LiveOne Completes $10M Financing, Reduces Headcount To 95, Retires $14M Short-Term Liabilities, Repurchases $6.5M Stock, Acquires 347K Shares Of PodcastOne

Author: Benzinga Newsdesk | October 01, 2025 06:55am

LiveOne (Nasdaq: LVO), an award-winning, creator-first, music, entertainment, and technology platform, released today the following letter to stockholders from its CEO and Chairman Robert Ellin.

The full text of the letter follows:

Dear Valued Stockholders,

I am writing to provide an important update on LiveOne's key recent developments, performance and progress on its key strategic priorities to drive stockholder value.

I am pleased to report that LiveOne has successfully completed its $45 million restructuring initiative and delivered significant cost savings while positioning the company for future growth.

Recent Key Achievements:

• Completed $10 million common stock equity financing at $7.50 per share, further strengthening its balance sheet
• Reduced workforce to 95 employees from 300+, leveraging AI to drive efficiencies
• Eliminated $14 million in short-term liabilities
• Repurchased $6.5 million in stock, with $5.5 million remaining in its buyback program
• Acquired 347,000 additional shares of PodcastOne (NASDAQ:PODC)

Bitcoin Treasury Program:

• Currently $5 million is deployed in Bitcoin treasury holdings, including deploying Bitcoin yield strategy with Arca
• Board approves up to $500 million treasury authorization to expand LiveOne's crypto asset treasury strategy
• Expands Web3 strategy, tokenizing and monetizing 10,000+ hours of video content on blockchain
• Adds world-class advisory board, including Lou Kerner, Andy Vick, Steve McClurg, and Steve Lehman.

Financial Position:

• Currently $18+ million in cash, including $5 million in Bitcoin, providing a strong foundation for future growth and investment

Business Highlights:

• Closed 6 B2B deals (including Amazon, TextNow, a top retailer and a Fortune 250 streaming company) generating $50 million in revenue, with up to 72 potential B2B deals in its pipeline
• Added Steve Lehman as Chief Advisor to Rob Ellin, leading M&A and B2B partnership initiatives
• Surpassed 1.3 million total members, including over 1 million Tesla users
• Exploring strategic options to increase stockholder value, including consolidation, sale, or merger opportunities

PodcastOne Update:

• Reported preliminary Q1 Fiscal 2026 record Adjusted EBITDA* of $1M+ (348% increase YoY) and Revenue of $14.5M+ (19% increase YoY)
• Raised guidance to $55-60 million in revenue and $4.5-6 million in Adjusted EBITDA* for Fiscal 2026, representing an increase of $5-6.5 million in Adjusted EBITDA* compared to last year
• Achieved nine consecutive months in Podtrac's Top 10 Publishers rankings (currently #9)

TV Adaptations:

• Sold three podcasts to the largest streaming platforms, including "Varnamtown," "Vigilante," and "The Opportunist." Expects green light of a pilot for at least one show shortly, with 10 additional shows in the pipeline

Future Plans:

• Considering potential IPO or merger of Slacker into a SPAC or potential sale to further enhance stockholder value
• Intends to continue aggressive stock buyback program to enhance stockholder value
• Continues to leverage AI and other technologies to drive growth and efficiency
• Increases live events with Reality Games on December 11, with stars such as Kordell Beckham, Chloe Veitch, Chase Demoor and many others. Historically, live events like Social Gloves (Q2 Fiscal 2022) have generated upwards of $27M in revenue and $4.5M in Adjusted EBITDA*

Reverse Stock Split:

• Recently completed a reverse stock split — a proactive, stockholder-approved move to maintain LiveOne's Nasdaq listing and strengthen its market position which supports LiveOne's M&A and partnership efforts, and boosts visibility with institutional investors
   

Valuation Opportunity:
We believe our company's stock is significantly undervalued, trading at a substantial discount to our industry peers. The industry average multiple is 3.3x revenues, whereas LiveOne is trading at only approximately 60% of revenues, representing a steep discount. In light of this fact, I, Robert Ellin and other LiveOne senior management and board members have committed to purchasing up to $3 million worth of LiveOne shares of common stock, demonstrating our confidence in LiveOne's future prospects and our belief that LiveOne is materially and considerably undervalued.

Thank you for your continued support in our vision and strategy.

Sincerely,
Robert Ellin
Chairman and CEO, LiveOne

Posted In: LVO PODC