LiveOne Inc. outlined growth and capital allocation plans during the Q3 Investor Summit Group Virtual Conference 2026, highlighting a record first-quarter performance and revised financial guidance for the full year.
The company reported Q1 revenue of $19 million, EBITDA above $6 million, and a net equity increase of $7 million, alongside $3.3 million in cash additions. Liabilities were reduced by more than $5 million during the quarter. Management raised full-year guidance to revenue of $85-90 million and EBITDA of $8-10 million, with a target to exceed $10 million by year-end. Longer-term, LiveOne aims to return to over $100 million in revenue and eventually surpass $250 million.
Capital allocation included repurchases of more than $7 million in LiveOne stock and an additional 150,000 shares of subsidiary PodcastOne. The buybacks were executed at roughly $4-5 per share, described as a 50% discount to a $7.50 share price from a $10 million capital raise six months prior. CEO Rob Ellin also disclosed a personal investment of over $18 million in the company, which holds a $250 million net operating loss carryforward.
LiveOne’s PodcastOne unit reported Q1 revenue of $16 million and EBITDA of $1.6 million, with annual guidance raised to $68-75 million from a prior $61 million. The unit has expanded its advertiser base from about 70 to over 500 major brands and ranks among the top podcasts on Podtrac. The Dr. Phil podcast, acquired three months prior, previously generated over $50 million annually at CBS.
Slacker Radio, another LiveOne platform, reported 6.6 billion platform listens and a content library exceeding 500,000 hours of audio and 250,000 hours of video. The platform holds 46 patents and has recorded 82 billion listens, with 100 million app downloads. Management highlighted the platform’s scale as a potential acquisition target for streaming or media partners with large user bases.
The company also outlined plans for the Team Boxing League, a venture expected to stage over 60 events annually. LiveOne’s trading multiple of about 0.5 times revenue contrasts with industry averages of 2.94 times and podcast M&A multiples of 5-15 times, including OpenAI’s recent transaction at 13.6 times revenue.
Management cited comparisons to peers such as iHeartMedia ($6 billion market cap), SiriusXM ($25 billion), and Spotify ($100 billion) to underscore LiveOne’s position in the streaming and podcasting sectors.
