Note 13 – Related Party Transactions

(a)

Affiliate Resources and Obligations

Management Services Agreement

The Company is a party to a Management Services Agreement with CSS (the “Management Agreement”). Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Company is provided with the operational expertise of the CSS companies’ personnel, including its chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer, chief strategy officer, and senior brand advisor, and with other services, including accounting, legal, marketing, management, data access and back office systems. The Management Agreement also requires CSS to provide headquarter office space and equipment usage.

Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Company pays a quarterly fee to CSS equal to 5% of the net revenue as reported under GAAP for each fiscal quarter. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded management fee expense of $662,203 and $109,635, respectively, payable to CSS.

On August 1, 2019, we entered into an amendment (“Amendment”) to the CSS Management Agreement. The Amendment retroactively removed our obligation to pay sales commissions to CSS in connection with sponsorships for our video content or other revenue generating transactions arranged by CSS or its affiliates.

The term of the Management Agreement is five years, with automatic one-year renewals thereafter unless either party elects to terminate by delivering written notice at least 90 days prior to the end of the then current term. The Management Agreement is terminable earlier by either party by reason of certain prescribed and uncured defaults by the other party. The Management Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of the Company’s bankruptcy or a bankruptcy of CSS or if the Company no longer has licensed rights from CSS under the License Agreement described below.

License Agreement and Marketing Support Fee

The Company is a party to a trademark and intellectual property license agreement with CSS (the “License Agreement”). Under the terms of the License Agreement, the Company has been granted a perpetual, exclusive license to utilize the Brand and related content, such as stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, for visual exploitation worldwide. Under the License Agreement, the Company pays a license fee to CSS equal to 4% of net revenue for each fiscal quarter.

In addition, CSS provides marketing support for the Company’s productions through its email distribution, blogs and other marketing and public relations resources. The Company pays a quarterly fee to CSS for those services equal to 1% of net revenue as reported under GAAP for each fiscal quarter for such support.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded total license fee expense (including for marketing support) of $662,204 and $109,635, respectively, payable to CSS. We believe that the terms and conditions of the CSS License Agreement, which provides us with the rights to use the trademark and intellectual property in connection with our video content, are more favorable to us than any similar agreement we could have negotiated with an independent third party.

The Company also has agreements to provide management services to consolidated subsidiaries which have non-controlling interest holders. As these subsidiaries are controlled by the Company and consolidated for financial reporting purposes any revenues generated and fees incurred are eliminated in consolidation. A summary of the relevant ongoing agreements is as follows:

Crackle Plus Management Services Agreement

The Company provides management services to Crackle Plus, including property management, back-office support, accounting, tax, legal and financial services (including strategic financial planning) and technology resources and support for a quarterly fee equal to five percent (5%) of Crackle Plus’s gross revenues, subject to adjustment after the first year.

Landmark Studios Group Management Services Agreement

The Company provides management services to Landmark Studio Group, including property management, back-office support, accounting, tax, legal and financial services (including strategic financial planning) and technology resources and support for a quarterly fee equal to five percent (5%) of Landmark Studio Group’s gross revenues.

Due from Affiliated Companies

At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company is owed $6,790,980 and $7,642,432, respectively, from affiliated companies - primarily CSS. The Company is part of CSS’s central cash management system whereby payroll and benefits are administered by CSS and the related expenses are charged to its subsidiaries and funds are transferred between affiliates to fulfill joint liquidity needs and business initiatives.

As noted above, advances and repayments occur periodically. The Company and CSS do not charge interest on the net advances.