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Organization and Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Basis of Presentation

1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

 

Organization

 

TheMaven, Inc. (the “Maven” or “Company”), was incorporated in Nevada on July 22, 2016 (originally under the Amplify Media Network, Inc. (“Amplify”)). On October 11, 2016, the Company entered into a share exchange agreement with Integrated Surgical Systems, Inc. (“Integrated”), a Delaware corporation incorporated on October 1, 1990. On November 4, 2016, the parties consummated a recapitalization pursuant to the share exchange agreement where Amplify became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Maven (formerly named Integrated) (as further described in Note 17). Integrated amended its certificate of incorporation to change its name to TheMaven, Inc. on December 2, 2016. Unless the context indicates otherwise, Maven, Maven Coalition, Inc., (“Coalition”), HubPages, Inc. (as described in Note 3) and Say Media, Inc. (as described in Note 3) are together hereinafter referred to as the “Company”).

 

Business Operations

 

The Company operates a technology platform empowering premium publishers who impact, inform, educate and entertain. The Maven technology platform provides digital publishing, distribution and monetization capabilities to its coalition of independent, professionally managed online media publishers (referred to as the “Channel Partner(s)” or the “Maven(s)”). Each Maven joins the coalition by invitation-only and is drawn from professional journalists, subject matter experts, group evangelists and social leaders. Mavens publish content and oversee an online community for their respective channels, leveraging a proprietary, socially driven, mobile-enabled, video-focused technology platform to engage niche audiences within a single network. Generally, Mavens are independently owned strategic partners who receive a share of revenue from the interaction with their content. When they join, Mavens benefit from the state-of-the-art technology of the Company’s platform, allowing them to dramatically upgrade performance. At the same time, advertising revenue is dramatically improved due to the scale the Company has achieved by combining all Mavens onto a single platform and the large and experienced sales organization. They also benefit from the Company’s membership marketing and management systems to further enhance their revenue. Additionally, the lead brand within each vertical creates a halo benefit for all Mavens in the vertical while each of them adds to the breadth and quality of content. While they benefit from these critical performance improvements they also save substantially in costs of technology, infrastructure, advertising sales and member marketing and management.

 

The Company’s growth strategy is to continue to expand the coalition by adding new Mavens in key verticals that management believes will expand the scale of unique users interacting on the Company’s technology platform. In each vertical, the Company seeks to build around a leading brand, surround it with subcategory Maven specialists and further enhance coverage with individual expert contributors. The primary means of expansion is adding Mavens as independent strategic partners. However, in some circumstances the Company will acquire entities that bring crucial technology that will enhance the platform or branded content providers that may serve as the cornerstone of an important vertical.

 

The Company’s common stock is traded on the Over-the-Counter Market under the symbol “MVEN”.

 

Going Concern

 

The Company performed an annual reporting period going concern assessment. Management is required to assess the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The 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 consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company was unable to continue as a going concern.

 

The Company has had a history of recurring losses. The Company’s recurring losses from operations and net capital deficiency have been evaluated by management to determine if the significance of those conditions or events would limit its ability to meet its obligations when due. In part, the operating loss realized in fiscal 2018 was primarily a result of investments in people, infrastructure for the technology platform, and the operations rapidly expanding during fiscal 2018 with the acquisitions of HubPages and Say Media, along with continued costs based on the strategic growth plans in other verticals.

 

As reflected in the consolidated financial statements, the Company had revenues of $5,700,199 through December 31, 2018, and has experienced recurring net losses from operations, negative working capital, and negative operating cash flows. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company incurred a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $44,113,379, utilized cash in operating activities of $7,417,680, and as of December 31, 2018, had an accumulated deficit of $34,539,954. The Company has financed its working capital requirements since inception through the issuance of debt and equity securities.

 

In 2020, the Company has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many national governments and sports authorities around the world have made the decision to postpone/cancel high attendance sports events in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In addition, many governments and businesses have limited non-essential work activity, furloughed, and/or terminated many employees and closed some operations and/or locations, all of which has had a negative impact on the economic environment. As a result of these factors, the Company has experienced a decline in traffic, advertising revenue, and earnings since early March 2020, due to the cancellation of high attendance sports events and the resulting decrease in traffic to the technology platform and advertising revenue. The Company has implemented cost reduction measures in an effort to offset its revenue and earnings declines, while experiencing increased cash flows by growth in digital subscriptions. The extent of the impact on the Company’s operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, related group gathering and sports event advisories and restrictions, and the extent and effectiveness of containment actions taken, all of which remain uncertain at the time of issuance of the consolidated financial statements.

 

Management has evaluated whether relevant conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Substantial doubt exists when conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, indicate it is probable that a company will not be able to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the issuance date of its financial statements. Management’s assessment is based on the relevant conditions that are known or reasonably knowable as of December 31, 2020.

 

Management’s assessment of the Company’s ability to meet its future obligations is inherently judgmental, subjective and susceptible to change. The factors that the Company considered important in its going concern analysis, include, but are not limited to, its fiscal 2021 cash flow forecast and its fiscal 2021 operating budget. Management also considered the Company’s ability to refinance or repay its convertible debt through future equity and the impact of the recently implemented cost reduction measures, that offset revenue and earnings declines from COVID-19 pandemic. These factors consider information including, but not limited to, the Company’s financial condition, liquidity sources, obligations due within one year after the issuance date of the consolidated financial statements, the funds necessary to maintain operations and financial conditions, including negative financial trends or other indicators of possible financial difficulty.

 

In particular, the Company’s plan for the: (1) 2021 cash flow forecast, considered the use of our working capital line with FastPay (as described in Note 24) to fund changes in working capital, where it has available credit of approximately $8 million as of the issuance date of these consolidated financial statements, and that it does not anticipate the need for any further borrowings that are subject to the holders approval, from its 12% Amended Senior Secured Notes (as described in Note 24) where it may be permitted to borrow up to an additional $5 million; and (2) 2021 operating budget, considered that approximately sixty-five percent of the Company’s revenue is from recurring subscriptions, generally paid in advance, and that digital subscription revenue, that accounts for approximately thirty percent of subscription revenue, grew approximately thirty percent in 2020 demonstrating the strength of its premium brand, and the plan to continue to grow its subscription revenue from the 2019 acquisition of TheStreet (as described in Note 24) and to launch premium digital subscriptions from its Sports Illustrated licensed brands (as described in Note 24), in January 2021.

 

The Company has considered both quantitative and qualitative factors as part of the assessment that are known or reasonably knowable as of December 31, 2020, and concluded that conditions and events considered in the aggregate, do not raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a one-year period following the financial statement issuance date.

 

Reclassifications

 

Certain comparative amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. These reclassifications were immaterial, both individually and in the aggregate. These changes did not impact previously reported loss from operations or net loss.