accruals. The Company defines and calculates RAEM based on the Company’s consolidated revenue less engagement marketing expenses included in sales and marketing expenses. The Company defines and calculates Non-GAAP Operating Expenses as GAAP Operating Expenses adjusted for stock-based compensation, one-time transaction expenses and other special items determined by management, including, but not limited to acquisition-related expenses for transactions costs and certain loss contingency accruals, as they are not indicative of business operations.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company’s actual results may differ from its expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside of the Company’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the ability of Skillz to: effectively compete in the global entertainment and gaming industries; attract and retain successful relationships with the third party developers that develop and update all of the games hosted on Skillz’s platform; comply with laws and regulations applicable to its business; and as well as other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will be made available in other filings that the Company makes from time to time with the SEC. In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable as of this date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Source: Skillz Inc.

(1) Revenue After Engagement Marketing (RAEM) is a non-GAAP metric; for reconciliation of this measure against its most comparable GAAP metric, please see the appendix to this press release.

Skillz Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(Unaudited, in thousands, except for number of shares and per share amounts)

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

 

2021

Revenue

$

93,438

 

 

$

83,677

 

Costs and expenses:

 

 

 

Cost of revenue

 

9,265

 

 

 

4,256

 

Research and development

 

18,653

 

 

 

7,282

 

Sales and marketing

 

117,332

 

 

 

96,323

 

General and administrative

 

92,792

 

 

 

27,284

 

Total costs and expenses

 

238,042

 

 

 

135,145

 

Loss from operations

 

(144,604

)

 

 

(51,468

)

Interest expense, net

 

(8,157

)

 

 

(24

)

Change in fair value of common stock warrant liabilities

 

4,462

 

 

 

(2,108

)

Other (expense) income, net

 

(27

)

 

 

50

 

Loss before income taxes

 

(148,326

)

 

 

(53,550

)

(Benefit from) provision for income taxes

 

(213

)

 

 

42

 

Net loss

$

(148,113

)

 

$

(53,592

)

Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders – basic

$

(0.37

)

 

$

(0.15

)

Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic

 

401,653,954

 

 

 

356,818,954

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholders – diluted

$

(148,113

)

 

$

(57,391

)

Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders – diluted

$

(0.37

)

 

$

(0.16

)

Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted

 

401,653,954

 

 

 

359,827,649

 

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive loss:

 

 

 

Change in unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments, net of tax

 

(2,046

)

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive loss:

 

(2,046

)

 

 

 

Comprehensive loss

$

(150,159

)

 

$

(53,592

)

 

Skillz Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited, in thousands, except for number of shares and par value per share amounts)

 

March 31,

 

December 31,

2022

 

2021

Assets

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

114,558

 

 

$

241,332

 

Marketable securities, current

 

369,566

 

 

 

319,055

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

13,230

 

 

 

13,497

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

21,967

 

 

 

16,704

 

Total current assets

 

519,321

 

 

 

590,588

 

Property and equipment, net

 

8,629

 

 

 

9,988

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

13,977

14,511

Marketable securities, non-current

 

169,725

 

 

 

182,629

 

Non-marketable equity securities

 

55,649

 

 

 

55,649

 

Intangible assets, net

 

75,066

 

 

 

79,137

 

Goodwill

 

86,436

 

 

 

86,845

 

Other long-term assets

 

3,733

 

 

 

3,478

 

Total assets

$

932,536

 

 

$

1,022,825

 

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

 

Current liabilities:

 

Accounts payable

$

13,305

 

 

$

19,753

 

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

2,005

 

 

 

2,110

 

Other current liabilities

 

57,607

 

 

 

64,969

 

Total current liabilities

 

72,917

 

 

 

86,832

 

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

 

13,199

 

 

 

13,567

 

Common stock warrant liabilities, non-current

 

1,831

 

 

 

6,293

 

Long-term debt, non-current

 

279,713

 

 

 

278,889

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

13,238

 

 

 

13,544

 

Total liabilities

 

380,898

 

 

 

399,125

 

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

Preferred stock $0.0001 par value; 10 million shares authorized — 0 issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock $0.0001 par value; 625 million shares authorized; Class A common stock – 500 million shares authorized; 341 million and 340 million shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively; Class B common stock – 125 million shares authorized; 69 million shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

 

40

 

 

 

40

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

1,121,697

 

 

 

1,043,600

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(2,294

)

 

 

(248

)

Accumulated deficit

 

(567,805

)

 

 

(419,692

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

551,638

 

 

 

623,700

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

932,536

 

 

$

1,022,825

 

 

Skillz Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited, in thousands)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

 

2021

Operating Activities

 

 

 

Net loss

$

(148,113

)

 

$

(53,592

)

Adjustment to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

5,539

 

 

 

555

 

Stock-based compensation

 

77,925

 

 

 

10,945

 

Accretion of unamortized debt discount and amortization of debt issuance costs

 

824

 

 

 

9

 

Amortization of premium (accretion of discount) for marketable securities

 

984

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes

 

(318

)

 

 

 

Change in fair value of common stock warrant liabilities

 

(4,462

)

 

 

2,108

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

267

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

 

(5,676

)

 

 

(4,499

)

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

534

 

 

 

(13,453

)

Accounts payable

 

(5,613

)

 

 

(4,060

)

Operating lease liabilities

 

(473

)

 

 

14,386

 

Other accruals and liabilities

 

(4,868

)

 

 

8,448

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

(83,450

)

 

 

(39,113

)

Investing Activities

 

 

 

Purchases of property and equipment, including internal-use software

 

(107

)

 

 

(659

)

Purchases of marketable securities

 

(149,495

)

 

 

 

Proceeds from sales of marketable securities

 

25,593

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities

 

83,265

 

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(40,744

)

 

 

(659

)

Financing Activities

 

 

 

Principal payments on finance leases obligations

 

(840

)

 

 

 

Payments for debt issuance costs

 

(1,976

)

 

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of common stock in follow-on offering, net of underwriting commissions, and offering costs

 

 

 

 

402,817

 

Payments made towards deferred offering costs

 

 

 

 

(13,167

)

Net proceeds from exercise of stock options and issuance of common stock

 

236

 

 

 

12

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

(2,580

)

 

 

389,662

 

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(126,774

)

 

 

349,890

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash – beginning of year

 

244,252

 

 

 

265,648

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash – end of period

$

117,478

 

 

$

615,538

 

 

Skillz Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA

(Unaudited, in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

 

2021

Net loss

$

(148,113

)

 

$

(53,592

)

Interest expense, net

 

8,157

 

 

 

24

 

Stock-based compensation(3)

 

77,925

 

 

 

10,945

 

Change in fair value of common stock warrant liabilities

 

(4,462

)

 

 

2,108

 

(Benefit from) provision for income taxes

 

(213

)

 

 

42

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

5,539

 

 

 

555

 

Other expense (income), net

 

27

 

 

 

(50

)

One-time nonrecurring expenses(1) (2)

 

119

 

 

 

8,839

 

Adjusted EBITDA

$

(61,021

)

 

$

(31,129

)

(1) For the three months ended March 31, 2022, amounts represent one-time nonrecurring expenses related to IPO bonuses for certain employees.

(2) For the three months ended March 31, 2021, amounts represent transaction expenses related to the follow-on offering.

(3) For the three months ended March 31, 2022, amount includes stock-based compensation recorded for the cancellation of the Chief Executive Officer’s award of 16,119,640 performance share units granted on September 14, 2021 (the “CEO Performance Stock Units”).

Skillz Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Operating Expenses

(Unaudited, in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

 

2021

Research and development

$

18,653

 

 

$

7,282

 

Less: stock-based compensation

 

(2,354

)

 

 

(1,207

)

Less: one-time nonrecurring expenses

 

 

 

 

(139

)

Non-GAAP research and development

$

16,299

 

 

$

5,936

 

 

 

 

 

Sales and marketing

$

117,332

 

 

$

96,323

 

Less: stock-based compensation

 

(2,879

)

 

 

(1,838

)

Less: one-time nonrecurring expenses

 

 

 

 

(131

)

Non-GAAP sales and marketing

$

114,453

 

 

$

94,354

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative

$

92,792

 

 

$

27,284

 

Less: stock-based compensation(1)

 

(72,692

)

 

 

(7,900

)

Less: one-time nonrecurring expenses(2) (3)

 

(119

)

 

 

(8,569

)

Non-GAAP general and administrative

$

19,981

 

 

$

10,815

 

(1) For the three months ended March 31, 2022, amounts includes stock-based compensation recognized for the cancellation of Andrew Paradise, Chief Executive Officer’s award of 16,119,640 performance share units granted on September 14, 2021 (the “CEO Performance Stock Units”).

(2) For the three months ended March 31, 2022, amounts represent one-time nonrecurring expenses related to IPO bonuses for certain employees.

(3) For the three months ended March 31, 2021, amounts represent transaction expenses related to the follow-on offering.

Skillz Inc.

Reconciliation of GAAP Revenue to Revenue After Engagement Marketing

(in thousands)

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

 

2021

Revenue

$

93,438

$

83,677

Less: Sales and marketing - engagement marketing

 

42,096

 

 

 

35,986

 

Revenue after engagement marketing(1)

$

51,342

 

 

$

47,691

 

(1) “Revenue After Engagement Marketing” or “RAEM” means consolidated revenue less engagement marketing expenses included in sales and marketing expense.

Skillz Inc.
Supplemental Financial Information
(Unaudited, in millions, except ARPU and ARPPU)

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2022

 

2021

Monthly active users (“MAUs”)(1)

 

3.2

 

2.7

Average revenue per user (“ARPU”)(2)

$

9.65

 

 

$

10.35

 

Paying monthly active users (“PMAUs”)(3)

 

0.57

 

 

 

0.47

 

Average revenue per paying user (“ARPPU”)(4)

$

54.7

 

 

$

59.8

 

Gross marketplace volume (“GMV”)(5)

$

552

 

 

$

567

 

Revenue after engagement marketing (“RAEM”)(6)

$

51

 

 

$

48

 

(1) “Monthly Active Users” or “MAUs” means the number of end-users who entered into a paid or free contest hosted on Skillz’s platform at least once in a month, averaged over each month in the period.

(2) “Average Revenue Per Monthly Active User” or “ARPU” means the average revenue in a given month divided by MAUs in that month, averaged over the period.

(3) “Paying Monthly Active Users” or “PMAUs” means the number of end-users who entered into a paid contest hosted on Skillz’s platform at least once in a month, averaged over each month in the period.

(4) “Average Revenue Per Paying Monthly Active User” or “ARPPU” means the average revenue in a given month divided by Paying MAUs in that month, averaged over the period.

(5) “GMV” or “Gross Marketplace Volume” means the total entry fees paid by users for contests hosted on Skillz’s platform. Total entry fees include entry fees paid by end-users using cash deposits, prior cash winnings from end-users’ accounts that have not been withdrawn, and end-user incentives used to enter paid entry fee contests.

(6) “Revenue After Engagement Marketing” or “RAEM” means consolidated revenue less engagement marketing expenses included in sales and marketing expense.

Investors: ir@skillz.com

Media: press@skillz.com

Source: Skillz Inc.

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About SKLZ

skillz is the worldwide leader in mobile esports. the skillz tournament management system can be integrated into any mobile game, enabling developers to offer esports competitions to their users. skillz allows players of all skill levels, from amateur to professional, to compete in tournaments of all sizes. skillz has hosted more than 40 million mobile tournaments for players in over 180 countries. more than 1,100 game studios use the skillz platform, which awards over $1 million in cash prizes to players every two weeks. skillz is powering the future of esports competitions by focusing on what’s best for both players and developers. founded in 2012, skillz has offices in san francisco and boston and has raised over $28 million in funding from sources including the owners of the new england patriots, milwaukee bucks and new york mets. skillz is hiring! if you’re interested in joining a fun and dynamic team dedicated to powering the future of sports, check out the current job openin