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Kartoon Studios, Inc. (TOON)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q2 2025 delivered the fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth: revenue rose 23% YoY to $10.28M and 8% QoQ, with operating loss narrowing YoY on double‑digit G&A reductions; momentum was driven by Mainframe production services and improving streaming engagement .
  • Mainframe Studios remained the growth engine (+44% YoY in production services revenue), while Kartoon Channel! posted strong FAST and SVOD engagement (FAST views +221% YoY; app views +26% QoQ) supporting the path toward year‑end 2025 profitability, reiterated by management .
  • Liquidity is a watch item: management disclosed substantial doubt about going concern absent additional financing or asset sales; post‑quarter actions included selling 1.5M YFE shares and monetizing ERTC claims to bolster cash .
  • No Wall Street EPS/revenue consensus was available via S&P Global for Q2 2025; estimate‑based beat/miss analysis is therefore unavailable (we will monitor for coverage initiation)*. Actual revenue was $10.28M .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Fifth consecutive quarter of top‑line growth; production services revenue +44% YoY with >90% of 2025 production revenue secured under contract, providing strong visibility .
    • Streaming traction: FAST views +221% YoY and +45% QoQ; Kartoon Channel! app views +26% QoQ; SVOD subscriptions rose for the seventh straight month through July; platform won Amazon Operational Excellence Award .
    • Cost discipline: G&A down ~10% YoY in Q2; operating loss narrowed 31% YoY; management reiterated goal of profitability by year‑end 2025 .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Content distribution revenue fell 17% YoY in Q2, primarily from lower YouTube creator network viewership at Frederator .
    • Other expense was a material headwind: $2.89M net other expense in Q2 (notably a $3.78M loss from YFE revaluation), partially offset by FX gains .
    • Liquidity/going concern: cash and restricted cash fell to $2.57M; negative working capital of $4.9M; management raised substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern without additional capital/asset sales .

Financial Results

MetricQ2 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025
Revenue ($)$8.38M $9.50M $10.28M
Operating Income (Loss) ($)$(4.66)M N/A$(3.22)M
Net Income (Loss) ($)$(5.92)M N/A$(6.27)M
Diluted EPS ($)$(0.15) N/A$(0.13)
Operating Margin (%)(55.6)% (calc. from )N/A(31.3)% (calc. from )
Net Margin (%)(70.7)% (calc. from )N/A(61.0)% (calc. from )
G&A Expenses ($)$6.91M N/A$6.21M
  • YoY revenue growth: +23% (press release cited +22.6% YoY) .
  • Sequential revenue growth: +8.2% (press release) .

Segment revenue (Q2 YoY):

SegmentQ2 2024Q2 2025
Content Production & Distribution$7.52M $9.44M
Media Advisory & Advertising (Beacon)$0.87M $0.84M

Key KPIs and Operating Drivers:

KPIQ2 2024Q2 2025Notes
Production Services Revenue YoY+44.4% Mainframe demand from top‑tier partners
FAST Views+221% YoY; +45% QoQ Platform engagement improving
Kartoon Channel! App Views+26% QoQ User retention improving
Tubi Watch Hours+50% YoY Distribution engagement
SVOD Subscriptions7th consecutive monthly increase through July Subscription momentum
G&A Expenses$6.91M $6.21M Down ~10% YoY (press release cites 10.1%)

Estimate comparison:

MetricQ2 2025 ActualQ2 2025 S&P Global Consensus
Revenue ($)$10.279M N/A*
EPS ($)$(0.13) N/A*

• No EPS or revenue estimate consensus available; beat/miss not determinable at this time*.
• Note: S&P Global returned actual revenue but no estimate values for Q2 2025.*

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Company profitabilityFY 2025“Expect profitability by Q4 2025” (Q1 release) “Confidently advancing toward profitability by year‑end 2025” (Q2) Maintained
Franchise launch: “Winnie & Friends”Dec 24, 2025In development; launch targeted 2025 (Q1) First showing Christmas special on Dec 24, 2025 Firmed date
Capital structureOngoingZero long‑term debt (Q1) “No Long‑Term Debt” reiterated Maintained
Liquidity actions2H25Asset sales (ERTC claims; 1.5M YFE shares), strengthened banking partnership (National Bank of Canada) to support operations New disclosure

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

Note: No Q2 2025 earnings call transcript was located; themes reflect press releases and 10‑Q.

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q4’24, Q1’25)Current Period (Q2’25)Trend
Production services visibilityQ4: 90%+ of 2025 revenue contracted; backlog into 2026 90%+ of 2025 projected revenue secured; partners include Netflix, Disney, Mattel, PBS, Sony Kids, Spin Master Stable/Positive
Streaming platform momentumQ4: Kartoon Channel! profitability; #1 Apple app store rating FAST views +221% YoY; app views +26% QoQ; SVOD up 7 straight months; #1 Apple app store rating reiterated Improving
Cost disciplineQ4: Large OpEx reductions YoY; path to 2025 profitability G&A −10% YoY; operating loss −31% YoY; profitability reiterated for YE 2025 Improving
AI/tech initiativesNot emphasizedAI tools in dubbing, upscaling, 2D‑to‑3D to reduce costs New/Building
IP pipelineQ4: Winnie & Friends; Stan Lee’s The Excelsiors in 2025/26 Winnie & Friends Christmas special Dec 24, 2025; The Excelsiors GN in Q4’25; TV/audio dev't On track
Legal/regulatoryOngoing litigation context Securities litigation partial dismissals; timelines updated Mixed
Liquidity/going concernNot highlightedSubstantial doubt raised; post‑quarter asset monetization and financing plans disclosed Negative (risk flagged)

Management Commentary

  • CEO Andy Heyward: “Kartoon Studios’ fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth underscores the strength and scalability of our business model… We are executing on our strategy and delivering consistent, profitable improvements. These results underscore our growth trajectory, operational efficiency, and path toward profitability in 2025.”
  • CFO Brian Parisi: “Revenue rose 8% sequentially and 23% year-over-year, G&A expenses fell 10% year-over-year, and operating loss improved by 31% year-over-year… We remain focused on opportunities to drive long-term shareholder value… members of both management and the Board have purchased shares in the open market…”

Q&A Highlights

  • No Q2 2025 earnings call transcript was available in the document set; therefore, there are no call Q&A details to report for this quarter [ListDocuments returned none for earnings-call-transcript in the Q2 2025 window].

Estimates Context

  • S&P Global consensus: No Q2 2025 EPS or revenue estimate counts or means were available for TOON at the time of retrieval; only the actual revenue was present in the S&P dataset. As such, a beat/miss vs consensus cannot be determined for this quarter.*
  • Implications: With accelerating production services and platform engagement but mixed other expense and liquidity headwinds, analysts (once coverage is active) may adjust revenue mix and margin trajectories; until then, internal targets (YE25 profitability) frame expectations .
  • Note: We will monitor for initiation/coverage changes and update when S&P Global estimates become available.*

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Top‑line momentum is durable (5 consecutive QoQ increases) with Mainframe’s contracted backlog supporting near‑term revenue visibility; this underpins the YE25 profitability objective despite mix headwinds in content distribution .
  • Streaming KPIs (FAST, SVOD, app views) are improving and, alongside awards/ratings, reinforce the monetization potential of Kartoon Channel! as an ancillary growth vector to production services .
  • Expense control is working: G&A down ~10% YoY and operating loss narrowed 31% YoY; continued discipline is vital given limited cash and negative working capital .
  • Liquidity risk is the key overhang: management raised substantial doubt about going concern; watch for capital raises, asset sales (e.g., YFE stake), or banking facilities to bridge to YE25 profitability .
  • Non‑operating volatility matters: YFE fair‑value marks and FX remeasurement drove sizable other expense; these may continue to add P&L noise irrespective of operating execution .
  • Pipeline catalysts: “Winnie & Friends” Christmas special (Dec 24, 2025) and “The Excelsiors” (Q4’25 GN, TV/audio in development) are potential 2025/26 brand and licensing drivers .
  • Trading lens: The narrative likely hinges on (i) continued execution at Mainframe, (ii) sustaining streaming KPI momentum, and (iii) concrete liquidity actions that de‑risk the YE25 profitability target .

Footnotes:
• Estimate items marked with an asterisk (*) indicate values retrieved from S&P Global; consensus figures were unavailable at query time.