Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item
1A. Risk Factors
On
April 1, 2020, we consummated the acquisition of fuboTV Inc., a Delaware corporation by the merger of fuboTV Acquisition Corp.,
our wholly-owned subsidiary, with and into fuboTV Inc., a Delaware corporation which we refer to as the “Merger.”
In this Item 1A, unless the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company”
refers to the combined company post-Merger – fuboTV Inc., or fuboTV, and its subsidiaries, including fuboTV Sub. “FaceBank
Pre-Merger” refers to FaceBank Group, Inc. prior to the Merger and its subsidiaries prior to the closing of the Merger,
and “fuboTV Pre-Merger” refers to fuboTV Inc., a Delaware corporation and its subsidiaries prior to the Merger.
We
have incurred operating losses in the past, expect to incur operating losses in the future and may never achieve or maintain profitability.
We
have incurred losses since inception. If our revenue and gross profit do not grow at a greater rate than our operating expenses,
we will not be able to achieve and maintain profitability. A number of our operating expenses, including expenses related to streaming
content obligations, are fixed. If we are not able to either reduce these fixed obligations or other expenses or maintain or grow
our revenue, our near-term operating losses may increase. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating or legal expenses,
difficulties, complications, delays and other factors that may result in losses in future periods. If our expenses exceed our
revenue, we may never achieve or maintain profitability and our business may be harmed.
Our
auditors have indicated that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
To
date, we have not been profitable and have incurred significant losses and cash flow deficits, and we anticipate that we will
continue to report losses and negative cash flow. As a result of these net losses and cash flow deficits and other factors, our
management has determined that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the next twelve
months.
Additionally,
both FaceBank Pre-Merger’s current and former independent registered public accountants issued audit opinions – FaceBank
Pre-Merger’s current accountants with respect to FaceBank Pre-Merger’s consolidated financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2019, and FaceBank Pre-Merger’s former firm with respect to FaceBank Pre-Merger’s consolidated
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 – indicating that there is substantial doubt about FaceBank Pre-Merger’s
ability to continue as a going concern. FaceBank Pre-Merger’s consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Additionally, fuboTV Pre-Merger’s accountants with respect to fuboTV
Pre-Merger’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 indicated there was substantial doubt
about fuboTV Pre-Merger’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The
reaction of investors to the inclusion of a going concern statement by FaceBank Pre-Merger’s independent registered public
accountants and our management’s determination that we may be unable to continue as a going concern could materially adversely
affect the price of our common stock. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon generating sufficient cash
flow from operations and obtaining additional capital and financing. If our ability to generate cash flow from operations is delayed
or reduced, including as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and if we are unable to raise additional funding from
other sources, we may be unable to continue in business.
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We
will require additional capital to meet our financial obligations and support planned business growth, and this capital might
not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
We
intend to continue to make significant investments to support planned business growth and may require additional funds to respond
to business challenges, including the need to enhance our platform, improve our operating infrastructure or acquire complementary
businesses, personnel and technologies. Accordingly, we will need to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through
future issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our then existing shareholders could suffer significant dilution, and
any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock.
Any debt financing we secure could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial
and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities,
including potential acquisitions. If we were to violate the restrictive covenants, we could incur penalties, increased expenses
and an acceleration of the payment terms of our outstanding debt, which could in turn harm our business.
We
may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing
or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond
to business challenges could be significantly impaired, and our business may be harmed.
We
have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify additional material weaknesses
in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, which could lead investors to lose confidence
in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports.
As
a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses
in such internal control. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness
of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by
our management in our internal control over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be
required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until our first annual report required
to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, following the later of the date we are deemed to be an “accelerated
filer” or a “large accelerated filer,” each as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. A
material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there
is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or
detected on a timely basis.
In
connection with the audit of the financial statements of FaceBank Pre-Merger as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2019, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified several material weaknesses in FaceBank Pre-Merger’s
internal control over financial reporting:
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger has failed to adequately invest in its accounting and reporting functions such that it is unable to timely record
transactions, reconcile accounts and convert local GAAP produced information outside of the United States into U.S. GAAP-compliant
information to timely prepare and adequately review financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP across the spectrum
of entities within the consolidated group.
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger has not retained adequate financial and accounting personnel on a continuous basis, and such limited personnel
are not involved when decisions are made by management, so they lack critical time and information in order to properly and
timely report on the transactions and events.
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger management in the United States has failed to set up reporting functions and to manage the operations of majority-owned
subsidiaries in Europe such that it is unable to timely produce the required accounting information for filing under its 1934
Act requirements.
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger at the parent level has not made the investment required to properly document and maintain an effective internal
control system in compliance with the requirements of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(COSO).
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger has failed to timely test for impairment of intangible assets and goodwill at its acquisition subsidiaries.
●
FaceBank
Pre-Merger failed to timely record revenue in the proper net form as agent and not principal by its subsidiary Nexway AG.
Since
the Merger, the Company has taken steps to address the internal control deficiencies that contributed to the material weaknesses,
including:
●
transitioning
responsibility over the accounting function to the finance personnel of fuboTV Pre-Merger, including individuals with prior
experience working for finance departments of public companies;
●
hiring
additional experienced finance and accounting personnel with technical accounting experience, supplemented by third-party
resources;
●
documenting
and formally assessing our accounting and financial reporting policies and procedures, and implementing segregation of duties
in key functions;
●
assessing
significant accounting transactions and other technical accounting and financial reporting issues, preparing accounting memoranda
addressing these issues and maintaining these memoranda in our corporate records timely;
●
improving
the compilation processes, documentation and monitoring of our critical accounting estimates; and
●
implementing
processes for creating an effective and timely close process.
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The
implementation of these measures is ongoing and will require validation and testing of the design and operating effectiveness
of internal controls over a sustained period of financial reporting cycles. If we are unsuccessful in remediating the material
weaknesses and otherwise establishing and maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, the reliability
of our financial reporting, investor confidence in us and the value of our common stock could be materially adversely affected.
We can give no assurance that implementation of our plans will remediate these deficiencies in internal control or that additional
material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future.
Effective
internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable and timely financial reports and, together with
adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to reasonably detect and prevent fraud. Our failure to implement and
maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in errors in our consolidated financial statements that
could result in a restatement of our consolidated financial statements and could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations.
In addition, we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC or other
regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
We
are not in compliance with the payment obligations of a significant number of our significant content agreements.
We
are not in compliance with the payment obligations of a significant number of our significant content provider agreements as a
result of our inability to make certain fee payments required pursuant to such agreements or our failure to make such payments
on time. While we are currently working with our content partners and/or negotiating the terms of these agreements, if we are
unsuccessful in renegotiating these agreements or receiving waivers of the due date of payments required thereunder, our partners
could terminate these agreements and require us to make these fee payments in their entirety. Further, if our content partners
terminate our agreements, we will also lose the right to include their content on our platform. Many of our content partners have
an ability to terminate our agreements if we fail to maintain a certain content mix on our platform, so if certain content partners
terminate our agreements due to our failure to make payments, we could also lose other content partners, which would likely further
depress subscriber acquisition and retention and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
long-term and fixed cost nature of certain of our content commitments may limit our operating flexibility and could adversely
affect our liquidity and results of operations.
In
connection with licensing streaming content, we typically enter into multi-year agreements with content providers. These agreements
have sometimes required us to pay minimum license fees for content that are not tied to subscriber usage or the size of our subscriber
base. Given the multiple-year duration and sometimes fixed cost nature of content commitments, if subscriber acquisition and retention
do not meet our expectations, our margins may be adversely impacted, and we may not be in a position to make the minimum guarantee
payments required under certain content licenses. We have already failed to make minimum guarantee payments to certain key programmers
and may not be in a position to make similar payments in the future. If we do not make these payments, then we may lose access
to such content, which in turn may further depress subscriber acquisition or retention, cause other programmers to exercise termination
rights due to the content mix available through our service, or impact our ability to obtain content from other programmers. Payment
terms for certain content commitments, such as content we directly produce, will typically require more up-front cash payments
than other content licenses or arrangements whereby we do not fund the production of such content.
To
the extent subscriber and/or revenue growth do not meet our expectations, our liquidity and results of operations could be adversely
affected as a result of content commitments and payment requirements of certain agreements. In addition, the long-term and fixed
cost nature of certain of our commitments may limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to changes in our business and
the market segments in which we operate. If we license and/or produce content that is not favorably received by consumers in a
territory, or is unable to be shown in a territory, acquisition and retention may be adversely impacted and given the long-term
and fixed cost nature of certain of our content commitments, we may not be able to adjust our content offering quickly and our
results of operations may be adversely impacted.
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TV
streaming is highly competitive and many companies, including large technology and entertainment companies, TV brands,
and service operators, are actively focusing on this industry. If we fail to differentiate ourselves and compete successfully
with these companies, it will be difficult for us to attract or retain subscribers and our business will be harmed.
TV
streaming is increasingly competitive and global. Our success depends in part on attracting and retaining subscribers on, and
effective monetization of, our platform. To attract and retain subscribers, we need to be able to respond efficiently to changes
in consumer tastes and preferences and continue to increase the type and number of content offerings. Effective monetization requires
us to continue to update the features and functionality of our streaming platform for subscribers and advertisers.
Companies
such as AT&T, Comcast, Cablevision, Cox and Altice, along with vMVPDs, such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live and Sling TV offer
TV streaming products that compete with our platform. In many cases, these competitors have the financial resources to subsidize
the cost of their streaming devices in order to promote their other products and services making it harder for us to acquire new
subscribers and increase hours streamed. Similarly, some service operators, such as Comcast and Cablevision, offer TV streaming
applications as part of their cable service plans and can leverage their existing consumer bases, installation networks, broadband
delivery networks and name recognition to gain traction in the TV streaming market. Some of these companies also promote their
brands through traditional forms of advertising, such as TV commercials, as well as Internet advertising or website product placement,
and have greater resources than us to devote to such efforts.
In
addition, many TV brands, such as LG, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and VIZIO, Inc., offer their own TV streaming solutions within
their TVs. Other devices, such as Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation game consoles and many DVD and Blu-ray players,
also incorporate TV streaming functionality.
We
expect competition in TV streaming from the large technology companies and service operators described above, as well as new and
growing companies, to increase in the future. This increased competition could result in pricing pressure, lower revenue and gross
profit or the failure of our platform to gain or maintain broad market acceptance. To remain competitive, we need to continuously
invest in product development and marketing. We may not have sufficient resources to continue to make the investments needed to
maintain our competitive position. In addition, many of our competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition,
larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, technical, sales, marketing and other resources than us, which provide
them with advantages in developing, marketing or servicing new products and offerings. As a result, they may be able to respond
more quickly to market demand, devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sales of their products or the distribution
of their content, and influence market acceptance of their products better than we can. These competitors may also be able to
adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies or standards and may be able to deliver products and services at a lower cost.
New entrants may enter the TV streaming market with unique service offerings or approaches to providing video. In addition, our
competitors may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. Increased competition
could reduce our market share, revenue and operating margins, increase our operating costs, harm our competitive position and
otherwise harm our business.
Our
revenue and gross profit are subject to seasonality, and if subscriber behavior during certain seasons falls below our expectations,
our business may be harmed.
Seasonal
variations in subscriber and marketing behavior significantly affect our business. We have previously experienced, and expect
to continue to experience, effects of seasonal trends in subscriber behavior due to the seasonal nature of sports. Additionally,
increased Internet usage and sales of streaming service subscriptions during the fourth quarter of each calendar year affect our
business. We also may experience higher advertising sales during the fourth quarter of each calendar year due to greater advertiser
demand during the holiday season, but also incur greater marketing expenses as we attempt to attract new subscribers to our platform.
In addition, expenditures by advertisers tend to be cyclical and are often discretionary in nature, reflecting overall economic
conditions, the economic prospects of specific advertisers or industries, budgeting constraints and buying patterns, and a variety
of other factors, many of which are outside our control.
Given
the seasonal nature of our subscriptions, accurate forecasting is critical to our operations. We anticipate that this seasonal
impact on revenue and gross profit is likely to continue, and any shortfall in expected revenue, due to macroeconomic conditions,
a decline in the effectiveness of our promotional activities, actions by our competitors, or for any other reason, would cause
our results of operations to suffer significantly. A substantial portion of our expenses are personnel-related and include salaries,
stock-based compensation and benefits that are not seasonal in nature. Accordingly, in the event of a revenue shortfall, we would
be unable to mitigate the negative impact on margins, at least in the short term, and our business would be harmed.
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The
recent COVID-19 pandemic and the global attempt to contain it may harm our industry, business, results of operations and ability
to raise additional capital.
The
global spread of COVID-19 and the various attempts to contain it have created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic
disruption. In response to government mandates, health care advisories and employee concerns, we have altered certain aspects
of our operations. Travel has been curtailed, and numerous professional and college sports leagues have cancelled or altered
seasons and events. As a result, our broadcasting partners had and are having to substitute other content in the place of previously
scheduled live sporting events. While professional sports are returning in the United States, there is no guarantee that those
seasons continue uninterrupted or at all. The potential further delay or cancellation of professional and college sports may cause
us to temporarily have less popular content available on our platform, which could negatively impact consumer demand for and subscription
retention to our platform and our number of paid subscribers.
The
full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and the various responses to it impacts our business, operations and financial results
will depend on numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict, including: the duration and scope of the
pandemic; governmental, business and individuals’ actions that have been and continue to be taken in response to the pandemic;
the actions of professional and college sports leagues; the availability and cost to access the capital markets; the effect on
our subscribers and subscriber demand for and ability to pay for our platform; disruptions or restrictions on our employees’
ability to work and travel; and interruptions or restrictions related to the provision of streaming services over the internet,
including impacts on content delivery networks and streaming quality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we may not be able to provide
the same level of customer service that our subscribers are used to, which could negatively impact their perception of our platform
resulting in an increase in cancellations. There can be no assurance that financing may be available on attractive terms,
if at all. Our workforce has had to spend a significant amount of time working from home, which may impact their productivity.
Such limitations caused by the pandemic have also resulted in us seeking extensions for our current and periodic filings with
the SEC. We will continue to actively monitor the issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and may take further actions that
alter our business operations as may be required by federal, state, local or foreign authorities, or that we determine are in
the best interests of our employees, subscribers and shareholders. It is not clear what the potential effects any such alterations
or modifications may have on our business, including the effects on our subscribers, or on our financial results.
If
we fail to obtain or maintain popular content, we may fail to retain existing subscribers and attract new subscribers.
We
have invested a significant amount of time to cultivate relationships with our content providers; however, such relationships
may not continue to grow or yield further financial results. We currently have over 240 streaming channels on our platform in
the United States, and we must continuously maintain existing relationships and identify and establish new relationships with
content providers to provide popular content. In order to remain competitive, we must consistently meet user demand for popular
streaming channels and content. If we are not successful in maintaining channels on our platform that attract and retain a significant
number of subscribers, or if we are not able to do so in a cost-effective manner, our business will be harmed.
If
our efforts to attract and retain subscribers are not successful, our business will be adversely affected.
We
have experienced significant subscriber growth over the past several years. Our ability to continue to attract subscribers will
depend in part on our ability to consistently provide our subscribers with compelling content choices and effectively market our
platform. Furthermore, the relative service levels, content offerings, pricing and related features of our competitors may adversely
impact our ability to attract and retain subscribers. In addition, many of our subscribers re-join our platform or originate
from word-of-mouth referrals from existing subscribers. If our efforts to satisfy our existing subscribers are not successful,
we may not be able to attract subscribers, and as a result, our ability to maintain and/or grow our business will be adversely
affected. If consumers perceive a reduction in the value of our platform because, for example, we introduce new or adjust existing
features, adjust pricing or platform offerings, or change the mix of content in a manner that is not favorably received by them,
we may not be able to attract and retain subscribers. Subscribers cancel their subscription for many reasons, including due to
a perception that they do not use the platform sufficiently, the need to cut household expenses, availability of content is unsatisfactory,
competitive services provide a better value or experience and customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved. We must
continually add new subscriptions both to replace cancelled subscriptions and to grow our business beyond our current subscription
base. While we permit multiple subscribers within the same household to share a single account for non-commercial purposes, if
account sharing is abused, our ability to add new subscribers may be hindered and our results of operations may be adversely
impacted. If we do not grow as expected, given, in particular, that our content costs are largely fixed in nature and contracted
over several years, we may not be able to adjust our expenditures or increase our (per subscriber) revenues commensurate with
the lowered growth rate such that our margins, liquidity and results of operations may be adversely impacted. If we are unable
to successfully compete with current and new competitors in both retaining our existing subscribers and attracting new subscribers,
our business will be adversely affected. Further, if excessive numbers of subscribers cancel our service, we may be required to
incur significantly higher marketing expenditures than we currently anticipate replacing these subscribers with new subscribers.
In
connection with a transition to a new independent registered accounting firm, there is a risk that the new independent registered
accounting firm might disagree with certain accounting positions which may result in a restatement of our previously issued financial
statements.
We
have recently engaged KPMG LLP, or KPMG, as our new independent registered accounting firm. In connection with KPMG’s audit
of fiscal year 2020, KPMG will review our previously issued financial statements and, in the course of such review, may take positions
contrary to those taken by us in consultation with our previous independent registered public accounting firms. If KPMG were to
take such contrary positions, the impact of the divergent positions could result in us restating our previously issued financial
statements. Any such restatement could adversely affect our reputation and business.
Our
actual operating results may differ significantly from our guidance.
From
time to time, we may release guidance regarding our future performance. Guidance is based upon a number of assumptions and estimates
that, although presented with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to business, economic and competitive uncertainties
and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business
decisions, some of which will change. The principal reason that we release this data is to provide a basis for our management
to discuss our business outlook with analysts and investors. We do not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports
published by any third parties.
Guidance
is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions underlying the guidance furnished
by us will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, our guidance is only an estimate of what
management believes is realizable as of the date of this prospectus. Any failure to successfully implement our operating strategy
or the occurrence of any of the risks or uncertainties set forth in this prospectus could result in actual results being different
than the guidance, and such differences may be adverse and material. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged to put the
guidance in context and not to place undue reliance on it.
We
could be subject to claims or have liability based on defects with respect to certain historical corporate transactions that were
not properly authorized or documented.
We
have determined that there have been defects with respect to certain historical corporate transactions, including transactions
that were not or may not have been properly approved by our board of directors, transactions that may have breached our organizational
documents, or transactions that may not have been adequately documented.
While
we have attempted to narrow potential future claims by taking certain remedial corporate actions, the scope of liability with
respect to such defects is uncertain and we cannot be sure that these actions will entirely remediate these defects or that we
will not receive claims in the future from other persons asserting rights to shares of our capital stock, to stock options, or
to amounts owed under other equity or debt instruments or investment contracts. To the extent any such claims are successful,
the claims could result in dilution to existing shareholders, payments by us to note holders or security holders, us having to
comply with registration or other investor rights, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
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Our
agreements with distribution partners contain parity obligations which limit our ability to pursue unique partnerships.
Our
agreements with certain distribution partners contain obligations which require us to offer them the same technical features,
content, pricing and packages that we make available to our other distribution partners and also require us to provide parity
in the marketing of the availability of our application across our distribution partners. These parity obligations may limit our
ability to pursue technological innovation or partnerships with individual distribution partners and may limit our capacity to
negotiate favorable transactions with different partners or otherwise provide improved products and services. As our technical
feature developments progress at varying speeds and at different times with different distribution partners, we currently offer
some enhanced technical features on distribution platforms that we do not make available on other distribution platforms, which
limits the quality and uniformity of our offering to all consumers across our distribution platforms. In addition, delays in technical
developments across our distribution partners puts us at risk of breaching our parity obligations with such distribution platforms,
which threatens the certainty of our agreements with distribution partners.
If
we are unable to maintain an adequate supply of ad inventory on our platform, our business may be harmed.
We
may fail to attract content providers that generate sufficient ad content hours on our platform and continue to grow our video
ad inventory. Our business model depends on our ability to grow video ad inventory on our platform and sell it to advertisers.
We grow ad inventory by adding and retaining content providers on our platform with ad-supported channels that we can monetize.
If we are unable to grow and maintain a sufficient supply of quality video advertising inventory at reasonable costs to keep up
with demand, our business may be harmed.
We
operate in a highly competitive industry and we compete for advertising revenue with other Internet streaming platforms and services,
as well as traditional media, such as radio, broadcast, cable and satellite TV and satellite and Internet radio. We may not be
successful in maintaining or improving our fill-rates or cost per mille (“CPMs”).
Our
competitors offer content and other advertising mediums that may be more attractive to advertisers than our TV streaming platform.
These competitors are often very large and have more advertising experience and financial resources than we do, which may adversely
affect our ability to compete for advertisers and may result in lower revenue and gross profit from advertising. If we are unable
to increase our advertising revenue by, among other things, continuing to improve our platform’s data capabilities to further
optimize and measure advertisers’ campaigns, increase our advertising inventory and expand our advertising sales team and
programmatic capabilities, our business and our growth prospects may be harmed. We may not be able to compete effectively or adapt
to any such changes or trends, which would harm our ability to grow our advertising revenue and harm our business.
If
the advertisements on our platform are not relevant or not engaging to our subscribers, our growth in active accounts and hours
streamed may be adversely impacted.
We
have made, and are continuing to make, investments to enable advertisers to deliver relevant advertising content to subscribers
on our platform. Existing and prospective advertisers may not be successful in serving ads that lead to and maintain user engagement.
Those ads may seem irrelevant, repetitive or overly targeted and intrusive. We are continuously seeking to balance the objectives
of our subscribers and advertisers with our desire to provide an optimal user experience, but we may not be successful in achieving
a balance that continues to attract and retain subscribers and advertisers. If we do not introduce relevant advertisements or
such advertisements are overly intrusive and impede the use of our TV streaming platform, our subscribers may stop using our platform
which will harm our business.
We
may not be successful at expanding our content to areas outside our current content offering and even if we are able to expand
into other content areas and sustain such expansion, we may not be successful in overcoming our reputation as primarily a live
sports streaming service.
We
currently have a reputation as primarily a live sports streaming service. We are making efforts to expand our content offerings
outside live sports streaming, and currently offer a wide selection of news and entertainment content. However, we may not be
successful at expanding our content to areas outside our current content offering, or maintaining content from our current content
offering, and even if we are able to expand into other content areas and sustain such expansion, we may not be successful in overcoming
our reputation as primarily a live sports streaming service.
56
Integrating
the business of fuboTV Pre-Merger and FaceBank Pre-Merger may be more difficult, costly, or time-consuming than anticipated.
We
are still in the process of integrating fuboTV Pre-Merger and FaceBank Pre-Merger. A successful integration of these businesses
will depend substantially on our ability to consolidate operations, corporate cultures, systems and procedures and to eliminate
redundancies and costs. We may not be able to combine our businesses without encountering difficulties, such as:
●
the
loss of key employees;
●
disruption
of operations and business;
●
inability
to maintain and increase competitive presence;
●
possible
inconsistencies in standards, control procedures and policies;
●
unexpected
problems with costs, operations, personnel and technology; and/or
●
problems
with the assimilation of new operations, sites or personnel, which could divert resources from regular operations.
Additionally,
general market and economic conditions may inhibit our successful integration. Achieving the anticipated benefits of the Merger
is subject to a number of uncertainties, including whether we integrate our businesses, including our organizational culture,
operations, technologies, services and products, in an efficient and effective manner, and general competitive factors in the
marketplace. Failure to achieve these anticipated benefits on the anticipated timeframe, or at all, could result in a reduction
in the price of our shares as well as in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues and diversion of management’s
time and energy and could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally,
we made fair value estimates of certain assets and liabilities in the Merger. Actual values of these assets and liabilities could
differ from our estimates, which could result in our not achieving the anticipated benefits of the acquisition. Finally, any cost
savings that are realized may be offset by losses in revenues or other charges to earnings.
We
may be subject to fines or other penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities.
Certain
of our subsidiaries are currently delinquent in filing annual
tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and several states.. We are in the process of working with our subsidiaries
to remedy this issue by filing these delinquent tax returns. We may be subject to penalties and interest with the tax authorities
because of the late tax returns. There can be no assurance that we will remedy our delinquent filings sufficiently, and
we may face penalties and fees which would adversely affect our operating results and investors’ confidence in our internal
operations.
We
could be required to collect additional sales and other similar taxes or be subject to other tax liabilities that may increase
the costs our customers would have to pay for our subscriptions and adversely affect our operating results.
Sales
and use, value-added, goods and services, and similar tax laws and rates are complicated and vary greatly by jurisdiction. There
is significant uncertainty as to what constitutes sufficient nexus for a state or local jurisdiction to levy taxes, fees, and
surcharges for sales made over the internet, as well as whether our subscriptions are subject to tax in various jurisdictions.
The vast majority of states have considered or adopted laws that impose tax collection obligations on out-of-state companies.
Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. et. al. (Wayfair) that online
sellers can be required to collect sales and use tax despite not having a physical presence in the buyer’s state. In response
to Wayfair, or otherwise, states or local governments may enforce laws requiring us to calculate, collect, and remit taxes on
sales in their jurisdictions. We have not always collected sales and other similar taxes in all jurisdictions in which we are
required to, We may be obligated to collect and remit sales tax in jurisdictions in which we have not previously collected
and remitted sales tax. A successful assertion by one or more states requiring us to collect taxes where we historically have
not or presently do not do so could result in substantial tax liabilities, including taxes on past sales, as well as penalties
and interest. The imposition by state governments or local governments of sales tax collection obligations on out-of-state sellers
could also create additional administrative burdens for us and decrease our future sales, which could adversely affect our business
and operating results.
57
We
are subject to taxation-related risks in multiple jurisdictions.
We
are a U.S.-based multinational company subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. Significant judgment is
required in determining our global provision for income taxes, value added and other similar taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities
and in evaluating our tax positions on a worldwide basis. It is possible that our tax positions may be challenged by jurisdictional
tax authorities, which may have a significant impact on our global provision for income taxes.
Tax
laws are being re-examined and evaluated globally. New laws and interpretations of the law are taken into account for financial
statement purposes in the quarter or year that they become applicable. Tax authorities are increasingly scrutinizing the tax positions
of multinational companies. If U.S. or other foreign tax authorities change applicable tax laws, our overall liability
could increase, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely impacted.
We
might not be able to utilize a significant portion of our net operating loss carryforwards.
As
of December 31, 2019, we had available to us federal net operating loss carryforwards, a portion of which will, if not used, expire
at various dates. Under legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as modified by the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, federal net operating losses incurred in 2018 and in future years
may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal net operating losses in tax years beginning after December
31, 2020 is limited. Other limitations may apply for state tax purposes.
In
addition, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and corresponding provisions
of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change,
by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating
loss carryforwards to offset its post-change income may be limited. We have not determined whether we have experienced ownership
changes in the past, and therefore a portion of our net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to an annual limitation under
Section 382 of the Code. In addition, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our
stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control. A past or future ownership change that materially limits our ability
to use our historical net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards may harm our future operating results by effectively increasing
our future tax obligations.
If
we fail to comply with the reporting obligations of the Exchange Act, our business, financial condition, and results of operations,
and investors’ confidence in us, could be materially and adversely affected.
As
a public company, we are required to comply with the periodic reporting obligations of the Exchange Act, including preparing annual
reports, quarterly reports, and current reports. In the past, we have failed to prepare
and disclose this information in a timely manner Our failure to prepare and disclose this information in a timely manner
and meet our reporting obligations in their entirety could subject us to penalties under federal securities laws and regulations
of the exchange we are listed on, expose us to lawsuits, and restrict our ability to access financing on favorable terms, or at
all.
Prior
to the Merger, fuboTV Pre-Merger was not a public company and FaceBank Pre-Merger had limited resources. Our management has faced
significant challenges in consolidating the functions of fuboTV Pre-Merger and FaceBank Pre-Merger and their subsidiaries, including
integrating their technologies, organizations, procedures, policies and operations. In connection with the Merger, we have been
working to integrate certain operations of fuboTV Pre-Merger and FaceBank Pre-Merger, including, among other things, back-office
operations, information technology and regulatory compliance.
We
expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations. Prior to such expansion,
as a result of previously maintaining a limited staff, we may later determine that certain related party transactions were not
properly identified, reviewed and approved prior to us entering into them with such related parties.
As
we seek to increase staffing levels to manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial,
operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due
to our limited financial resources and our limited experience in managing such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively
manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The expansion of our operations may
lead to significant costs and may divert or stretch our management and business development resources in a way that we may not
anticipate. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.
58
Additionally,
for certain of our recent Exchange Act filings, we have relied on an order (the “Order”) issued by the SEC
pursuant to Section 36 of the Exchange Act (Release No. 34-88465), permitting filing extensions to certain public companies based
on the COVID-19 pandemic. We relied upon this permissible extension in good faith after analyzing, among other things, the fact
that our books and records were not easily accessible, which resulted in delays in preparation and completion of our financial
statements, and that the various governmental mandatory closures of businesses have precluded our personnel, particularly our
senior accounting staff, from obtaining access to our subsidiaries’ books and records necessary to prepare our financial
statements. Following this analysis, we believe that we satisfied all eligibility criteria to take advantage of these extensions.
If it is later determined that we were ineligible to rely upon the Order for such extensions, our filings could be deemed to be
late, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise capital, which could have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
will need to improve our operational and financial systems to support our expected growth, increasingly complex business arrangements,
and rules governing revenue and expense recognition, and any inability to do so could adversely affect our billing services and
financial reporting.
We
have increasingly complex business arrangements with our content publishers and licensees, and the rules that govern revenue and
expense recognition in our business are increasingly complex. To manage the expected growth of our operations and increasing complexity,
we will need to improve our operational and financial systems, procedures and controls and continue to increase systems automation
to reduce reliance on manual operations. Any inability to do so will negatively affect our billing services and financial reporting.
Our current and planned systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our complex arrangements and the rules
governing revenue and expense recognition for our future operations and expected growth. Delays or problems associated with any
improvement or expansion of our operational and financial systems and controls could adversely affect our relationships with our
subscribers, content publishers or licensees; cause harm to our reputation and brand; and could also result in errors in our financial
and other reporting.
Our
user metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those
metrics may seriously harm and negatively affect our reputation and our business.
We
regularly review key metrics related to the operation of our business to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance, and
make strategic decisions. These metrics are calculated using internal company data and have not been validated by an independent
third party. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our subscriber base for the applicable
period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how our platform is used across large populations.
Errors
or inaccuracies in our metrics or data could result in incorrect business decisions and inefficiencies. In addition, advertisers
generally rely on third-party measurement services to calculate our metrics, and these third-party measurement services may not
reflect our true audience. If advertisers, partners, or investors do not perceive our subscriber, geographic, or other demographic
metrics to be accurate representations of our subscriber base, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our subscriber, geographic,
or other demographic metrics, our reputation may be seriously harmed, and our business and operating results could be materially
and adversely affected.
Non-compliance
with the objective and subjective criteria for the Paycheck Protection Program loan could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
On
April 21, 2020, fuboTV Sub received a PPP Loan from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in the aggregate amount of $4,699,240,
pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under Division A, Title I of the CARES Act, which was enacted March 27, 2020.
The PPP Loan, which was in the form of a note dated April 21, 2020 issued by fuboTV Sub, which matures on April 21, 2022,
and bears interest at a rate of 0.98% per annum, payable monthly commencing on November 21, 2020. The PPP Loan may be prepaid
by fuboTV Sub at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Funds from the PPP Loan may only be used for
payroll costs, costs used to continue group health care benefits, mortgage payments, rent, utilities, and interest on other debt
obligations incurred before February 15, 2020 The Company used the entire Loan amount for qualifying expenses under
the current guidance as promulgated by the SBA . Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the PPP Loan may be
forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act.
59
On
April 23, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the SBA will perform a full review of any PPP
Loan over $2.0 million before forgiving the loan. In order to apply for the PPP Loan, we were required to certify, among other
things, that the current economic uncertainty made the PPP Loan request necessary to support our ongoing operations. fuboTV
Sub made this certification in good faith after analyzing, among other things, the maintenance of our entire workforce, notwithstanding
certain “work-from-home” limitations. We also took into account our need for additional funding to continue operations,
and our ability to currently access alternative forms of capital in the current market environment. Following this analysis, we
believe that we satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP Loan, and that our receipt of the PPP Loan is consistent with the
objectives of the PPP Loan of the CARES Act. If it is later determined that we were ineligible to receive the PPP Loan or determined
that we did not comply with requirements after receiving the PPP Loan, we may be required to repay the PPP Loan in its entirety
and/or be subject to additional penalties and adverse publicity, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations, and financial condition.
Our
financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected if we do not effectively manage our current or future
debt.
As
of September 30, 2020 we had $30.5 million of outstanding indebtedness (excluding indebtedness to Access Road Capital LLC and
Century Ventures SA, which were repaid in October 2020), which included approximately $21.3 million of indebtedness of fuboTV
Sub under its senior secured credit facility with AMC Networks Ventures LLC, or the AMC Facility, which is secured by a lien on
substantially all of the assets of fuboTV Sub; the PPP Loan, with an aggregate principal amount outstanding of approximately $4.7
million and other notes outstanding with an aggregate principal of approximately $4.5 million
As
a result of the previously described outstanding indebtedness, we have a substantially greater amount of debt than we had maintained
in the past, which could adversely affect our ability to take advantage of corporate opportunities and could adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
For example:
●
our
ability to obtain any necessary financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements,
or other purposes may be limited or financing may be unavailable;
●
a
substantial portion of our cash flows must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness and other
obligations and will not be available for use in our business;
●
lack
of liquidity could limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the markets in which
we operate;
●
our
debt obligations will make us more vulnerable to changes in general economic conditions and/or a downturn in our business,
thereby making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations; and
●
if
we fail to make required debt payments or to comply with other covenants in our debt agreements, we would be in default under
the terms of these agreements, which could permit our creditors to accelerate repayment of the debt and could cause cross-defaults
under other debt agreements.
If
we incur any additional debt, the related risks that we and our subsidiaries face could intensify.
Finally,
we may be in noncompliance with the terms of certain of our other debt instruments. To the extent we are in noncompliance with
the terms of such debt instruments, we may be required to make payments to the holders of such instruments, those holders may
be entitled to the issuance of stock by us, and the holders of such stock may be entitled to registration or other investor rights.
60
Servicing
our indebtedness will require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay
our substantial indebtedness.
Our
ability to make scheduled payments of the principal and interest when due, or to refinance our borrowings under our debt agreements,
will depend on our future performance and our ability to raise further equity financing, which is subject to economic, financial,
competitive and other factors beyond our control. Our business may not continue to generate cash flow from operations in the future
sufficient to both (i) satisfy our existing and future obligations to our creditors and (ii) allow us to make necessary capital
expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow or raise further equity financing, we may be required to adopt one or
more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, refinancing or obtaining
additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. We may need or desire to refinance our existing indebtedness,
and there can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, if at
all. Our ability to refinance the term loans or existing or future indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial
condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms,
which could result in a default on our current or future debt agreements.
If
TV streaming develops more slowly than we expect, our operating results and growth prospects could be harmed. In addition, our
future growth depends in part on the growth of TV streaming advertising.
TV
streaming is a relatively new and rapidly evolving industry, making our business and prospects difficult to evaluate. The growth
and profitability of this industry and the level of demand and market acceptance for our platform are subject to a high degree
of uncertainty. We believe that the continued growth of streaming as an entertainment alternative will depend on the availability
and growth of cost-effective broadband Internet service, the quality of broadband content delivery, the quality and reliability
of new devices and technology, the cost for subscribers relative to other sources of content, as well as the quality and breadth
of content that is delivered across streaming platforms. These technologies, products and content offerings continue to emerge
and evolve. Subscribers, content publishers or advertisers may find TV streaming platforms to be less attractive than traditional
TV, which would harm our business. In addition, many advertisers continue to devote a substantial portion of their advertising
budgets to traditional advertising, such as TV, radio and print. The future growth of our business depends in part on the growth
of TV streaming advertising, and on advertisers increasing spend on such advertising. We cannot be certain that they will do so.
If advertisers do not perceive meaningful benefits of TV streaming advertising, then this market may develop more slowly than
we expect, which could adversely impact our operating results and our ability to grow our business.
Legal
proceedings could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and could occupy a significant amount of our management’s time and
attention.
From
time to time, we may be subject to litigation or claims that could negatively affect our business operations and financial position.
We may face allegations or litigation related to our acquisitions, securities issuances or business practices. Litigation disputes
could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses, result in content unavailability, and otherwise occupy a significant amount of our
management’s time and attention, any of which could negatively affect our business operations and financial position. While
the ultimate outcome of investigations, inquiries, information requests and related legal proceedings is difficult to predict,
such matters can be expensive, time-consuming and distracting, and adverse resolutions or settlements of those matters may result
in, among other things, modification of our business practices, reputational harm or costs and significant payments, any of which
could negatively affect our business operations and financial position.
We
could become subject to litigation regarding intellectual property rights that could be costly and harm our business.
Third
parties have previously asserted, and may in the future assert, that we have infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated
their intellectual property rights. Plaintiffs that have no relevant product revenue may not be deterred by our own issued patents
and pending patent applications in bringing intellectual property rights claims against us. The cost of patent litigation or other
proceedings, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Some of our competitors may be better able to sustain the costs
of such litigation or proceedings because of their substantially greater financial resources. Patent litigation and other proceedings
may also require significant management time and divert management from our business. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation
and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence
of any of the foregoing risks could harm our business.
As
a result of intellectual property infringement claims, or to avoid potential claims, we have previously chosen to, and may in
the future choose or be required to, seek licenses from third parties. These licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable
terms, or at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would likely obligate us to pay license fees or royalties
or both, and the rights granted to us might be nonexclusive, with the potential for our competitors to gain access to the same
intellectual property. In addition, the rights that we secure under intellectual property licenses may not include rights to all
of the intellectual property owned or controlled by the licensor, and the scope of the licenses granted to us may not include
rights covering all of the products and services provided by us and our licensees. Furthermore, an adverse outcome of a dispute
may require us to pay damages, potentially including treble damages and attorneys’ fees, if we are found to have willfully
infringed a party’s intellectual property; cease making, licensing or using technologies that are alleged to infringe or
misappropriate the intellectual property of others; expend additional development resources to redesign our solutions; enter into
potentially unfavorable royalty or license agreements in order to obtain the right to use necessary technologies, content or materials;
and to indemnify our partners and other third parties. In addition, any lawsuits regarding intellectual property rights, regardless
of their success, could be expensive to resolve and would divert the time and attention of our management and technical personnel.
Historically,
we have acquired certain intellectual property from third parties pursuant to asset purchase agreements or similar agreements
in connection with corporate acquisitions and bankruptcy proceedings. We also generally enter into confidentiality and invention
assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and enter into confidentiality agreements with the parties with whom
we have strategic relationships and business alliances. However, these agreements may not have been properly entered into on every
occasion with the applicable counterparty, and such agreements may not always have been effective when entered into in granting
ownership of, controlling access to and distribution of our proprietary information. Further, these agreements do not prevent
our competitors or partners from independently developing technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our platform.
An
inability to obtain music licenses could be costly and harm our business.
The
Company relies on its content suppliers to secure the rights of public performance or communication to the public for musical
works and sound recordings embodied in any programming provided to or through the Company’s platform. If our content suppliers
have not secured public performance or communication to the public licenses on a through to the viewer basis, then the Company
could have liability to copyright owners or their agents for such performances or communications. If our content suppliers are
unable to secure such rights from copyright owners, then the Company may have to secure public performance and communication to
the public licenses in its own name. The Company may not be able to obtain such licenses on favorable economic terms, and music
licensors may assert that we have infringed their intellectual property rights in the absence of a license. The occurrence of
any of the foregoing risks could harm our business.
61
If
our technology, trademarks and other proprietary rights are not adequately protected to prevent use or appropriation by
our competitors, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely affected.
We
rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants
and third parties with whom we have relationships, as well as trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret protection laws, to
protect our technology and proprietary rights. We may also seek to enforce our proprietary rights through court proceedings
or other legal actions. We have filed and we expect to file from time to time for trademark and patent applications. Nevertheless,
these applications may not be approved, third parties may challenge any copyrights, patents or trademarks issued to or held by
us, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our intellectual property rights, and we may not be able to prevent infringement
or misappropriation without substantial expense to us. If the protection of our intellectual property rights is inadequate to
prevent use or misappropriation by third parties, the value of our brand, content, and other intangible assets may be diminished.
Failure
to protect our domain names could also adversely affect our reputation and brand and make it more difficult for subscribers to
find our website and our service. We may be unable, without significant cost or at all, to prevent third parties from acquiring
domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or otherwise decrease the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights.
Our
use of open source software could impose limitations on our ability to commercialize our platform.
We
incorporate open source software in our platform. From time to time, companies that incorporate open source software into their
products have faced claims challenging the ownership of open source software and/ or compliance with open source license
terms. Therefore, we could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or
noncompliance with open source licensing terms. Although we monitor our use of open source software, the terms of many open source
software licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and there is a risk that such licenses could be construed in a manner
that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to sell subscriptions to our platform. In such event,
we could be required to make our proprietary software generally available to third parties, including competitors, at no cost,
to seek licenses from third parties in order to continue offering our platform, to re-engineer our platform or to discontinue
our platform in the event re-engineering cannot be accomplished on a timely basis or at all, any of which could harm our business.
If
we are unable to obtain necessary or desirable third-party technology licenses, our ability to develop platform enhancements may
be impaired.
We
utilize commercially available off-the-shelf technology in the development of our platform. As we continue to introduce new features
or improvements to our platform, we may be required to license additional technologies from third parties. These third-party licenses
may be unavailable to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain necessary third-party licenses,
we may be required to obtain substitute technologies with lower quality or performance standards, or at a greater cost, any of
which could harm the competitiveness of our platform and our business.
If
we develop products and services related to sports betting, our business may become subject to a variety of U.S. and foreign laws,
many of which are unsettled and still developing and which could subject us to claims or otherwise harm our business. Any adverse
change in regulations or their interpretation, or the regulatory climate applicable to these contemplated products and services,
or changes in tax rules and regulations or interpretation thereof related to these contemplated products and services, could adversely
impact our ability to operate our business as we seek to operate in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on
our financial condition and results of operations.
We
anticipate our business expanding into sports betting, in which case it will become generally subject to laws and regulations
in the jurisdictions in which we will conduct our business or in some circumstances, of those jurisdictions in which we offer
our services or those are available, as well as the general laws and regulations that apply to all e-commerce businesses, such
as those related to privacy and personal information, tax and consumer protection. These laws and regulations vary from one jurisdiction
to another and future legislative and regulatory action, court decisions or other governmental action, which may be affected by,
among other things, political pressures, attitudes and climates, as well as personal biases, may at such time have a material
impact on our operations and financial results, or may prevent us from expanding into such businesses entirely. In particular,
some jurisdictions have introduced regulations attempting to restrict or prohibit online gaming, while others have taken the position
that online gaming should be licensed and regulated and have adopted or are in the process of considering legislation and regulations
to enable that to happen. In addition, some jurisdictions in which we may operate could presently be unregulated or partially
regulated and therefore more susceptible to the enactment or change of laws and regulations.
Our
growth prospects may also depend on the legal status of real-money gaming in various jurisdictions, predominantly within the United
States, which is an initial area of focus, and legalization may not occur in as many states as we expect, or may occur at a slower
pace than we anticipate. Additionally, even if jurisdictions legalize real money gaming, this may be accompanied by legislative
or regulatory restrictions and/or taxes that make it impracticable or less attractive to operate in those jurisdictions, or the
process of implementing regulations or securing the necessary licenses to operate in a particular jurisdiction may take longer
than we anticipate, which could adversely affect our future results of operations and make it more difficult to meet our expectations
for financial performance.
As
a result of the foregoing, future legislative and regulatory action, and court decisions or other governmental action, may have
a material impact on our operations and financial results. Governmental authorities could view us as having violated local laws,
despite efforts to obtain all applicable licenses or approvals. There is also a risk that civil and criminal proceedings, including
class actions brought by or on behalf of prosecutors or public entities or incumbent monopoly providers, or private individuals,
could be initiated against us, Internet service providers, credit card and other payment processors, advertisers and others involved
in the sports betting industry. Such potential proceedings could involve substantial litigation expense, penalties, fines, seizure
of assets, injunctions or other restrictions being imposed upon us or our licensees or other business partners, while diverting
the attention of key executives. Such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results
of operations and prospects, as well as impact our reputation.
Furthermore,
there can be no assurance that legally enforceable legislation will not be proposed and passed in jurisdictions relevant or potentially
relevant to our business to prohibit, legislate or regulate various aspects of the sports betting industry (or that existing laws
in those jurisdictions will not be interpreted negatively). Compliance with any such legislation may have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations, either as a result of our determination not to offer products
or services in a jurisdiction or to cease doing so, or because a local license or approval may be costly for us or our business
partners to obtain and/or such licenses or approvals may contain other commercially undesirable conditions.
Our
anticipated participation in the sports betting industry may expose us to risks to which we have not previously been exposed,
including risks related to trading, liability management, pricing risk, palpable errors, and reliance on third-party sports data
providers for real-time and accurate data for sporting events, among others. We may experience lower than expected profitability
and potentially significant losses as a result of a failure to determine accurately the odds in relation to any particular event
and/or any failure of its sports risk management processes.
Participation
in the sports, sports betting industry will expose our business to new risks that we have limited experience in handling. The
nature and extent of such risks may be difficult to anticipate at this time, and therefore we may be relatively unprepared to
manage these risks, or may obtain inadequate insurance to cover potential claims resulting from these risks.
Examples
of these risks include:
●
There
can be significant variation in gross win percentage event-by-event and day-by-day, and odds compilers and risk managers are
capable of human error; thus even allowing for the fact that a number of betting products are subject to capped pay-outs,
significant volatility can occur. In addition, it is possible that there may be such a high volume of trading during any particular
period that even automated systems would be unable to address and eradicate all risks.
●
In
some cases, the odds offered on a website constitute an obvious error, such as inverted lines between teams, or odds that
are significantly different from the true odds of the outcome in a way that all reasonable persons would agree is an error.
It is commonplace virtually worldwide for operators to void bets associated with such palpable errors, and in most mature
jurisdictions these bets can be voided without regulatory approval at operator discretion, but in the U.S., it is unclear
long term if state-by-state regulators will consistently approve voids or re-setting odds to correct odds on such bets, and
in some cases, we may require regulatory approval to void palpable errors ahead of time. If regulators were to not allow voiding
of bets associated with large obvious errors in odds making, we could be subject to covering significant liabilities.
●
We
may need to rely on other third-party sports data providers for real-time and accurate data for sporting events, and if such
third parties do not perform adequately or terminate their relationships with us, our costs may increase and our business,
financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Any
of the foregoing risks, or other risks we fail to anticipate as we expand our business into the sports betting industry, could
expose us to significant liability or have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to a number of legal requirements and other obligations regarding privacy, security, and data protection, and any
failure to comply with these requirements or obligations could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition
and operating results.
Various
federal and state laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of the data we receive from
and about our subscribers and other individuals. The regulatory environment for the collection and use of data relating to individuals,
including subscriber and other consumer data, by online service providers, content distributors, advertisers and publishers is
unsettled in the United States and internationally. Privacy groups and government bodies, including the Federal Trade Commission,
increasingly have scrutinized issues relating to the use, collection, storage, disclosure, and other processing of data, including
data that is associated with personal identities or devices, and we expect such scrutiny to continue to increase. The U.S. federal
and various state and foreign government bodies and agencies have adopted or are considering adopting laws and regulations limiting,
or laws and regulations regarding the collection, distribution, use, disclosure, storage, and security of certain types of information.
In addition to government regulation, self-regulatory standards and other industry standards may legally or contractually apply
to us, be argued to apply to us, or we may elect to comply with such standards or to facilitate compliance with such standards
by content publishers, advertisers, or others. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, became operative on
January 1, 2020. The CCPA requires covered businesses to provide new disclosures to California consumers, and to afford
such consumers new abilities to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing,
and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations,
as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. California voters
also approved a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, in the November 3, 2020 election. The CPRA significantly
modifies the CCPA. The CCPA and CPRA may increase our compliance costs and exposure to liability. Other U.S. states are considering
adopting similar laws.
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Our
use of data to deliver relevant advertising on our platform places us and our content publishers at risk for claims under a number
of other unsettled laws, including the Video Privacy Protection Act, or VPPA. Some content publishers have been engaged
in litigation over alleged violations of the VPPA relating to activities on online platforms in connection with advertising provided
by unrelated third parties. The Federal Trade Commission has also revised its rules implementing the Children’s Online Privacy
Protection Act, or COPPA Rules, broadening the applicability of the COPPA Rules, including the types of information that are subject
to these regulations, and could effectively apply to limit the information that we or our content publishers and advertisers collect
and use through certain content publishers, the content of advertisements and in relation to certain channel partner content.
We and our content publishers and advertisers could be at risk for violation or alleged violation of these and other laws, regulations,
and other standards relating to privacy, data protection, and information security.
Further,
Brexit has created uncertainty with regard to data protection regulation in the UK. In particular, while the Data Protection Act
of 2018, which “implements” and complements the GDPR achieved Royal Assent on May 23, 2018 and is now effective in
the United Kingdom, it is still unclear whether transfer of data from the EEA to the United Kingdom will remain lawful under GDPR.
During the period of “transition” (i.e., until December 31, 2020), EU law will continue to apply in the UK, including
the GDPR, after which the GDPR will be converted into UK law. Beginning in 2021, the UK will be a “third country”
under the GDPR. We may incur liabilities, expenses, costs, and other operational losses under GDPR and the privacy laws of applicable
EU Member States and the United Kingdom in connection with any measures we take to comply with them.
Although
certain legal mechanisms have been designed to allow for the transfer of personal data from the UK, EEA and Switzerland to the
United States, uncertainty about compliance with such data protection laws remains and such mechanisms may not be available or
applicable with respect to the personal data processing activities necessary to research, develop and market our products. For
example, legal challenges in Europe to the mechanisms allowing companies to transfer personal data from the EEA to the United
States could result in further limitations on the ability to transfer personal data across borders, particularly if governments
are unable or unwilling to reach agreement on or maintain existing mechanisms designed to support cross-border data transfers,
such as the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks. Specifically, on July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European
Union invalidated Decision 2016/1250 on the adequacy of the protection provided by the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. To the
extent that we were to rely on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, we will not be able to do so in the future, which could increase
our costs and limit our ability to process personal data from the EU. The same decision also cast doubt on the ability to use
one of the primary alternatives to the Privacy Shield, namely, the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, to
lawfully transfer personal data from Europe to the United States and most other countries. At present, there are few if any viable
alternatives to the Privacy Shield and the Standard Contractual Clauses.
Internationally,
virtually every jurisdiction in which we operate has established its own data security and privacy or data protection legal framework
with which we must comply. Laws and regulations in these jurisdictions apply broadly to the collection, use, storage, disclosure
and security of data that identifies or may be used to identify or locate an individual. These laws and regulations often are
more restrictive than those in the United States and are rapidly evolving. For example, the European Union, or EU, and its member
states have laws and regulations requiring informed consent for the placement of cookies or other tracking technologies and the
delivery of relevant advertisements. More generally, the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, which has been in
effect since May 25, 2018, imposes stringent obligations relating to data protection and security and authorizes fines up to 4%
of global annual revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater, for some violations. Some countries also are considering or
have passed legislation requiring local storage and processing of data, or similar requirements, which could increase the cost
and complexity of operating our platform.
Complying
with the GDPR, CCPA, CPRA and other laws, regulations, and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, data
localization or security may cause us to incur substantial operational costs or require us to modify our data handling practices.
We also expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws and regulations concerning privacy, data protection and information
security, and we cannot yet determine the impact such future laws, regulations and standards, or amendments to or re-interpretations
of, existing laws and regulations, industry standards, or other obligations may have on our business. New laws and regulations,
amendments to or re-interpretations of existing laws and regulations, industry standards, and contractual and other obligations
may require us to incur additional costs and restrict our business operations.
Furthermore,
the interpretation and application of laws, regulations, standards, contractual obligations and other obligations relating to
privacy, data protection, and information security are uncertain, and these laws, standards, and contractual and other obligations
(including, without limitation, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) may be interpreted and applied in a manner
that is, or is alleged to be, inconsistent with our data management and processing practices, our policies or procedures, or the
features of our platform. We may face claims or allegations that we are in violation of these laws, regulations, standards, or
contractual or other obligations. We could be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices or modify
our platform or practices to address laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or information
security, or claims or allegations that we have failed to comply with any of the foregoing, which could have an adverse effect
on our business. We may be unable to make such changes and modifications in a commercially reasonable manner or at all, and our
ability to develop new features could be limited.
Increased
regulation of data collection, use and distribution practices, including self-regulation and industry standards, changes in existing
laws and regulations, enactment of new laws and regulations, increased enforcement activity, and changes in interpretation of
laws and regulations, all could increase our cost of compliance and operation, limit our ability to grow our business or otherwise
harm our business. Additionally, the costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the laws, regulations, and policies
that are applicable to the businesses of content publishers and advertisers may limit their use and adoption of, and reduce the
overall demand for, our platform and advertising on our platform, and content publishers and advertisers may be at risk for violation
or alleged violation of laws, regulations, and other standards relating to privacy, data protection, and information security
relating to their activities on our platform. More generally, privacy, data protection, and information security concerns, whether
or not valid, may inhibit market adoption of our platform, particularly in certain foreign countries.
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Any
inability to adequately address privacy, data protection or security-related concerns, even if unfounded, or to successfully negotiate
privacy, data protection or security-related contractual terms with content publishers, card associations, advertisers,
or others, or to comply with applicable laws, regulations and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and security,
could result in additional cost and liability to us, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and claims, litigation, and other
liability involving governmental entities and private parties, damage to our reputation, and inhibit use of our platform by advertisers
and sales of subscriptions to our platform, all of which could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and
results of operations.
If
government regulations relating to the Internet or other areas of our business change, we may need to alter the manner in which
we conduct our business and we may incur greater operating expenses.
We
are subject to general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specific to the Internet, which may include
laws and regulations related to user privacy, data protection, information security, consumer protection, payment processing,
taxation, intellectual property, electronic contracts, Internet access and content restrictions. We cannot guarantee that we have
been or will be fully compliant in every jurisdiction. Litigation and regulatory proceedings are inherently uncertain, and the
laws and regulations governing issues such as privacy, payment processing, taxation and consumer protection related to the Internet
continue to develop. For example, laws relating to the liability of providers of online services for activities of their subscribers
and other third parties have been tested by a number of claims, including actions based on invasion of privacy and other torts,
unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and other theories based on the nature and content of the materials
searched, the advertisements posted or the content provided by subscribers. In some instances, we have certain protections
against claims related to such subscriber generated content, including or defamatory content. Specifically, Section 230 of the
Communications Decency Act (CDA) provides immunity from liability for providers of an interactive computer service who publish
defamatory information provided by users of the service. Immunity under the CDA has been well-established through case law. On
a regular basis, however, challenges to both laws seek to limit immunity. For example, a recent executive order and a letter from
several senators to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have renewed calls for the protections of Section 230 to be scaled
back. Any such changes could affect our ability to claim protection under the CDA. Moreover, as Internet commerce and advertising
continues to evolve, increasing regulation by federal, state and foreign regulatory authorities becomes more likely. For example,
California’s Automatic Renewal Law requires companies to adhere to enhanced disclosure requirements when entering into automatically
renewing contracts with consumers. Other states have enacted similar laws in recent years. As a result, a wave of consumer class
action lawsuits has been brought against companies that offer online products and services on a subscription or recurring basis,
and we have received a letter alleging that we may have violated such a law. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply
with any of these laws or regulations could result in damage to our reputation, lost business, and proceedings or actions against
us by governmental entities or others, which could impact our operating results.
As
we improve our TV streaming platform, we may also be subject to new laws and regulations specific to such technologies.
We
are subject to payment processing risk.
Acceptance
and processing of payments are subject to certain rules and regulations, including additional authentication and security
requirements for certain payment methods, and require payment of interchange and other fees. To the extent there are increases
in payment processing fees, material changes in the payment ecosystem, such as large re-issuances of payment cards, delays in
receiving payments from payment processors, changes to rules or regulations concerning payments, loss of payment partners and/or
disruptions or failures in the operations or security of our payment processing systems, partner systems or payment products,
including products we use to update payment information, our revenue, operating expenses and results of operation could be adversely
impacted.
Changes
in competitive offerings for entertainment video, including the potential rapid adoption of piracy-based video offerings, could
adversely impact our business.
The
market for entertainment video is intensely competitive and subject to rapid change. Through new and existing distribution channels,
consumers have increasing options to access entertainment video. The various economic models underlying these channels include
subscription, transactional, ad-supported and piracy-based models. All of these have the potential to capture meaningful segments
of the entertainment video market. Piracy, in particular, threatens to damage our business, as its fundamental proposition to
consumers is so compelling and difficult to compete against: virtually all content for free. Furthermore, in light of the compelling
consumer proposition, piracy services are subject to rapid global growth. Traditional providers of entertainment video, including
broadcasters and cable network operators, as well as Internet based e-commerce or entertainment video providers are increasing
their streaming video offerings. Several of these competitors have long operating histories, large customer bases, strong brand
recognition, exclusive rights to certain content and significant financial, marketing and other resources. They may secure better
terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote more resources to product development, technology, infrastructure,
content acquisitions and marketing. New entrants may enter the market or existing providers may adjust their services with unique
offerings or approaches to providing entertainment video. Companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that
strengthen their competitive positions. If we are unable to successfully compete with current and new competitors, our business
will be adversely affected, and we may not be able to increase or maintain market share or revenues.
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If
content providers refuse to license streaming content or other rights upon terms acceptable to us, our business could be adversely
affected.
Our
ability to provide our subscribers with content they can watch depends on content providers and other rights holders licensing
rights, including distribution rights, to such content and certain related elements thereof, such as the public performance of
music contained within the content we distribute. The license periods and the terms and conditions of such licenses vary, and
we may be operating outside the terms of some of our current licenses. As content providers develop their own streaming services,
they may be unwilling to provide us with access to certain content, including popular series or movies. If the content providers
and other rights holders are not or are no longer willing or able to license us content upon terms acceptable to us, our ability
to stream content to our subscribers may be adversely affected and/or our costs could increase. Because of these provisions as
well as other actions we may take, content available through our service can be withdrawn on short notice. As competition increases,
we see the cost of certain programming increase.
Further,
if we do not maintain a compelling mix of content, our subscriber acquisition and retention may be adversely affected.
Our
content providers impose a number of restrictions on how we distribute and market our products and services, which can adversely
affect our business.
A
number of our major content partners impose significant restrictions on how we can distribute and market our products and services.
For example, our content partners may prevent us from partnering with third party distributors and manufacturers to exploit new
market opportunities or prevent us from bundling or reselling our products with third party products and services, or otherwise
restrict how we might brand or market our products and services. Our content partners also impose restrictions on the content
and composition of the packages we can make available to our customers and restrictions on how we might make some or all of our
content available to customers (such as on a standalone basis, length of free trials or access modified or shorter form content).
These restrictions may prevent us from responding dynamically to changing customer expectations or market demands or exploiting
lucrative partnership opportunities. Content providers may also restrict the advertising that may be made available in connection
with their content, including restrictions on the content and timing of such advertising, and restrictions on how advertising
may be sold (such as a limit to sale on an aggregated, non-content specific basis only), which limits our opportunity to exploit
potentially lucrative revenue streams.
Content
providers may also only provide their content on a service that includes a minimum number of channels from other providers, or
require that we only provide their content in specific service tiers that include a specific mix of programming. Certain provisions
in these agreements could become a challenge to comply with if we were to lose rights under agreements with key programmers.
In
addition, our content partners generally impose requirements on us to treat them at least as favorably as other major providers
in various ways, such as equal treatment with respect to content recommendations, displays on user interfaces, the marketing and
promotion of content and streaming quality standards. This may materially restrict the functionality and performance of our technology,
particularly our proprietary recommendation engine. This may also prevent us from offering commercial benefits to certain content
providers, limiting our capacity to negotiate favorable transactions and overall limiting our ability to provide improved products
and services.
Our
agreements with content providers are complex, with various rights restrictions and favorability obligations which impose onerous
compliance obligations.
The
content rights granted to us are complex and multi-layered and differ substantially across different content and content providers.
We may be able to make certain content available on a video-on-demand basis or on certain devices but may be restricted from doing
the same with other content, sometimes even with the same content provider. We are often not able to make certain content available
at certain times or in certain geographical regions. In addition, our obligations to provide equality in the treatment between
certain content providers require us to continuously monitor and assess treatment of content providers and content across our
products and services.
These
complex restrictions and requirements impose a significant compliance burden which is costly and challenging to maintain. A failure
to maintain these obligations places us at risk of breaching our agreements with content providers, which could lead to loss of
content and damages claims, which would have a negative impact on our products and service and our financial position.
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If
our efforts to build a strong brand and to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty are not successful, we may not be able to
attract or retain subscribers, and our business may be harmed.
Building
and maintaining a strong brand is important to our ability to attract and retain subscribers, as potential subscribers have a
number of TV streaming choices. Successfully building a brand is a time-consuming and comprehensive endeavor and can be positively
and negatively impacted by any number of factors. Some of these factors, such as the quality or pricing of our platform or our
customer service, are within our control. Other factors, such as the quality of the content that our content publishers provide,
may be out of our control, yet subscribers may nonetheless attribute those factors to us. Our competitors may be able to achieve
and maintain brand awareness and market share more quickly and effectively than we can. Many of our competitors are larger companies
and promote their brands through traditional forms of advertising, such as print media and TV commercials, and have substantial
resources to devote to such efforts. Our competitors may also have greater resources to utilize Internet advertising or website
product placement more effectively than we can. If we are unable to execute on building a strong brand, it may be difficult to
differentiate our business and platform from our competitors in the marketplace; therefore, our ability to attract and retain
subscribers may be adversely affected and our business may be harmed.
If
the technology we use in operating our business fails, is unavailable, or does not operate to expectations, our business and results
of operation could be adversely impacted.
We
utilize a combination of proprietary and third-party technology to operate our business. This includes the technology that we
have developed to recommend and merchandise content to our consumers as well as enable fast and efficient delivery of content
to our subscribers and their various consumer electronic devices. For example, as part of the content delivery systems, we use
third-party content delivery networks (“CDNs”). To the extent Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) do not
interconnect with our CDN or charge us to access their networks, or if we experience difficulties in our CDN’s operation,
our ability to efficiently and effectively deliver our streaming content to our subscribers could be adversely impacted and our
business and results of operation could be adversely affected. Likewise, our system for predicting subscriber content preferences
is based on advanced data analytics systems and our proprietary algorithms. We have invested, and will continue to invest, significant
resources in refining these technologies; however, we cannot assure you that such investments will yield an attractive return
or that such refinements will be effective. The effectiveness of our ability to predict subscriber content preferences depends
in part on our ability to gather and effectively analyze large amounts of subscriber data. Our ability to predict content that
our subscribers enjoy is critical to the perceived value of our platform among subscribers and failure to make accurate predictions
could materially adversely affect our ability to adequately attract and retain subscribers and sell advertising to meet investor
expectations for growth or to generate revenue. We also utilize third-party technology to help market our service, process
payments, and otherwise manage the daily operations of our business. If our technology or that of third-parties we utilize in
our operations fails or otherwise operates improperly, including as a result of “bugs” in our development and deployment
of software, our ability to operate our service, retain existing subscribers and add new subscribers may be impaired. Any harm
to our subscribers’ personal computers or other devices caused by software used in our operations could have an adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
quality of our customer support is important to our subscribers, and if we fail to provide adequate levels of customer support
we could lose subscribers, which would harm our business.
Our
subscribers depend on our customer support organization to resolve any issues relating to our platform. A high level of support
is critical for the successful marketing of our platform. Providing high-level support is further challenging during the COVID-19
pandemic and resulting remote work environment. If we do not effectively train, update and manage our customer support organization
that assists our subscribers in using our platform, and if that support organization does not succeed in helping them quickly
resolve any issues or provide effective ongoing support, it could adversely affect our ability to sell subscriptions to our platform
and harm our reputation with potential new subscribers.
We
could be subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks arising from our international operations.
Operating
in international markets requires significant resources and management attention and subjects us to economic, political, regulatory
and other risks that may be different from or incremental to those in the U.S. In addition to the risks that we face in the U.S.,
our international operations involve risks that could adversely affect our business, including:
●
the
need to adapt our content and user interfaces for specific cultural and language differences;
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●
difficulties
and costs associated with staffing and managing foreign operations;
●
political
or social unrest and economic instability;
●
compliance
with laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, UK Bribery Act and other anti-corruption laws, export controls and economic
sanctions, and local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to government officials;
●
difficulties
in understanding and complying with local laws, regulations and customs in foreign jurisdictions, including local ownership
requirements for streaming content providers and laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection and information
security, and the risks and costs of non-compliance with such laws, regulations and customs;
●
regulatory
requirements or government action against our service, whether in response to enforcement of actual or purported legal and
regulatory requirements or otherwise, that results in disruption or non-availability of our service or particular content
in the applicable jurisdiction;
●
adverse
tax consequences such as those related to changes in tax laws or tax rates or their interpretations, and the related application
of judgment in determining our global provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities or other tax liabilities
given the ultimate tax determination is uncertain;
●
fluctuations
in currency exchange rates;
●
profit
repatriation and other restrictions on the transfer of funds;
●
differing
payment processing systems;
●
new
and different sources of competition; and
●
different
and more stringent user protection, data protection, privacy and other laws, including data localization and/or restrictions
on data export, and local ownership requirements.
Our
failure to manage any of these risks successfully could harm our international operations and our overall business and results
of our operations.
Any
significant interruptions, delays or discontinuations in service or disruptions in or unauthorized access to our computer systems
or those of third parties that we utilize in our operations, including those relating to cybersecurity or arising from cyber-attacks,
could result in a loss or degradation of service, unauthorized disclosure of data, including subscriber and corporate information,
or theft of intellectual property, including digital content assets, which could adversely impact our business.
Our
reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our subscribers is dependent upon the reliable performance and security of
our computer systems and those of third parties that we utilize in our operations. These systems may be subject to damage or interruption
from, among other things, earthquakes, adverse weather conditions, other natural disasters, terrorist attacks, rogue employees,
employees who are inattentive or careless and cause security vulnerabilities, power loss, telecommunications failures,
and cybersecurity risks. Interruptions in these systems, or with the Internet in general, could make our service unavailable or
degraded or otherwise hinder our ability to deliver our service. Service interruptions, errors in our software or the unavailability
of computer systems used in our operations could diminish the overall attractiveness of our subscription to existing and potential
subscribers.
Our
computer systems and those of third parties we use in our operations are subject to cybersecurity threats, including cyber-attacks
such as computer viruses, denial of service attacks, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions. These systems periodically
experience directed attacks intended to lead to interruptions and delays in our service and operations as well as loss, misuse
or theft of personal information and other data, content, confidential information, trade secrets or intellectual property.
Additionally, outside parties may attempt to induce employees or subscribers to disclose sensitive or confidential information
in order to gain access to data. Any attempt by hackers to obtain our data (including subscriber and corporate information) or
intellectual property (including digital content assets), disrupt our service, or otherwise access our systems, or those of third
parties we use, if successful, could harm our business, be expensive to remedy and damage our reputation.
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We
have implemented certain systems and processes designed to thwart hackers and protect our data and systems, but the techniques
used to gain unauthorized access to data, systems, and software are constantly evolving, and we may be unable to anticipate or
prevent unauthorized access, and we may be delayed in detecting unauthorized access or other security breaches and other incidents.
There is no assurance that hackers may not have a material impact on our service or systems in the future or that security breaches
or other incidents may not occur due to these or other causes. Efforts to prevent disruptions to our service and unauthorized
access to our systems are expensive to develop, implement and maintain. These efforts require ongoing monitoring and updating
as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated and may limit the functionality of
or otherwise negatively impact our service offering and systems. Additionally, disruption to our service and data security breaches
and other incidents may occur as a result of employee or contractor error. Any significant disruption to our service or access
to our systems or any data that we or those who provide services for us maintain or otherwise process, or the perception that
any of these have occurred, could result in a loss of subscriptions, harm to our reputation, and adversely affect our business
and results of operations. Further, a penetration of our systems or a third-party’s systems or any loss of or unauthorized
access to, use, alteration, destruction, or disclosure of personal information or other data could subject us to business, regulatory,
litigation and reputation risk, which could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
With the increase in remote work during the current COVID-19 pandemic, we and the third parties we use in our operations face
increased risks to the security of infrastructure and data, and we cannot guarantee that our or their security measures will prevent
security breaches. We also may face increased costs relating to maintaining and securing our infrastructure and data that we maintain
and otherwise process.
Additionally,
we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate for data security liabilities actually incurred, will cover
any indemnification claims against us relating to any incident, that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically
reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one
or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies,
including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material adverse
effect on our business, including our financial condition, operating results, and reputation.
We
depend on highly skilled key personnel to operate our business, and if we are unable to attract, retain, and motivate qualified
personnel, our ability to develop and successfully grow our business could be harmed.
We
believe that our future success is highly dependent on the talents and contributions of our senior management and co-founders,
including David Gandler, our Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Simone Nardi, our Chief Financial Officer, Alberto Horihuela,
our Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Sung Ho Choi, our Co-Founder and Head of Product, Geir Magnusson Jr., our Chief Technology
Officer, members of our executive team, and other key employees, such as key engineering, finance, legal, research and development,
marketing, and sales personnel. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate, and retain
highly qualified and skilled employees. All of our employees, including our senior management, are free to terminate their employment
relationship with us at any time, and their knowledge of our business and industry may be difficult to replace. Qualified individuals
are in high demand, particularly in the digital media industry, and we may incur significant costs to attract them. We use equity
awards to attract talented employees, but if the value of our common stock declines significantly and remains depressed, that
may prevent us from recruiting and retaining qualified employees. If we are unable to attract and retain our senior management
and key employees, we may not be able to achieve our strategic objectives, and our business could be harmed. In addition, we believe
that our key executives have developed highly successful and effective working relationships. We cannot ensure that we will be
able to retain the services of any members of our senior management or other key employees. If one or more of these individuals
leave, we may not be able to fully integrate new executives or replicate the current dynamic and working relationships that have
developed among our senior management and other key personnel, and our operations could suffer.
We
rely upon a number of partners to make our service available on their devices.
We
currently offer subscribers the ability to receive streaming content through a host of Internet-connected screens, including TVs,
digital video players, television set-top boxes and mobile devices. Some of our agreements with key distribution partners give
distribution partners the ability to terminate their carriage of our service at any time. If we are not successful in maintaining
existing and creating new relationships, or if we encounter technological, content licensing, regulatory, business or other impediments
to delivering our streaming content to our subscribers via these devices, our ability to retain subscribers and grow our business
could be adversely impacted.
Our
business could be adversely affected if a number of our partners do not continue to provide access to our service or are unwilling
to do so on terms acceptable to us, which terms may include the degree of accessibility and prominence of our service. Furthermore,
devices are manufactured and sold by entities other than fuboTV, and while these entities should be responsible for the
devices’ performance, the connection between these devices and fuboTV may nonetheless result in consumer dissatisfaction
toward fuboTV and such dissatisfaction could result in claims against us or otherwise adversely impact our business. In
addition, technology changes to our streaming functionality may require that partners update their devices, or may lead us to
stop supporting the delivery of our service on certain legacy devices. If partners do not update or otherwise modify their devices,
or if we discontinue support for certain devices, our service and our subscribers’ use and enjoyment could be negatively
impacted.
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The
impact of worldwide economic conditions may adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Our
financial performance is subject to worldwide economic conditions and their impact on levels of advertising spending. Expenditures
by advertisers generally tend to reflect overall economic conditions, and to the extent that the economy continues to stagnate,
reductions in spending by advertisers could have a material adverse impact on our business. Historically, economic downturns have
resulted in overall reductions in advertising spending. Economic conditions may adversely impact levels of consumer spending,
which could adversely impact our number of subscribers.
Consumer
purchases of discretionary items generally decline during recessionary periods and other periods in which disposable income is
adversely affected. To the extent that overall economic conditions reduce spending on discretionary activities, our ability to
retain current and obtain new subscribers could be hindered, which could reduce our subscription revenue and negatively impact
our business.
We
rely upon Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services to operate certain aspects of our service and any disruption of
or interference with our use of Google Cloud Platform and/or Amazon Web Services would impact our operations and our business
would be adversely impacted.
Each
of Google Cloud Platform, or GCP, and Amazon Web Services,
or AWS, provides a distributed computing infrastructure platform for business operations, or what is commonly referred to as a
“cloud” computing service. We have architected our software and computer systems so as to utilize data processing,
storage capabilities and other services provided by AWS. Currently, we run the vast majority of our computing on GCP with some
key components running on AWS. Given this, along with the fact that we cannot easily switch what is specifically running
now on GCP and/or AWS to another cloud provider, any disruption of or interference with our use of GCP and/or AWS would
impact our operations and our business would be adversely impacted. While Google (through YouTube TV) and, to a lesser extent,
Amazon (through Amazon Prime) compete competes with us, we do not believe that Google or Amazon will use GCP or
AWS in such a manner as to gain competitive advantage against our service, although if either Google or Amazon were
to do so it could harm our business.
Changes
in how we market our service could adversely affect our marketing expenses and subscription levels may be adversely affected.
We
utilize a broad mix of marketing and public relations programs, including social media sites, to promote our service and content
to existing and potential new subscribers. We may limit or discontinue use or support of certain marketing sources or activities
if advertising rates increase or if we become concerned that subscribers or potential subscribers deem certain marketing platforms
or practices intrusive or damaging to our brand. If the available marketing channels are curtailed, our ability to engage subscribers
and attract new subscribers may be adversely affected.
Companies
that promote our service may decide that we negatively impact their business or may make business decisions that in turn negatively
impact us. For example, if they decide that they want to compete more directly with us, enter a similar business or exclusively
support our competitors, we may no longer have access to their marketing channels. We also acquire a number of subscribers who
re-join our service having previously canceled their subscription. If we are unable to maintain or replace our sources
of subscribers with similarly effective sources, or if the cost of our existing sources increases, our subscription levels and
marketing expenses may be adversely affected.
We
utilize marketing to promote our content, drive conversation about our content and service, and drive viewing by our subscribers.
To the extent we promote our content inefficiently or ineffectively, we may not obtain the expected acquisition and retention
benefits and our business may be adversely affected.
We
may pursue future acquisitions, which involve a number of risks, and if we are unable to address and resolve these risks successfully,
such acquisitions could harm our business.
We
may in the future acquire businesses, products or technologies to expand our offerings and capabilities, subscriber base and business.
We may pursue acquisitions of entities that are not profitable and have significant liabilities. We have evaluated, and expect
to continue to evaluate, a wide array of potential strategic transactions. Any acquisition could be material to our financial
condition and results of operations and any anticipated benefits from an acquisition may never materialize. In addition, the process
of integrating acquired businesses, products or technologies may create unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures. Acquisitions
in international markets would involve additional risks, including those related to integration of operations across different
cultures and languages, currency risks and the particular economic, political and regulatory risks associated with specific countries.
We may not be able to address these risks successfully, or at all, without incurring significant costs, delays or other operational
problems and if we were unable to address such risks successfully, our business could be harmed.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.