Viant Technology Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Viant Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: DSP), a leader in AI-powered programmatic advertising, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

“We delivered outstanding third quarter results, with revenue, contribution ex-TAC, and adjusted EBITDA surpassing the high end of our guidance,” said Tim Vanderhook, Co-Founder and CEO, Viant. “For the second consecutive quarter, advertiser spending on our platform hit a new record, fueled by unprecedented CTV spending. We’re excited to build upon our CTV targeting and measurement capabilities with the acquisition of IRIS.TV, which we announced today. In addition, the recent introduction of ViantAI has captivated advertisers and aligns with their increasing desire to explore innovative, efficient and more cost-effective alternatives in programmatic advertising, further fueling our growth.”

Third quarter 2024 Financial Highlights, year-over-year (in thousands, except percentages and per share data):

Business Highlights:

• Record quarter for total advertiser spend (“spend”)⁽²⁾ on the platform, with an all-time high in connected television (“CTV”) spend.

• CTV spend grew nearly 50% year-over-year, driven by our Direct Access program and Household ID technology.

• Launched ViantAI, the first fully autonomous advertising software platform, driven by the powerful capabilities of generative AI.

• Named the winner of the 2024 Best Demand-Side Platform (DSP) in the 7th annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards, conducted by MarTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization.

• Completed the acquisition of IRIS.TV (“IRIS”), a global content and data platform built for CTV. IRIS enables advertisers to target and measure video campaigns using content-level contextual, emotional and brand-suitability data. This acquisition will accelerate the mission of IRIS to expand its CTV content identification at scale across premium publishers, while providing Viant with more advanced CTV targeting and measurement capabilities.

• Purchased 1.4 million shares of Class A common stock from May 1, 2024, through November 8, 2024 for a total of $14 million. As of November 8, 2024, $36 million remains available for repurchases under our Repurchase Program.

“We had a very strong third quarter with contribution ex-TAC growing more than 20% year-over-year for the fifth consecutive quarter. Additionally, adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC increased to 31%, marking a 6-percentage point improvement compared to the same period last year,” said Larry Madden, CFO, Viant. “We remain highly confident in our ability to continue capturing market share, driven by our ongoing success in CTV, along with the strong initial demand for and growing adoption of the ViantAI product suite. Our solutions are delivering significant efficiencies and cost savings to our customers while broadening our addressable market by making programmatic advertising more accessible to businesses of all sizes and marketing budgets.”

Guidance:

For the fourth quarter 2024, the Company expects:

• Revenue in the range of $82 million to $85 million

• Contribution ex-TAC in the range of $51 million to $53 million

• Non-GAAP operating expenses in the range of $35 million to $36 million

• Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $16 million to $17 million

Contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP net income, and non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the information provided in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to Viant’s financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP are included at the end of this press release under “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” For a description of these non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses each measure, please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this press release. We are not able to estimate gross profit, total operating expenses or net income (loss) on a forward-looking basis or reconcile the guidance provided for contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP operating expenses, or adjusted EBITDA to the closest corresponding GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable efforts due to the variability and complexity with respect to the charges excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures; in particular, the impact of future traffic acquisition costs and other platform operations expenses, as well as the measures and effects of our stock-based compensation related to equity grants that are directly impacted by unpredictable fluctuations in our share price and the potential forfeitures of equity grants. We expect the variability of the above charges could have a significant and potentially unpredictable impact on our future GAAP financial results.

1. For a discussion on how we define, use and calculate these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation thereof to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the supplementary schedules under “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this press release.

2. We define advertiser spend as the total amount billed to our customers for activity on our platform inclusive of the costs of advertising media, third-party data, other add-on features and our platform fee we charge customers.

Supplemental Financial and Other Information:

Supplemental financial and other information can be accessed through Viant’s investor relations website at investors.viantinc.com.

As of September 30, 2024, there were 16.2 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock outstanding and 46.9 million shares of the Company’s Class B common stock outstanding. For more information, please refer to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on November 12, 2024.

Conference Call and Webcast Details:

Viant will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its financial results on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). A live webcast of the call can be accessed from Viant’s Investor Relations website. An archived version of the webcast will be available from the same website after the call.

Viant Technology has used, and intends to continue to use, the “Investor Relations” section of its website at investors.viantinc.com, its LinkedIn account, the LinkedIn account of its Chief Executive Officer, Tim Vanderhook, the LinkedIn account of its Chief Operating Officer, Chris Vanderhook, its X (formerly known as Twitter) account (@viant_tech), and Chris Vanderhook’s X account (@cvanderhook) to post information that may be important to investors. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult Viant Technology’s website and the foregoing LinkedIn and X accounts regularly for important information.

About Viant

Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: DSP) is a leader in AI-powered programmatic advertising, dedicated to driving innovation in digital marketing. Our omnichannel platform built for CTV allows marketers to plan, execute and measure their campaigns with unmatched precision and efficiency. With the launch of ViantAI, Viant is building the future of fully autonomous advertising solutions, empowering advertisers to achieve their boldest goals. Viant was recently awarded Best Demand Side Platform by MarTech Breakthrough, Great Place to Work® certification and received the Business Intelligence Group’s Innovation award for AI Advancements. Learn more at viantinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words such as “guidance,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “will,” or words or phrases with similar meaning.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release relate to, among other things, Viant’s projected financial performance and operating results, including our guidance for revenue, contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP operating expenses, and adjusted EBITDA, as well as statements regarding Viant’s growth prospects, Viant’s ability to drive return on ad spend for our customers and capture increased market share, anticipated performance of and benefits of ViantAI, and Viant’s ability to capitalize on the changes in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the market for programmatic advertising developing slower or differently than Viant’s expectations, the demands and expectations of customers, the ability to attract and retain customers, the impact of information and data privacy trends and regulations on our business and competitors and other economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Investors are referred to our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. We do not intend and undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To provide investors and others with additional information regarding Viant’s results, we have included in this press release the following financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with GAAP: contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC, non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted. The Company’s management believes that this information can assist investors in evaluating the Company’s operational trends, financial performance, and cash generating capacity. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures allow investors to evaluate the Company’s financial performance using some of the same measures as management.

Contribution ex-TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure. Gross profit is the most comparable GAAP financial measure, which is calculated as revenue less platform operations expense. In calculating contribution ex-TAC, we add back other platform operations expense to gross profit. Contribution ex-TAC is a key profitability measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance and trends, develop short- and long-term operational plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. “Traffic acquisition costs” or “TAC” represents amounts incurred and payable to suppliers for the cost of advertising media, third-party data and other add-on features related to our fixed CPM pricing option and certain arrangements related to our percentage of spend pricing option. In particular, we believe that contribution ex-TAC can provide a measure of period-to-period comparisons for all pricing options within our business. Accordingly, we believe that this measure provides information to investors and the market in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors.

Non-GAAP operating expenses is a non-GAAP financial measure. Total operating expenses is the most comparable GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP operating expenses is defined by us as total operating expenses plus other expense (income), net, less TAC, stock-based compensation, depreciation, amortization, and certain other items that are not related to our core operations, such as restructuring and other charges, transaction expense and non-operational media purchases. Non-GAAP operating expenses is a key component in calculating adjusted EBITDA, which is one of the measures we use to provide our business outlook to the investment community. Additionally, non-GAAP operating expenses is used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance and trends, to prepare and approve our annual budget and to develop short- and long-term operational plans. We believe that the elimination of TAC, stock-based compensation, depreciation, amortization and certain other items not related to our core operations provides another measure for period-to-period comparisons of our business, provides additional insight into our core controllable costs and is a useful metric for investors because it allows them to evaluate our operational performance in the same manner as our management and board of directors.

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure defined by us as net income (loss) before interest expense (income), net, income tax benefit (expense), depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation and certain other items that are not related to our core operations, such as restructuring and other charges, transaction expense and non-operational media purchases. Net income (loss) is the most comparable GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure we calculate by dividing adjusted EBITDA by contribution ex-TAC for the period or periods presented.

Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC are used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our core operating performance and trends, to prepare and approve our annual budget and to develop short- and long-term operational plans. In particular, we believe that the exclusion of the amounts eliminated in calculating adjusted EBITDA can provide a measure for period-to-period comparisons of our business. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC, a non-GAAP financial measure, is used by our management and board of directors to evaluate adjusted EBITDA relative to our profitability after costs that are directly variable to revenues, which comprise TAC. Accordingly, we believe that adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC provide information to investors and the market in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors. Net income (loss) as a percentage of gross profit is the most comparable GAAP financial measure.

Non-GAAP net income (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure defined by us as net income (loss) adjusted to eliminate the impact of stock-based compensation and certain other items that are not related to our core operations, such as restructuring and other charges, transaction expense and non-operational media purchases, as well as the income tax effect of these adjustments. Net income (loss) is the most comparable GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP net income (loss) is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to evaluate operating performance, generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. In particular, we believe that the elimination of stock-based compensation and certain other items that are not related to our core operations provides measures for period-to-period comparisons of our business and additional insight into our core controllable costs. Accordingly, we believe that non-GAAP net income (loss) provides information to investors and the market generally in understanding and evaluating our results of operations in the same manner as our management and board of directors.

Non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted is a non-GAAP financial measure defined by us as earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted, adjusted to eliminate the impact of stock-based compensation and certain other items that are not related to our core operations, such as restructuring and other charges, transaction expense, and non-operational media purchases, as well as the income tax effect of such adjustments. Earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted is the most comparable GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted is used by our management and board of directors to evaluate operating performance, generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. In particular, we believe that the elimination of stock-based compensation and certain other items that are not related to our core operations provides measures for period-to-period comparisons of our business and provides additional insight into our core controllable costs. Accordingly, we believe that non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted provides information to investors and the market generally that aids in the understanding and evaluation of our results of operations in the same manner as our management and board of directors.

Basic non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock is calculated by dividing the non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to Class A common stockholders by the number of weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding. Shares of our Class B common stock do not share in our earnings or losses and are therefore not participating securities. As such, separate presentation of basic and diluted non-GAAP earnings (loss) of Class B common stock under the two-class method has not been presented.

Diluted non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock adjusts the basic non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share for the potential dilutive impact of shares of Class A common stock such as equity awards using the treasury-stock method and Class B common stock using the if-converted method. Diluted non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock considers the impact of potentially dilutive securities except in periods in which there is a loss because the inclusion of the potential common shares would have an anti-dilutive effect. Shares of our Class B common stock, RSUs and nonqualified stock options are considered potentially dilutive shares of Class A common stock. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, Class B common stock has been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock because the effect would have been anti-dilutive under the if-converted method. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, Class B common stock and nonqualified stock options have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock because the effect would have been anti-dilutive under both the if-converted and treasury stock method.

These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, the Company’s financial information calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered measures of the Company’s liquidity. Further, these non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the Company may not be comparable to similar non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore comparability may be limited. The presentation of such measures, which may include adjustments to exclude unusual or non-recurring items, should not be construed as an inference that the Company’s future results, cash flows or leverage will be unaffected by other unusual or non-recurring items. Management encourages investors and others to review Viant’s financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following tables show the reconciliations of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

The following table presents the calculation of gross profit and the reconciliation of gross profit to contribution ex-TAC for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands):

The following table presents a reconciliation of total operating expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands):

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands):

The following table presents the calculation of net income (loss) as a percentage of gross profit and the calculation of adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of contribution ex-TAC for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands, except percentages):

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) to non-GAAP net income for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands):

The following tables present a reconciliation of earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted to non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share of Class A common stock—basic and diluted for the periods presented (unaudited; in thousands, except per share data):

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