Related Party Transactions

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

18. Related Party Transactions

Principal Stockholder

Arena Loan Agreement – On January 5, 2024, as part of negotiations with Renew Group Private Limited (“Renew”), an affiliated entity of Simplify, in connection with the Company’s failure on December 29, 2023 to make the interest payment due on the loan agreement (the “Arena Loan Agreement”), dated December 15, 2022 held by Renew (the “Arena Notes”) in the amount of $2,797, that resulted in an event of default under the Arena Notes (the “Arena Notes Default”), Renew agreed in writing to a forbearance period through March 29, 2024 (subsequently extended to April 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024), subject to the Company retaining a chief restructuring officer acceptable to Renew, while reserving its rights and remedies. In connection with the forbearance, the Company had an engagement with FTI Consulting Inc., (“FTI”) from January 5, 2024 through April 26, 2024, a global business advisory firm, to assist the Company with its turnaround plans and forge an expedited path to sustainable positive cash flow and earnings to create shareholder value (the “FTI Engagement”). In connection with the FTI Engagement, Jason Frankl, a senior managing director of FTI, was appointed as the Company’s Chief Business Transformation Officer. He was later appointed as the interim Co-President. Upon completion of their work under the FTI Engagement satisfactory to Renew and the Company, the FTI Engagement was terminated as of April 26, 2024 and Mr. Frankl resigned as Co-President and Chief Business Transformation Officer. The outstanding principal on the Arena Notes was $110,691 ($8,000 for the 2023 Notes and $102,691 for the Debt) as of June 30, 2024 and the forbearance period was further extended on April 29, 2024 (as further described below) through September 30, 2024.

On April 29, 2024, the forbearance period was extended through the earlier of the following: (a) September 30, 2024, as further extended to December 31, 2024 on July 12, 2024 (as further described under the heading Arena Loan Agreement in Note 20); (b) the occurrence of the closing of the Business Combination (as further described below) and (c) the termination of the Business Combination prior to closing.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company had certain transactions with Renew, where it incurred interest expense totaling $2,798 and $5,596, respectively, under the Arena Loan Agreement, none of which was paid. As of June 30, 2024, the total balance due the related party under the Arena Loan Agreement was $5,596 as reflected within accrued expenses and other as accrued interest on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Simplify Loan – For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company had certain transactions with Simplify, where it incurred interest expense totaling $322 and $363, respectively, under the Simplify Loan (which was subsequently paid July 1, 2024). As of June 30, 2024, the total balance due to the related party under the Simplify Loan was $363 as reflected within accrued expenses and other as accrued interest on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Common Stock Private Placement – As a result of the issuance of the Private Placement Shares to Simplify, Simplify owns approximately 54.3% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, resulting in a change in control. As a result, Simplify has the ability to determine the outcome of any issue submitted to the Company’s stockholders for approval, including the election of directors. Prior to the consummation of the Private Placement, the Company’s public stockholders held a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. The funds used by Simplify to purchase the Private Placement Shares came from the working capital of Simplify.

Business Combination – On February 9, 2024, New Arena Holdco, Inc. (“New Arena”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-276999) with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination Agreement by and among the Company, Simplify, Bridge Media, New Arena and the other parties dated November 5, 2023, as amended on December 1, 2023 and July 12, 2024 (as further described under the heading Business Combination in Note 20) (the “Transaction Agreement”), that provides for the Company to combine its operations with those of Bridge Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Simplify by way of a series of mergers with and among New Arena (the “Mergers”), subject to customary conditions, including the approval by the Company’s shareholders and certain regulatory approvals (the “Business Combination”). Immediately following the Mergers, the Transaction Agreement provides for: (i) the purchase by The Hans Foundation USA, a nonprofit nonstock corporation (the “Hans Foundation”) of 25,000 shares of New Arena Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at a purchase price of $1,000.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 pursuant to the subscription agreement, dated as of November 5, 2023, by and between New Arena and the Hans Foundation; and (ii) the purchase by 5-Hour International Corporation Pte. Ltd. (“5-Hour”) of 5,000,000 shares of New Arena common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “New Arena Common Stock”), at a purchase price of $5.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 pursuant to the subscription agreement, dated as of November 5, 2023, by and between New Arena and 5-Hour. Further, concurrently with the closing of the Mergers, pursuant to that certain Committed Equity Facility Term Sheet, dated November 5, 2023, by and between Arena and Simplify, New Arena will enter into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Simplify, pursuant to which Simplify will agree to purchase, at New Arena’s request, up to $20,000 in aggregate purchase price of shares of New Arena Common Stock from time to time during the 12 months following the closing date at a price per share equal to the lesser of (i) the volume-weighted average price of the New Arena Common Stock for the last sixty trading days prior to the purchase date and (ii) $3.86 per share (the “Equity Line of Credit”), along with 60,000 shares of New Arena Common Stock as payment of a 1.5% commitment fee.

Immediately following the Closing, (i) Simplify will own approximately 79% of the outstanding shares of New Arena Common Stock, on a fully diluted basis, (ii) 5-Hour will own approximately 6% of the outstanding New Arena Common Stock and (iii) former Arena stockholders will own the remaining outstanding New Arena Common Stock. Such amounts exclude the ownership of shares of New Arena Common Stock that may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Equity Line of Credit. Following the Closing, Arena common stock will be delisted from the NYSE American (the “NYSE American”) and deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and cease to be publicly traded. New Arena and its subsidiaries will operate under Arena’s current name “The Arena Group Holdings, Inc.” and New Arena Common Stock will be traded on the NYSE American under Arena’s current stock ticker symbol “AREN.”

Further information on the current details of the Business Combination and recent events related to this transaction are provided under the heading Business Combination in Note 20.

Former Principal Stockholder

Note Purchase Agreement – The Company had an outstanding obligation with BRF Finance Co., LLC (“BRF”), an affiliated entity of B. Riley Financial, Inc. (“B. Riley”), in its capacity as agent for the purchasers and as purchaser, pursuant to a third amended and restated note purchase agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) entered into on December 15, 2022, that was further amended pursuant to a first amendment to the third amended and restated note purchase agreement on August 14, 2023 (the “First Amendment” as further described below), where it amended the second amended and restated note purchase agreement issued on January 23, 2022. The Note Purchase Agreement contains provisions related to the 2022 Bridge Notes, 2023 Notes, Senior Secured Notes, and Delayed Draw Term Notes, all as further described below and referred to together as the “Notes”. Under the terms of the Note Purchase Agreement and First Amendment, in the event there is a mandatory prepayment requirement (as further described below), the principal payment of the notes will be applied to: (1) the 2023 Notes until paid in full; (2) then to the 2022 Bridge Notes until paid in full; (3) then to the Delayed Draw Terms Notes until paid in full; and (4) then to the Senior Secured Notes. All borrowings under the Notes are collateralized by substantially all assets of the Company secured by liens and guaranteed by the Company’s subsidiaries. The Notes provide for a default interest rate equal to the rate of interest in effect at the time of default plus 4.0%, along with other provision for acceleration of the Notes under certain conditions. The Notes provided for certain affirmative covenants, including certain financial reporting obligations. On December 1, 2023, Renew purchased all of the notes held by B. Riley and assumed the role of agent under the Note Purchase Agreement, and also purchased all of the common stock held by B. Riley.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company paid in cash interest of $3,006 and $6,004 on the Notes, due to BRF.

Registered Direct Offering – On March 31, 2023, in connection with the registered direct offering, the Company entered into common stock purchase agreements for 1,009,021 shares of the Company’s common stock for a total of $3,915 in gross proceeds with B. Riley, at a price per share of $3.88 per share.

For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had certain transactions with B. Riley, where it paid fees associated with the common stock public offering totaling $2,440.

Board Members

Registered Direct Offering – On March 31, 2023, in connection with the registered direct offering, the Company entered into common stock purchase agreements for 317,518 shares of the Company’s common stock for a total of $1,232 in gross proceeds with certain directors and affiliates, at a price of $3.88 per share, as follows: (i) 64,000 shares for $248 to H. Hunt Allred, a director, through certain trusts (32,000 shares are directly beneficially owned by the Allred 2002 Trust - HHA and 32,000 shares are directly beneficially owned by the by Allred 2002 Trust - NLA); (ii) 195,529 shares for $759 to 180 Degree Capital Corp, a former beneficial holder of more than 5% of the Company’s common stock; (iii) 25,773 shares for $100 to Daniel Shribman, a former director; (iv) 25,773 shares for $100 to Ross Levinsohn, a former director and the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer; and (v) 6,443 shares for $25 to Paul Edmonson, an executive officer.