Press Releases
theScore Reports Record F2021 Q2 Financial Results
Score Media and Gaming Inc. announced financial results for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021.
“We achieved record gaming handle and another quarter of solid media revenue growth in our fiscal 2021 second quarter. The strong second quarter results highlight theScore’s ongoing momentum and our users’ active, growing engagement with our mobile offerings,” said John Levy, Chairman and CEO of theScore. “Second quarter handle of $81.6 million on theScore Bet grew 491% year-over-year and 46% over the first quarter. We also recorded our highest-ever second quarter media revenue, with 17% year-over-year growth driven by our compelling content as well as our outstanding North American reach and audience engagement.
“Following the launch of theScore Bet in Iowa in mid-February, our mobile sports betting platform is now live in four states as our market rollout continues on schedule. We’re successfully building our user base and leveraging our media audience, while simultaneously welcoming new users to our platform as demonstrated by the year-over-year and quarterly sequential increases in gaming handle this quarter, including a nearly 200% increase in our New Jersey handle compared to the year-ago period. Through our recent agreement with Caesars Entertainment we now have sports betting market access in Illinois, the sixth most populous U.S. state.
“During the second quarter, we raised US$186.3 million of gross proceeds through our U.S. initial public offering which we intend to deploy towards the ongoing build out of our industry-unique integrated sports betting and media technology platform. The new capital provides additional resources to further execute on our strategies to integrate sports betting and content to drive deep user engagement and expand our market access. We will continue to enhance our media and betting ecosystem through investments in technology to further develop user personalization, unique betting offerings, and in-game prop bets, which are expected to be a significant driver of U.S. sports betting growth. At the same time, we are working to expand our access into new U.S. states while continuing our preparations for the anticipated legalization of single-game sports wagering in Canada.
“We are very encouraged by the recent momentum in support of Bill C-218, which would legalize single-game sports betting in Canada. Our popular brand and dominant Canadian market position will enable theScore to participate as a market leader in what is expected to be a very large addressable market, including in our home province of Ontario.
“Our unique combination of media and betting is a powerful differentiator in a growing marketplace. We intend to leverage our position as the only digital sports media company in North America that operates a sports betting platform to further grow our U.S. business and capture meaningful market share in Canada when the market opens. With our fully integrated sports media and betting experience and technology focus, we are perfectly positioned to efficiently acquire and engage new customers while driving strong customer loyalty and attractive margins which will help drive the long-term enhancement of shareholder value.”
Recent Highlights
Total Q2 F2021 gaming handle [1] on theScore Bet grew 491% year-over-year, reaching a record $81.6 million in the quarter.
Handle was up 46% compared to Q1 F2021.
Q2 New Jersey gaming handle grew 195% year-over-year.
Media revenue increased 17% year-over-year to $8 million, a second-quarter record.
In March, theScore completed a U.S. initial public offering and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
6.9 million Class A Shares were sold by the Company at US$27.00 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of US$186.3 million.
Prior to the U.S. public listing, the Company consolidated its outstanding Class A Shares on the basis of one new Class A Share for every ten outstanding Class A Shares; it also consolidated its special voting shares at the same ratio.
theScore Bet launched in Iowa in February, bringing the Company’s base of live U.S. sports betting states to four.
In March, the Company entered into an Illinois market access agreement with Caesars Entertainment for mobile sports betting.
In March, theScore Bet became an official betting operator of the PGA TOUR. The content and marketing relationship also makes theScore Bet the TOUR’s first official betting operator in Canada, pending the enactment of enabling legislation and regulation and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.
In December, the Company’s esports platforms served as the exclusive English language broadcast partner for the League of Legends’ Demacia Championship in China.
Audience Metrics
theScore achieved a Q2 record for engagement on its sports media app. User sessions rose 8% year-over-year in Q2 F2021 to 488 million with users opening the app an average of 125 times a month each. The Company had 3.9 million average monthly active users on theScore app.
theScore’s esports platforms registered 186.5 million total video views in Q2 F2021. An additional 99,600 YouTube subscribers were added during the period with total channel subscribers now exceeding 1.67 million.
During Q2, theScore’s sports content across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok achieved an average monthly reach of approximately 88 million. theScore’s TikTok account added approximately 456,000 new followers in Q2 F2021, with followers now exceeding 3.1 million.
Financial Results
Total revenue for Q2 F2021 was $5.6 million, with record Q2 media revenue partially offset by negative net gaming revenue [3] of $2.4 million. Media revenue in the quarter was $8 million, compared to $6.8 million for the same period last year, representing a 17% year-over-year increase.
Gaming handle [1] was $81.6 million and gross gaming revenue [2] was $0.4 million in Q2 F2021. When taking into account promotional costs and fair value adjustments on unsettled bets, this resulted in negative net gaming revenue [3] of $2.4 million.
EBITDA loss in Q2 F2021 was $12.9 million compared to an EBITDA loss of $8.6 million for the same period last year. This was primarily the result of additional expenses incurred in connection with the ongoing expansion of the Company’s gaming operations and costs and professional service fees related to the recently completed U.S. initial public offering.
Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis
The Company reports its financial results in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated. Our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, accompanying notes, and Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and are available on the Company’s Investor Relations page.
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THE UNIT TO STEP UP EXPANSION PLANS WITH OPENING OF NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unit’s partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unit’s activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unit’s Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark O’Hare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unit’s commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: “These are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
“This will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. We’re looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
“I would like to thank Mark O’Hare for making the move to New York, and I’m sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.”
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
“We look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.”
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
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Canada
Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
“Scratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but they’re not for kids,” said Ryan McCarthy, BCLC’s Director of Player Health. “The research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.”
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
“With the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,” said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. “Our research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.”
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
“Open and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,” said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kids’ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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