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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Consolidation

Consolidation—The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates—Preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires it to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to deferred costs and revenues; depreciation of fixed assets; allowance for doubtful accounts; site equipment to be installed; stock-based compensation assumptions; impairment of fixed assets, software development costs, intangible assets and goodwill; contingencies, including the reserve for sales tax inquiries; and the provision for income taxes, including the valuation allowance. The Company bases its estimates on a combination of historical experience and various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about significant carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents—Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) No. 230, Statement of Cash Flows, defines “cash and cash equivalents” as any short-term, highly liquid investment that is both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. For the purpose of financial statement presentation, the Company has applied the provisions of ASC No. 230, as it considers all highly liquid investment instruments with original maturities of three months or less, or any investment redeemable without penalty or loss of interest, to be cash equivalents.
Capital Resources

Capital Resources— In November 2017, the Company entered into an amended and restated loan and security agreement (the “Amended and Restated Loan Agreement”) with East West Bank (“EWB”). The Amended & Restated Loan Agreement amends and restates the loan and security agreement that the Company entered into with EWB dated as of April 14, 2015 (as the same has been previously amended, the “Prior Loan Agreement”). The Amended and Restated Loan Agreement provides for $4,500,000 as a one-time 36-month term loan, of which the Company used $4,450,000 to refinance the $4,450,000 the Company had outstanding under the Prior Loan Agreement. The Company applied the additional $50,000 to pay the $45,000 facility fee and to pay reasonable costs or expenses incurred by EWB in connection with the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement. The Company is required to make payments on the loan on the last calendar day of each month commencing on December 31, 2017 and through its maturity date, November 29, 2020. Payments will be interest only until the payment due on June 30, 2018, at which time payments will become principal plus interest. As of December 31, 2017, $4,500,000 was outstanding under the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, all of which is recorded in current portion of long-term debt on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as a result of the covenant non-compliance as of December 31, 2017 discussed in Note 11, Long-Term Debt, below. The Company recorded total debt issuance costs of $59,000, which includes the $45,000 facility fee. The debt issuance costs will be amortized to interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the life of the loan. As of December 31, 2017, the unamortized portion of the debt issuance costs was $56,000 and is recorded as a reduction of long term debt. We have no more borrowing availability under the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement.

 

The Company has another financing arrangement with an equipment lender under which the Company may request funds to finance the purchase of certain capital equipment. The lender determines whether to extend such funds on a case-by-case basis, taking into account such factors as the lender considers relevant, including the amount outstanding under this financing arrangement. Through December 31, 2017, the Company borrowed $9,690,000. As of December 31, 2017, $623,000 remained outstanding, of which $615,000 is recorded in current portion of long-term debt and $8,000 is recorded in long-term debt on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The Company currently does not expect the lender to lend any additional funds under this financing arrangement.

 

In connection with preparing the financial statement as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company evaluated whether there are conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, that are known and reasonably knowable that would raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. As a result of such evaluation, the Company believes it will have sufficient cash to meet its operating cash requirements and to fulfill its debt obligations for at least the next twelve months from the issuance date of these financial statements. In order to increase the likelihood that the Company will be able to successfully execute its operating and strategic plan and to position the Company to better take advantage of market opportunities for growth, the Company is continuing to evaluate additional financing alternatives, including additional equity financings and alternative sources of debt. If the Company’s cash and cash equivalents are not sufficient to meet future cash requirements, the Company may be required to reduce planned capital expenses, reduce operational cash uses or raise capital on terms that are not as favorable to the Company as they otherwise might be. Any actions the Company may undertake to reduce planned capital purchases or reduce expenses may be insufficient to cover shortfalls in available funds. If the Company requires additional capital, it may be unable to secure additional financing on terms that are acceptable to the Company, or at all.
Allowances for Doubtful Accounts

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts—The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from nonpayment by its customers. The Company reserves for all accounts that have been suspended or terminated from its Buzztime network services and for customers with balances that are greater than a predetermined number of days past due. The Company analyzes historical collection trends, customer concentrations and creditworthiness, economic trends and anticipated changes in customer payment patterns when evaluating the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts for specific and general risks. Additional reserves may also be established if specific customers’ balances are identified as potentially uncollectible. If the financial condition of its customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.
Site Equipment to be Installed

Site Equipment to be Installed – Site equipment to be installed consist of finished goods related to the Company’s BEOND product platform and are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the first-in, first-out method. Rapid technological change or new product development could result in an increase in the quantity of obsolete site equipment to be installed on hand, and the Company could recognize losses from disposal of excess or obsolete site equipment to be installed. Additionally, the Company’s carrying costs of its site equipment to be installed are dependent on accurate estimates of customer demand for its products. A significant increase in the demand for the Company’s products could result in a short-term increase in the cost of site equipment purchases, while a significant decrease in demand could result in an increase in the amount of excess site equipment quantities on hand. As a result, although the Company attempts to maximize the accuracy of its forecasts of future product demand, any significant unanticipated changes in demand or technological developments could have a significant impact on the value of the Company’s site equipment to be installed and its reported operating results.

 

The BEOND tablet platform equipment remains in site equipment to be installed until it is installed in customer sites. For BEOND tablet platform customers that are under sales-type lease arrangements, the cost of the equipment is recognized in direct costs upon installation. For all other BEOND tablet platform customers, the cost of the equipment is reclassified to fixed assets upon installation and depreciated over its useful life.
Fixed Assets

Fixed Assets— Fixed assets are recorded at cost. Equipment under capital leases is recorded at the present value of future minimum lease payments. Depreciation of fixed assets is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Depreciation of leasehold improvements and fixed assets under capital leases is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the lease period.

 

The Company incurs a relatively significant level of depreciation expense in relation to its operating income. The amount of depreciation expense in any fiscal year is largely related to the equipment located at the Company’s customers’ sites that are not under sales-type lease arrangements. Such equipment includes the Classic Playmaker, BEOND tablet, other associated electronics and the computers located at customer’s sites (collectively, “Site Equipment”). The components within Site Equipment are depreciated over two to five years based on the shorter of the contractual capital lease period or the estimated useful life, which considers anticipated technology changes. If the Company’s Site Equipment turns out to have longer lives, on average, than estimated, then its depreciation expense would be significantly reduced in those future periods. Conversely, if the Site Equipment turns out to have shorter lives, on average, than estimated, then its depreciation expense would be significantly increased in those future periods.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets—Goodwill represents the excess of costs over fair value of assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase combination determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but instead are assessed quarterly for impairment based on qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying amount. Such qualitative factors include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance and other relevant events. If after assessing the totality of events or circumstances the Company determines it is not more likely than not that the goodwill is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test outlined in ASC No. 350 is unnecessary. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company performed the annual assessment of its goodwill related to NTN Canada, Inc., and determined that there were no indications of impairment.

 

ASC No. 350 also requires that intangible assets with estimable useful lives be amortized over their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values, and reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC No. 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. In accordance with ASC No. 360, the Company assesses potential impairments of its long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be recognized when the carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable and exceeds its fair value. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or asset group. The Company performed its annual review as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 of its other intangible assets and determined that there were no indications of impairment for either of those periods.
Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition—The Company recognizes revenue from recurring subscription fees for its service earned from its network subscribers, from leasing equipment (including tablets used in its BEOND tablet platform and the cases and charging trays for the tablets) to certain network subscribers, from hosting live trivia events, from selling advertising aired on in-venue screens and as part of customized games and directly from consumers who pay to play or use the premium content the Company began offering via its BEOND tablet platform in 2014. To the extent any of the foregoing contain multiple deliverables, the Company evaluates the criteria in ASC No. 605, Revenue Recognition, to determine whether such deliverables represent separate units of accounting. In order to be considered a separate unit of accounting, the delivered items in an arrangement must have stand-alone value to the customer and objective and reliable evidence of fair value must exist for any undelivered elements. The Company’s arrangements for the transmission of the Buzztime network contain two deliverables: the installation of its equipment and the transmission of its network content for which the Company receives monthly subscription fees. As the installation deliverable does not have stand-alone value to the customer, it does not represent a separate unit of accounting. Therefore, for the Company’s Classic product, all installation fees received are deferred and recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the estimated life of the customer relationship. Because deployment of the Company’s BEOND tablet platform is so new, the Company has not yet established an estimated life of a BEOND customer, and therefore, it is deferring and recognizing installation fees as revenue on a straight-line basis over the customer contract term. All installation fees not recognized in revenue have been recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

In addition, the direct expenses of the installation, commissions, setup and training are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis and are classified as deferred costs on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. For these direct expenses that are associated with the Classic product, the amortization period approximates the estimated life of the customer relationship for deferred direct costs that are of an amount that is less than or equal to the deferred revenue for the related contract. For costs that exceed the deferred revenue, the amortization period is the initial term of the contract, in accordance with ASC No. 605, which is generally one year. For direct costs associated with the BEOND tablet platform, the amortization period approximates the life of the contract.

 

The Company evaluated its lease transactions in accordance with ASC No. 840, Leases, to determine classification of the leases against the following criteria:

 

  ● The lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term;
     
  ● There is a bargain purchase option;
     
  ● The lease term is equal to or greater than 75% of the economic life of the equipment; or
     
  ● The present value of the minimum payments is equal to or greater than 90% of the fair market value of the equipment at the inception of the lease.

 

Because the Company’s current leasing agreement meets at least one of the criteria above, because collectability of the minimum lease payments is reasonably assured and because there are no important uncertainties surrounding the amount of reimbursable costs yet to be incurred under the lease, the Company classifies the lease as a sales-type lease, and it recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, product delivery has occurred or the services have been rendered, the price is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured.

 

The Company recognizes revenues from selling advertising, from hosting live trivia events and from consumers who pay to play the Company’s premium content when all material services or conditions relating to the transaction have been performed or satisfied.

 

The Company has arrangements with certain third parties to share in revenue generated from some of its products and services. The Company evaluates recognition of the associated revenue in accordance with ASC No. 605-45, Revenue Recognition, Principal Agent Considerations. When indicators suggest that the Company is functioning as a principal, it records revenue gross and the corresponding amounts paid to third parties are recorded as direct expense. Conversely, when indicators suggest that the Company is functioning as an agent, it records revenue net of amounts paid to third parties.
Software Development Costs

Software Development Costs—The Company capitalizes costs related to developing certain software products in accordance with ASC No. 350. Amortization of costs related to interactive programs is recognized on a straight-line basis over the programs’ estimated useful lives, generally two to three years. Amortization expense relating to capitalized software development costs totaled $230,000 and $386,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, approximately $784,000 and $642,000, respectively, of capitalized software costs were not subject to amortization as the development of various software projects was not complete.

 

The Company performed its annual review of software development projects for the year ended December 31, 2017 and determined to abandon various software development projects that it concluded were no longer a current strategic fit or for which it determined that the marketability of the content had decreased due to obtaining additional information regarding the specific industry for which the content was intended. As a result, an impairment of $5,000 was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company also performed its annual review for the year ended December 31, 2016 and determined that there were no indications of impairments during this period.
Advertising Costs

Advertising Costs – There were no marketing-related advertising costs for the either of the years ended December 31, 2017 or 2016.
Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and Handling Costs—Shipping and handling costs are included in direct operating costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and are expensed as incurred.
Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation— The Company estimates the fair value of its stock options using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, consistent with the provisions of ASC No. 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation and ASC No. 505-50, Equity – Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees. The fair value of stock options granted is recognized to expense over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense for share-based payment awards to employees is recognized using the straight-line single-option method. Stock-based compensation expense for share-based payment awards to non-employees is recorded at its fair value on the grant date and is periodically re-measured as the underlying awards vest. Stock-based compensation expense is reported as selling, general and administrative based upon the departments to which substantially all of the associated employees report.
Income Taxes

Income Taxes—Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 

ASC No. 740, Income Taxes, defines the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax return positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” criterion are measured at the largest amount of benefit that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company reviewed its tax positions and determined that an adjustment to the tax provision is not considered necessary nor is a reserve for income taxes required.
Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share—Basic and diluted loss per common share have been computed by dividing the losses applicable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. The Company’s basic and fully diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) calculation are the same since the increased number of shares that would be included in the diluted calculation from assumed exercise of common stock equivalents would be anti-dilutive to the net loss in each of the years shown in the consolidated financial statements.
Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting—In accordance with ASC No. 280, Segment Reporting, the Company has determined that it operates as one operating segment. Decisions regarding the Company’s overall operating performance and allocation of its resources are assessed on a consolidated basis.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In February 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-02, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)—Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. This update was issued to address the income tax accounting treatment of the stranded tax effects within other comprehensive income due to the prohibition of backward tracing due to an income tax rate change that was initially recorded in other comprehensive income. This issue came about from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017, which changed the Company’s income tax rate from 35% to 21%. The ASU changed current accounting whereby an entity may elect to reclassify the stranded tax effect from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. The ASU is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2018 (which is January 1, 2019 for the Company), although early adoption is permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in Part I of this update change the classification analysis of certain equity-linked financial instruments (or embedded features) with down round features. When determining whether certain financial instruments should be classified as liabilities or equity instruments, a down round feature no longer precludes equity classification when assessing whether the instrument is indexed to an entity’s own stock. The amendments also clarify existing disclosure requirements for equity-classified instruments. As a result, a freestanding equity-linked financial instrument (or embedded conversion option) no longer would be accounted for as a derivative liability at fair value as a result of the existence of a down round feature. For freestanding equity classified financial instruments, the amendments require entities that present EPS in accordance with Topic 260 to recognize the effect of the down round feature when it is triggered. That effect is treated as a dividend and as a reduction of income available to common shareholders in basic EPS. Convertible instruments with embedded conversion options that have down round features are now subject to the specialized guidance for contingent beneficial conversion features (in Subtopic 470-20, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options), including related EPS guidance (in Topic 260). The amendments in Part II of this Update re-characterize the indefinite deferral of certain provisions of Topic 480 that now are presented as pending content in the Codification, to a scope exception. Those amendments do not have an accounting effect. For public business entities, the amendments in Part I of this update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018 (which is January 1, 2019 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted for all entities, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. This update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (which is January 1, 2018 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This update removes the requirement to perform step two of the quantitative two-step goodwill impairment test. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for an entity to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. This update is effective on a prospective basis for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (which is January 1, 2020 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In November 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This update requires amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the total beginning and ending amounts for the periods shown on the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (which is January 1, 2019 for the Company), including interim periods within those periods, using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In October 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory. This update requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (which is January 1, 2018 for the Company), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of a fiscal year. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method, which is a cumulative-effective adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. This update is intended to add or clarify guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows and to eliminate the diversity in practice related to such classifications. This update is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (which is January 1, 2018 for the Company), with early adoption permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This update requires lessees to recognize at the lease commencement date a lease liability, which is the lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis, and a right-of-use assets, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Lessees will no longer be provided with a source of off-balance sheet financing. This update is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2018 (which is January 1, 2019 for the Company), including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Lessees and lessors must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the earliest comparative period presented. Applying a full retrospective transition approach is not allowed. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This update outlines a new, single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. This new revenue recognition model provides a five-step analysis in determining when and how revenue is recognized. The new model will require revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration a company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year. ASU 2014-09 is now effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (which is January 1, 2018 for the Company), including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The Company has the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified approach to adopting the guidance. The Company will apply the full-retrospective method when adopting this guidance. This update requires expanded disclosures relating to the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative disclosures are required for customer contracts, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The Company continues to evaluate the effect of adopting this update and expects to complete its assessment by the end of the quarter ending March 31, 2018.