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Playtika Holding Corp. (PLTK)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 delivered revenue of $674.6M (-3.1% q/q, +8.7% y/y) and Adjusted EBITDA of $217.5M (+30.2% q/q, +10.3% y/y), driven by a record $209.3M in DTC revenue (+19% q/q, +20% y/y) and planned marketing step-down; GAAP net income was $39.1M (+17.8% q/q, -0.5% y/y) .
- Results beat S&P Global consensus on revenue ($674.6M vs $667.5M) and “Primary EPS” ($0.216 vs $0.146), and modestly beat EBITDA consensus (SPGI EBITDA $190M actual vs $188M est.); note company-reported Adjusted EBITDA was higher at $217.5M (non‑GAAP) .
- Management reaffirmed FY25 guidance (revenue $2.70–$2.75B; Adjusted EBITDA $715–$740M) and declared a $0.10 dividend payable Jan 9, 2026, supporting capital-return discipline .
- Stock reaction catalysts: accelerating DTC mix (31% of revenue; target 40% in ~2 years), reaffirmed outlook, and SuperPlay momentum (Disney Solitaire ARR >$200M) vs. persistent Slotomania headwinds and step-up in GAAP G&A from contingent consideration .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
- What Went Well
- Record DTC revenue ($209.3M; 31% of total) with broad-based title contribution; U.S. iOS channel was the “major catalyst” in Q3 .
- Adjusted EBITDA inflected strongly to $217.5M (+30% q/q) as performance marketing stepped down as planned and DTC mix expanded margins .
- SuperPlay momentum: Disney Solitaire tracked >$200M ARR, scaling faster than any Playtika title in 15 years; a new Disney/Pixar title is in development (SuperPlay is “three for three” on scaled launches) .
- What Went Wrong
- Slotomania revenue fell to $68.5M (-20.8% q/q, -46.7% y/y) amid deliberate economy rebalancing and reduced performance marketing; management does not assume a near-term recovery .
- Average DPUs -6.3% q/q (to 354K), DAUs -6.8% q/q (to 8.2M), reflecting pullbacks in underperforming slots; ARPDAU only +2.3% q/q .
- GAAP G&A increased y/y due to $30.8M contingent consideration remeasurement relating to SuperPlay, creating a GAP between GAAP profitability and non‑GAAP metrics .
Financial Results
Table 1. Income statement summary and margins (Oldest → Newest)
Table 2. Actuals vs S&P Global consensus (Quarterly)
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Note: Company-reported Adjusted EBITDA differs from S&P’s standard EBITDA; Playtika’s Adjusted EBITDA was $167.3M (Q1), $167.0M (Q2), $217.5M (Q3) .
Table 3. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenue
Table 4. Title highlights (Q2 → Q3)
Table 5. KPIs
Guidance Changes
Management reiterated CapEx finishing below full-year plan and a seasonal marketing pattern (H1 heavy, H2 step-down) continuing in 2026 .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Disney Solitaire… has scaled faster than any title in our 15-year history… tracking an annualized run rate above $200 million.” — Robert Antokol, CEO .
- “DTC represented 31% of total revenue this quarter, and we are working to achieve 40% on a run-rate basis in the next two years.” — Craig Abrahams, CFO .
- “We executed the planned step-down in second-half marketing… contributing to the improvement in adjusted EBITDA.” — Craig Abrahams, CFO .
- “We are not assuming a near-term [Slotomania] revenue recovery… focus remains on improving game experience, payer retention, and ROI discipline.” — Craig Abrahams, CFO .
- “U.S. iOS was the major catalyst driving [DTC] growth.” — Craig Abrahams, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- AI/productivity: Focus on personalization in live ops and player support; AI in House of Fun improving efficiency and speed-to-feature .
- Marketing cadence: H2 step-down executed; expect re-acceleration in early 2026 where ROI warrants; discipline between UA vs. retargeting by title .
- SuperPlay earn-out: Tracking toward 60% growth threshold vs $342M baseline; potential G&A volatility from fair value remeasurement (excluded from Adj EBITDA) .
- Jackpot Tour (slots): On track for Q4 launch; designed to reach a different audience; no expected cannibalization of existing slot portfolio near term .
- DTC drivers: Strong Q3 U.S. iOS momentum; continued rollout across titles; international growth (e.g., Japan) evident via SuperPlay .
Estimates Context
- Q3 beats vs S&P consensus: Revenue $674.6M vs $667.5M; “Primary EPS” $0.216 vs $0.146; EBITDA $190.0M vs $188.4M (SPGI standard). Company Adjusted EBITDA of $217.5M (non‑GAAP) was higher due to add-backs (contingent consideration, D&A, etc.) .
- Prior quarters: Q1 beat on revenue/EPS; Q2 missed revenue and EPS amid ramped SuperPlay marketing and Slotomania decline; Q3 rebound in profitability on DTC and marketing step-down .
- Implications: Street likely to raise DTC penetration and margin assumptions, remain cautious on Slotomania trajectory and factor G&A volatility from contingent consideration remeasurements .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- DTC flywheel is working: record $209M DTC, 31% mix, path to 40% in ~2 years, aided by U.S. iOS policy tailwinds — a structural margin lever .
- SuperPlay is a differentiated growth engine (Disney Solitaire >$200M ARR, 4th Disney title coming), offsetting legacy slot pressure over time .
- Near-term slot headwinds persist (Slotomania -47% y/y); stabilization before re-accelerating UA remains the base case; do not model a rapid rebound .
- Marketing seasonality and capital returns intact: H2 spend step-down boosted EBITDA; $0.10 dividend declared for Jan 2026; FY25 guide reaffirmed .
- Non-GAAP vs GAAP: Watch G&A swings from contingent consideration; Adjusted EBITDA better reflects core operations but differs from SPGI EBITDA .
- Cash and liquidity remain solid ($640.8M cash/ST investments; net LTM leverage ~2.4x), providing flexibility for pipeline and returns .
- Setup: Balance DTC/margin momentum and SuperPlay pipeline against slot normalization risk; narrative skewing constructive into 2026 if DTC continues to scale and new titles ramp .
Appendix: Other Relevant Press Releases (Q3 2025)
- Bingo Blitz x Garfield limited-time collaboration (social features, brand engagement) .