Fluent Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results Commerce Media Solutions Revenue Doubles And Annual Run Rate Now Exceeds $145 Million
| FLUENT, INC. | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | ||||||||
| (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||
| (unaudited) | ||||||||
| September 30, 2026 (unaudited) | December 31, 2025 | |||||||
| ASSETS: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 11,436 | $ | 12,935 | ||||
| Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $247 and $163, respectively | 41,398 | 46,735 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 5,395 | 7,799 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 58,229 | 67,469 | ||||||
| Non-current restricted cash | 710 | 710 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 231 | 104 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 2,293 | 2,859 | ||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 16,956 | 17,276 | ||||||
| Other non-current assets | 2,950 | 715 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 81,369 | $ | 89,133 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 9,052 | $ | 7,200 | ||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 27,284 | 25,163 | ||||||
| Deferred revenue | 306 | 721 | ||||||
| Short-term debt, net | 31,451 | 30,846 | ||||||
| Current portion of operating lease liability | 1,104 | 1,104 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 69,197 | 65,034 | ||||||
| Convertible Notes, at fair value with related parties | 4,443 | 3,734 | ||||||
| Operating lease liability, net | 1,366 | 1,985 | ||||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 785 | 168 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 75,791 | 70,921 | ||||||
| Contingencies | ||||||||
| Shareholders' equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred stock - $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 Shares authorized; Shares outstanding - 0 shares for both periods | - | - | ||||||
| Common stock - $0.0005 par value, 200,000,000 Shares authorized; Shares issued - 32,465,082 and 30,404,779, respectively; and Shares outstanding - 31,696,487 and 29,636,184, respectively | 56 | 53 | ||||||
| Treasury stock, at cost - 768,595 and 768,595 Shares, respectively | (11,407 | ) | (11,407 | ) | ||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 469,547 | 467,528 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (452,618 | ) | (437,962 | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders' equity | 5,578 | 18,212 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders' equity | $ | 81,369 | $ | 89,133 | ||||
| FLUENT, INC. | ||||||||||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||
| (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
| (unaudited) | ||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 53,642 | $ | 47,029 | $ | 146,943 | $ | 146,945 | ||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | 38,359 | 36,155 | 107,612 | 114,356 | ||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 5,207 | 4,570 | 14,405 | 12,895 | ||||||||||||
| Product development | 2,749 | 2,200 | 8,439 | 7,147 | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative (including $50 and $218 to a related party for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026, respectively) | 8,749 | 7,929 | 23,364 | 25,614 | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,694 | 2,478 | 5,085 | 7,418 | ||||||||||||
| Loss on disposal of assets | 3 | - | 17 | - | ||||||||||||
| Total costs and expenses | 56,761 | 53,332 | 158,922 | 167,430 | ||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | (3,119 | ) | (6,303 | ) | (11,979 | ) | (20,485 | ) | ||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (712 | ) | (711 | ) | (1,954 | ) | (2,293 | ) | ||||||||
| Fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties | 712 | (554 | (709 | ) | (156 | |||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (3,119 | ) | (7,568 | ) | (14,642 | ) | (22,934 | ) | ||||||||
| Income tax (expense) benefit | (6 | 12 | (14 | ) | (114 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (3,125 | ) | $ | (7,556 | ) | $ | (14,656 | ) | $ | (23,048 | ) | ||||
| Basic and diluted loss per share: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.10 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (0.47 | ) | $ | (0.94 | ) | ||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (0.47 | ) | $ | (0.94 | ) | ||||
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic | 31,910,509 | 28,097,016 | 30,929,079 | 24,497,510 | ||||||||||||
| Diluted | 32,803,153 | 28,097,016 | 30,929,079 | 24,497,510 | ||||||||||||
| FLUENT, INC. | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | ||||||||
| (Amounts in thousands) | ||||||||
| (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,656 | ) | $ | (23,048 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 5,085 | 7,418 | ||||||
| Non-cash loan amortization expense | 239 | 563 | ||||||
| Non-cash gain on divestiture | (2,352 | ) | - | |||||
| Share-based compensation expense | 3,667 | 1,144 | ||||||
| Fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties | 709 | 156 | ||||||
| Loss on disposal of asset | 17 | - | ||||||
| Non-cash loss on asset write-off | - | 698 | ||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | 1,092 | (23 | ) | |||||
| Changes in assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions: | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable | 5,175 | 14,426 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 1,517 | 459 | ||||||
| Other non-current assets | 117 | 189 | ||||||
| Operating lease assets and liabilities, net | (53 | ) | (45 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable | 1,852 | 607 | ||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 832 | (6,718 | ) | |||||
| Deferred revenue | (415 | ) | (82 | ) | ||||
| Other | - | (1 | ) | |||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | 2,826 | (4,257 | ) | |||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Capitalized costs included in intangible assets | (5,106 | ) | (4,843 | ) | ||||
| Proceeds from note receivable | 354 | - | ||||||
| Acquisition of property and equipment | (190 | ) | (48 | |||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (4,942 | ) | (4,891 | ) | ||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of short and long-term debt | 178,971 | 43,726 | ||||||
| Repayments of short and long-term debt | (178,354 | ) | (53,445 | ) | ||||
| Debt financing costs | - | (375 | ) | |||||
| Proceeds from issuance of pre-funded and common stock warrants | - | 19,370 | ||||||
| Equity financing costs | - | (865 | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 617 | 8,411 | ||||||
| Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | (1,499 | ) | (737 | ) | ||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 13,645 | 10,694 | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 12,146 | $ | 9,957 |
Definitions, Reconciliations, and Uses of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following non-GAAP measures are used in this release:
Media margin is defined as that portion of gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) reflecting variable costs paid for media and related expenses and excluding non-media cost of revenue and one-time items. Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) represents revenue minus cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization). Media margin is also presented for the Commerce Media Solutions business and as percentages of revenue of the consolidated company and of the Commerce Media Solutions business, respectively.
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss), excluding (1) income taxes, (2) interest expense, net, (3) depreciation and amortization, (4) share-based compensation expense, (5) loss on early extinguishment of debt, (6) loss on disposal of assets, (7) goodwill impairment, (8) impairment of intangible assets, (9) fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties, (10) acquisition-related costs, (11) restructuring and other severance costs, (12) certain litigation and other related costs, and (13) other one-time items.
Adjusted net income (loss) is defined as net income (loss) excluding (1) share-based compensation expense, (2) loss on early extinguishment of debt, (3) loss on disposal of assets, (4) goodwill impairment, (5) impairment of intangible assets, (6) fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties, (7) acquisition-related costs, (8) restructuring and other severance costs, (9) certain litigation and other related costs, and (10) other one-time items. Adjusted net income (loss) is also presented on a per share (basic and diluted) basis.
We consider items one-time in nature if they are non-recurring, infrequent, or unusual and have not occurred in the past two years and are not expected to recur in the next two years, in accordance with SEC rules.
Below is a reconciliation of media margin from gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization), which we believe is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| (In thousands, except percentages) | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 53,642 | $ | 47,029 | $ | 146,943 | $ | 146,945 | ||||||||
| Less: Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | 38,359 | 36,155 | 107,612 | 114,356 | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | $ | 15,283 | $ | 10,874 | $ | 39,331 | $ | 32,589 | ||||||||
| Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) % of revenue | 28 | % | 23 | % | 27 | % | 22 | % | ||||||||
| Non-media cost of revenue(1) | 3,598 | 1,923 | 11,199 | 5,882 | ||||||||||||
| One-time item(2) | - | - | (156 | ) | - | |||||||||||
| Media margin | $ | 18,881 | $ | 12,797 | $ | 50,374 | $ | 38,471 | ||||||||
| Media margin % of revenue | 35.2 | % | 27.2 | % | 34.3 | % | 26.2 | % |
(1) Represents the portion of cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) not attributable to variable costs paid for media and related expenses.
(2) Includes a one-time non-media revenue adjustment in Q2 2026 of ($156) in connection with a settlement with a media partner.
Below is a reconciliation of media margin from gross profit for Commerce Media Solutions (exclusive of depreciation and amortization), which we believe is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
| (In thousands, except percentages) | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 37,539 | $ | 18,808 | $ | 93,951 | $ | 47,548 | ||||||||||||
| Less: Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | 26,395 | 14,721 | 69,576 | 37,768 | ||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) | $ | 11,144 | $ | 4,087 | $ | 24,375 | $ | 9,780 | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) % of revenue | 30 | % | 22 | % | 26 | % | 21 | % | ||||||||||||
| Non-media cost of revenue(1) | 2,201 | 524 | 7,340 | 1,159 | ||||||||||||||||
| One-time item(2) | - | - | (156 | ) | - | |||||||||||||||
| Media margin | $ | 13,345 | $ | 4,611 | $ | 31,559 | $ | 10,939 | ||||||||||||
| Media margin % of revenue | 35.5 | % | 24.5 | % | 33.6 | % | 23.0 | % |
(1) Represents the portion of cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) not attributable to variable costs paid for media and related expenses.
(2) Includes a one-time non-media revenue adjustment in Q2 2026 of ($156) in connection with a settlement with a media partner.
Below is a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA from net loss, which we believe is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| (In thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (3,125 | ) | $ | (7,556 | ) | $ | (14,656 | ) | $ | (23,048 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 6 | (12 | 14 | 114 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 712 | 711 | 1,954 | 2,293 | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,694 | 2,478 | 5,085 | 7,418 | ||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation expense | 875 | 478 | 3,667 | 1,144 | ||||||||||||
| Loss on disposal of assets | 3 | - | 17 | - | ||||||||||||
| Fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties | (712 | ) | 554 | 709 | 156 | |||||||||||
| Acquisition-related costs(1) | 504 | (20 | ) | (1,421 | ) | 1,074 | ||||||||||
| Restructuring and other severance costs | - | - | 51 | 1,325 | ||||||||||||
| Certain litigation and other related costs | - | - | (250 | ) | 300 | |||||||||||
| One-time item(2) | - | - | (156 | ) | - | |||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | (43 | ) | $ | (3,367 | ) | $ | (4,986 | ) | $ | (9,224 | ) |
| (1) | Balance includes gain on the conveyance of the membership interest of Winopoly in January 2026 of $2,352 along with provisions for credit losses to the sellers note receivable of $504 and $931 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026, respectively. Balance also includes a $698 write-off of intangibles and related expenses related to the write-off of TAPP Influencers Corp. in May 2025. Lastly, the balance includes compensation expense related to non-compete agreements and earn-out expenses incurred as a result of business combinations. The earn-out expense was $0 and ($20) for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and $0 and ($148) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, while the non-compete agreements expense was $0 and $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and $0 and $412 for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. |
| (2) | Includes a one-time non-media revenue adjustment in Q2 2026 of ($156) in connection with a settlement with a media partner. |
Below is a reconciliation of adjusted net income and the related measure of adjusted net income per share from net income (loss), which we believe is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
| | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||
| (In thousands, except share and per share data) | | 2026 | | | 2025 | | 2026 | | 2025 | ||||||||
| Net loss | | $ | (3,125 | ) | | | $ | (7,556 | ) | | $ | (14,656 | ) | | $ | (23,048 | ) |
| Share-based compensation expense | | | 875 | | | | | 478 | | | | 3,667 | | | | 1,144 | |
| Loss on disposal of assets | | | 3 | | | | | - | | | | 17 | | | | - | |
| Fair value adjustment of Convertible Notes with related parties | | | (712 | ) | | | | 554 | | | | 709 | | | | 156 | |
| Acquisition-related costs(1) | | | 504 | | | | | (20 | ) | | | (1,421 | ) | | | 1,074 | |
| Restructuring and other severance costs | | | - | | | | | - | | | | 51 | | | | 1,325 | |
| Certain litigation and other related costs | | | - | | | | | - | | | | (250 | ) | | | 300 | |
| One-time item(2) | | | - | | | | | - | | | | (156 | ) | | | - | |
| Adjusted net loss | | $ | (2,455 | ) | | | $ | (6,544 | ) | | $ | (12,039 | ) | | $ | (19,049 | ) |
| Adjusted net loss per share: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Basic | | $ | (0.08 | ) | | | $ | (0.23 | ) | | $ | (0.39 | ) | | $ | (0.78 | ) |
| Diluted | | $ | (0.08 | ) | | | $ | (0.23 | ) | | $ | (0.39 | ) | | $ | (0.78 | ) |
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Basic | | | 31,910,509 | | | | | 28,097,016 | | | | 30,929,079 | | | | 24,497,510 | |
| Diluted | | | 31,910,509 | (3) | | | 28,097,016 | | | | 30,929,079 | | | | 24,497,510 | |
| (1) | Balance includes gain on the conveyance of the membership interest of Winopoly in January 2026 of $2,352 along with provisions for credit losses to the sellers note receivable of $504 and $931 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026, respectively. Balance also includes a $698 write-off of intangibles and related expenses related to the write-off of TAPP Influencers Corp. in May 2025. Lastly, the balance includes compensation expense related to non-compete agreements and earn-out expenses incurred as a result of business combinations. The earn-out expense was $0 and ($20) for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and $0 and ($148) for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, while the non-compete agreements expense was $0 and $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and $0 and $412 for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. |
| (2) | Includes a one-time non-media revenue adjustment in Q2 2026 of ($156) in connection with a settlement with a media partner. |
| (3) | Balance excludes the 892,644 shares issuable under the if-converted method for the Convertible Notes as they would be anti-dilutive for the adjusted net loss per share, as such, basic and diluted shares are measured as equal. |
We present media margin, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net income as supplemental measures of our financial and operating performance because we believe they provide useful information to investors. More specifically:
Media margin, as defined above, is a measure of the efficiency of the Company's operating model. We use media margin and the related measure of media margin as a percentage of revenue as primary metrics to measure the financial return on our media and related costs, specifically to measure the degree by which the revenue generated from our digital marketing services exceeds the cost to attract the consumers to whom offers are made through our services. Media margin is used extensively by our management to manage our consolidated operating performance, including evaluating operational performance against budgeted media margin and understanding the efficiency of our media and related expenditures. We also use media margin for performance evaluations and compensation decisions regarding certain personnel.
Adjusted EBITDA, as defined above, is another primary metric by which we evaluate the operating performance of our business, on which certain operating expenditures and internal budgets are based and by which, in addition to media margin and other factors, our senior management is compensated. The first three adjustments represent the conventional definition of EBITDA, and the remaining adjustments are items recognized and recorded under U.S. GAAP in particular periods but might be viewed as not necessarily coinciding with the underlying business operations for the periods in which they are so recognized and recorded. These adjustments include certain litigation and other related costs associated with legal matters outside the ordinary course of business.
Adjusted net income (loss), as defined above, and the related measure of adjusted net income (loss) per share exclude certain items that are recognized and recorded under U.S. GAAP in particular periods but might be viewed as not necessarily coinciding with the underlying business operations for the periods in which they are so recognized and recorded. We believe adjusted net income (loss) affords investors a different view of the overall financial performance of the Company than adjusted EBITDA and the U.S. GAAP measure of net income (loss).
Media margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and adjusted net income per share are non-GAAP financial measures with certain limitations regarding their usefulness. They do not reflect our financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as they do not include the impact of certain expenses that are reflected in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Accordingly, these metrics are not indicative of our overall results or indicators of past or future financial performance. Further, they are not financial measures of profitability and are neither intended to be used as a proxy for the profitability of our business nor to imply profitability. The way we measure media margin, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net income may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies and may not be identical to corresponding measures used in our various agreements.
Annual Revenue Run Rate
Annual Revenue Run Rate is an operational metric that represents the annualized revenue of the Company's media partnerships at current monetization levels, as of the end of the reporting period. The Company calculates Annual Revenue Run Rate as follows:
- Media partners within Commerce Media Solutions with an active contract are assessed and assigned an annual media volume estimate based on the active term of the contract and the average monetization rate during the reporting period. The Company considers a media partner contract to be active when the contractual term commences (the "start date") until its right to serve the partner's commerce traffic ends. Even if the contract with the customer is executed before the start date, the contract will not count toward Annual Revenue Run Rate until the media partner's right to receive the benefit of the services has commenced. As Annual Revenue Run Rate includes only contracts that are active at the end of the reporting period, it does not reflect assumptions or estimates regarding new business. For contracts expiring within 12 months of the period-end calculation date, Annual Revenue Run Rate does reflect expectations of renewal. The Company's Commerce Media Solutions platform provides the technology to effectively monetize the partner's media by placing relevant ads at a contracted moment of consumer engagement. Although from inception to date, improvements in the platform's AI-powered technology have consistently driven increased rates of monetization, for the purpose of Annual Revenue Run Rate, the Company assumes a consistent monetization level equal to the average monetization for each media partner during the reporting period.
The way the Company measures Annual Revenue Run Rate may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies and should not be viewed as a projection of future revenue.
Contact Information:
Investor Relations
Fluent, Inc.
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