Revenue of $92.5 Million, Up 5 Percent Year-Over-YearActivation Revenue Up 38 Percent Year-Over-YearNet Income of $2.0 Million Compared to Net Loss of $11.1 Million in the Year-Ago QuarterAdjusted EBITDA of $11.3 Million and 12 Percent Margin
RESTON, Va., November 8, 2021 – Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting, and evaluating media across platforms, today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Third Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights
Recent Key Renewals, Partnerships and New Business Developments
"This was a strong quarter for Comscore as we reported our highest revenue number in seven quarters and our highest revenue growth rates in eleven quarters. We also reported adjusted EBITDA at a level we haven't seen in many years. There are significant changes taking place in media measurement and Comscore is front and center. We are listening to our customers and making the investments necessary to provide the next generation of measurement tools while continuing to deliver stable and reliable reporting of today's viewing audiences. There is a tremendous opportunity for Comscore as it positions itself as the new currency, which we expect will continue to drive revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2021 and into 2022," said Bill Livek, CEO and Executive Vice Chairman of Comscore.
Third Quarter Summary ResultsRevenue in the third quarter of 2021 was $92.5 million, up 5% from $88.0 million in the year-ago quarter, with growth from increases in TV, custom solutions, Lift and Survey, and Activation offset by lower syndicated digital revenue.
Ratings and Planning revenue was $62.1 million in the third quarter of 2021, down 1% from $62.7 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease was the result of lower syndicated digital and cross-platform audience products offset by higher TV revenue. TV continued to experience higher revenue compared to the prior year from new partnerships and increased agency use. Syndicated digital revenue was lower compared to the prior year, primarily due to our smaller customers who continue to be impacted by ongoing industry changes in ad buying and consolidations, but has stabilized (flat sequentially) when compared to the prior quarter.
Analytics and Optimization revenue was $22.5 million in the third quarter of 2021, up 29% from $17.4 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase was related to higher revenue across all product offerings, including Activation, custom solutions, Lift and Survey. Activation experienced a 38% increase from the year-ago quarter and 7% sequential growth as we continued to bring new solutions to market.
Movies Reporting and Analytics revenue was $7.9 million in the third quarter of 2021, up 1% from $7.8 million in the year-ago quarter, and up 5% sequentially. As theaters have now reopened in most markets worldwide, we believe revenue from the movies business should continue to experience sequential quarterly increases as consumers return to theaters.
Expenses from cost of revenues, sales and marketing, research and development, and general and administrative were $90.3 million, up 6% from $85.2 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase relates primarily to higher data costs associated with our new commercial agreements and higher professional fees. These increases were offset by lower panel costs.
Net income for the third quarter of 2021 was $2.0 million compared to a net loss of $11.1 million reported in the year-ago quarter. After accounting for dividends on our convertible preferred stock, loss per share attributable to common shares was $(0.02), compared to a loss per share attributable to common shares of $(0.16) in the year-ago quarter.
For the third quarter of 2021, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was $11.3 million, compared to $7.3 million in the year-ago quarter, resulting in adjusted EBITDA margins of 12% and 8%, respectively. The increase in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the year-ago quarter relates primarily to higher revenue and favorable foreign exchange rates. These increases were partially offset by higher data costs and professional fees. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin exclude stock-based compensation expense, impairment charges, change in fair value of financing derivatives and warrants liability, debt extinguishment costs, amortization of cloud-computing implementation costs, and other items as presented in the accompanying tables.
Balance Sheet and LiquidityAs of September 30, 2021, cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled $16.7 million, including $0.8 million in restricted cash. Total debt principal as of September 30, 2021, including $16.0 million in outstanding borrowings under our senior secured revolving credit agreement, was $21.0 million.
2021 OutlookBased on current trends and expectations, we are reaffirming the revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance provided in the previous quarter. We continue to believe our full-year 2021 revenue growth will be on the lower end of the 3% to 5% range over 2020, and we are targeting an adjusted EBITDA margin of 6% to 8%.
We do not provide GAAP net income (loss) on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty our future stock-based compensation expense, fair value adjustments for financing derivatives and warrants, variable interest expense, litigation and restructuring expense, and any unusual gains or losses without unreasonable effort. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could be material to results computed in accordance with GAAP. For this reason, we are unable without unreasonable effort to provide a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA margin to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, GAAP net income (loss), on a forward-looking basis.
Conference Call Information for Today, Monday, November 8 at 5:00 p.m. ETManagement will provide commentary on the company's results in a conference call on Monday, November 8, at 5:00 p.m. ET. To access this call, dial +1 844-229-7593 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 314-888-4258 (international) and reference Conference ID # 6067738. Participants are advised to dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the call to register. Additionally, a live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the company's website at ir.comscore.com/events-presentations.
Following the conference call, a replay will be available by dialing +1 855-859-2056 (U.S. and Canada) or +1 404-537-3406 (international) with Conference ID #6067738. The replay will also be available via webcast at ir.comscore.com/events-presentations.
About ComscoreComscore is a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms. With a data footprint that combines digital, linear TV, over-the-top and theatrical viewership intelligence with advanced audience insights, Comscore allows media buyers and sellers to quantify their multiscreen behavior and make business decisions with confidence. A proven leader in measuring digital and TV audiences and advertising at scale, Comscore is the industry's emerging, third-party source for reliable and comprehensive cross-platform measurement.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal and state securities laws, including, without limitation, our expectations, forecasts, plans and opinions regarding expected revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margin for future periods, the impact of new customer contracts and partnerships on our business and revenue prospects, the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our business, evolving industry trends, Comscore's currency opportunities, stabilization of syndicated digital revenue, and product development and innovation. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from expectations, including, but not limited to, changes in our business and customer, partner and vendor relationships; external market conditions and competition; evolving privacy and regulatory standards; the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and related government mandates; and our ability to achieve our expected strategic, financial and operational plans. For additional discussion of risk factors, please refer to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings that we make from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website (www.sec.gov).
Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. We do not intend or undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresTo provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results, we are disclosing herein adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin and non-GAAP net income (loss), which are non-GAAP financial measures used by our management to understand and evaluate our core operating performance and trends. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, as they permit our investors to view our core business performance using the same metrics that management uses to evaluate our performance. Nevertheless, our use of these non-GAAP financial measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider these measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Instead, you should consider these measures alongside GAAP-based financial performance measures, net income (loss), various cash flow metrics, and our other GAAP financial results.
Set forth below are reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, net income (loss). These reconciliations should be carefully evaluated.
Q3 2021 Earnings Report.pdf
MediaMarie ScoutasComscore, Inc. press@comscore.com
InvestorsJohn TinkerComscore, Inc.(212) 203-2129jtinker@comscore.com