Leading independent digital content in the high-value finance vertical!
Company Overview
All statements in this presentation other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the Company's regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are on file with the SEC and available at its website at www.sec.gov. All statements relating to the Company’s plans, strategies and objectives are deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Safe Harbor Statement
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§ Original, high-quality financial content, focused on actionable investing ideas for a passionate, affluent audience
§ Successful, large-scale digital-only business with scaling revenue growth rates, dual monetization streams and high operating leverage
§ Top 10 network in financial news category, driven by strong brands, broad distribution and modern web publishing skills
§ Solid balance sheet with $77.4 million in cash and equivalents, no debt and operating cash-flow positive
§ Rebuilt management team since 2009
§ Multiple opportunities to expand
Today’s TheStreet
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The Virtuous Cycle of Vertical Publishing
§ 80 in-house editorial staff and 100 vetted contributing investment practitioners
§ 3,000 original articles and 500 original videos monthly, plus suites of data tools
§ Strong journalistic standards coupled with modern web publishing skills
§ Deeply engaged users with valuable demographic characteristics
§ Trust and rely on content and advertising for important decisions
§ Pay for content and respond to ads
§ Top 10 network by audience size
§ Loyal endemic advertisers, a ‘must-buy’
§ Growing number of non-endemic advertisers attracted to strength of user demographics
§ Premium pricing, direct sold, marketing packages
§ Business model which leverages content across multiple channels
§ 15-year history of success with paid content
§ Emerging licensing and partnership operations
§ High operating leverage
Deep Domain
Expertise
Quality content attracts…
Quality users, who
attract…
Quality advertisers,
and enhanced…
Monetization
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Highly-curated, professional
content
§ In-house editorial
§ Video and data § Contributing
investment professionals
§ Select specialty
partner sites
Independent Leader in Actionable Financial News & Analysis
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Key Distribution Partners
Unique Model
Driving users along engagement spectrum within our content category
Social Media
Partner Placements
Unregistered Users / Free Sites
Registered Users
Entry Paid Products
Paid Products Bundles Licensing
Value per User
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Data
Non-display Advertising
Display Advertising
Entry Subscriptions
Premium Subscriptions
Seat Licenses
Professional Databases
Lists
Unique Revenue Mix
Subscription: § Stable, recurring
revenue § High margins
and operating leverage § Strong cash flow
Advertising: § Benefits from economic
recovery and secular shift to online media
§ Strong base of core endemic advertisers
§ Growing non-endemic roster
§ Premium pricing
Premium Services
67%
Advertising 33%
Revenue mix is for 12 months ended June 30, 2011, excluding divested subsidiary, revenue from a divested product line and TheStreet Ratings revenue from global research settlement
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Advertising-Supported Network
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§ Flagship brand, covering actionable investment information
§ Professional, original content with deep expertise
§ Increasing coverage of business news, small business, wealth management and technology content
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§ Supporting brands with complementary content offerings
§ Crowd-sourced investing ideas
§ Bank rate information § Populist personal finance
§ Extends reach for advertisers and improves competitiveness of offerings
TheStreet Mobile
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§ Apps on all major mobile and tablet platforms: iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android, Kindle
§ New, platform-independent TheStreet.mobi service
§ Flagship content and video in all formats
§ Select premium services content
§ Sponsorship-oriented monetization
Valuable Audience with Scale
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▲ Audience is educated, wealthy, and highly engaged
▲ Superior demographics among competitive set (1)
• #1 in Traded Mutual Funds and Money Market Funds online
• #1 in Medium or Heavy Stock Trading • #1 in Age 18+, making 10-24 online
brokerage transactions per month • #1 in Holds EVP/SVP/VP Position
• #1 in HHI $150k+, Travel Internationally • #1 in HHI $150k+, Plans to Purchase
New Vehicle • Overweight in “Provides frequent
financial advice”
• Overweight in “Portfolio of $1MM”
▲ Meaningful audience engagement • Average Minutes per Visit: 2nd in peer
group and 30% higher than peer average • Pages per Visit: 3rd amongst peer group
Rank Content Site (2) Total
Uniques (000s)
LTM Avg. Min
Per Visit
1 39,999 2.8
2 (AOL) 20,014 2.1
3 19,651 3.2
4 13,776 2.1
5 13,677 2.6
6 12,936 3.4
7 12,841 2.9
8 10,759 2.7
9 6,963 4.8
10 6,230 14.4
11 4,111 1.4
12 3,847 2.1
13 3,290 2.2
14 2,835 4.4
15 2,782 2.9
TheStreet has improved from #12 to #9 in comScore rankings since June 2010 (3)
Notes: (1) Source: Nielsen @Plan 2 2011. (2) Rankings exclude Manta and International Business Times. (3) Source: comScore, June 2011.
Premium Services
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§ Unique, industry-leading operation, rooted in 15 years experience
§ Portfolio of 13 service offerings; 90,000 + paying subscriptions
§ Evolution of product portfolio to align with investment strategies supported by multiple personalities
§ Growing off-domain distribution channels
§ In addition to recently overhauling Real Money and Real Money Pro, TheStreet has launched three new offerings in ETF Profits, Options Profits and Chat on TheStreet
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RateWatch
§ Leading B2B provider of competitive pricing intelligence for banking institutions
§ High-quality, hand-verified data covering 80,000 branches, nationwide
§ Broadest and deepest coverage available – savings and lending
§ Top flight client list, including FDIC
§ Potential B2C opportunity with RateScout (currently in beta)
TheStreet Ratings
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§ Comprehensive, independent analysis of 5,000 equities, 20,000 mutual funds and 800 exchange-traded funds
§ Award winning proprietary system rooted in fundamental and technical analysis
§ Advertising supported, pay-per-view and subscription offerings
§ Upcoming investment research center
New, Accomplished Management Team – Rebuilt Since 2009
Daryl Otte – Chief Executive Officer Appointed CEO March 2009 (director since 2001). Founding partner of VC firm Montefiore Partners. Over a decade at leading vertical media companies, including heading M&A and strategy as SVP of Ziff-Davis and holding various strategy and corporate finance roles at Reed Elsevier. Graduate of Harvard Business School and University of California, San Diego. Brian Hecht – SVP, Publisher, Premium Services Joined December 2009. Over 15 years of experience building and leading marketing, web content and subscription enterprises, including serving as CEO of Kikucall and enews.com and as Editor in Chief of Tripod. Graduate of Harvard University. Thomas O’Regan – SVP, Advertising Sales Joined July 1999 and appointed head of advertising sales in July 2005. Prior work at Deutsche Bank on the Global Investment Management team, in the fixed income department. Graduate of The Catholic University of America. Rachelle Zorn – VP, Inside Sales & Customer Service and Chief Marketing Officer of the RateWatch Division Over 16 years of Sales, Sales Management, and Operations experience. Aside from her twelve years with RateWatch she has worked in other professional industries such as: Call Center Services, Payroll/Time & Attendance, and Healthcare. Graduate of the University of Wisconsin.
Thomas Etergino – EVP, Chief Financial Officer Joined September 2010. Over 12 years in senior finance and operating roles at digital media and subscription-based businesses, including DoubleClick and eMusic, with 7 years as CFO of public and private companies. Graduate of Washington & Lee University. CPA. Gregory Barton – EVP, Business & Legal Affairs, General Counsel Joined June 2009. Over 14 years as General Counsel of SEC-reporting media and technology companies, including Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ziff Davis Media and Alliance Semiconductor. Also has managed licensing operations among other business roles. Graduate of Harvard Law School and Claremont McKenna College. Glenn Hall – SVP, Editor in Chief Joined June 2008. Became EIC July 2009. Almost 20 years of experience in journalism, including as chief innovation officer and deputy editor for The Orange County Register and various domestic and international senior roles at Bloomberg. Graduate of The Ohio State University. Daniel Flax – SVP, Chief Information Officer Joined January 2010. Over 15 years managing teams responsible for web and corporate information systems at leading financial and technology firms, including heading Trading Technology and Web Systems at the NYSE, serving as CIO of Cowen and Co. and serving as VP of Global IS Operations at Global Crossing. Graduate of Columbia University. Ronni Diamant – VP, Human Resources Joined September 1999. Over 15 years experience in Human Resources. Led the HR department since July 2000 and appointed VP in June 2009. Prior work at Burson-Marsteller, a global Public Relations firm. Graduate of Syracuse University.
Notable recent additions to Board of Directors with focus on expertise in digital media, financial information and technology.
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$3.2
$4.6 $4.3
$5.6
$3.8
$4.8 $4.7
$5.3
$4.5
$5.0
$0.0
$1.0
$2.0
$3.0
$4.0
$5.0
$6.0
$7.0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
$2.0
$3.0
$0.6 $0.9
($0.3)
$0.0
($0.5)
$0.7
-$1.0
$0.0
$1.0
$2.0
$3.0
$4.0
$5.0
Q3-
09
Q4-
09
Q1-
10
Q2-
10
Q3-
10
Q4-
10
Q1-
11
Q2-
11
2009 2010 2011
Data in millions, Advertising revenue and Adjusted EBITDA exclude divested subsidiary. Premium Services revenue and Adjusted EBITDA exclude TheStreet Ratings revenue from global research settlement and revenue from divested product line.
Advertising Revenue Year on Year
Financial Results
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Adjusted EBITDA Sequential
$8.7 $8.6
$8.9
$9.4 $9.4 $9.6 $9.6
$9.4 $9.6
$10.1
$7.5
$8.0
$8.5
$9.0
$9.5
$10.0
$10.5
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2009 2010 2011
Premium Services Revenue Year on Year
Financial Highlights and Metrics
LTM revenue: $58.1 million
§ Premium services revenue: $38.7 million
§ Advertising revenue: $19.5 million
LTM Adjusted EBITDA: ($0.1) million
Cash and equivalents balance of $77.4 million = $2.42 per share
No debt
Net operating loss carryforward of $139 million 297 employees
Dividend – $0.10/share/year; approximately 3.5% yield Shares outstanding: 32.0 million common and 5,500 preferred
Preferred shares
§ Convert to 3.9 million common shares at $14.26/share
§ Liquidation preference of $55.0 million
Average daily trading volume (3-mo avg. to 6/30/11): 68,271 shares
Nasdaq Global Market – TST
Operating results are for 12 months ended June 30 2011, excluding divested subsidiary, revenue from a divested product line and TheStreet Ratings revenue from global research settlement. Balance sheet data as of June 30 2011. Cash and equivalents include cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities.
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Strategy for Growth
§ Growing returns on operational improvements made in 2010: § Upgraded management team § Replacing legacy technologies § Overhauled premium services product strategy § Invested in audience and content quality § Expanded distribution channels § Relaunched brand and corporate identity
§ Cyclical recovery driven by improving economy and market volatility
§ Ongoing secular shift from offline to online – both advertising and content consumption
§ Emerging freemium content models acclimates users to pay for content
§ Leveraging executive bench strength, scale and cash balance in support of accretive acquisitions
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©2011 TheStreet, Inc. All rights reserved.
NASDAQ: TST Daryl Otte – CEO
Tom Etergino – CFO 212.321.5234
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Thank You
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