Our Business
Gaia, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Colorado on July 7, 1988, and operates a global digital video subscription service and on-line community that caters to a unique and underserved member base. Our digital content library includes approximately 8,000 English language titles as well as a growing selection of titles available in Spanish, German and French. Our members have unlimited access to this vast library of inspiring films, cutting edge documentaries, interviews, yoga classes, transformation-related content, and more – 85% of which is exclusively available to our members for digital streaming on most internet-connected devices anytime, anywhere, commercial free.
Our mission is to create a transformational network that empowers a global conscious community. Content on our network is currently organized into four primary channels— Yoga, Transformation, Alternative Healing, and Seeking Truth— and delivered directly to our members through our streaming platform. We curate programming for these channels by producing content in our in-house production studios with a staff of media professionals. This produced and owned content currently represents over 80% of our viewership. We complement our produced and owned content through long term, predominately exclusive, licensing agreements.
Our Content Channels
From the beginning, we have focused on establishing exclusive rights to unique content through in-house productions, licensing and strategic content acquisitions. Today, our network includes the following channels:
Yoga – Through our Yoga channel, our members enjoy unlimited access to streaming yoga, Eastern arts, and other movement-based classes. Currently, we are one of the world’s largest providers of streaming yoga classes. Blending ancient philosophy with anytime, anywhere access through modern technology, our classes on Eastern arts like T’ai Chi, Qigong, Ayurveda and more encourage the holistic integration of body, mind and spirit.
Transformation – Through our Transformation channel, we feature a wealth of content in the niche areas of spiritual growth, personal development and expanded consciousness. Our original and licensed content empowers members to live stronger, healthier, more productive and enlightened lives.
Alternative Healing – Our Alternative Healing channel features content focused on food and nutrition, holistic healing, alternative and integrative medicines, and longevity. Blending modern science with cutting edge research around neuroplasticity, energy healing, aging, and wellness, this channel fuels our members’ pursuit of optimal health.
Seeking Truth – As an alternative to mainstream media, our Seeking Truth channel provides new and enlightening perspectives for today’s changing world. Through thought-provoking questions like “who are we” and “why are we here”, and topics that include ancient wisdom and metaphysics, we go beyond the boundaries of mainstream media, and encourage our viewers to find empowerment through knowledge and awareness. Through this channel, our members have access to top names in the genre who conduct exclusive interviews and presentations not found anywhere else.
The Streaming Video Market and Gaia
Consumption of streaming video is expanding rapidly as more and more people augment their use of, or replace broadcast television with, streaming video to watch their favorite content on a growing array of digital streaming services. The streaming video market includes various free, ad-supported and subscription service offerings focused on various genres, including films, broadcast and original series, fitness and educational content.
Gaia’s position in the streaming video landscape is firmly supported by its wide variety of exclusive and unique content, which provides a complementary offering to other, mostly entertainment-based, streaming video services. Our original content is developed and produced in-house in our production studios near Boulder, Colorado. Over 85% of our content is available for streaming exclusively on Gaia to most internet-connected devices. By offering
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exclusive and unique content over a streaming service, we believe we will be able to significantly expand our target member base. Gaia believes the current size of our potential target market represents approximately 15% of internet users that currently pay for a streaming video service.
Competitive Strengths
We believe that we differentiate ourselves from our competition and have been able to grow our business through the following demonstrated competitive strengths:
Exclusive Content and Ubiquitous Access – We have amassed a library of unique content for which we hold exclusive worldwide streaming distribution rights and have established exclusive relationships with certain key talent in our areas of focus. Over 85% of our titles are available to our members for streaming on virtually any internet-connected device exclusively on Gaia.
Proprietary and Curated Content – Proprietary and curated content lies at the core of our business model. Our media offerings introduce members to us and help establish Gaia as an authority in the conscious media market. Our in-house produced and owned content represents over 80% of our members’ viewing time. Our licensed content has initial terms ranging from 3 to 10 years. With the growth in demand for digital rights, we expect that our large library of produced and acquired content combined with our internal production capabilities will be a key driver in our ability to grow efficiently and act as a hedge against the rising costs of digital rights.
International Rights – The strength of our proprietary content library created by our original content production strategy and our unique approach to content licensing have provided us with a library of niche content to which we hold exclusive worldwide distribution rights that we believe would be difficult to acquire in today’s market. By obtaining these rights, we have created a significant barrier to entry for competitors in our content niches and have given ourselves the potential to reach a worldwide member base with no additional licensing costs.
Unique Member Base – We believe that our unique and exclusive content allows us to cater to a member base that traditional media companies have mostly ignored. We believe this member base can be significantly expanded as more and more people enter our niche categories and begin accessing streaming content over the internet.
Unique Content Strength – We believe that our unique focus, combined with our content exclusivity, positions us as a complementary service to larger streaming video providers who are primarily entertainment driven. In addition, this focus has allowed an opportunity for significant advantages:
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Yoga— We have an established consumer brand, a vast library of popular content, and knowledge and expertise on developing new content.
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Transformation— We bring a unique focus to an otherwise crowded field. This channel empowers members through programs about meditation to expand consciousness, develop and understand spirituality in a modern world, and other shows on conscious topics that puts Gaia in the center of a rapidly growing market.
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Alternative Healing— We offer depth and breadth of content on emerging topics including neuroplasticity, alternative and integrative medicines, holistic healing and longevity. Included in this channel are hundreds of recipes to help our members put their new knowledge into practice in the kitchen.
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Seeking Truth— We offer category-leading talent that enables us to draw the most popular and authentic speakers, authors and experts in the alternative media world.
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Growth Drivers
Our core strategy is to grow our subscription business domestically and internationally using the following drivers:
Investment in Streaming Content – We believe that our investment in streaming content leads to more awareness and viewership of our unique content. This leads to member acquisition and revenue growth, allowing us to invest more into our content library and enabling the growth cycle to continue. By investing in our in-house studios, digital asset management system and digital delivery platforms, we can produce and distribute new digital content at low incremental costs. With our end-to-end production capabilities and unique, exclusive relationships with thought leaders in our areas of focus, we believe we can develop content much more efficiently than our competitors.
Continuous Service Improvements – We have found that incremental improvements in our service and quality enhance our member satisfaction and retention. We have built our platform to optimize the speed and performance of streaming video playback, provide a unique and customized site experience for every member and provide the foundation for our expansion into foreign languages. We continue to refine our technology, user interfaces, recommendation algorithms and delivery infrastructure to improve the member experience.
Overall Adoption and Growth of Internet TV on Every Screen – Domestically, cable TV members have been declining, while the demand for digital content services accessible on various devices has continued to grow. Gaia is accessible on a broad array of devices, including, but not limited to: Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Android devices, as well as phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers and TVs through an HDMI cord. Through this accessibility, we believe that we enhance the value of our service to members as well as position ourselves for continued growth as internet and mobile delivery of content becomes more popular.
International Market Expansion – We believe the international streaming segment represents a significant long-term growth opportunity for us as people around the world begin to adopt the viewing behaviors of the U.S. market. Our exclusive worldwide streaming rights have allowed us to expand internationally by adding foreign language support to our service without having to invest in local foreign operations. Today, approximately 30% of our members are outside of the United States.
Live Access Premium Membership and GaiaSphere – In 2019, we held our inaugural event at the GaiaSphere, a 300-person live event studio located on our campus in Colorado. With the opening of the GaiaSphere, we also launched the Live Access premium annual membership to allow for access to exclusive live streaming of events. Through GaiaSphere and the Live Access premium offering, we have expanded our reach to a larger audience of talent that will contribute to our content library, as well as drive incremental revenue growth.
Member Driven Growth Enablement – We believe the empowerment of our existing members to drive awareness of and interest in Gaia will be a key driver of future growth and engagement of the Gaia global community. We recently enabled a product feature to support existing members ability to share Gaia content with their connections free of charge over a limited time window. This product feature allows us to leverage our existing members’ desire to share our content to ultimately drive more interest and awareness, which will lead to member growth that is not wholly dependent on marketing expenditures.
Complement our Existing Business with Selective Strategic Acquisitions – Our growth strategy is not solely dependent on acquisitions. However, we will consider strategic acquisitions that complement our existing business, increase our content library, expand our geographical reach and add to our member base. We will focus on companies with unique media content, a strong brand identity and members that augment our existing member base.
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Marketing
We build awareness and demand for the Gaia brand through various channels focusing on mobile and video. Organic search, paid search, digital and social media, email marketing, ambassador marketing, as well as various strategic partnerships make up our continually optimized portfolio of member acquisition and retention tools. Rejoining members are an important source of member additions, many of which come back to Gaia after receiving special communications via email.
History
Gaia started as a conscious media and products company distributing conscious and non-theatrical media, with a maximum reach of approximately 70,000 retail doors in the United States.
In October 2012, we launched our streaming video service and focused our efforts on growing domestically and internationally by expanding our streaming content, enhancing our user interface and extending our streaming content to even more internet-connected devices.
In 2013, we further expanded the digital yoga content available to our members and expanded our presence and member base in the yoga community through our acquisition of My Yoga Online, the largest streaming yoga media service in Canada.
In 2016, we divested all of our non-streaming businesses for combined gains of over $150 million and focused on scaling our streaming video service, including relaunching gaia.com with an entirely new technology stack at its core. The new site was built to optimize the speed and performance of streaming video playback, provide a unique and customized site experience for every member and provide the foundation for our planned expansion into foreign languages.
During 2017 and 2018, we launched Spanish, German and French language offerings. We have continued to invest in our international offerings, including original programming in these languages.
In 2019, we further expanded the alternative healing content available to our members and expanded our presence and member base in this growing area of interest through our acquisition of Food Matters TV.
These investments in our subscription business have been instrumental in our ability to grow by expanding our streaming video on demand capabilities and increasing our library of unique content of transformational media, intended to awaken and inspire viewers around the world.
Regulatory Matters
A number of existing and proposed laws restrict disclosure of consumers’ personal information, which may make it more difficult for us to generate additional names for our direct marketing and restrict our ability to send unsolicited electronic mail. Although we believe we are generally in compliance with current laws and regulations and that these laws and regulations have not had a significant impact on our business to date, it is possible that existing or future regulatory requirements will impose a significant burden on us.
Competition
While our content offering is unique, the market for subscription-based content delivered over the internet is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change. Many consumers maintain simultaneous relationships with multiple providers and can easily shift spending from one provider to another. We are a focused provider within the streaming video market that is able to compete by providing exclusive content available on almost any device. Our principal competitors vary by world geographic region and include multichannel video programming distributors and internet-based movie and TV content providers, including those that provide legal and illegal (pirated) streaming video content. We believe that due to the exclusivity of our content, we are positioning ourselves as a complementary service to large general content providers such as television broadcasters, cable television channels, and an array of other entertainment based streaming services.
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Seasonality
Our member base growth reflects seasonal variations driven primarily by when consumers typically spend more time indoors and, as a result, tend to increase their viewing, similar to those of traditional TV and cable networks. Our member growth is generally greatest in the fourth and first quarters (October through February), and slowest in May through August. This drives quarterly variations in our spending on member acquisition efforts but does not drive a corresponding seasonality in net revenue. As we continue to expand internationally, we expect regional seasonality trends to demonstrate more predictable seasonal patterns as our service offering in each market becomes more established and we have a longer history to assess such patterns.
Employees
As of February 20, 2020, we had approximately 135 employees, all of which are full-time employees. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
Intellectual Property and Other Proprietary Rights
We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, domain names, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as important to our success. We use a combination of trademark, copyright and trade secret laws and confidentiality agreements to protect our proprietary intellectual property. Our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights is subject to certain risks, and from time to time we encounter disputes over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property. We cannot provide assurance that we will prevail in any intellectual property disputes.
Website and Available Information
Our corporate website www.gaia.com provides information about us, our history, goals and philosophy, as well as certain financial reports and corporate press releases. Our www.gaia.com website also features a library of information and articles on personal development and healthy lifestyles, along with an extensive offering of video content. We believe our website provides us with an opportunity to deepen our relationships with our members and investors, educate them on a variety of issues, and improve our service. As part of this commitment, we have a link on our corporate website to our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and amendments thereto. We make those reports available through our website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We have included our website address only as inactive textual reference, and the information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.
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We caution you that there are risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to be materially different from those indicated by forward looking statements that we make from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, news releases, reports, communications to shareholders and other written and oral communications. These risks and uncertainties include those risks described below of which we are presently aware. Historical results are not necessarily an indication of future results. The risk factors below discuss important factors that could cause our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows to be materially adversely affected.
If our efforts to attract and retain members are not successful, our business will be adversely affected.
We have experienced significant member growth since we began our digital subscription business in 2013. Our ability to continue to attract members will depend in part on our ability to consistently provide our members with a valuable and quality streaming experience. Furthermore, the relative service levels, content offerings, pricing and related features of our competitors may adversely impact our ability to attract and retain members. We compete for screen viewing time with multichannel video programming distributors providing free-on-demand content through authenticated internet applications, internet-based movie and TV content providers, including both those that provide legal and illegal (or pirated) streaming video content, and streaming video retail stores, among others. If consumers do not perceive our service offering to be of value, or if we introduce new or adjust existing features or change the mix of content in a manner that is not favorably received by them, we may not be able to attract and retain members.
In addition, many of our members originate from word-of-mouth advertising from existing members. If our efforts to satisfy our existing members are not successful, we may not be able to attract new members, and as a result, our ability to maintain and/or grow our business will be adversely affected. Members cancel our service for many reasons, including a perception that they do not use the service sufficiently, the need to cut household expenses, unsatisfactory availability of content, competitive services providing a better value or experience and customer service issues not satisfactorily resolved. We must continually add new members both to replace members who cancel and to grow our business beyond our current member base. If too many of our members cancel our service, or if we are unable to attract new members in numbers sufficient to sustain and grow our business, our operating results will be adversely affected. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors in both retaining our existing members and attracting new members, our business will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of members cancel our service, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate in order to replace these members with new members.
If we are unable to compete effectively, our business will be adversely affected.
The market for streaming content is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change. New technologies and evolving business models for delivery of streaming content continue to develop at a fast pace. Through new and existing distribution channels, consumers are afforded various means for consuming streaming content. The various economic models underlying these differing means of streaming content delivery include subscription, transactional, ad-supported and piracy-based models. All of these have the potential to capture meaningful segments of the streaming content market. Several competitors have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, and stronger brand recognition than we do and have significant financial, marketing and other resources. They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to technology and marketing. New entrants may enter the market with unique service offerings or approaches to providing streaming content and other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors, programs and technologies, our business will be adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase market share and revenues, and achieve profitability.
We could be harmed by data loss or other security breaches.
As a result of our services being internet-based and the fact that we process, store, and transmit data, including personal information, for our members, failure to prevent or mitigate data loss or other security breaches, including breaches of our suppliers’ technology and systems, could expose us or our members to a risk of loss or misuse of such information, adversely affect our operating results, result in litigation or potential liability for us, and otherwise harm our business. We use third-party technology and systems for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to members, back-office support, and other functions. Although we have implemented systems and processes that are designed to protect member
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information and prevent data loss and other security breaches, including systems and processes designed to reduce the impact of a security breach at a third-party supplier, such measures cannot provide absolute security.
We have had operating losses, and we cannot assure future profitability.
As a result of our continued investment in subscription acquisition efforts to drive revenue growth, we reported losses from continuing operations of $17.9 million and $34.1 million for fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively. We cannot assure you that we will operate profitably in future periods and, if we do not, we may not be able to meet any future debt service requirements, working capital requirements, capital expenditure plans, production slate, acquisition plans or other cash needs. Our inability to meet those needs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.
If we are not able to manage change and growth, our business could be adversely affected.
We are expanding our operations internationally, scaling our streaming service to effectively and reliably handle anticipated growth in both members and features related to our service. As we expand internationally, we are managing our business to address varied content offerings, consumer customs and practices, in particular those dealing with e-commerce and internet video, as well as differing legal and regulatory environments. As we scale our streaming service, we are developing technology and utilizing third-party internet-based or “cloud” computing services. If we are not able to manage the growing complexity of our business, including improving, refining or revising our systems and operational practices related to our streaming operations, our business could be adversely affected.
If our efforts to build unique brand identity and improve member satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to attract or retain members, and our operating results may be adversely affected.
We must continue to build and maintain a unique brand identity. We believe that a unique brand identity will be important in attracting and retaining members who have a number of choices from which to obtain streaming content. To build a unique brand identity we believe we must continue to offer content and service features that our members value and enjoy. We also believe that these must be coupled with effective consumer communications, such as marketing, customer service and public relations. If our efforts to promote and maintain our brand identity are not successful, our ability to attract and retain members may be adversely affected. Such a result may adversely affect our operating results.
With respect to our expansion into international markets, we will also need to establish our brand identity in new markets and languages, and to the extent we are not successful, our business in new markets may be adversely impacted.
Changes in our member acquisition sources could adversely affect our marketing expenses and member levels may be adversely affected.
We utilize a broad mix of marketing and public relations programs, including social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, to promote our service to potential new members. We may limit or discontinue use or support of certain marketing sources or activities if advertising rates increase or if we become concerned that members or potential members deem certain marketing practices intrusive or damaging to our brand. If available marketing channels are limited or curtailed, our ability to attract new members may be adversely affected.
Companies that currently promote our services may cease promoting our services, may determine to compete more directly with our business or enter a similar business, or may decide to exclusively support our competitors. If we no longer have access to such marketing channels, our marketing efforts may be adversely affected. If we are unable to maintain or replace our sources of members with similarly effective sources, or if the cost of our existing sources increases, our member levels and marketing expenses may be adversely affected.
We face risks, such as unforeseen costs, and potential liabilities in connection with content we produce, license and/or distribute through our service.
As a distributor of content, we face potential liability for negligence, copyright or trademark infringement or other claims based on the nature and content of materials that we produce, license and/or distribute. We also face potential liability for content used in promoting our service, including marketing materials and features on our website such as member reviews.
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We are responsible for production costs and other expenses related to our original content. We also take on risks associated with this production, such as completion and key talent risk. To the extent we do not accurately anticipate costs or mitigate risks, or if we become liable for content we produce, license and/or distribute, our business may suffer. Litigation to defend these claims could be costly and the expenses and damages arising from any liability or unforeseen production risks could harm our results of operations. We may not be indemnified to cover claims or costs of these types and we may not have insurance coverage for these types of claims.
We rely upon a number of partners to offer instant streaming of content to various devices.
We currently offer members the ability to receive streaming content through a host of internet-connected devices, including internet-enabled TVs, digital video players and mobile devices. We intend to continue to broaden our capability to instantly stream content to other platforms over time. If we are not successful in maintaining existing and creating new relationships, or if we encounter technological, content licensing or other impediments to our streaming content, our ability to grow our business could be adversely impacted.
We have entered into agreements with certain consumer electronics partners, pursuant to which each makes available an “app” for viewing our content on its hardware platform. Our agreements with our consumer electronics partners are typically between one and three years in duration and our business could be adversely affected if, upon expiration, our partners do not continue to provide access to our service or are unwilling to do so on terms acceptable to us, which terms may include the degree of accessibility and prominence of our service.
Furthermore, the devices consumers use to access our content are manufactured and sold by entities other than Gaia and the devices’ performance and the connection between these devices and our service may result in consumer dissatisfaction that could result in claims against us or otherwise adversely impact our business. In addition, technology changes to our streaming functionality may require that partners update their devices. If partners do not update or otherwise modify their devices, our service and our members’ use and enjoyment could be negatively impacted.
Any significant disruption in our network or information systems or those of third parties that we utilize in our operations could result in a loss or degradation of service and could adversely impact our business.
Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our members is dependent upon the reliable performance of our network and information systems and those of third parties that we utilize in our operations. We experience occasional system interruptions and delays that make our websites and services unavailable or slow to respond and prevent us from efficiently providing services to our members, which may reduce the attractiveness of our services. If we are unable to effectively upgrade our systems and network infrastructure, and take other steps to improve the efficiency of our systems, we could face system interruptions or delays that may adversely affect our operating results.
Our systems may be subject to damage or interruption from adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks, or other attempts to harm these systems. Interruptions in these systems, or to the internet in general, could make our service unavailable or degraded or otherwise hinder our ability to deliver content to our members. Service interruptions, errors in our software or the unavailability of network or information systems used in our operations could diminish the overall attractiveness of our membership service to existing and potential members.
We utilize third-party internet-based or “cloud” computing services in our business operations. We also utilize third-party content delivery networks to help us stream content in high volume to our members over the internet. Problems with these systems faced by us or our service providers, including technological or business-related disruptions, could adversely impact the experience of our members.
Any significant disruption in or unauthorized access to our network or information systems or those of third parties that we utilize in our operations arising from cyber-attacks could result in a loss or degradation of service, unauthorized disclosure of data (including member and corporate information), or theft of intellectual property, including digital content assets, which could adversely impact our business.
Our network and information systems and those of third parties we use in our operations are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, including cyber-attacks such as computer viruses, denial of service attacks, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions. These systems may experience directed attacks intended to lead to interruptions and delays in our service and operations as well as loss, misuse or theft of data or confidential information. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or users to disclose
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sensitive or confidential information in order to gain access to data. Any successful attempt by hackers to obtain our data (including members and corporate information) or intellectual property (including digital content assets), disrupt our service, or otherwise access our systems (or those of third parties we use), could harm our business, be expensive to remedy and damage our reputation. We have implemented certain systems and processes to thwart hackers and protect our data and systems, but techniques used to gain unauthorized access to data and software are constantly evolving, and we may be unable to anticipate or prevent unauthorized access. To date hackers have not had a material impact on our service or systems, although a risk remains that hackers may be successful in the future. Our insurance does not cover expenses related to such disruptions or unauthorized access. Efforts to prevent hackers from disrupting our service or otherwise accessing our systems are expensive to develop, implement and maintain. These efforts require ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated and may limit the functionality of or otherwise negatively impact our service offering and systems. Any significant disruption to our service or access to our systems could result in a loss of members and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Further, a penetration of our systems or a third party’s systems or other misappropriation or misuse of personal information could subject us to business, regulatory, litigation and reputation risk, which could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reputation and relationships with members would be harmed if our member data, particularly payment data, were to be accessed by unauthorized persons.
We maintain personal data regarding our members, including names and payment data. This data is maintained on our own systems as well as that of third parties we use in our operations. With respect to payment data, such as credit and debit card numbers, we rely on licensed encryption and authentication technology to secure such information. We take measures to protect against unauthorized intrusion into our members’ data. Despite these measures we, our payment processing services or other third-party services we use, could experience an unauthorized intrusion into our members’ data. In the event of such a breach, current and potential members may become unwilling to provide the information to us necessary for them to remain or become members. We may also be required to notify regulators about any actual or perceived data breach (including the EU Lead Data Protection Authority) as well as the individuals who are affected by the incident within strict time periods. Additionally, we could face legal claims or regulatory fines or penalties for such a breach. The costs relating to any data breach could be material, and we currently do not carry insurance against the risk of a data breach. For these reasons, should an unauthorized intrusion into our members’ data occur, our business could be adversely affected.
We rely on proprietary technology to stream content and to manage other aspects of our operations, and the failure of this technology to operate effectively could adversely affect our business.
We continually enhance or modify the technology used for our operations. We cannot be sure that any enhancements or other modifications we make to our operations will achieve the intended results or otherwise be of value to our members. Future enhancements and modifications to our technology could consume considerable resources. If we are unable to maintain and enhance our technology to manage the streaming of content to our members in a timely and efficient manner, or if our technology, or that of third parties we utilize in our operations, fails or otherwise operates improperly, our ability to retain existing members and to add new members may be impaired. Also, any harm to our members’ personal computers or other devices caused by software used in our operations could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changes in how network operators handle and charge for access to data that travel across their networks could adversely impact our business.
We rely upon the ability of consumers to access our service through the internet. To the extent that network operators implement usage-based pricing, including meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses and our member acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted. Furthermore, to the extent network operators were to create tiers of internet access service and either charge us for, or prohibit us from, being available through these tiers, our business could be negatively impacted.
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Increases in payment processing fees, changes to operating rules, the acceptance of new types of payment methods or payment fraud could increase our operating expenses and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our members pay for our services predominately using credit and debit cards. Our acceptance of these payment methods requires our payment of certain fees. From time to time, these fees may increase, either as a result of rate changes by the payment processing companies or as a result of a change in our business practices which increase the fees on a cost-per-transaction basis. Such increases may adversely affect our results of operations.
We are subject to rules, regulations and practices governing our accepted payment methods. These rules, regulations and practices could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees and lose our ability to accept these payment methods, and our business and results of operations would be adversely affected.
We accept payment methods other than credit and debit cards. As our service continues to evolve and expand internationally, we will likely continue to explore accepting various forms of payment, which may have higher fees and costs than our currently accepted payment methods. If more consumers utilize higher cost payment methods our payment costs could increase and our results of operations could be adversely impacted.
In addition, we do not obtain signatures from members in connection with their use of payment methods. To the extent we do not obtain members’ signatures, we may be liable for fraudulent payment transactions, even when the associated financial institution approves payment of the orders. From time to time, fraudulent payment methods are used to obtain service. While we do have safeguards in place, we nonetheless experience some fraudulent transactions. We do not currently carry insurance against the risk of fraudulent payment transactions. A failure to adequately control fraudulent payment transactions would harm our business and results of operations.
If our trademarks and other proprietary rights are not adequately protected to prevent unauthorized use or appropriation, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely affected.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties with whom we have relationships, as well as trademark, copyright and trade secret protection laws, to protect our proprietary rights. We may also seek to enforce our proprietary rights through court proceedings. We may file trademark applications from time to time. These applications may not be approved, third parties may challenge any trademarks issued to or held by us, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our trademarks and other proprietary rights, and we may not be able to prevent infringement or misappropriation without substantial expense to us.
We currently hold various domain names, including www.gaia.com and www.gaiamtv.com. Failure to protect our domain names could adversely affect our reputation and make it more difficult for users to find our website and our service. We may be unable, without significant cost or at all, to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or otherwise decrease the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights.
Intellectual property claims against us could be costly and result in the loss of significant rights related to, among other things, our website, title selection processes and marketing activities.
Our intellectual property rights extend to our technology, business processes and the content on our website. We use the intellectual property of third parties in marketing and providing our services through contractual and other rights. From time to time, third parties may allege that we have violated their intellectual property rights. If we are unable to obtain sufficient rights, successfully defend our use, or develop non-infringing technology and content or otherwise alter our business practices on a timely basis in response to claims of infringement, misappropriation, misuse or other violation of third-party intellectual property rights, our business and competitive position may be adversely affected.
Many companies devote significant resources to developing patents that could potentially affect many aspects of our business. There are numerous patents that broadly claim means and methods of conducting business on the internet. We have not searched patents relative to our technology. Defending ourselves against intellectual property claims, whether they are with or without merit or are determined in our favor, will result in costly litigation and diversion of technical and management personnel. Infringement claims also may result in our inability to use our current website, streaming technology, our recommendation and personalization technology or inability to market our service. As a result of disputes, we may have to develop non-infringing technology, enter into royalty or licensing agreements,
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adjust our merchandising or marketing activities or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable to us.
Piracy of video, including digital and internet piracy, could adversely affect our business.
Video piracy is extensive in many parts of the world and has been made easier by technological advances and the conversion of video into digital formats. These trends facilitate the creation, transmission and sharing of high-quality unauthorized copies of content on DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and the internet. We may have to implement elaborate and costly security and anti-piracy measures, which could result in significant expenses and losses of revenue. We cannot assure you that security and anti-piracy measures will prevent the piracy of our content. The proliferation of unauthorized copies of our content could have an adverse effect on our business, by reducing the revenues we receive from our subscription service.
Our online activities are subject to a variety of laws and regulations relating to privacy which, if violated, could subject us to an increased risk of litigation and regulatory actions.
In addition to our websites and applications, we use third-party applications, websites, and social media platforms to promote our service and engage consumers, as well as monitor and collect certain information about users of our service. There are a variety of laws and regulations governing individual privacy and the protection and use of information collected from such individuals, particularly in relation to an individual’s personally identifiable information (e.g., credit card numbers). Many foreign countries have adopted similar laws governing individual privacy, some of which are more restrictive than similar U.S. laws. If our online activities were to violate any applicable current or future laws and regulations, we could be subject to litigation and regulatory actions, including fines and other penalties.
We may be subject to litigation which, if adversely determined, could cause us to incur substantial losses.
From time to time during the normal course of operating our businesses, we are subject to various litigation claims and legal disputes. Some of the litigation claims may not be covered under our insurance policies, or our insurance carriers may seek to deny coverage. As a result, we might be required to incur significant legal fees, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial position. In addition, because we cannot accurately predict the outcome of any dispute, it is possible that, as a result of current and/or future litigation, we will be subject to adverse judgments or settlements that could significantly reduce our earnings or result in losses.
We may face legal liability for the content contained on our website.
We could face legal liability for defamation, negligence, copyright, patent or trademark infringement, personal injury or other claims based on the nature and content of materials that we publish or distribute on our website. If we are held liable for damages for the content on our website, our business may suffer. Allegations of impropriety, even if unfounded, could therefore have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our business.
If government regulations relating to the internet or other areas of our business change, we may need to alter the manner in which we conduct our business or incur greater operating expenses.
The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to the internet or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. In addition, the continued growth and development of the market for online commerce may lead to more stringent consumer protection laws, which may impose additional burdens on us. If we are required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation, this compliance could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model.
The adoption or modification of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including laws impacting internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our service and increase our cost of doing business. For example, as a result of the repeal of internet neutrality regulations in the United States, broadband internet access providers may be able to charge web-based services such as ours for priority access to members, which could result in increased costs and a loss of existing users, impairment of our ability to attract new users, and material adverse effects on our business and opportunities for growth. Additionally, as we expand internationally, government regulation concerning the internet, and in particular, network neutrality, may be nascent or non-existent. Within such a regulatory environment, coupled with potentially significant political and economic power of local network operators, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business.
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We could be subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks arising from international operations.
Operating in international markets requires significant resources and management attention and will subject us to regulatory, economic and political risks that may be different from and incremental to those in the United States. In addition to the risks that we face in the United States, our international operations may involve risks that could adversely affect our business, including the following: the need to adapt our content and user interfaces for specific cultural and language differences, including licensing a certain portion of our content library before we have developed a full appreciation for its performance within a given territory; difficulties and costs associated with staffing and managing foreign operations; management distraction; political or social unrest and economic instability; compliance with U.S. laws, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, export controls and economic sanctions, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials; unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; less favorable foreign intellectual property laws; adverse tax consequences such as those related to repatriation of cash from foreign jurisdictions into the United States, non-income related taxes such as value-added tax or other indirect taxes, changes in tax laws or their interpretations, or the application of judgment in determining our global provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities given inter-company transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain; fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could impact revenues and expenses of our international operations and expose us to foreign currency exchange rate risk; profit repatriation and other restrictions on the transfer of funds; differing payment processing systems as well as consumer use and acceptance of electronic payment methods, such as credit and debit cards; new and different sources of competition; different and more stringent user protection, data protection, privacy and other laws; and availability of reliable broadband connectivity and wide area networks in targeted areas for expansion.
Our failure to manage any of these risks successfully could harm our international operations and our overall business, and results of our operations.
We may seek additional capital that may result in shareholder dilution or that may have rights senior to those of our common shareholders.
From time to time, we may seek to obtain additional capital, either through equity, equity-linked or debt securities. Our cash flows provided by our operating activities have been negative in each of the last two years, primarily as a result of our decision to increase the amount expended on marketing and expanding our member base. To the extent our cash flows from operations continue to be negative, we anticipate seeking additional capital. The decision to obtain additional capital will depend on, among other things, our business plans, operating performance and condition of the capital markets. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked or debt securities, our shareholders may experience dilution, and such securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to the rights of our common stock. Any large equity or equity-linked offering could also negatively impact our stock price.
We may lose key employees or may be unable to hire qualified employees.
We rely on the continued service and performance of our senior management, in particular Jirka Rysavy, our Chairman, CEO and founder. In our industry, there is substantial and continuous competition for highly skilled business, product development, technical and other personnel. Hiring qualified management is difficult due to the limited number of qualified professionals in our industry. Failure to recruit, attract and retain personnel, particularly management personnel, could materially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may face quarterly and seasonal fluctuations that could harm our business.
Our revenues and results of operations have fluctuated in the past, and will likely continue to fluctuate, on a quarterly basis. Such fluctuation is the result of a seasonal pattern that reflects variations when consumers are typically spending more time indoors and, as a result, tend to increase their viewing, similar to those of general video streaming services. Our member growth is generally greatest in the fourth and first quarters (October through February), and slowest in the May through August period.
Acquisitions and new initiatives may harm our financial results.
We have historically expanded our operations in part through strategic acquisitions and through new initiatives that we generate. We cannot accurately predict the timing, size and success of these efforts. Our acquisition and new initiative strategies involve significant risks that could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our operating results, including the following: our ability to identify suitable acquisition candidates or new initiatives at acceptable prices; our ability to complete the acquisitions of candidates that we identify or develop our new initiatives; our
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ability to compete effectively for available acquisition opportunities; increases in asking prices by acquisition candidates to levels beyond our financial capability or to levels that would not result in the returns required by our acquisition criteria; diversion of management’s attention to expansion efforts; unanticipated costs and contingent liabilities associated with acquisitions and new initiatives; failure of acquired businesses or new initiatives to achieve expected results; our failure to retain key customers or personnel of acquired businesses and difficulties entering markets in which we have no or limited experience. In addition, the size, timing and success of any future acquisitions and new initiatives may cause substantial fluctuations in our operating results from quarter to quarter. Consequently, our operating results for any quarter may not be indicative of the results that may be achieved for any subsequent quarter or for a full fiscal year. These fluctuations could adversely affect our results.
Our founder, chairman and CEO, Jirka Rysavy, has voting control over us.
Mr. Rysavy holds 100% of our 5,400,000 outstanding shares of Class B common stock and also owns 472,561 shares of Class A common stock. The shares of Class B common stock are convertible into shares of Class A common stock at any time. Each share of Class B common stock has ten votes per share, and each share of Class A common stock has one vote per share. Consequently, Mr. Rysavy holds approximately 81% of our voting stock and is able to exert substantial influence over and control matters requiring approval by shareholders, including the election of directors, increasing our authorized capital stock, or a merger or sale of substantially all of our assets. As a result of Mr. Rysavy’s control of us, no change of control can occur without Mr. Rysavy’s consent. We hold an option to acquire certain of Mr. Rysavy’s shares in the event of his death, we do not carry insurance to fund repurchases.
Our business is subject to reporting requirements that continue to evolve and change, which could continue to require significant compliance effort and resources.
Because our common stock is publicly traded, we are subject to certain rules and regulations of federal, state and financial market exchange entities charged with the protection of investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded. These entities, including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the SEC and NASDAQ, periodically issue new requirements and regulations. Legislative bodies also review and revise applicable laws. As interpretation and implementation of these laws and rules and promulgation of new regulations continues, we will continue to be required to commit significant financial and managerial resources and incur additional expenses.
Liability relating to environmental matters may impact the value of our real property.
We may be subject to environmental liabilities arising from our ownership of real property. Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal of certain hazardous substances released on its property. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances.
The presence of hazardous substances on real property owned by us may adversely affect our ability to sell such real property and we may incur substantial remediation costs, thus harming our financial condition. The discovery of material environmental liabilities attached to such real property could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Any of these events, in combination or individually, could disrupt our business and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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