Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2025

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (“The Arena Group” or the “Company”), after eliminating all significant intercompany balances and transactions.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for complete audited financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in The Arena Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on April 15, 2025.

The condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2025 and 2024, and for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, are unaudited but, in management’s opinion, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of interim periods. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year.

The Company’s business and operations are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States and worldwide. These conditions include short-term and long-term interest rates, inflation, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets and the general condition of the United States and world economy. A host of factors beyond the Company’s control could cause fluctuations in these conditions. Adverse developments in these general business and economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and the results of its operations.

In addition, the Company will compete with many companies that currently have extensive and well-funded projects, marketing and sales operations as well as extensive human capital. The Company may be unable to compete successfully against these companies. The Company’s industry is characterized by rapid changes in technology and market demands. As a result, the Company’s products, services, or expertise may become obsolete or unmarketable. The Company’s future success will depend on its ability to adapt to technological advances, anticipate customer and market demands, and enhance its current technology under development.

Uncertainty in the global economy presents significant risks to the Company’s business. Increases in inflation, instability in the global banking system, geopolitical factors, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and the responses thereto, and the impact of tariffs on print production costs and the overall market for advertising may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business. While the Company is closely monitoring the impact of the current macroeconomic conditions on all aspects of its business, the ultimate extent of the impact on its business remains highly uncertain and will depend on future developments and factors that continue to evolve. Most of these developments and factors are outside of the Company’s control and could exist for an extended period of time. As a result, the Company is subject to continuing risks and uncertainties.

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting

The Company operates within the media industry, providing digital content across four primary verticals (as further described in Note 17) through its publishing platform. The Company leverages its publishing platform to build content verticals powered by anchor brands. The Company’s strategy is to focus on key subject matter verticals where audiences are passionate about a topic category where it can leverage the strength of its core brands to grow its audience and monetize editorially focused online content through various display and video advertisements that are viewed by internet users of the content. The Company has four reportable segments: Sports & Leisure, Finance, Lifestyle, and Platform. The Company’s reportable segments are organized in subject matter verticals that offer content on the respective topic.

The Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM evaluates performance and allocates resources for all of its reportable segments based on segment gross profit. This segment profit measure is defined as segment revenue less segment cost of revenue, consisting of those costs and expenses directly attributable to the segment. The segment profit measure is used by the CODM to assess the performance of each segment by comparing the results of each segment with one another (see Note 17).

Going Concern

Going Concern

The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if it is unable to continue as a going concern.

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company reported income from continuing operations of $3,997, and as of March 31, 2025, had cash on hand of $2,902 and a working capital deficit of $80,622. Management has evaluated the Company’s working capital deficit and historical losses to determine if the significance of those conditions or events would limit its ability to meet its obligations when due, including under the Simplify Loan and Term Debt (see Notes 8 and 9). In its evaluation, management determined that substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a one-year period following the financial statement issuance date due to the historical net losses from continuing operations and working capital deficit.

The Company’s financial results have improved in recent periods due to headcount and consulting spend reductions. In addition, the Company is planning to continue improving monthly financial performance through the reduction of costs and monthly cash requirements, maintain compliance with the terms of all outstanding debt agreements, and take actions to resolve current and potential future liabilities to alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, such as resolving pending litigation. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to execute these plans. If the Company is unable to execute these plans, it could lead to selling assets and further reducing costs and cash requirements.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported results of operations during the reporting period. Significant estimates include: allowance for credit losses; capitalization of platform development and associated useful lives; goodwill and other acquired intangible assets and associated useful lives; assumptions used in accruals for potential liabilities; stock-based compensation and the determination of the fair value; valuation allowances for deferred tax assets and uncertain tax positions; and assumptions used to calculate contingent liabilities. These estimates are based on information available as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements; therefore, actual results could differ from management’s estimates.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which will require the Company to disclose specified additional information in its income tax rate reconciliation and provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold. ASU 2023-09 will also require the Company to disaggregate its income taxes paid disclosure by federal, state and foreign taxes, with further disaggregation required for significant individual jurisdictions. The provisions of ASU 2023-09 are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024; early adoption is permitted using either a prospective or retrospective transition method. The Company expects ASU 2023-09 to require additional disclosures in the notes to its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. This ASU aims to enhance the transparency of financial reporting by requiring public business entities (PBEs) to provide detailed disclosures about the components of significant expense captions presented in the income statement. The Company will be required to disclose, in a tabular format, the amounts recognized within each relevant expense caption in the income statement. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026; early adoption is permitted using either a prospective or retrospective transition method. The Company is not planning to early adopt. The Company expects ASU 2024-23 to require additional tabular disclosures in the notes to its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Income (loss) per Common Share

Income (loss) per Common Share

Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding adjusted to include the potentially dilutive effect of stock awards.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted income (loss) per common share attributable to the Company’s stockholders (in thousands, except per share data):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
Numerator:
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$	3,997	$	(12,720	)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax		23		(90,638	)
Net income (loss)		4,020	$	(103,358	)
Denominator:
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding – basic (1)		47,458,076		26,443,764
Add: effect of dilutive Series G convertible preferred stock (2)		8,582		-
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – dilutive		47,466,658		26,443,764
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$	0.08	$	(0.48	)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations		-		(3.43	)
Basic net income (loss) per common share	$	0.08	$	(3.91	)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$	0.08	$	(0.48	)
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations		-		(3.43	)
Dilutive net income (loss) per common share	$	0.08	$	(3.91	)

(1)	Includes: restricted stock awards only when the underlying restrictions expire, the shares are no longer forfeitable, and are thus vested; restricted stock units only when the underlying restrictions expire, the shares are no longer forfeitable, and are thus vested; and contingently issuable shares only when there are no circumstances under which those shares would not be issued.
(2)	There was no dilutive effect from the Series G convertible preferred stock for the three months ended March 31, 2024 due to the net loss in the period.

Potentially dilutive securities include dilutive common stock from assumed exercise of stock options, restricted stock units, and warrants, using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, potential shares outstanding are not included in the computation of diluted net income per common share if their effect is anti-dilutive. Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock are as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
Series G convertible preferred stock		-		8,582
Financing warrants		39,774		39,774
ABG Warrants		999,540		999,540
AllHipHop warrants		5,682		5,682
Publisher Partner Warrants		9,800		9,800
Restricted stock units		10,558		329,533
Common stock options		3,206,826		4,485,881
Anti-dilutive securities, excluded		4,272,180		5,878,792