UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20172022
OR
oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from                      to                     
Commission File Number: 0-25965
j2 GLOBAL,jcom-20221231_g1.jpg
ZIFF DAVIS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware47-1053457
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
6922 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90028, (323) 860-9200114 5th Avenue, New York, New York 10011, (212) 503-3500
(Address and telephone number of principal executive offices)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par valueZDNasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par valueNone
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes   No
Yes  x
No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes  No
Yes  o
No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  No ☐

Yes  x
No  o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405)232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).   Yes   No
Yes  x
No  o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “small reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filerx
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o
Smaller reporting companyo
Emerging growth companyo


If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o   No x
 
As of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the approximate aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates, based upon the closing price of the common stock as quoted by the NASDAQNasdaq Global Select Market was $2,558,879,917.$2,056,960,448. Shares of common stock held by executive officers, directors and holders of more than 5% of the outstanding common stock have been excluded. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
 
As of February 26, 2018,24, 2023, the registrant had 49,095,55147,260,252 shares of common stock outstanding.
 
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
 
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement to be delivered to stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held May 3, 20185, 2023 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes 116 pages with the Index to Exhibits located on page 112.











TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Page
Item 11.Executive Compensation

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PART I
Item 1.    Business

Overview
j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“j2 Global”Ziff Davis”, the “Company”, “our”, “us” or “we”), is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading provider of internet services. Through our Cloud Services segment, we provide cloud services to consumersbrands in technology, shopping, gaming and businessesentertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and license our intellectual property (“IP”) to third parties. In addition, the Cloud Services segment includes fax, voice, backup, security and email marketing products.martech. Our Digital Media segmentbusiness specializes in the technology, shopping, gaming lifestyleand entertainment, connectivity, and healthcare markets, offering content, tools and services to consumers and businesses. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business provides cloud-based subscription services to consumers and businesses including cybersecurity, privacy and marketing technology.
Our Cloud Services segment generates revenues primarily from customer subscription and usage fees and from IP licensing fees. Our Digital Media segmentbusiness generates revenues from advertising and sponsorships, subscription and usage fees, performance marketing, and licensing fees.

In addition This business generates revenues from the sale of display and video advertising; customer clicks to growing our business organically,online merchants, as well as, commissions on a regular basis we acquiresales attributed to clicks to online merchants; business-to-business leads sold to information technology (“IT”) vendors; the licensing of technology, data, and other intellectual property to clients; and the sale of subscription services to consumers and businesses. Our Cybersecurity and Martech businesses to grow ourgenerate revenues primarily from customer bases, expandsubscription and diversify our service offerings, enhance our technologies, acquire skilled personnel and enter into new markets.
usage fees. Our consolidated revenues are currently generated primarily from threetwo basic business models, each with different financial profiles and variability. Our Cloud Services segment is driven primarily by subscription revenues that are relatively higher margin, stable and predictable from quarter to quarter with some seasonal weakness in the fourth quarter. The Cloud Services segment also includes the results of our IP licensing business, which can vary dramatically in both revenues and profitability from period to period. Our Digital Media segmentbusiness is driven primarily by advertising revenues, has relatively higher sales and marketing expenseexpenses, and has seasonal strength in the fourth quarter. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business is driven by subscription revenues, with relatively stable and predictable margins from quarter to quarter. We continue to pursue additional acquisitions, which may include companies operating under business models that differ from those we operate under today. Such acquisitions could impact our consolidated profit margins and the variability of our revenues.
We wereZiff Davis was incorporated in 2014 as a Delaware corporation through the creation of a new holding company structure,structure. Our Cybersecurity and our Cloud Services segment,Martech businesses are operated by our wholly owned subsidiary j2J2 Global Ventures, LLC.Prior to the spin-off of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”), our Cybersecurity and Martech businesses were operated by our former wholly owned subsidiary J2 Cloud Services, LLC, (formerly j2 Cloud Services, Inc.), and its subsidiaries,which was founded in 1995. We manage our operations through two business segments:1995, and subsidiaries of J2 Cloud Services, LLC. On October 7, 2021 (the “Distribution Date”), the Company completed the previously announced separation (the “Separation”) of its cloud fax business into Consensus, an independent publicly traded company, and Digital Media. Information regarding revenuethe Company transferred J2 Cloud Services, LLC to Consensus who in turn transferred non-fax assets and operating income attributableliabilities back to eachZiff Davis, such that Consensus was left with the cloud fax business. In connection with the Separation, we changed our name to Ziff Davis, Inc. from J2 Global, Inc. (for certain events prior to October 7, 2021, the Company may be referred to as J2 Global). The Separation was achieved through the Company’s distribution of our reportable segments and certain geographic information is included within Note 16 - Segment Information80.1% of the Notesshares of Consensus common stock to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Reportholders of Company common stock as of the close of business on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution.

Programmatic Mergers and Acquisitions
Cloud Services
We believe that businesses of all sizes are increasingly purchasing cloud services to meet their communication, messaging, security, data backup, hosting, customer relationship management and other needs. Cloud-based services represent a model for delivering and consuming, independent of location, real time business technology services, resources and solutions over the internet. Their goal is to reduce or eliminate costs, increase sales and enhance productivity, mobility, business continuity and security. Our eFax®, MyFax® and sFax® online fax services enable users to receive faxes into their email inboxes and to send faxes via the internet. eVoice® and Onebox® provide our customers a virtual phone system with various available enhancements. KeepItSafe®, LiveVault®, and Livedrive® enable our customers to securely back up their data and dispose of tape or other physical systems. Our FuseMail® service provides our customers email, encryption, archival and perimeter protection solutions, while Campaigner® provides our customers enhanced email marketing solutions. All of these services represent software-as-a-service solutions except online backup which represents both a software-as-a-service solution and an infrastructure-as-a-service solution. We believe these services represent more efficient and less expensive solutions than many existing alternatives, and provide increased security, privacy, flexibility and mobility.
We generate substantially all of our Cloud Services revenues from “fixed” subscription revenues for basic customer subscriptions and, to a lesser extent, “variable” usage revenues generated from actual usage by our subscribers. Our online fax, virtual phone, email, customer relationship management and online backup products have both a fixed and variable subscription component with the substantial majority of revenues derived from the fixed portion. In addition, the cost structures of all our Cloud Services are very similar in terms of fixed and variable components and include capital expenditures that are in proportion to revenue for each product offering. We also generate Cloud Services revenues from patent licensing. We categorize our Cloud Services and solutions into two basic groups: number-based, which are services provided in whole or in part through a telephone number, and non-number-based, which are our other cloud services for business.
We market our Cloud Services offerings to a broad spectrum of prospective business customers including sole proprietors, small to medium-sized businesses, enterprises and government organizations. Our marketing efforts include enhancing brand


awareness; utilizing online advertising, search engines and affiliate programs; selling through both a telesales and direct sales force; and cross-selling. We continuously seek to extend the number of distribution channels through which we acquire paying customers and improve the cost and volume of customers obtained through our current channels.
We offer the following cloud services and solutions:
Fax
eFax® is the leading brand in the global online fax market. Various tiers of service provide increasing levels of features and functionality to sole proprietors, small and medium-sized businesses, and enterprises around the world.Our most popular services allow individuals to receive and send faxes as email attachments. In addition to eFax®,growing our business organically, on a regular basis, we offer online fax services underacquire businesses to grow our customer bases, expand and diversify our service offerings, enhance our technologies, acquire skilled personnel, and enter into new markets. Our programmatic approach to mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) is a central tenet of our capital allocation strategy, which seeks to optimize the allocation of our investable capital, including the free cash flow generated by our businesses, to M&A, share repurchases, and the strengthening of our balance sheet. Since 2012, we have deployed approximately $3.0 billion on more than 80 acquisitions across the globe in a variety of alternative brands including sFax®, MyFax®, eFax Plus®, eFax Pro™, eFax Secure™, eFax Corporate™ verticals within the internet and eFax Developer™ software categories (exclusive of any acquisitions that were part of businesses we have since divested).
Voice
eVoice® Our highly systematic and repeatable M&A process allows us to execute a large volume of M&A with velocity and conviction. Our M&A program is built on a rigorous and analytical approach that leverages deep industry knowledge, technological expertise, and investment acumen. Our evaluation criteria for potential acquisitions varies by sector, but our focus on value-oriented fundamentals is a virtual phone system that provides small and medium-sized businesses on-demand voice communications services, featuring a toll-free or local company number, auto-attendant and menu tree. With these services, a subscriber can assign departmental and individual extensions that can connect to multiple U.S. or Canadian numbers, including land-line and mobile phones and IP networks, and can enhance reachability through “find me/follow me” capabilities. These services also include advanced integrated voicemail for each extension, effectively unifying mobile, office and other separate voicemail services and improving efficiency by delivering voicemailscentral factor in both native audio format and as transcribed text.
Onebox® is a full-featured unified communications suite. It combines the features of many of our other branded services, plus added functionality, to provide a full virtual office. Onebox® includes a virtual phone system, hosted email, online fax, audio conferencing and web conferencing.
Backup
KeepItSafe® provides fully managed and monitored online backup and disaster recovery solutions for businesses, using its ISO-certified platform. By securing critical digital assets via the internet to highly secure data vaults, customers enjoy peace of mind knowing they have reliable and cost effective backups, and equally importantly rapid restores of the data that keeps their businesses operating. Furthermore, our solution for business continuity, backup and recovery will fully protect the customer’s physical, virtual and cloud resources. The software installs simply and provides full-server imaging and proven off-site data recovery capabilities without costly investments. Company data is protected from human error, file corruption, ransomware and other harmful factors.
LiveDrive®, which was acquired in February 2014, provides online backup and sync storage features for professionals and individuals. The customers can access their files from anywhere at any time so long as they have access to the internet.

LiveVault®, which was acquired in September 2015, provides cloud backup and recovery services. LiveVault® services include, among other items, offsite protection of data combined with local backup, web based access to protected data and a mirrored data center to ensure recoverability.

SugarSync®, which was acquired in March 2015, provides online file backup, synchronization and sharing of all of a customer’s documents, photos, music and movies across all of the customer’s computers and mobile devices. The product is not dependent on any specific operating system or device platforms.

Security
FuseMail® offers email security, email archiving and hosted email to businesses of all sizes around the world. These solutions are hosted offsite and seamlessly integrated into a customer’s existing email system. Email security offers multi-level spam and virus detection, works with almost any email system, and deletes virus-infected emails while keeping the email message intact. Email continuity is a solution in which email systems are maintained even when a mail server is down. Email archiving solutions provide for archiving of internal and external ingoing and outgoing emails, and indexing of all emails to enable seamless search.
Excel Micro™ is a Cloud Security distributor focusing on providing email security, web security, and endpoint protection. The solution is offered to thousands of resellers in the United States who provide the product to their end customers.


Email Marketing
Campaigner® is a cloud-based email marketing solution to help small, medium and large businesses strengthen customer relationships and drive sales. Campaigner offers professional email campaign creation, advanced list management and segmentation tools, and targeted email autoresponders and workflows. Campaigner also helps businesses increase the size of their mailing lists, comply with email regulations like CAN-SPAM and get more emails to more inboxes.
SMTP is our cloud-based solution for email delivery that enables our customers to begin using an email relay service. Using our SMTP platform, customers control all aspects of their email distribution and can review email campaign statistics through a dashboard. We have a team of experts that help our customers’ setup and optimize the SMTP relay.
IP Licensing
We hold a number of issued U.S. and foreign patents and other intellectual property rights.every transaction we evaluate. We seek to license someacquire businesses that can generate predictable growing free cash flow over long time horizons. The primary metric we use to differentiate opportunities in our M&A pipeline is the expected internal rate of these intellectual property rightsreturn that the potential acquisition will generate for Ziff Davis. While we take a highly disciplined approach to third partiesthe evaluation of M&A, we have a wide aperture and significant flexibility when it comes to the types of transactions we are capable of evaluating and executing. Since 2010, we have acquired venture-backed growth companies, distressed businesses in exchange for fees.need of turnaround, complex corporate carve-outs, founder-owned businesses, public companies and private equity-backed businesses. We includealso have a multi-faceted approach to transaction sourcing that ranges from participation in sell-side auctions led by investment banks to the resultssourcing of these activities withinproprietary transactions through our executive network. Acquisitions broadly fall into one of two categories at Ziff Davis: (1) tuck-ins or (2) platform acquisitions. Our tuck-in acquisitions are typically focused on the Cloud Services segment, exclusive of brand licensing by the Digital Media segment.
Global Network and Operations
Our Cloud Services business operates multiple physical Points of Presence (“POPs”) worldwide,acquisition of: (a) a central data center in Los Angeles andcustomer base, (b) a remote disaster recovery facility. We connect our POPsstrong but under monetized media audience or (c) a new product or service that can be sold to our central data centers via redundant, and often times diverse, Virtual Private Networks (“VPNs”) using the internet. Our network is designed to deliver value-added user applications, customer support and billing services for ourexisting customers anywhere in the world and a local presence for customers from thousands of cities in 50 countries on six continents. We offer our services in all major metropolitan areas in the United States (“U.S.”), the United Kingdom (“U.K.”), Canada and such major cities as Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Vienna and Zurich. Our customersor audience. Platform acquisitions are located throughout the world.
Customer Support Services
Our Cloud Services customer service organization supports our cloud services customers through a combination of online self-help, email communications, interactive chat sessions and telephone calls. Our internet-based online self-help tools enable customers to resolve simple issuesbusinesses at scale that can stand on their own eliminatingwithin Ziff Davis and which we believe have the needpotential to speak or write to our customer service representatives. We use internal personnel and contracted third parties (onserve as a dedicated personnel basis) to answer our customer emails and telephone calls and to participate in interactive chat sessions.
Our Cloud Services customer service organization provides email support seven days per week, 24 hours per day, to all subscribers. Paying subscribers have access to live-operator telephone support seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Dedicated telephone support is providedplatform for corporate customers 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Live sales and customer support services are available in various languages, including English, Spanish, Dutch, German, French, Japanese and Cantonese.
Competition
Our Cloud Services segment faces competition from, among others, online fax-providers, traditional fax machine or multi-function printer companies, unified messaging/communications providers, telephone companies, voicemail providers, companies offering PBX systems and outsourced PBX solutions, email providers, various data backup and hosting providers and customer relationship management solutions. Historically, our most popular solutions have related to online faxing, includingfuture M&A. Since 2012, the abilitymajority of our customersacquisitions by deal count have been tuck-
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ins. However, over the same period of time, the capital allocated to access faxes via email and our outbound desktop faxing capabilities. These solutions compete primarily against traditional fax machine manufacturers, which are generally large and well-established companies, as well as publicly traded and privately-held providers of fax servers and related software and outsourced fax services. Some of these companies may have greater financial and other resources than we do.
We believe that the primary competitive factors determining our success in the market for our Cloud Services include financial strength and stability; pricing; reputation for reliability and security of service; intellectual property ownership; effectiveness of customer support; sign-up, service and software ease-of-use; service scalability; customer messaging and branding; geographic coverage; scope of services; currency and payment method acceptance; and local language sales, messaging and support.
Fortuck-ins versus platform acquisitions has been more information regarding the competition that we face, please refer to the section entitled Risk Factors contained in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


evenly balanced.
Digital Media
Our Digital Media segment consists ofbusiness operates a portfolio of web properties and apps which includesIGN.com, Mashable.com, PCMag.com, HumbleBundle.com, Speedtest.net, AskMen.com, MedPageToday.com, IGN, RetailMeNot, Mashable, PCMag, Humble Bundle, Speedtest, Offers.com, Black Friday, MedPageToday, Everyday Health, BabyCenter,and Everydayhealth.comWhat to Expect, among many others.
Our properties provide trusted reviews of technology, shopping, gaming, and lifestyleentertainment products and services; news and commentary related to their vertical markets; professional networking tools, targeted emails, and white papers for IT professionals; speed testing and the related data for internet and mobile network connections; online deals and discounts for consumers; news, interactive tools, and mobile applications that enable consumers to manage a broad array of health and wellness needs on a daily basis, including medical conditions, pregnancy, diet, and fitness news;fitness; and news, tools and information for healthcare professionals to stay abreast of industry, legislative, regulatory, and regulatorycontinuing education developments inacross major medical specialties.
We generateOur Digital Media business generates revenues from the sale ofadvertising and sponsorships, subscription and usage fees, performance marketing and licensing fees.
Display and Video Advertising - We sell online display and video advertising on our owned-and-operated web properties and on third-party sites. We have contractual arrangements with advertisers either directly or through agencies. The terms of these contracts specify the price of the advertising to be sold and the volume of advertisements that will be served over the course of a campaign. Additionally, we have contractual arrangements with certain third-party websites not owned by us, and third-party advertising networks to deliver online display and video advertising to their websites or to third-party sites.
Subscriptions - We primarily offer subscription and licensing services to businesses for Speedtest Intelligence, which offers up-to-date insights into global fixed broadband and mobile performance data, as well as, third-party sites; frommonthly subscription packages to consumers through the saleLose It! weight loss app and through Humble Bundle.
Performance Marketing - We generate business-to-business leads for IT vendors through the marketing of customercontent, including white papers and webinars, and offer additional lead qualification and nurturing services. On the consumer side, we generate clicks to online merchants as well as commissionsby promoting deals and discounts on sales attributed to clicks to online merchants; from business-to-business leads to IT vendors; from the licensing ofour web properties.
Licensing - We license our proprietary technology, data, and intellectual property to third parties for various purposes. For instance, we will license the right to use PCMag’s “Editors’ Choice” logo and other intellectual materialcopyrighted editorial content to clients; and from the sale of subscription services to consumers and businesses.
During 2017, our Digital Media web properties attracted approximately 5.7 billion visits and 23.7 billion page views.businesses whose products have earned such distinction.
We believe competitive factors relating to attracting and retaining users include the ability to provide premium and exclusive content and the reach, effectiveness, and efficiency of our marketing services to attract consumers, advertisers, healthcare professionals and publishers. We continue to seek opportunities to acquire additional web properties, both within and outside of the technology, shopping, gaming lifestyle and healthcareentertainment, connectivity, and health and wellness verticals, with the goal of monetizing their audiences and content thoughthrough application of our proprietary technologies and insight.
Web Properties
Our Digital Media properties and services include the following:following five primary platforms: (1) technology, (2) shopping, (3) gaming and entertainment, (4) connectivity, and (5) health and wellness.
Technology
OoklaOur technology platform includes online publishers, as well as tools and services tailored to consumers, professionals, and organizations looking for technological expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. We expect our brands to deliver deeply-researched, current, and authentic content, data and services related to technology, culture, and the internet. Our technology brands include PCMag (which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022), Mashable, and SpiceworksZiff Davis.
Our publishing brands (including PCMag) are an online resource for laboratory-based product reviews, technology news, buying guides, and research papers. We also operate one of the longest running independent testing facilities for consumer technology products. Founded in 1984, our lab produces unbiased technology product and service reviews, and PCMag’s “Editor’s Choice” award is recognized globally as a trusted mark for buyers and sellers of technology products and services. Our publishing sites are also recognized as trusted global sources of stories for more than a dozen platforms, including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We also provide digital content for buyers of IT products and services, allowing IT vendors to identify, reach and influence corporate IT decision makers who are actively researching specific IT purchases.
Mashableis a trusted global leadermedia brand publishing premium content for individuals interested in technology and culture. Mashable produces stories for more than a dozen platforms, including Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Spiceworks Ziff Davis provides digital content for buyers of IT products and services, allowing IT vendors to identify, reach, and influence corporate IT decision makers who are actively researching specific IT purchases.
Shopping
Our shopping properties include RetailMeNot, Offers.com, and a collection of event-based commerce sites that seek to influence online purchasing decisions across an array of categories.
Our flagship savings destination, RetailMeNot, seeks to influence consumer purchase decisions through savings and discount opportunities by connecting retail partners with national and international brands with consumer shopping audiences. RetailMeNot promotional media solutions include mobile coupons and codes, and cash back offers across web, app, and browser extensions.
Offers.com is a coupons and deals website featuring offers from more than 25,000 of the internet’s more popular stores and brands. Offers.com’s objective is to help consumers find the best deals on the web. Additionally, Offers.com employs a process to verify that its coupon codes work, saving consumers time and money.
Our event-based properties, BlackFriday.com, TheBlackFriday.com, BestBlackFriday.com, and DealsofAmerica.com are resources for shoppers to find the best deals and offers from retailers during the height of the holiday shopping season.
Gaming and Entertainment
Our gaming properties include IGN Entertainment and Humble Bundle.
IGN Entertainment is an internet media brand focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. IGN reaches more than 250 million monthly users across 35 platforms and is followed by nearly 50 million social and YouTube followers with 350 million minutes watched monthly.
Our Humble Bundle business is a digital subscription and storefront for video games, ebooks, and software. Customers purchase monthly subscriptions, product bundles, and individual products through our website. Revenue is also generated from the direct sale and distribution of video games in which Humble Bundle is the publisher. In addition, raising money for charity is a core mission for Humble Bundle. Each product sale transaction at Humble Bundle results in a charitable contribution.
Connectivity
Several of our data and services businesses sit at the center of the broadband economy and provide some of the most popular sources of information on internet connectivity.
Ookla provides customers with fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data, and analysis. Over ten million tests are actively initiated by consumers each day across all of Ookla’s SpeedtestOokla’s platforms, with more than 1745 billion tests completed to date. As a result, Ookla maintains comprehensive analytics on worldwide internet performance and accessibility. Ookla solutions have been adopted by a significant number of internet service providers, and mobile carriers, and regulatory bodies worldwide and have been translated into over 30dozens of languages for use by thousands of businesses, governments, universities, and trade organizations.Ookla also offers its customers connectivity monitoring, testing, and insights under the CellRebel, RootMetrics, Solutelia, and SpatialBuzz brands.
Offers.com is a leading coupons & deals website featuringOur Ekahau business seeks to provide enterprise solutions to design and manage wireless networks by minimizing network deployment time and ensuring sufficient wireless coverage across the network.
Downdetector offers from more than 16,000real-time overviews of the internet’s more popular storesstatus information and brands. Saving shoppers since 2009, Offers.com’s objective isoutages for services and digital products that consumers use every day. Downdetector aims to help consumers find the best deals on the web. Additionally, Offers.com employs a process to verifytrack any service that its coupon codes work, saving consumers timeusers consider vital to their everyday lives, including (but not limited to) internet providers, mobile providers, airlines, banks, public transport, and money.other online services.
Ziff Davis B2B isHealth and Wellness
Everyday Health Group (“EHG”) operates a leading providerportfolio of digital content for buyers of information technology (IT) products and services, allowing IT vendors to identify, reach and influence corporate IT decision makers who are actively researching specific IT purchases.
PCMag is a leading online resource for laboratory-based product reviews, technology news and buying guides. We operate one of the largest and oldest independent testing facilities for consumer technology products. Founded in 1984, our lab produces more than 2,200 unbiased technology product and service reviews annually. PCMag’s “Editor’s Choice” award is recognized globally as a trusted mark for buyers and sellers of technology products and services.
Mashable.com is a global media brand publishing premium content for individuals interested in technology and culture. Powered by a proprietary data suite, Mashable is recognized as a trusted global brand and produces stories for more than a dozen platforms, including Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook.
Gaming & Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is a leading internet media brandproperties focused on the video gamedriving better clinical and entertainment enthusiast markets. IGN reaches more than 154 million monthly usershealth outcomes through decision-making informed by highly relevant information, data, and is followed by more than 11 million subscribers on YouTube and 30 million users on social platforms.analytics.


HumbleBundle.com is a digital subscription and storefront for video games, ebooks, and software. Customers purchase monthly subscriptions, product bundles, and individual products through our website. In addition, raising money for charity is a core mission for Humble Bundle. Each product sale transaction at Humble Bundle results in a charitable contribution, and, as of January 2018, Humble Bundle had helped raise over $117 million for charity.
Healthcare
The Everyday Health properties includeEHG portfolio includes a collection of premier content and tools for the consumer and healthcare professional.
Everyday Health Consumer

Consumer-focused properties include online content, interactive tools and mobile applications that are designed to allowenable consumers to manage a broad array of health and wellness needs on a daily basis. basis, including medical conditions, pregnancy, diet, and fitness. The EHG portfolio also includes educational and professional development services, news, and information for healthcare professionals to stay abreast of industry, legislative, regulatory, and continuing education developments across major medical specialties.
EHG is organized around three audiences: (1) Health and Wellness Consumers, (2) Pregnancy & Parenting, and (3) Healthcare Professionals.
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Health and Wellness Consumers
Consumer-focused properties include digital content and information services ranging from interactive guides, resource centers, special reports, community health tip sharing, newsletters, self-assessment tools, healthcare finders, e-courses, and lifestyle programs.
Everyday Health, our flagship brand, features medically reviewed, award-winning editorial content designed to inspire and enable the active management of health and wellness daily. In addition to Everyday Health and other EHG-owned and operated consumer websites, including DailyOM, Diabetes Daily, and Migraine Again, EHG provides advertisers access to the Everyday Health Trusted Care Access Portfolio (“TCAP”) of digital health properties. TCAP features digital properties of two of the most world-renowned medical centers, to which Everyday Health holds exclusive advertising representation rights. In 2022, we added Lose It! to our portfolio, a comprehensive, easy-to-use, personal, app-based weight loss program. Castle Connolly, a premier brand in healthcare provided research and rankings, publishes the renowned peer-reviewed Castle Connolly Top Doctors series.
Pregnancy & Parenting
BabyCenteris a broad-based health information portal that provides consumers with trustedleading global digital pregnancy and actionable health information intended to empower users to better manage their healthparenting resource and wellness.
operates nine international versions in six different languages delivered via websites, mobile apps, and online communities. We also operate the Mayo Clinic Diet digital program,properties for the What to Expect brand, a subscription-based plan for weight loss,leading pregnancy and ultimately better health, developed by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic.parenting media resource. Based on the bestsellingbest-selling pregnancy book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by author Heidi Murkoff, the same name,What to Expect website and mobile applications contain interactive content on conception planning and pregnancy, as well as information on raising newborns and toddlers. In 2022, we added Emma’s Diary to our portfolio, which offers advice, guidance and sampling to expectant mothers in the Mayo Clinic Diet digital program provides a step-by-step program to jump-start quick weight loss, achieve a goal weight and maintain it for life.United Kingdom.

Healthcare Professionals
Everyday Health Professional Properties

For healthcare professionals, we provide premier digital content that enablesis designed to enable healthcare professionals to stay abreast of clinical, industry, legislative, and regulatory developments across allmost major medical specialties. Our flagship professional property, MedPage Today,delivers daily breaking medical news in 34across major medical specialties and major public policy developments at the state and federal levels seven days a week. from Washington D.C. MedPage Todaycoordinates with approximately 4,000 leading researchers, and clinicians, as well as more than 300and academic medical centers to aid in gathering in-depth information for articles. its coverage. MedPage Todayexcellence has been recognized with awards from prestigious healthcare organizations including the American Society of Healthcare Business Editors, the National Institute for Healthcare Management, and eHealthcare.
EHG offers accredited continuing medical education (“CME”) and continuing education (“CE”) programs to healthcare professionals, through our PRIME Education business. PRIME is nationally recognized for its research-informed approach to CME and CE programs across a wide range of therapeutic areas. In numerous peer-reviewed publications, PRIME has demonstrated the eHealthcare Leadership Awards,impact of its work through measurably improving health care outcomes. In 2022, PRIME received the Medical Marketingprestigious Alliance Industry Summit Best in Class Outcomes Award.
Our Health eCareers business provides a digital portal to connect physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and Media Awards and the Web certified registered nurse anesthetists with jobs in every medical specialty. Health Awards. Additionally, MedPage Today was named as a finalist for the Jesse M. Neal Award and the Gerald M. Loeb Award.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting
We operate the digital properties for the What to Expect brand, the leading pregnancy and parenting media resource. Based on the best-selling pregnancy book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by author Heidi Murkoff, the What to Expect website and mobile applications contain content on conception planning and pregnancy, as well as information on newborns and toddlers.

Display and Video Advertising
We sell online display and video advertising on our owned-and-operated web properties and on third party sites as well as targeted advertisingeCareers contracts with thousands of healthcare employers across the internet through various unaffiliated third party digital advertising networks.
We have contractual arrangements with advertisers either directly or through agencies. The termsUnited States and an exclusive network of these contracts specify the price of the advertisinghealthcare associations and community partners seeking connections to be sold and the volume of advertisements that will be served over the course of a campaign.
In additionqualified healthcare professionals to the contracts with advertisers and agencies, we have contractual arrangements with certain third party websites not owned by us and third party advertising networks to deliver online display and video advertising to their websites or to third-party sites.
Performance Marketing
We generate business-to-business leads for IT vendors through the marketing of content, including white papers and webinars, and offer additional lead qualification and nurturing services. On the consumer side, we generate clicks to online merchants by promoting deals and discounts on our web properties.


Licensing
We license our proprietary technology, data and intellectual property to third parties for various purposes. For instance, we will license the right to use PCMag’s “Editors’ Choice” logo and other copyrighted editorial content to businesses whose products have earned such distinction.
Subscriptions
We offer subscriptions to businesses for Speedtest Intelligence, which offers up-to-date insights into global fixed broadband and mobile performance data. We offer subscriptions to consumers for our Mayo Clinic Diet program, PCMag Digital Edition and Humble Bundle.fill open positions.
Competition
Competition in the digital media space is fierce and continues to intensify.

Our digital media business competes with online publishers(i) diversified internet and digital media companies like IAC/InterActiveCorp, Future PLC, Red Ventures, and Internet Brands, (ii) vertical-specific digital media companies like RVO Health, TechTarget, Vox, Centerfield, Doximity, CarGurus, and Fandom and (iii) other large sellers of advertising including CNET, GameSpot, WebMd, Vox and others as well as with portals, advertising networks, social media sites and other platforms, including Google, Facebook,Alphabet, Meta, Snap, Twitch, and others. We believe that the primary competitive factors determining our success in the market for our digital media products and services include the reputation of our brands as trusted sources of objective information, and our ability to attract internet users and advertisers to our web properties.properties, and our expertise in multiple methods of monetization. Some of these companies may have greater financial and other resources than we do.

For more information regarding the competition that our Digital Media business faces, please refer to the section Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Cybersecurity and Martech
Our Cybersecurity and Martech business provides subscription based, software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solutions, with relatively stable and predictable revenue and margins from quarter to quarter. We generate substantially all of our Cybersecurity
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and Martech revenues from “fixed” subscription revenues for customer subscriptions and, to a lesser extent, “variable” usage revenues generated from actual usage by our subscribers.
Consumers and businesses of all sizes are increasingly subscribing to cloud-based services to meet their communication, messaging, security, privacy, customer marketing and other needs. Our Cybersecurity and Martech services represent a model for delivering and consuming, real time business technology services, resources and solutions over the internet. Their goal is to reduce or eliminate costs, increase sales and enhance productivity, mobility, business continuity and security.
Our VIPRE security and Inspired eLearning cybersecurity solutions protect our customers from cyber threats with endpoint and email security, threat intelligence and security awareness training. IPVanish provides virtual private networks that encrypt our customers’ data and activity on the internet. Livedrive enables our customers to securely back up their data and dispose of tape or other physical systems.
MOZ, Kickbox, Campaigner, iContact, and SMTP provide our customers with search engine optimization tools and enhanced email marketing and delivery solutions. eVoice and Line2 provide our customers a virtual phone system with various available enhancements. We believe these services represent more efficient and less expensive solutions than many existing alternatives, and provide increased security, privacy, flexibility and mobility.
We market our Cybersecurity and Martech offerings to a broad spectrum of prospective business customers including sole proprietors, small to medium-sized businesses and enterprises. We also market our Cybersecurity and Martech offerings to consumers. Our marketing efforts include enhancing brand awareness; utilizing online advertising, search engines and affiliate programs; selling through both a telesales and direct sales force; and working with resellers and other channel partners. We continuously seek to extend the number of distribution channels through which we face,acquire paying customers and improve the cost and volume of customers obtained through our current channels.
Our Cybersecurity and Martech businesses operate as the VIPRE Security Group and the MOZ Group, respectively.
VIPRE Security Group
The VIPRE Security Group’s offerings include endpoint and email security, security awareness training, secure backup and file sharing, and virtual private network solutions. We offer these services to consumers who are worried about their digital safety and personal information, and to small businesses and mid-sized enterprises who want advanced cyber threat protection. The VIPRE Security Group offers its services under the following brands.
IPVanish offers one of the fastest virtual private network services in the industry. The IPVanish network is designed to enable users to browse the internet more securely and anonymously, without restriction.
VIPRE software solutions are designed to protect people and businesses from costly and malicious cyber threats. VIPRE offerings include comprehensive endpoint and email security, along with threat intelligence for real-time malware analysis.
LiveDrive provides online backup and synchronized storage features for professionals and individuals, and is designed to allow customers to be able to access their files from virtually anywhere at any time so long as they have access to the internet.
Inspired eLearning’s SaaS platform for cybersecurity awareness and compliance training helps enterprises protect their organizations by reducing human-related cybersecurity and workplace incidents.
SugarSync provides online file backup, synchronization and sharing of a customer’s documents, photos, music and movies across a customer’s desktops, laptops, mobile, and other devices.
MOZ Group
The MOZ Group’s offerings include email marketing and delivery solutions, search engine optimization tools, and voice and text communication services. We offer these services to sole proprietors, small businesses, and mid-sized enterprises, enabling them to connect directly with their customers and grow the revenue of their businesses. The MOZ Group offers its services under the following brands.
Campaigner, iContact, and Kickbox provide email marketing solutions to help small, medium, and large businesses strengthen customer relationships and drive sales through professional email campaign creation, advanced list management, segmentation tools, verification tools, marketing automation, attribution reports, campaign tracking, and targeted email auto responders and workflows.
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MOZ Pro, MOZ Local, and Stat Analytics offer search engine optimization services that are used to help understand and improve traffic, rankings, and visibility in search results.
eVoice is a virtual phone system that provides small and medium-sized businesses on-demand voice communications services. Customers can assign departmental and individual extensions that can connect to multiple numbers, including land-line and mobile phones and IP networks, and can enhance reachability through “find me/follow me” capabilities. These services also include advanced integrated voicemail for each extension.
Line2 is a cloud phone service which allows users to add a second line to a mobile device. Line2 enables users to separate work and personal calls on a single device and includes standard business phone service features such as SMS, MMS, auto attendant, call routing, call forwarding, voicemail, call queue, and toll-free and vanity numbers.
Competition
Our Cybersecurity and Martech business faces competition from, among others, email marketing solution providers, marketing automation services, cybersecurity software and service vendors, and virtual private networks. Our online cybersecurity solutions compete against publicly-traded and privately-held providers of cybersecurity solutions and related software, such as Palo Alto Networks, Crowdstrike, Proofpoint, NortonLifeLock, Kape Technologies, KnowBe4, and Malwarebytes. Our marketing technology solutions compete directly with various providers of search engine optimization technology and communication platforms that provide email and voice-related services to small- and medium-sized businesses, including companies like SEMRush, MailChimp, The Campaign Monitor Group, Constant Contact, and Dialpad. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business also competes against diversified and acquisitive vertical market software providers like Constellation Software. Some of our competitors may have greater financial and other resources than we do.
We believe that the primary competitive factors determining our success in the market for Cybersecurity and Martech services include our financial strength and stability; pricing; reputation for reliability and security of service; intellectual property ownership; effectiveness of customer support; sign-up, service, and software ease-of-use; service scalability; customer messaging and branding; geographic coverage; scope of services; currency and payment method acceptance; and local language sales, messaging, and support.
For more information regarding the competition that our Cybersecurity and Martech businesses faces, please refer to the section entitled Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Seasonality
Revenues associated with our Digital Media business are subject to seasonal fluctuations, becoming most active during the fourth quarter holiday period due to increased retail activity. Our Cybersecurity and Martech revenues are impacted by the number of effective business days in a given period. We traditionally experience lower than average Cybersecurity and Martech usage and customer sign-ups in the fourth quarter.
Patents and Proprietary Rights
We regard the protection of our intellectual property rights as important to our success. We aggressively protect these rights by relying on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade dress, and trade secrets. We also enter into confidentiality and intellectual property assignment agreements with employees and contractors, and nondisclosure agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to and disclosure of our proprietary information.
Through a combination of internal technology development and acquisitions, we have built a portfolio of numerous U.S. and foreign patents. We generate licensing revenues from some of these patents. We are currently engaged in litigation to enforce several of our patents. For a more detailed description of the lawsuits in which we are involved, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings. We intend to continue to invest in patents, to aggressively protect our patent assets from unauthorized use, and to generate patent licensing revenues from authorized users.
Several of our U.S. patents have been reaffirmed through reexamination proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). We have generated royalties from licensing certain of our patents and have enforced certain patents against companies using our patented technology without our permission.
We seek patents for inventions that may contribute to our business or the technology sector. In addition, we have multiple pending U.S. and foreign patent applications, covering components of our technology and in some cases technologies beyond those that we currently offer. Unless and until patents are issued on the pending applications, no patent rights can be enforced.
We have obtained patent licenses for certain technologies where such licenses are necessary or advantageous.
We own and use a number of trademarks in connection with our services, including word and/or logo trademarks for eFax, MyFax, eFax Corporate, Sfax, eVoice, KeepItSafe, Fusemail, Onebox, PCMag, IGN, Everyday Health, AskMen,BabyCenter, Humble Bundle, PCMag, Mashable, Health eCareers, Ookla, Speedtest, and Geek.com,RetailMeNot, among others. Many of these trademarks are registered worldwide, and numerous trademark applications are pending around the world. We hold numerous internet domain names, including “efax.com”“everydayhealth.com”, “efaxcorporate.com”, “myfax.com”, “fax.com”, “evoice.com”, “keepitsafe.com”, “fusemail.com”, “campaigner.com”, “onebox.com”“retailmenot.com”, “pcmag.com”, “techbargains.com”, “ign.com”, “askmen.com”, “speedtest.net”
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“speedtest.net”, “offers.com”, “humblebundle.com”, “mashable.com”, “healthecareers.com”, and “geek.com”“babycenter.com”, among others. We have filed to protect our rights to our brands in certain alternative top-level domains such as “.org”, “.net”, “.biz”, “.info” and “.us”, among others.



Like other technology-based businesses, we face the risk that we will be unable to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, and the risk that we will be found to have infringed the proprietary rights of others. For more information regarding these risks, please refer to the section entitled Risk Factors contained in Item 1A1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Government Regulation
We are subject to a number of foreign and domestic laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business over the internet and, in some cases, using services of third-party telecommunications and internet service providers. These include, among others, laws and regulations addressing privacy, data storage, retention and security, freedom of expression, content, taxation, numbers, advertising and intellectual property. We are not a regulated telecommunications provider in the U.S. For information about the risks we face with respect to governmental regulation, please see Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled Risk Factors.
Seasonality
Our Cloud Services revenues are impacted by the number of effective business days in a given period. We traditionally experience lower than average Cloud Services usage and customer sign-ups in the fourth quarter. Revenues associated with our Digital Media operations are subject to seasonal fluctuations, becoming most active during the fourth quarter holiday period due to increased retail activity.
Research and Development
The markets for our services are evolving rapidly, requiring ongoing expenditures for research and development and timely introduction of new services and service enhancements. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to enhance our current services, to respond effectively to technological changes, attract and retain engineering talent, sell additional services to our existing customer base, and introduce new services and technologies that address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers.
We devote significant resources to develop new services and service enhancements. Our research, development and engineering expenditures were $46.0$74.1 million, $38.0$78.9 million and $34.3$57.1 million for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively. For more information regarding the technological risks that we face, please refer to the section entitled Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
EmployeesGovernment Regulation
We are subject to a number of foreign and domestic laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business over the internet and, in some cases, using services of third-party telecommunications and internet service providers. These include, among others, laws and regulations addressing privacy, data storage, retention and security, freedom of expression, content, taxation, numbers, advertising, and intellectual property. For information about the risks we face with respect to governmental regulation, please see Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2017,2022, we had approximately 2,4874,400 employees, the majority of whom are in thenearly evenly split between U.S.
and non-U.S based employees. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to attract, retain, and motivate our highly qualified technical, marketingworkforce is very important to our continued success. Approximately 50 of the editorial employees in our Digital Media business have elected to join a union. We chose to voluntarily recognize the union and management personnel. Ourhave negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with the union. None of our other employees are not represented by collective bargaining.
Acquisition Strategy Impact on Human Capital
The Company has made more than 80 acquisitions since its inception, including six during 2022 (exclusive of any collective bargaining unit or agreement.acquisitions that were part of businesses we have since divested). We believe that welcoming and integrating new groups of employees where each group has its own unique culture, organizational norms, and expectations, is a strength of ours. We believe that our integration approach reduces the human capital risk associated with our acquisition strategy, and we believe that our ability to effectively integrate new employees and businesses is a core competency of the Company.
Our Culture
Culture at the Company operates on two levels. While we have a strong enterprise-wide culture that focuses on our core values – diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, community, data privacy and security, and governance – we also have a strong network of micro-cultures that operate within many of our businesses and drive their success. Integrating those micro-cultures and values is important; we work hard to foster an environment of collaboration and embrace the power of small groups working together.
An important dimension of the enterprise culture at Ziff Davis continues to stem from our belief that profitability and corporate responsibility go hand in hand. We believe that “Doing is Greater than Talking,” which has been a rallying cry to employees, galvanizing them to take action to create social value and impact.
With their work and many contributions, our employees play a crucial role in supporting the Company’s “Five Pillars of Purpose,” which continue to include:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Reinforce our diverse workforce, reflect our diverse audiences, and extend upon our inclusive culture.
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Environmental Sustainability - Reduce our environmental footprint and continue helping customers and users reduce their footprint.
Community - Support our employees worldwide and positively impact the communities around us.
Data Privacy and Security - Protect our data and customer data, ensure our product security, and respect the data privacy rights of our users.
Governance - Represent shareholders’ best interests with our rigorous and transparent corporate governance structure.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Our Digital Media audiences and Cybersecurity and Martech services users are diverse – gender, race, ethnicity, age, orientation, geography, education, background, interests, and more. We believe that for our business to succeed over the long term, the Company must have an inclusive corporate culture that embraces diversity and promotes equity across our enterprise.
We continue to take steps to promote that culture. To date, we have:
Created the Ziff Davis Diversity Council, a diverse group of employees that develops recommendations for recruiting, mentorship, and advancement;
Supported six Employee Resource Groups to increase opportunities for networking, learning, and development;
Expanded the Employee Resource Group program to include the Family Employee Resource Group (“ERG”) for caregivers, with more groups to come;
Introduced DEI targets into our executive compensation program beginning in 2021; and
Launched a mentorship program for all employees to leverage internal leadership and expertise.
We believe that transparency and accountability are important parts of managing human capital risk. To that end, in 2022 we published our third Annual Diversity Report, available on our website, which details our workforce race representation, gender representation, and details how those differ between our overall workforce and our senior employees, as well as introducing commitments to DEI initiatives within our current and future workforce. We are proud of our progress to date – and we recognize we have much more to do.
Hiring
We reinforce our culture and our values by seeking out diverse candidates, and looking for candidates that fit well with our organizational priorities. We have never experiencedhad success in this area: 36 percent of all recent new hires in the U.S. have been people of color, and 58 percent of recent new hires in the U.S. have been women. We are working to proactively attract more diverse talent; we double our referral bonus paid to employees when we hire a work stoppage. We believeperson of color they recommend; we continued our relationshippartnership with Professional Diversity Network to advertise our open roles to employees aligning with a multitude of identity groups; and we became a 2022 Afrotech conference sponsor.
Employee Compensation & Benefits
Compensation is an important consideration for all of our employees and we strive to pay competitive compensation packages that reflect the success of the business and the individual contributions of each colleague. We are committed to fair pay practices and roles are periodically benchmarked to help inform where adjustments may be needed.
We care for our employees by providing benefits we believe are effective at attracting and retaining the talent critical for our success and, more importantly, assist in their day to day well-being. Those benefits include comprehensive health insurance coverage, covering 83% of health insurance premiums for covered U.S. employees in each of last three years, an employee stock purchase program, 401k program, flexible time off, free access to telemedicine, and up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for birth parents. In addition, we offer paid sick, military, jury duty, and bereavement leave, paid short and long term disability leave, family planning support, a program offering free access to meditation and healthy eating apps, and monthly webinars focused on wellness through the “Wellness Your Way” program.
We support our local communities by providing employees with 16 hours annually of fully paid Volunteer Time Off, partnering with Benevity to support volunteer event opportunities globally. We also expanded our Employee Assistance Fund (“EAF”) with America’s Charities to help employees impacted by unexpected financial hardship resulting from natural and other disasters as well as personal hardship, supporting employees from India, the United States, and Canada, with plans to add more countries in the future.
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Creating a culture where all colleagues feel supported and valued is good.paramount to our corporate mission. We have a mental health education program with quarterly events held throughout the year. We continue to evolve our programs to meet our colleagues’ health and wellness needs, which we believe is essential to attract and retain employees of the highest caliber, and we offer a competitive benefits package focused on fostering work/life integration.
Web Availability ofEnvironment, Social and Governance
In March 2022, Ziff Davis issued its first annual Environmental, Social & Governance (“ESG”) Report. Included in the report were the findings from our first GreenHouse Gas inventory, which calculates our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Our ESG efforts focused on five critical pillars: diversity, equity and inclusion; environmental sustainability; community; data privacy and security; and governance. The report highlighted the policies, programs and practices Ziff Davis has in place to tackle critical challenges and the tangible results we have already achieved across our business, within our industry, and in our communities. Included in the report are details about several new programs including our Global Mentorship Program, and Internal Mobility Program, among others.
Available Information
We file Annual Reports
The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”Act of 1934”), are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and files or furnishes reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information and amendments thereto filed or furnished by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge on the Company’s website at www.j2.comwww.ziffdavis.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we file such reports with, or furnish them to, the SEC’s website. The information on our website is not part of this report. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings we file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

www.sec.gov. Our Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our directors and employees. The Code is posted on the corporate governance page of Ziff Davis’s website, and can be accessed at http://investor.ziffdavis.com. Any changes to or waiver of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for senior financial officers, executive officers or directors will be posted on that website.

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Item 1A.Risk Factors

Before deciding to invest in j2 GlobalZiff Davis or to maintain or increase your investment, you should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other cautionary statements and risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC, including our subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may affect our business. If any of these known or unknown risks or uncertainties actually occurs, our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our common stock will likely decline and you may lose part or all of your investment.

Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, operations, and financial results.
Risks Related To Our Business

Acquisitions and investments in our business play a significant role in our growth.
Acquisitions may disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.
The majority of our revenue within the Digital Media business is derived from short-term advertising arrangements, and our Digital Media business may lose or be unable to attract advertisers if it cannot develop, commission, or acquire compelling content, if it cannot attract users to mobile offerings or if advertisers’ marketing budgets are cut or reduced.
We face risks associated with system failures, security breaches, and other technological issues.
We face risks associated with changes in our tax rates, changes in tax treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation, assessments or audits by taxing authorities, and potential exposure to additional tax liabilities (including with respect to sales and use, telecommunications, or similar taxes).
We face risks associated with weakened global and U.S. economic conditions, volatility in the economy, and political instability.
The markets in which we operate are highly competitive, and we may not be successful in growing our brands or revenue.
If the distribution of Consensus, together with certain related transactions, does not qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Ziff Davis, Consensus, and Ziff Davis stockholders could be subject to significant tax liabilities.
Our business is highly dependent on our billing systems functioning properly, and we face risks associated with credit and debit card declines and merchant standards imposed by credit and debit card companies.
We face potential liability for various types of legal claims, and we may be engaged in legal proceedings that could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and could divert significant operational resources and our management’s time and attention.
Our businesses depend in part on attracting visitors to our websites from search engines.
We may be subject to risks from international operations, including risks associated with currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls and other adverse changes in global financial markets, including unforeseen global crises such as war, strife, strikes, global health pandemics, as well as risks associated with international laws and regulations.
We may be found to infringe the intellectual property rights of others, and we may be unable to adequately protect our own intellectual property rights.
Our business is dependent on the supply of services and other business requirements from other companies.
Our business is dependent on our retention of our executive officers, and senior management, and our ability to hire and retain key personnel.
Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our financial flexibility and our competitive position, and we require significant cash to service our debt and fund our capital requirements.
We are exposed to risk if we cannot maintain or adhere to our internal controls and procedures.
We previously identified a material weakness in 2021, which has since been remediated, but which may have adversely affected our business, reputation, results of operations, and stock price.
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We face risks associated with our 1.75% Convertible Notes and 4.625% Senior Notes, including the possibility of changes in interest deductions, triggering of the conditional conversion feature, lack of funds to settle conversions, redemptions or repurchase of the notes, and imposition of restrictions on future debt.
Divestitures or other dispositions could negatively impact our business, and contingent liabilities from businesses that we have sold could adversely affect our financial statements.
Potential indemnification liabilities to Consensus pursuant to the separation agreement could materially and adversely affect our businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
ESG matters, as well as related reporting obligations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our reputation and performance.
Risks Related To Our Industries
We are subject to laws and regulations worldwide, changes to which could increase our costs and individually or in the aggregate adversely affect our business.These may in turn subject us to claims, judgments, monetary liabilities and other remedies, and to limitations on our business practices.
We operate across many different markets and may be exposed to a variety of government and private actions or self-regulatory developments regarding data privacy and security.
Data privacy and security regulations such as the GDPR, the CCPA, and CDPA impose significant compliance costs and expose us to substantial risks, particularly with respect to health data and other sensitive data.
Developments in the healthcare industry and associated regulations could adversely affect our business, including our Everyday Health Group set of brands.
Our business could suffer if providers of broadband internet access services block, impair or degrade our services.
Our business faces risks associated with advertisement blocking technologies and advertising click fraud.
The industries in which we operate are undergoing rapid technological changes, and we may not be able to keep up.
Risks Related To Our Stock
Features of the 1.75% Convertible Notes and 4.625% Senior Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial attempt to take over our company.
Conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes would dilute the ownership interest of our existing stockholders, including holders who had previously converted their 1.75% Convertible Notes.
We are a holding company and our operations are conducted through, and substantially all of our assets are held by, subsidiaries, which may be subject to restrictions on their ability to pay dividends to us to fund our dividends, if any, and interest payments and other holding company expenses.
Future sales of our common stock may negatively affect our stock price.
Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our stockholders.
Our stock price may be volatile or may decline, due to various reasons, including variations between actual results and investor expectations, industry and regulatory changes, introduction of new services by our competitors, developments with respect to IP rights, geopolitical events such as war, threat of war or terrorist actions, and global health pandemics, among others.
Risks Related To Our Business
Acquisitions and investments in our business have historically played a significant role in our growth and we anticipate that they will continue to do so.

We mustplan to acquire additional or invest in new or current businesses, products, services and technologies that complement or augment our service offerings and customer base in order to sustainenhance our rate of growth. We may not successfully identify suitable acquisition candidates or investment strategies, manage disparate technologies, lines of business, personnel and corporate cultures, realize our business strategy or the expected return on our investment, or manage a geographically dispersed company. If we are unable to identify and execute on acquisitions or execute on our investment strategies, our revenues, business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could suffer.

We have made and expect to continue to make acquisitions that could disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.
We intend to continue to develop new services, enhance existing services and expand our geographic presence through acquisitions of other companies, service lines, technologies, and personnel.
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Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including the following:
Difficulties in integrating the operations, systems, technologies, products, and personnel of the acquired businesses;
Difficulties in entering markets in which we have no or limited direct prior experience and where competitors in such markets may have stronger market positions;
Diversion of management’s attention from normal daily operations of the business and the challenges of managing larger and more widespread operations resulting from acquisitions; and
The potential loss of key employees, customers, distributors, vendors, and other business partners of the businesses we acquire.
Acquisitions may also cause us to:
Use a substantial portion of our cash resources or incur debt;
Significantly increase our interest expense, leverage, and debt service requirements if we incur additional debt to pay for an acquisition;
Assume liabilities;
Issue common stock that would dilute our current stockholders’ percentage ownership;
Record goodwill and intangible assets that are subject to impairment testing on a regular basis and potential periodic impairment charges;
Incur amortization expenses related to certain intangible assets; and
Become subject to intellectual property or other litigation.
Mergers and acquisitions are inherently risky and subject to many factors outside of our control. We cannot give assurances that our previous or future acquisitions will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating results, or financial condition. Failure to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions could materially harm our business and operating results. In addition, our effective tax rate for future periods is uncertain and could be impacted by mergers and acquisitions.
The majority of our revenue within the Digital Media segmentbusiness is derived from short-term advertising arrangements and a reduction in spending by or loss of current or potential advertisers would cause our revenue and operating results to decline.

In most cases, our agreements with advertisers have a term of one year or less and may be terminated at any time by the advertiser or by us without penalty. Advertising agreements often provide that we receive payment based on “served” impressions, but the online ad industry has started to shift so that payment will be made based on “viewable” impressions, and that change in basis could have a negative effect on available impressions thereby reducing our revenue potential. Accordingly, it is difficult to accurately forecast display revenue accurately.revenue. In addition, our expense levels are based in part on expectations of future revenue. Moreover, we believe that advertising on the internet, as in traditional media, fluctuates significantly as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. Some of these factors include (a) budget constraints of our advertisers, (b) cancellations or delays of projects by our advertisers due to numerous factors, including but not limited to, supply chain issues, (c) the cyclical and discretionary nature of advertising spending, (d) general economic, internet-related, and media industry conditions, (e) tax and other legislation and regulation, as well as (f) extraordinary events.events, such as war, acts of terrorism or aggression, extreme weather events including as exacerbated by climate change, and pandemics or other public health crises. The state of the global economy and availability of capital has impacted and could further impact the advertising spending patterns of existing and potential advertisers. AnyContinued reduction in spending by, or loss of, existing or potential advertisers would negatively impact our revenue and operating results. Further, we may be unable to adjust our expenses and capital expenditures quickly enough to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall.


If we are unable to develop, commission, or acquire compelling content in our Digital Media segmentbusiness at acceptable prices, our expenses may increase, the number of visitors to our online properties may not grow, as anticipated, or may decline, and/or visitors’ level of engagement with our websites may decline, any of which could harm our operating results.
Our future success depends in part on the ability of our Digital Media segmentbusiness to aggregate compelling content and deliver that content through our online properties. We believe that users willUsers are increasingly demanddemanding high-quality content and services including more video and mobile-specific content. Such content and services may require us to make substantial payments to third parties if we are unable to develop content of our own. Our ability to maintain and build relationships with such third-party providers is critical to our success. In addition, as new methods for accessing the internet become available, including through alternative devices, we may need to enter into amended agreements with existing third-party providers to cover the new devices. We may be unable to monetize the activity on these alternative devices including mobile devices which may supplant current traffic that we monetize. We may be unable to enter into new, or preserve existing, relationships with the third-parties whose content or services we seek to
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obtain. In addition, as competition for compelling content increases both domestically and internationally, our third-party providers may increase the prices at which they offer their content and services to us and potential providers may not offer their content or services to us at all, or may offer them on terms that are not agreeable to us. An increase in the prices charged to us by third-party providers could harm our operating results and financial condition. Further, many of our content and services licenses with third parties are non-exclusive. Accordingly, other media providers may be able to offer similar or identical content. This increases the importance of our ability to deliver compelling content and personalization of this content for users in order to differentiate our properties from other businesses. IfAlthough we are unable togenerally develop compelling content of our own, when we may be requiredare unable to do so, we engage freelance services or obtain licensed content which may not be at reasonable prices and which could harm our operating results.

We have made and expect to continue to make acquisitions that could disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.

We intend to continue to develop new services, enhance existing services and expand our geographic presence through acquisitions of other companies, service lines, technologies and personnel.

Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including the following:

Difficulties in integrating the operations, systems, technologies, products and personnel of the acquired businesses;
Difficulties in entering markets in which we have no or limited direct prior experience and where competitors in such markets may have stronger market positions;
Diversion of management’s attention from normal daily operations of the business and the challenges of managing larger and more widespread operations resulting from acquisitions; and
The potential loss of key employees, customers, distributors, vendors and other business partners of the businesses we acquire.

Acquisitions may also cause us to:

Use a substantial portion of our cash resources or incur debt;
Significantly increase our interest expense, leverage and debt service requirements if we incur additional debt to pay for an acquisition;
Assume liabilities;
Issue common stock that would dilute our current stockholders’ percentage ownership;
Record goodwill and intangible assets that are subject to impairment testing on a regular basis and potential periodic impairment charges;
Incur amortization expenses related to certain intangible assets; and
Become subject to intellectual property or other litigation.

Mergers and acquisitions are inherently risky and subject to many factors outside of our control. We cannot give assurance that our previous or future acquisitions will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition. Failure to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions could materially harm our business and operating results. In addition, our effective tax rate for future periods is uncertain and could be impacted by mergers and acquisitions.



In our Digital Media business, if we are unable to prove that our advertising and sponsorship solutions provide an attractive return on investment for our customers, our financial results could be harmed.
Our ability to grow revenue from our Digital Media business will beis dependent on our ability to demonstrate to marketers that their marketing campaigns with us provide a meaningful return on investment (“ROI”) relative to offline and other online opportunities. Certain of the marketing campaigns with respect to our Digital Media business are designed such that the revenues received are based entirely upon the ROI delivered for customers. Our Digital Media business has invested significant resources in developing its research, analytics, and campaign effectiveness capabilities and expects to continue to do so in the future. Our ability, however, to demonstrate the value of advertising and sponsorship on Digital Media business properties will depend,depends, in part, on the sophistication of the analytics and measurement capabilities, the actions taken by our competitors to enhance their offerings, whether we meet the ROI expectations of our customers, and a number of other factors. If we are unable to maintain sophisticated marketing and communications solutions that provide value to our customers or demonstrate our ability to provide value to our customers, our financial results will be harmed.

Our fax services constitute a significant percentage of our revenue.

Currently, fax-to-email revenue constitutes approximately 29% of our consolidated revenues. The success of our business is therefore dependent upon the continued use of fax as a messaging medium and/or our ability to diversify our service offerings and derive more revenue from other services, such as voice, online backup, email, unified messaging solutions and services related to our Digital Media segment. If the demand for online fax-to-email as a messaging medium decreases, and we are unable to replace lost revenues from decreased usage or cancellation of our fax services with a proportional increase in our customer base or with revenues from our other services, our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
We believe that one of the attractive features of our eFax® and similar products is that fax signatures are a generally accepted method of executing contracts. There are ongoing efforts by governmental and non-governmental entities to create a universally accepted method for electronically signing documents. Widespread adoption of so-called “digital signatures” could reduce demand for our fax services and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

A system failure, security breach or other technological risk could delay or interrupt service to our customers, harm our reputation, lead to a loss of customers, or subject us to significant liability.

Our operations are dependent on our network being free from material interruption by damage from fire, earthquake, or other natural disaster, power loss, telecommunications failure, unauthorized entry, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, or any other events beyond our control. Similarly, the operations of our partners and other third parties with which we work are also susceptible to the same risks. There can be no assurance that our existing and planned precautions of backup systems, regular data backups, security protocols, and other procedures will be adequate to prevent significant damage, system failure or data loss, and the same is true for our partners, vendors, and other third parties on which we rely. We have experienced attempts to gain unauthorized access to customer accounts. To date, these events have not resulted in the material impairment of any business operations.
Also, many of our services are web-based, and the amount of data we store for our users on our servers has been increasing. Despite the implementation of security measures, our infrastructure, and that of our partners, vendors, and other third parties may be vulnerable to computer viruses, hackers, or similar disruptive problems caused by our vendors, partners, other third parties, subscribers, employees, or other internet users who attempt to invade public and private data networks. As seen in the industries in which we operate and others, these activities have been, and will continue to be, subject to continually evolving cybersecurity and technological risks. Further, in some cases we do not have in place disaster recovery facilities for certain ancillary services. Moreover, a significant portion of our operations relies heavily on the secure processing, storage, and transmission of confidential and other sensitive data. For example, a significant number of our cloud servicesCybersecurity and Martech customers authorize us to bill their credit or debit card accountsthem directly for all transaction fees charged by us. We rely on encryption and authentication technology to effect secure transmission of confidential information, including customer credit and debit card numbers.financial information is highly dependent on our billing systems functioning. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, or other developments may result in a material compromise or breach of the technology used by us, our partners, our vendors, or other third parties to protect transaction and other confidential data. Any system failure or security breach that causes interruptions or data loss in and to our operations and systems or those of our partners, vendors, customers, or other third parties, or in the computer systems of our customers orwhich leads to the misappropriation of our or our customers’ confidential information, could result in a significant liability to us (including in the form of judicial decisions and/or settlements, regulatory findings and/or forfeitures, and other means), cause considerable harm to us and our reputation (including requiring notification to customers, regulators, and/or the media), cause a loss of confidence in our products and services,and deter current and potential customers from using our services. Our Board is briefed on cybersecurity risks and we implement cybersecurity risk management under our Board’s oversight. We use vendors to assist with cybersecurity risks, but these vendors may not be able to assist us adequately in preparing for or responding to a cybersecurity incident. We maintain insurance related to cybersecurity risks, but this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our losses from any breaches or other adverse consequences related to a


cybersecurity-event. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows, or a negative impact to our reputation could cause us to suffer other negative consequences. For example, we may incur remediation costs (such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage, and incentives to customers or business partners in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack); increased cybersecurity
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protection costs (which may include the costs of making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third partythird-party experts and consultants); lost revenues resulting from the unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to retain or attract customers following an attack; litigation and legal risks (including regulatory actions by state and federal governmental authorities and non-U.S. authorities); increased insurance premiums; reputational damage that adversely affects customer or investor confidence; and damage to the company’s competitiveness, stock price, and diminished long-term shareholder value.

Political instability and volatility To date, such events have not resulted in the economy may adversely affect segmentsmaterial impairment of our customers, which may result in decreased usage and advertising levels, customer acquisition and customer retention rates and, in turn, could lead to a decrease in our revenues or rate of revenue growth.any business operations.

Certain segments of our customers may be adversely affected by political instability and volatility in the general economy or renewed downturns. To the extent these customers’ businesses are adversely affected by political instability or volatility, their usage of our services and/or our customer retention rates could decline. This may result in decreased cloud services subscription and/or usage revenues and decreased advertising, e-commerce or other revenues, which may adversely impact our revenues and profitability.

Users are increasingly using mobile devices to access our content within our Digital Media business segment and if we are unsuccessful in attracting new users to our mobile offerings, and expanding the capabilities of our content and other offerings with respect to our mobile platforms, our net revenues could decline.

Web usage and the consumption of digital content are increasingly shifting to mobile platforms such as smartphones and other connected devices. Visits to our mobile websites and applications have increased but if the percentage of visits to our mobile websites does not continue to grow or we are unable to effectively monetize our mobile content, net revenue will be impacted. In addition, we are less effective at monetizing digital content on our mobile websites and applications compared to our desktop websites. The growth of our business depends in part on our ability to continue to adapt to the mobile environment and to deliver compelling solutions to consumers and retailers through these new mobile marketing channels. In addition, our success on mobile platforms will be dependent on our interoperability with popular mobile operating systems that we do not control, and any changes in such systems that degrade our functionality or give preferential treatment to competitive services could adversely affect usage of our services through mobile devices.
We could be subject to changesChanges in our tax rates, changes in tax treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities which may adversely impact our financial results.

We are a U.S. basedU.S.-based multinational company subject to taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions including Ireland, where a number of our subsidiaries are organized. Our provision for income taxes is based on a jurisdictional mix of earnings, statutory tax rates, and enacted tax rules, including transfer pricing. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. As a result, our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. These changes may adversely impact our effective tax rate and harm our financial position and results of operations.

The recently enacted U.S. federal tax legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“2017 Tax Act”) may have an adverse effect on our business or on our results of operations. The 2017 Tax Act significantly revised the U.S. tax code by, in part but not limited to, reducing the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and imposing a mandatory one-time transition tax on certain un-repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries. The SEC staff acknowledged the challenges companies face incorporating the effects of tax reform by their financial reporting deadlines and issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, or SAB 118, to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. As of December 31, 2017, we recorded a provisional income tax charge of $49.2 million for the transition tax on deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income. We also recorded a provisional income tax benefit of $33.3 million for the re-measurement of our U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities because of the federal corporate maximum tax rate reduction. The provisional amounts recorded are based on our current interpretation and understanding of the 2017 Tax Act, are judgmental and may change as we receive additional clarification and implementation guidance. We will continue to gather and evaluate the income tax impact of the 2017 Tax Act. Changes to these provisional amounts or any of our other estimates regarding taxes could result in material charges or credits in future reporting periods.


Additionally, the tax project initiated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (“BEPS”) and other similar initiatives could adversely affect our worldwide effective tax rate. With the finalization of specific actions contained within the OECD’s BEPS study, many OECD countries have acknowledged their intent to implement the actions and update their local tax laws. The extent (if any) to which countries in which we operate adopt and implement these actions could have a material adverse impact on our effective tax rate, income tax expense, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are subject to examination of our income tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under audit by the IRS for tax years 2012 through 2014authorities and the California Franchise Tax Board (“FTB”) for tax years 2012 and 2013. The FTB, however, has agreed to suspend its audit for 2012 and 2013 pending the outcome of the IRS audit for such tax years. We are also under audit or review by other state and foreign taxing authorities for various periods. Our future income tax returns are likely to become the subject of audits by these or other taxing authorities.government bodies. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our income tax reserves and expense.other tax reserves. If our reserves are not sufficient to cover these contingencies, such inadequacy could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
In addition, due to the global nature of the internet, it is possible that various states or foreign countries might attempt to impose additional or new regulation on our business or levy additional or new sales, income, or other taxes relating to our activities. Tax authorities at the international, federal, state, and local levels are currently reviewing the appropriate treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce and online advertising. New or revised international, federal, state, or local tax regulations or court decisions may subject us or our customers to additional sales, income, and other taxes. For example, the European Union, certain member states, and other countries, as well as states within the United States, have proposed or enacted taxes on online advertising and marketplace service revenues. The application of existing, new or revised taxes on our business, in particular, sales taxes, VAT, and similar taxes would likely increase the cost of doing business online and decrease the attractiveness of selling products and advertising over the internet. The application of these taxes on our business could also create significant increases in internal costs necessary to capture data and collect and remit taxes. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Moreover, we are currently under or subject to examination for indirect taxes in various states, municipalities and foreign jurisdictions. We currently have a $25.5 million reserve established for these matters. If a material indirect tax liability associated with prior periods were to be recorded, for which there is not a reserve, it could materially affect our financial results for the period in which it is recorded.
Furthermore, much of our Digital Media e-commerce revenue comes from arrangements in which we are paid by retailers to promote their digital product and service offers on our sites. Certain states have implemented regulations that require retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on sales made to residents of such states if a publisher, such as us, that facilitated that sale is a resident of such state. Paid retailers in our marketplace that do not currently have sales tax nexus in any state that subsequently passes similar regulations and in which we have operations, employees, or contractors now or in the future, may significantly alter the manner in which they pay us, cease paying us for sales we facilitate for that retailer in such state, or cease using our marketplace, each of which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Taxing authorities may successfully assert that we should have collected, or in the future should collect sales and use, telecommunications, or similar taxes, and we could be subject to liability with respect to past or future tax, which could adversely affect our operating results.
We believe we remit state and local sales and use, excise, utility user, and ad valorem taxes, as well as fees and surcharges or other similar obligations, in all relevant jurisdictions in which we generate sales, based on our understanding of the applicable laws in those jurisdictions. Such tax, fee, and surcharge laws and rates vary greatly by jurisdiction, and the application of each of them to e-commerce businesses, such as ours, is a complex and evolving area. The jurisdictions where we have sales may apply more rigorous enforcement efforts or take more aggressive positions in the future that could result in greater tax liability. In addition, in the future we may also decide to engage in activities that would require us to pay sales and use, telecommunications, or similar taxes in new jurisdictions. Such tax assessments, penalties and interest or future requirements may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operating results.
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Weakened global and U.S. economy conditions, volatility in the economy, and political instability may adversely affect us and certain of our customers, which may result in, among other things, decreased usage and advertising levels, as well as decreased customer acquisition and customer retention rates and, in turn, could lead to a decrease in our revenues or rate of revenue growth.
Our overall performance depends in part on general global and U.S. economic conditions. Weakened global and U.S. economic conditions (including reduced economic growth, recessions, inflationary conditions, rising interest rates, and increased unemployment), volatility in the economy, and political instability may affect us and certain of our customers. Among other things, such conditions may lead, and have in the past led, to decreased usage of our services, decreased retention rates, decreased advertising, e-commerce, subscription or other revenues, and increased costs. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the reactions of governmental and public health authorities and others to the pandemic, disrupted and may continue to disrupt economic activity, resulting in reduced commercial and consumer confidence and spending, increased unemployment, inflation, volatility in the global economy, instability in the credit and financial markets, labor shortages, and disruption in supply chains. These each may impact, and have in the past impacted, our revenues and profitability. For example, in connection with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. and other governments have imposed severe economic sanctions and export controls and have threatened additional sanctions and controls. The full impact of these measures, or of any potential responses to them by Russia or other countries, on the businesses and results of operations or our customers or us is unknown.
Climate change may have a long-term impact on our business.
Climate change may have an adverse impact on our business locations, and those of our customers and vendors. For example, our business locations, or those of our customers and vendors, may experience adverse climate-related events, including fluctuations in temperature or water availability, floods, wildfires (and resultant air quality impacts), and power shutoffs associated with these events. A climate-related event that destroys or disrupts any of our critical systems could severely impact our ability to conduct business, and we cannot ensure that our systems and data centers will remain fully operational during and immediately after such an event or disruption. Climate-related events also pose risks to our employees’ ability to stay connected and perform their job duties, particularly for those who work from home. We may experience increased employee turnover, business losses or additional costs to maintain or resume operations due to climate-related events. In addition, changes in regulatory requirements, markets and shareholder expectations regarding climate change may impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have begun the assessment and management of climate-related risks to our operations, including through our Environmental, Social and Governance Committee, but we cannot ensure that we are fully able to assess or manage such risks.
The markets in which we operate are highly competitive and some of our competitors may have greater resources to commit to growth, superior technologies, cheaper pricing, or more effective marketing strategies. Also, we face significant competition for users, advertisers, publishers, developers, and distributors.
For information regarding our competition, and the risks arising out of the competitive environment in which we operate, see the subsection entitled “Competition” with respect to each of our Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses contained in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, some of our competitors include major companies with much greater resources and significantly larger customer bases than we have. Some of these competitors offer their services at lower prices than we do. These companies may be able to develop and expand their network infrastructures and capabilities more quickly, adapt more swiftly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements, take advantage of acquisition and other opportunities more readily, and devote greater resources to the marketing and sale of their products and services than we can. There can be no assurance that additional competitors will not enter markets that we are currently serving and plan to serve or that we will be able to compete effectively. Competitive pressures may reduce our revenue, operating profits, or both.
Our Digital Media business faces significant competition from online media companies as well as from social networking sites, mobile applications, traditional print and broadcast media, general purpose and search engines, and various e-commerce sites. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business faces competition from cloud software services and applications across several categories including secured communications, cybersecurity, and marketing technology.
Several of our competitors offer an integrated variety of software and internet products, advertising services, technologies, online services, and content. We compete against these and other companies to attract and retain subscribers, users, advertisers, partners, and developers. We also compete with social media and networking sites which are attracting a substantial and increasing share of users and users’ online time, and may continue to attract an increasing share of online advertising dollars.
In addition, several competitors offer products and services that directly compete for users with our Digital Media business offerings. Similarly, the advertising networks operated by our competitors or by other participants in the display marketplace offer services that directly compete with our offerings for advertisers, including advertising exchanges, ad networks, demand side platforms, ad serving technologies, and sponsored search offerings. We also compete with traditional
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print and broadcast media companies to attract advertising spending. Some of our existing competitors and possible entrants may have greater brand recognition for certain products and services, more expertise in a particular segment of the market, and greater operational, strategic, technological, financial, personnel, or other resources than we do. Many of our competitors have access to considerable financial and technical resources with which to compete aggressively, including by funding future growth and expansion and investing in acquisitions, technologies, and research and development. Further, emerging start-ups may be able to innovate and provide new products and services faster than we can. In addition, competitors may consolidate with each other or collaborate, and new competitors may enter the market. Some of the competitors of our Cybersecurity and Martech business in international markets have a substantial competitive advantage over us because they have dominant market share in their territories, are owned by local telecommunications providers, have greater brand recognition, are focused on a single market, are more familiar with local tastes and preferences, or have greater regulatory and operational flexibility due to the fact that we may be subject to both U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements.
If our competitors are more successful than we are in developing and deploying compelling products or in attracting and retaining users, advertisers, publishers, developers, or distributors, our revenue and growth rates could decline.
Our growth will depend on our ability to develop, strengthen, and protect our brands, and these efforts may be costly and have varying degrees of success.
Our brand recognition has significantly contributed to the success of our business. Strengthening our current brands and launching competitive new brands will be critical to achieving widespread commercial acceptance of our products and services. This will require our continued focus on active marketing, the costs of which have been increasing and may continue to increase. In addition, substantial initial investments may be required to launch new brands and expand existing brands to cover new geographic territories and technology fields. Accordingly, we may need to spend increasing amounts of money on, and devote greater resources to, advertising, marketing, and other efforts to cultivate brand recognition and customer loyalty. In addition, we are supporting an increasing number of brands, each of which requires its own investment of resources. Brand promotion activities may not yield increased revenues and, even if they do, increased revenues may not offset the expenses incurred. If we failA failure to launch, promote, and maintain our brands, or if we incurthe incurrence of substantial expenses in doing so, could have a material adverse effect on our business could be harmed.business.
Our brand recognition depends, in part, on our ability to protect our trademark portfolio and establish trademark rights covering new brands and territories. Some regulators and competitors have taken the view that certain of our brands, such as eFax and eVoice, are descriptive or generic when applied to the products and services offered by our Cloud Services segment.Cybersecurity and Martech business. Nevertheless, we have obtained U.S. and foreign trademark registrations for our brand names, logos, and other brand identifiers, including eFax and eVoice. If we are unable to obtain, maintain or protect trademark rights covering our brands across the territories in which they are or may be offered, the value of these brands may be diminished, competitors may be able to dilute, harm, or freeload offtake advantage of our brand recognition and reputation, and our ability to attract subscribers may be adversely affected.
We hold domain names relating to our brands, in the U.S. and internationally. The acquisition and maintenance of domain names are generally regulated by governmental agencies and their designees. The regulation of domain names may change. Governing bodies may establish additional top-level domains, appoint additional domain name registrars, or modify the requirements for holding domain names. As a result, we may be unable to acquire or maintain all relevant domain names that relate to our brands. Furthermore, international rules governing the acquisition and maintenance of domain names in foreign jurisdictions are sometimes different from U.S. rules, and we may not be able to obtain all of our domains internationally. As a result of these factors, we may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or otherwise decrease the value of our brands, trademarks or other proprietary rights. In addition, failure to secure or maintain domain names relevant to our brands could adversely affect our reputation and make it more difficult for users to find our websites and services.

If the distribution of Consensus equity, together with certain related transactions, does not qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Ziff Davis, Consensus and Ziff Davis stockholders could be subject to significant tax liabilities.
The separation of Consensus was effected by a pro rata distribution to our shareholders of 80.1% of the stock of Consensus, comprising our prior cloud fax business. We obtained (i) a private letter ruling from the IRS, satisfactory to our Board of Directors, regarding certain U.S. federal income tax matters relating to the separation and related transactions and (ii) an opinion of outside counsel, satisfactory to our Board of Directors, regarding the qualification of the distribution, together with certain related transactions, as generally tax-free, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). The opinion of outside counsel and the IRS private letter ruling were based, among other things, on various facts and assumptions, as well as certain representations, statements and undertakings of Ziff Davis and Consensus (including those relating to the past and future conduct of Ziff Davis and Consensus). If any of these facts, assumptions, representations, statements or undertakings is, or becomes, inaccurate or incomplete, or if Ziff Davis or
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Consensus breach any of their respective covenants contained in any of the separation-related agreements or in the documents relating to the IRS private letter ruling and/or any opinion, the IRS private letter ruling and/or any opinion may be invalid. Accordingly, notwithstanding receipt of the IRS private letter ruling and/or opinions of counsel or other external tax advisors, the IRS could determine that the distribution and certain related transactions should be treated as taxable transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes if it determines that any of the facts, assumptions, representations, statements or undertakings that were included in the request for the IRS private letter ruling or on which any opinion was based are false or have been violated. In addition, the IRS private letter ruling does not address all of the issues that are relevant to determining whether the distribution, together with certain related transactions, qualifies as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and an opinion of outside counsel or other external tax advisor represents the judgment of such counsel or advisor which is not binding on the IRS or any court. Accordingly, notwithstanding receipt by Ziff Davis of the IRS private letter ruling and the tax opinions referred to above, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not assert that the distribution and/or certain related transactions do not qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. In the event the IRS were to prevail with such a challenge, Ziff Davis, Consensus and Ziff Davis’ stockholders could be subject to significant U.S. federal income tax liability.
If the distribution, together with certain related transactions, fails to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, in general, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Ziff Davis would recognize taxable gain as if it had sold the Consensus common stock in a taxable sale for its fair market value and Ziff Davis stockholders who receive shares of Consensus common stock in the distribution would be subject to tax as if they had received a taxable distribution equal to the fair market value of such shares.
In addition, we may incur certain tax costs in connection with the separation, including non-U.S. tax costs resulting from separations in multiple non-U.S. jurisdictions that do not legally provide for tax-free separations, which may be material. As a result of requirements of Section 355 of the Code or other applicable tax laws, in order to avoid the risk of incurring material tax-related liabilities, for a period of time after the separation we may determine to forego certain strategic transactions, equity issuances or repurchases or other transactions that we would otherwise believe to be in the best interests of our stockholders or that might increase the value of our business.
Our business is highly dependent on our billing systems.
A significant part of our revenues depends on prompt and accurate billing processes. Customer billing is a highly complex process, and our billing systems must efficiently interface with third-party systems, such as those of credit card processing companies. Our ability to accurately and efficiently bill our customers is dependent on the successful operation of our billing systems and the third-party systems upon which we rely, such as our credit card processor, and our ability to provide these third parties the information required to process transactions. In addition, our ability to offer new services or alternative-billing plans is dependent on our ability to customize our billing systems. Any failures or errors in our billing systems or procedures could impair our ability to properly bill our current customers or attract and service new customers, and users may be subject to telecommunicationsthereby could materially and sales taxes.

As a provider of cloud services for business, we do not provide telecommunications services. Thus, we believe thatadversely affect our business and our users (by using our services) are not subject to various telecommunications and utility taxes. However, several state taxing authorities have challenged this belief and have and may continue to audit and assess our business and operations with respect to telecommunications and sales taxes.

In addition, the application of other indirect taxes (such as sales and use tax, business tax and gross receipt tax) to e-commerce businesses such as j2 Global and our users is a complex and evolving issue.



The application of existing, new or future laws could have adverse effects on our business, prospects and operatingfinancial results. There have been, and will continue to be, substantial ongoing costs associated with complying with the various indirect tax requirements in the numerous markets in which we conduct or will conduct business.

We are currently under audit for indirect taxes in several states and municipalities. We currently have no material financial reserves established with respect to indirect taxes. If a material indirect tax liability associated with prior periods were to be recorded, it could materially affect our financial results for the period in which it is recorded.

Much of our Digital Media e-commerce revenue comes from arrangements in which we are paid by retailers to promote their digital product and service offers on our sites. Certain states have implemented regulations that require retailers to collect and remit sales taxes on sales made to residents of such states if a publisher, such as us, that facilitated that sale is a resident of such state. Paid retailers in our marketplace that do not currently have sales tax nexus in any state that subsequently passes similar regulations and in which we have operations, employees or contractors now or in the future, may significantly alter the manner in which they pay us, cease paying us for sales we facilitate for that retailer in such state, or cease using our marketplace, each of which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results.

Increased numbers of credit and debit card declines in our Cloud Services segmentbusiness could lead to a decrease in our Cloud Services revenues or rate of revenue growth.

A significant number of our paid cloud servicesCybersecurity and Martech subscribers and certain Digital Media subscribers pay for theirour services through credit and debit cards. Weakness in certain segments of the credit markets and in the U.S. and global economies could result in increased numbers of rejected credit and debit card payments. We believe this could result in increased cloud services customer cancellations and decreased customer signups. Rejected credit or debit card payments, cloud services customer cancellations and decreased customer sign up may adversely impact our revenues and profitability.

If our Cloud Services segmentbusiness experiences excessive fraudulent activity or cannot meet evolving credit card company merchant standards, we could incur substantial costs and lose the right to accept credit cards for payment and our subscriber base could decrease significantly.

A significant number of our paid cloud servicesCybersecurity and Martech subscribers and certain Digital Media subscribers authorize us to bill their credit card accounts directly for all service fees charged by us. If people pay for these services with stolen credit cards, we could incur substantial unreimbursed third-party vendor costs. We also incur losses from claims that the customer did not authorize the credit card transaction to purchase our service. If the numbers of unauthorized credit card transactions become excessive, we could be assessed substantial fines for excess chargebacks and could lose the right to accept credit cards for payment. In addition, we are subject to Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) data security standards, which require periodic audits by independent third parties to assess our compliance. PCI standards are a comprehensive set of requirements for enhancing payment account data security. Failure to comply with the security requirements or rectify a security issue may result in fines or a restriction on accepting payment cards. Credit card companies may change the standards required to utilize their services from time to time. If we are unable to meet these new standards, we could be unable to accept credit cards. Further, the law relating to the liability of providers of online payment services is currently unsettled and states may enact their
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own rulerules with which we may not comply. Substantial losses due to fraud or our inability to accept credit card payments, which could cause our paid cloud services subscriber base to significantly decrease, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive and our competitors may have greater resources to commit to growth, superior technologies, cheaper pricing or more effective marketing strategies. Also, we face significant competition for users, advertisers, publishers, developers and distributors.

For information regarding our competition, and the risks arising out of the competitive environment in which we operate, see the section entitled Competition contained in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, some of our competitors include major companies with much greater resources and significantly larger subscriber bases than we have. Some of these competitors offer their services at lower prices than we do. These companies may be able to develop and expand their network infrastructures and capabilities more quickly, adapt more swiftly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements, take advantage of acquisition and other opportunities more readily and devote greater resources to the marketing and sale of their products and services than we can. There can be no assurance that additional competitors will not enter markets that we are currently serving and plan to serve or that we will be able to compete effectively. Competitive pressures may reduce our revenue, operating profits or both.

Our Digital Media segment faces significant competition from online media companies as well as from social networking sites, mobile application, traditional print and broadcast media, general purpose and search engines and various e-commerce sites.


Several of our competitors offer an integrated variety of internet products, advertising services, technologies, online services and content. We compete against these and other companies to attract and retain users, advertisers and developers. We also compete with social media and networking sites which are attracting a substantial and increasing share of users and users’ online time, and may continue to attract an increasing share of online advertising dollars.
In addition, several competitors offer products and services that directly compete for users with our Digital Media segment offerings. Similarly, the advertising networks operated by our competitors or by other participants in the display marketplace offer services that directly compete with our offerings for advertisers, including advertising exchanges, ad networks, demand side platforms, ad serving technologies and sponsored search offerings. We also compete with traditional print and broadcast media companies to attract advertising spending. Some of our existing competitors and possible entrants may have greater brand recognition for certain products and services, more expertise in a particular segment of the market, and greater operational, strategic, technological, financial, personnel, or other resources than we do. Many of our competitors have access to considerable financial and technical resources with which to compete aggressively, including by funding future growth and expansion and investing in acquisitions, technologies, and research and development. Further, emerging start-ups may be able to innovate and provide new products and services faster than we can. In addition, competitors may consolidate with each other or collaborate, and new competitors may enter the market. Some of the competitors for our Cloud Services segment in international markets have a substantial competitive advantage over us because they have dominant market share in their territories, are owned by local telecommunications providers, have greater brand recognition, are focused on a single market, are more familiar with local tastes and preferences, or have greater regulatory and operational flexibility due to the fact that we may be subject to both U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements.
If our competitors are more successful than we are in developing and deploying compelling products or in attracting and retaining users, advertisers, publishers, developers, or distributors, our revenue and growth rates could decline.

As a creator and a distributor of content over the internet, we face potential liability for legal claims based on the nature and content of the materials that we create or distribute.
Users access health-related content through our Everyday Health Group properties, including information regarding particular medical conditions, diagnosis and treatment, and possible adverse reactions or side effects from medications. If our content, or content we obtain from third parties, contains inaccuracies, it is possible that consumers or professionals who rely on that content or others may make claims against us with various causes of action. Although our properties contain terms and conditions, including disclaimers of liability, that are intended to reduce or eliminate our liability, third parties may claim that these online agreements are unenforceable.
Our editorial and other quality control procedures may not be sufficient to ensure that there are no errors or omissions in our content offerings or to prevent such errors and omissions in content that is controlled by our partners. Even if potential claims do not result in liability to us, investigating and defending against these claims could be expensive and time consuming and could divert management’s attention away from our operations.
Inadequate intellectual property protections could prevent us from defending our proprietary technology and intellectual property.

Our success depends, in part, upon our proprietary technology and intellectual property. We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, contractual restrictions, and other confidentiality safeguards to protect our proprietary technology. However, these measures may provide only limited protection and it may be costly and time-consuming to enforce compliance with our intellectual property rights. In some circumstances, we may not have adequate, economically feasible or realistic options for enforcing our intellectual property and we may be unable to detect unauthorized use. While we have a robust worldwide portfolio of issued patents and pending patent applications, there can be no assurance that any of these patents will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, that we will be able to successfully police infringement, or that any rights granted under these patents will in fact provide a competitive advantage to us.

In addition, our ability to register or protect our patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property may be limited in some foreign countries. As a result, we may not be able to effectively prevent competitors in these regions from utilizing our intellectual property, which could reduce our competitive advantage and ability to compete in those regions and negatively impact our business.

We also strive to protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We typically enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure


and use of, our proprietary information. However, we may not be successful in executing these agreements with every party who has access to our confidential information or contributes to the development of our technology or intellectual property rights. Those agreements that we do execute may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. These contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights may not prevent the misappropriation or disclosure of our proprietary information nor deter independent development of similar technology or intellectual property by others.

Monitoring unauthorized use of the content on our websites and mobile applications, and our other intellectual property and technology, is difficult and costly. Our efforts to protect our proprietary rights and intellectual property may not have been and may not be adequate to prevent their misappropriation or misuse. Third parties from time to time copy content or other intellectual property or technology from our solutions without authorization and seek to use it for their own benefit. We generally seek to address such unauthorized copying or use, but we have not always been successful in stopping all unauthorized use of our content or other intellectual property or technology, and may not be successful in doing so in the future. Further, we may not have been and may not be able to detect unauthorized use of our technology or intellectual property, or to take appropriate steps to enforce our intellectual property rights.

Companies that operate in the same industry as our Cloud Services and Digital Media segments have experienced substantial litigation regarding intellectual property. Currently, we have pending patent infringement lawsuits, both offensive and defensive, against several companies in this industry. Furthermore, we may find it necessary or appropriate to initiate claims or litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of intellectual property rights claimed by others. This or any other litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights may be expensive and time-consuming, could divert management resources and may not be adequate to protect our business.

We may be found to have infringed the intellectual property rights of others, which could expose us to substantial damages or restrict our operations.

We have been and expect to continue to be subject to legal claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others. The ready availability of damages and royalties and the potential for injunctive relief have increased the costs associated with litigating and settling patent infringement claims. In addition, we may be required to indemnify our resellers and users for similar claims made against them. Any claims, whether or not meritorious, could require us to spend significant time, money, and other resources in litigation, pay damages and royalties, develop new intellectual property, modify, design around, or discontinue existing products, services, or features, or acquire licenses to the intellectual property that is the subject of the infringement claims. These licenses, if required, may not be available at all or have acceptable terms. As a result, intellectual property claims against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. 
We may be subject to risks from international operations.
As we continue to expand our business operations in countries outside the U.S., our future results could be materially adversely affected by a variety of uncontrollable and changing factors including, among others, foreign currency exchange rates; political or social unrest or economic instability in a specific country or region; trade protection measures and other regulatory requirements which may affect our ability to provide our services; difficulties in staffing and managing international operations; and adverse tax consequences, including imposition of withholding or other taxes on payments by subsidiaries and affiliates. Any or all of these factors could have a material adverse impact on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
We have only limited experience in marketing and operating our services in certain international markets. Moreover, we have in some cases experienced and expect to continue to experience in some cases higher costs as a percentage of revenues in connection with establishing and providing services in international markets versus the U.S. In addition, certain international markets may be slower than the U.S. in adopting the internet and/or outsourced messaging and communications solutions and so our operations in international markets may not develop at a rate that supports our level of investments.



As we continue to grow our international operations, adverse currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls could have a material adverse effect on our balance sheet and results of operations.
As we expand our international operations, we could be exposed to significant risks of currency fluctuations. In some countries outside the U.S., we offer our services in the applicable local currency, including but not limited to the Australian Dollar, the Canadian Dollar, the Euro, the Hong Kong Dollar, the Japanese Yen, the New Zealand Dollar, the Norwegian Kroner and the British Pound Sterling, among others. As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates affect the results of our operations, which in turn may materially adversely affect reported earnings and the comparability of period to period results of operations. Changes in currency exchange rates may also affect the relative prices at which we and foreign competitors sell our services in the same market. In addition, changes in the value of the relevant currencies may affect the cost of certain items required in our operations. Furthermore, we may become subject to exchange control regulations, which might restrict or prohibit our conversion of other currencies into U.S. Dollars. We cannot assure you that future exchange rate movements will not have a material adverse effect on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. To date, we have not entered into foreign currency hedging transactions to control or minimize these risks.

We may be engaged in legal proceedings that could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses and could divert significant operational resources and our management’s time and attention.
From time to time, we are subject to litigation or claims or are involved in other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries, including in the areas of patent infringement and anti-trust,data privacy, that could negatively affect our business operations and financial condition. Such disputes could cause us to incur unforeseen expenses, divert operational resources, occupy a significant amount of our management’s time and attention and negatively affect our business operations and financial condition. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief. We do not always have insurance coverage for defense costs, judgments, and settlements. We may also be subject to indemnification requirements with business partners, vendors, current and former officers and directors, and other third parties. Payments under such indemnification provisions may be material. For a more detailed description of certain lawsuits in which we are involved, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
The successful operation of our business depends upon the supply of critical business elements and marketing relationships from other companies.
We depend upon third parties for critical elements of our business, including technology, infrastructure, customer service and sales and marketing components. We rely on private third-party providers for our internet, telecommunications, website traffic and other connections and for co-location of a significant portion of our servers. Any disruption in the services provided by any of these suppliers, any adverse change in their terms and conditions of use or services, or any failure by them to handle current or higher volumes of activity could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. To obtain new cloud services customers, we have marketing agreements with operators of leading search engines and websites and employ the use of resellers to sell our products. These arrangements typically are not exclusive and do not extend over a significant period of time. Failure to continue these relationships on terms that are acceptable to us or to continue to create additional relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
Our business is highly dependent on our billing systems.
A significant part of our revenues depends on prompt and accurate billing processes. Customer billing is a highly complex process, and our billing systems must efficiently interface with third-party systems, such as those of credit card processing companies. Our ability to accurately and efficiently bill our customers is dependent on the successful operation of our billing systems and the third-party systems upon which we rely, such as our credit card processor, and our ability to provide these third parties the information required to process transactions. In addition, our ability to offer new services or alternative-billing plans is dependent on our ability to customize our billing systems. Any failures or errors in our billing systems or procedures could impair our ability to properly bill our current customers or attract and service new customers, and thereby could materially and adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our success depends on our retention of our executive officers, senior management and our ability to hire and retain key personnel.
Our success depends on the skills, experience and performance of executive officers, senior management and other key personnel. The loss of the services of one or more of our executive officers, senior managers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Our future success also


depends on our continuing ability to attract, integrate and retain highly qualified technical, sales and managerial personnel. Competition for these people is intense, and there can be no assurance that we can retain our key employees or that we can attract, assimilate or retain other highly qualified technical, sales and managerial personnel in the future.
We are exposed to risk if we cannot maintain or adhere to our internal controls and procedures.
We have established and continue to maintain, assess and update our internal controls and procedures regarding our business operations and financial reporting. Our internal controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurances regarding our business operations and financial reporting. However, because of the inherent limitations in this process, internal controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or misstatements. To the extent our internal controls are inadequate or not adhered to by our employees, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
If we are not able to maintain internal controls and procedures in a timely manner, or without adequate compliance, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud and may be subject to sanctions or investigations by regulatory authorities such as the SEC or NASDAQ. Any such action or restatement of prior-period financial results as a result could harm our business or investors’ confidence in j2 Global, and could cause our stock price to fall.

Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our financial flexibility and our competitive position.

Our level of indebtedness could have significant effects on our business. For example, it could:
make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations, including our current indebtedness and any other indebtedness we may incur in the future;
increase our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions;
require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other elements of our business strategy and other general corporate purposes, including share repurchases and payment of dividends;
limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industries in which we operate;
restrict us from exploiting business opportunities;
place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less indebtedness; and
limit our ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our business strategy or other general corporate purposes.

In addition, the indenture governing the 6.0% Senior Notes of our subsidiary, j2 Cloud Services, LLC (“j2 Cloud Services”) contains and the agreements evidencing or governing other future indebtedness may contain, restrictive covenants that may limit our ability to engage in activities that may be in our long-term best interests. Our failure to comply with those covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in the acceleration of all of our indebtedness.

The indenture governing the 6.0% Senior Notes contains a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions and may limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions, meet capital needs or make acquisitions, or otherwise restrict our activities or business plans. These include restrictions on our ability to:

incur additional indebtedness;
create liens;
engage in sale-leaseback transactions;
pay dividends or make distributions in respect of capital stock;
purchase or redeem capital stock;
make investments or certain other restricted payments;
sell assets;
enter into transactions with affiliates; or
effect a consolidation or merger.

A breach of the covenants under the indenture governing the 6.0% Senior Notes could result in an event of default. Such a default may allow the creditors to accelerate the related indebtedness and may result in the acceleration of any other indebtedness to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies. In the event our lenders or the holders of our 6.0% Senior Notes accelerate the repayment of our borrowings, we and our subsidiaries may not have sufficient assets to repay that indebtedness or our other indebtedness.


To service our debt and fund our other capital requirements, we will require a significant amount of cash, and our ability to generate cash will depend on many factors beyond our control.

Our ability to meet our debt service obligations and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other elements of our business strategy and other general corporate purposes, including share repurchases and payment of dividends, will depend upon our future performance, which will be subject to financial, business and other factors affecting our operations. To some extent, this is subject to general and regional economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot ensure that we will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available, in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our debt or to fund our other liquidity needs.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional indebtedness or equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, those alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. The indenture governing the 6.0% Senior Notes restrict our ability to dispose of assets and may also restrict our ability to raise indebtedness or equity capital to be used to repay other indebtedness when it becomes due. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or to obtain proceeds in an amount sufficient to meet any debt service obligations then due.

Our inability to generate sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, would materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to settle conversions of the Convertible Notes or to repurchase the Convertible Notes upon a fundamental change or on a repurchase date or the Senior Notes upon a change in control, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion or repurchase of the Convertible Notes or the Senior Notes.

Holders of the 3.25% convertible senior notes due June 15, 2029 (the “Convertible Notes”) will have the right to require us to repurchase their Convertible Notes on each of June 15, 2021 and June 15, 2024 and upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes), in each case, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. Holders of the Senior Notes also have the right to require our subsidiary, j2 Cloud Services, to repurchase the Senior Notes upon the occurrence of a change in control (as defined in the indenture governing the Senior Notes) at a repurchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Convertible Notes being converted. It is our intention to satisfy our conversion obligation by paying and delivering a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, where cash will be used to settle each $1,000 of principal and the remainder, if any, will be settled via shares of our common stock. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases of Convertible Notes or Senior Notes surrendered therefor or Convertible Notes being converted. In addition, our ability to repurchase the Convertible Notes or Senior Notes or to pay cash upon conversions of the Convertible Notes may be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements governing our future indebtedness. Our failure to repurchase Convertible Notes or Senior Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the applicable indenture or to pay any cash payable on future conversions of the Convertible Notes as required by the Convertible Notes indenture would constitute a default under the Convertible Notes indenture. A default under either indenture or the fundamental change or change of control itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the Convertible Notes or the Senior Notes or make cash payments upon conversions of the Convertible Notes.



The conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

In the event the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes is triggered, holders of Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert the Convertible Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Convertible Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Convertible Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Our interest deductions attributable to the Convertible Notes may be deferred, limited or eliminated under certain conditions.

We believe that the Convertible Notes are subject to the IRS contingent payment debt instrument regulations. This conclusion is subject to complex factual and legal uncertainty and is not binding on the IRS or the courts. If the IRS takes a contrary position and a court sustains the IRS’ position, our tax deductions would be severely diminished with a resulting adverse effect on our cash flow and ability to service the Convertible Notes.

Risks Related To Our Industries

Our services may become subject to burdensome regulation, which could increase our costs or restrict our service offerings.
We believe that our cloud services are “information services” under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and related precedent, or, if not “information services,” that we are entitled to other exemptions, meaning that we are not currently subject to U.S. telecommunications services regulation at both the federal and state levels. In connection with our cloud services business, we utilize data transmissions over public telephone lines and other facilities provided by third-party carriers. These transmissions are subject to foreign and domestic laws and regulation by the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”), state public utility commissions and foreign governmental authorities. These regulations affect the availability of numbers, the prices we pay for transmission services, the administrative costs associated with providing our services, the competition we face from telecommunications service providers and other aspects of our market. However, as messaging and communications services converge and as the services we offer expand, we may become subject to FCC or other regulatory agency regulation. It is also possible that a federal or state regulatory agency could take the position that our offerings, or a subset of our offerings, are properly classified as telecommunications services or otherwise not entitled to certain exemptions upon which we currently rely. Such a finding could potentially subject us to fines, penalties or enforcement actions as well as liabilities for past regulatory fees and charges, retroactive contributions to various telecommunications-related funds, telecommunications-related taxes, penalties and interest. It is also possible that such a finding could subject us to additional regulatory obligations that could potentially require us either to modify our offerings in a costly manner, diminish our ability to retain customers, or discontinue certain offerings, in order to comply with certain regulations. Changes in the regulatory environment could decrease our revenues, increase our costs and restrict our service offerings. In many of our international locations, we are subject to regulation by the applicable governmental authority.
In the U.S., Congress, the FCC, and a number of states require regulated telecommunications carriers to contribute to federal and/or state Universal Service Funds (“USF”)Proceedings. Generally, USF is used to subsidize the cost of providing service to low-income customers and those living in high cost or rural areas. Congress, the FCC and a number of states are reviewing the manner in which a provider’s contribution obligation is calculated, as well as the types of entities subject to USF contribution obligations. If any of these reforms are adopted, they could cause us to alter or eliminate our non-paid services and to raise the price of our paid services, which could cause us to lose customers. Any of these results could lead to a decrease in our revenues and net income and could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
 The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (the “TCPA”) and FCC rules implementing the TCPA, as amended by the Junk Fax Act, prohibit sending unsolicited facsimile advertisements to telephone fax machines. The FCC, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), or both may initiate enforcement action against companies that send “junk faxes” and individuals also may have a private cause of action. Although entities that merely transmit facsimile messages on behalf of others are not liable for compliance with the prohibition on faxing unsolicited advertisements, the exemption from liability does not apply to fax transmitters that have a high degree of involvement or actual notice of an illegal use and have failed to take steps to prevent such transmissions. We take significant steps to ensure that our services are not used to send unsolicited faxes on a large scale, and we do not believe that we have a high degree of involvement in or notice of the use of our service to broadcast junk faxes. However, because fax transmitters


do not enjoy an absolute exemption from liability under the TCPA and related FCC and FTC rules, we could face inquiries from the FCC and FTC or enforcement actions by these agencies, or private causes of action, if someone uses our service for such impermissible purposes. If this were to occur and we were to be held liable for someone’s use of our service for transmitting unsolicited faxes, the financial penalties could cause a material adverse effect on our operations and harm our business reputation.
Likewise, the TCPA also prohibits placing calls or sending text messages to mobile phones without “prior express consent” subject to limited exceptions. Parties that solely enable calling or text messaging are only directly liable under the TCPA pursuant to federal common law vicarious liability principles. We take significant steps to ensure that users understand that they are responsible for how they use our technology including complying with relevant federal and state law. However, because we do not enjoy absolute exemption from liability under the TCPA and related FCC and FTC rules, we could face inquiries from the FCC and FTC or enforcement actions by these agencies, or private causes of action, if someone uses our service for such impermissible purposes. If this were to occur and we were to be held liable for someone’s use of our service for unauthorized calling or text messaging mobile users, the financial penalties could cause a material adverse effect on our operations and harm our business reputation.

Also, in the U.S., the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (“CALEA”) requires telecommunications carriers to be capable of performing wiretaps and recording other call identifying information. In September 2005, the FCC released an order defining telecommunications carriers that are subject to CALEA obligations as facilities-based broadband internet access providers and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (“VoIP”) providers that interconnect with the public switched telephone network. As a result of this definition, we do not believe that j2 Global is subject to CALEA. However, if the category of service providers to which CALEA applies broadens to also include information services, that change may impact our operations.

We are subject to a variety of new and existing laws and regulations which could subject us to claims, judgments, monetary liabilities and other remedies, and to limitations on our business practices.

The application of existing domestic and international laws and regulations to us relating to issues such as defamation, pricing, advertising, taxation, promotions, billing, consumer protection, accessibility, content regulation, and intellectual property ownership and infringement in many instances is unclear or unsettled. In addition, we will also be subject to any new laws and regulations directly applicable to our domestic and international activities. Further, the application of existing laws to us or our subsidiaries regulating or requiring licenses for certain businesses of our advertisers including, for example, distribution of pharmaceuticals, alcohol, adult content, tobacco, or firearms, as well as insurance and securities brokerage, and legal services, can be unclear. Internationally, we may also be subject to laws regulating our activities in foreign countries and to foreign laws and regulations that are inconsistent from country to country. Our Digital Media segment utilizes contractors, freelancers and staff from third party outsourcers to provide content and other services. However, in the future, arrangements with such individuals may not be deemed appropriate by the relevant government authority, which could result in additional costs and expenses. We may incur substantial liabilities for expenses necessary to defend such litigation or to comply with these laws and regulations, as well as potential substantial penalties for any failure to comply. Compliance with these laws and regulations may also cause us to change or limit our business practices in a manner adverse to our business.

The use of consumer data by online service providers and advertising networks is a topic of active interest among federal, state, and international regulatory bodies, and the regulatory environment is unsettled and evolving. Federal, state, and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, disclosure, sharing and security of data that we receive from and about our users. Our privacy policies and practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of user data are posted on our websites.

A number of U.S. federal laws, including those referenced below, impact our business. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) is intended, in part, to limit the liability of eligible online service providers for listing or linking to third-party websites that include materials that infringe copyrights or other rights of others. Portions of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) are intended to provide statutory protections to online service providers who distribute third-party content. We rely on the protections provided by both the DMCA and the CDA in conducting our business. If these or other laws or judicial interpretations are changed to narrow their protections, or if international jurisdictions refuse to apply similar provisions in foreign lawsuits, we will be subject to greater risk of liability, our costs of compliance with these regulations or to defend litigation may increase, or our ability to operate certain lines of business may be limited. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act is intended to impose restrictions on the ability of online services to collect some types of information from children under the age of 13. In addition, Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008 (“PROTECT Act”) requires online service providers to report evidence of violations of federal child pornography laws under certain circumstances. Other federal, state or international laws and legislative efforts designed to protect children on the internet may impose additional requirements on us. U.S. export control laws and regulations impose requirements and restrictions on exports to certain nations and persons and on our business.



In certain instances, we may be subject to enhanced privacy obligations based on the type of information we store and process. While we believe we are in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations, we could be subject to enforcement actions, fines, forfeitures and other adverse actions.

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (the “CAN-SPAM Act”), which allows for penalties that run into the millions of dollars, requires commercial emails to include identifying information from the sender and a mechanism for the receiver to opt out of receiving future emails. Several states have enacted additional, more restrictive and punitive laws regulating commercial email. Foreign legislation exists as well, including Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (“CASL”) and the European laws that have been enacted pursuant to European Union Directive 2002/58/EC and its amendments. We use email as a significant means of communicating with our existing and potential users. We believe that our email practices comply with the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act, state laws, and applicable foreign legislation. If we were ever found to be in violation of these laws and regulations, or any other laws or regulations, our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Many third parties are examining whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) concept of public accommodations also extends to the websites and to mobile applications. The Company is assessing the requirements of the ADA to determine what impact this could have on our websites. Generally, some plaintiffs have argued that websites and mobile applications are places of public accommodation under Title III of the ADA and, as such, must be equipped so that individuals with disabilities can navigate and make use of subject websites and mobile applications. The issue is currently under litigation and there is a split in the federal court of appeals circuits as to what the ADA requires. Certain appellate circuits have found that websites standing alone are subject to the ADA and therefore must be accessible to people with disabilities. Other circuits, including the Ninth Circuit which has appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts in California, where our company is headquartered, have found that in order for websites to be places of public accommodation and therefore subject to the ADA there must be both a nexus between the website and the goods and services the website provides as well as a physical brick and mortar location for consumers. We cannot predict how the ADA will ultimately be interpreted as applied to websites and mobile applications.

Since we do not have a retail location, we believe we are in compliance with relevant law. If the law changes or if certain courts with appellate jurisdiction outside of California attempt to exercise jurisdiction over us and find that our website and mobile applications must comply with the ADA, then any adjustments or requirements to implement any changes prescribed by the ADA could result in increased costs to our business, we may be subject to injunctive relief, plaintiffs may be able to recover attorneys’ fees, and it is possible that, while the ADA does not provide for monetary damages, we are subject to such damages through state consumer protection or other laws. It is possible that these potential liabilities could cause a material adverse effect on our operations and harm our business reputation.

Native advertising is an increasing part of our Digital Media segment’s online advertising revenue. On December 22, 2015 the FTC issued Guidelines and an Enforcement Policy Statement on native advertising, described by the FTC as, in part, ads which often “resemble the design, style, and functionality of the media in which they are disseminated”. The Company, as well as trade groups and our consultants, are assessing the requirements of these guidelines on our current practices and industry practices and what, if any, effect this could have on our native advertising business. In addition, the timing and extent of any enforcement by the FTC with regard to the native advertising practices by the Company, or others, could reduce the revenue we generate from this line of business.

For certain data transfers between the European Union (“EU”) and the U.S., j2 Global, like many other companies, had relied on what is referred to as the “EU-U.S. Safe Harbor,” in order to comply with privacy obligations imposed by EU countries. Recently, the European Court of Justice invalidated the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor. Subsequently, a group comprised of the majority of EU data protection regulators issued a statement that it would further consider the decision issued by the European Court of Justice and coordinate any potential enforcement actions after January 31, 2016. But some individual data protection regulators located in EU countries have threatened to begin enforcement actions independently of this larger representative group of such entities. Although U.S. and EU policymakers approved a new framework known as “Privacy Shield” that would allow companies like us to continue to rely on some form of a safe harbor for the transfer of certain data from the EU to the U.S., it remains to be seen if this new safe harbor meets the standards of the European laws on data privacy. It is also unclear whether the UK will offer a similar program to Privacy Shield when the UK leaves the EU. Additionally, other countries that relied on the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor that were not part of the EU have also found that data transfers to the U.S. are no longer valid based on the European Court of Justice ruling. We cannot predict how or if this issue will be resolved nor can we evaluate any potential liability at this time.

The Company is working to put into place various alternative grounds on which to rely in order to be in compliance with relevant law for the transfer of data from overseas locations to the U.S. which have not been invalidated by the European Court of Justice. Some independent data regulators have adopted the position that other forms of compliance are also invalid though the


legal grounds for these findings remain unclear at this time. We cannot predict at this time whether the alternative grounds that j2 Global continues to implement will be found to be consistent with relevant laws nor what any potential liability may be at this time.

Further, failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our policies, applicable requirements, or industry self-regulatory principles related to the collection, use, sharing or security of personal information, or other privacy, data-retention or data-protection matters could result in a loss of user confidence in us, damage to our brands, and ultimately in a loss of users and advertising partners, which could adversely affect our business. Changes in these or any other laws and regulations or the interpretation of them could increase our future compliance costs, make our products and services less attractive to our users, or cause us to change or limit our business practices. Further, any failure on our part to comply with any relevant laws or regulations may subject us to significant civil or criminal liabilities.

Government and private actions or self-regulatory developments regarding internet privacy matters could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.

Our Digital Media business collects and sells data about its users’ online behavior and the revenue associated with this activity could be impacted by government regulation and enforcement, industry trends, self-regulation, technology changes, consumer behavior and attitude, and private action. We also use such information to work with our advertisers to more effectively target ads to relevant users and consumers, which ads command a higher rate.

Many of our users voluntarily provide us with demographic and other information when they register for one of our service or properties. In order for our Everyday Health brand to deliver marketing and communications solutions to pharmaceutical companies, health insurers and hospital systems, we rely on data provided by our customers. We also purchase data from third-party sources to augment our user profiles and marketing databases so we are better able to personalize content, enhance our analytical capabilities and better target our marketing programs. If changes in user sentiment regarding the sharing of information results in a significant number of visitors to our websites and applications refusing to provide us with demographic information or information about their specific health interests, our ability to personalize content for our users and provide targeted marketing solutions would be impaired. If our users choose to opt-out of having their data used for behavioral targeting, it would be more difficult for us to offer targeted marketing programs to our customers.
We append data from third-party sources to augment our user profiles. If we are unable to acquire data from third-party sources for whatever reason, or if there is a marked increase in the cost of obtaining such data, our ability to personalize content and provide marketing solutions could be negatively impacted.

The use of such consumer data by online service providers and advertising networks is a topic of active interest among federal, state, and international regulatory bodies, and the regulatory environment is unsettled. Federal, state, and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, disclosure, sharing and security of data that we receive from and about our users. Our privacy policies and practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of user data are posted on our websites.

New and expanding “Do Not Track” regulations have recently been enacted or proposed that protect users’ right to choose whether or not to be tracked online. These regulations seek, among other things, to allow consumers to have greater control over the use of private information collected online, to forbid the collection or use of online information, to demand a business to comply with their choice to opt out of such collection or use, and to place limits upon the disclosure of information to third party websites. These laws and regulations could have a significant impact on the operation of our advertising and data businesses. U.S. regulatory agencies have also placed an increased focus on online privacy matters and, in particular, on online advertising activities that utilizes cookies or other tracking tools. Consumer and industry groups have expressed concerns about online data collection and use by companies, which has resulted in the release of various industry self-regulatory codes of conduct and best practice guidelines that are binding for member companies and that govern, among other things, the ways in which companies can collect, use and disclose user information, how companies must give notice of these practices and what choices companies must provide to consumers regarding these practices.
We may be required or otherwise choose to adopt Do Not Track mechanisms or self-regulation principles, in which case our ability to use our existing tracking technologies, to collect and sell user behavioral data, and permit their use by other third parties could be impaired. This could cause our net revenues to decline and adversely affect our operating results.
U.S. and foreign governments have enacted or considered or are considering legislation or regulations that could significantly restrict our ability to collect, augment, analyze, use and share anonymous data, which could increase our costs and reduce our revenue.


We operate across many different jurisdictions both domestically and internationally which may subject us to cybersecurity, privacy, data security and data protection laws with uncertain interpretations as well as impose conflicting obligations on us.
Cybersecurity, privacy, data security, and data protection laws are constantly evolving at the federal and state levels in the United States, as well as abroad. We are currently subject to such laws both at the federal and state levels in the U.S. as well as similar laws in a variety of international jurisdictions. The interpretation of these laws may be uncertain and may also impose confliction obligations on us. While we work to comply with all applicable law and relevant “best practices” addressing cybersecurity, privacy, data security and data protection, this is an area of the law that is constantly evolving as are the relevant industry codes and threat matrix. Further it is possible that applicable law and “best practices” are interpreted in an inconsistent or conflicting manner either by differing federal, state or international authorities or across the jurisdictions in which we operate. Any failure or perceived failure by us, our partners, our vendors, or third parties on which we rely could result in a significant liability to us (including in the form of judicial decisions and/or settlements, regulatory findings and/or forfeitures, and other means), cause considerable harm to us and our reputation (including requiring notification to customers, regulators, and/or the media), cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, and deter current and potential customers from using our services. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation will impose significant compliance costs and expose the Company to substantial risks.

The EU has traditionally imposed more strict obligations under data privacy laws and regulations. Individual EU member countries have had discretion with respect to their interpretation and implementation of EU data privacy laws, resulting in variation of privacy standards from country to country. However, the 1995 Data Protection Directive will be replaced when the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) that was adopted in April 2016 comes into effect in May 2018. The GDPR harmonizes EU data privacy laws and contains significant obligations and requirements that will result in a greater compliance burden with respect to our operations and data use in Europe, which will increase our costs. Additionally, government authorities will have more power to enforce compliance and impose substantial penalties for any failure to comply. In addition, individuals have the right to compensation under GDPR. In the event the Company is not in compliance by the implementation date, or fails to maintain compliance thereafter, the Company would be exposed to material damages, costs and/or fines if an EU government authority or EU resident commenced an action.Failure to comply or maintain compliance could cause considerable harm to us and our reputation (including requiring notification to customers, regulators, and/or the media), cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, and deter current and potential customers from using our services. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

We face potential liability related to the privacy and security of health-related information we collect from, or on behalf of, our consumers and customers.
The privacy and security of information about the physical or mental health or condition of an individual is an area of significant focus in the U.S. because of heightened privacy concerns and the potential for significant consumer harm from the misuse of such sensitive data. We have procedures and technology in place intended to safeguard the information we receive from customers and users of our services from unauthorized access or use.
The Privacy Standards and Security Standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) establish a set of basic national privacy and security standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information by health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, referred to as “covered entities”, and the business associates with whom such covered entities contract for services. Notably, whereas HIPAA previously directly regulated only these covered entities, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”) makes certain of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Standards directly applicable to covered entities’ business associates. As a result, business associates are now subject to significant civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply with applicable Privacy and Security Standards. Additionally, certain states have adopted comparable privacy and security laws and regulations, some of which may be more stringent than HIPAA.
HIPAA directly applies to covered entities such as hospital clients of certain of our subsidiaries. Since these clients disclose protected health information to our subsidiaries so that those subsidiaries can provide certain services to them, those subsidiaries are business associates of those clients. In addition, we may sign business associate agreements in connection with the provision of the products and services developed for other third parties or in connection with certain of our other services that may transmit or store protected health information.


Failure to comply with the requirements of HIPAA or HITECH or any of the applicable federal and state laws regarding patient privacy, identity theft prevention and detection, breach notification and data security may subject us to penalties, including civil monetary penalties and, in some circumstances, criminal penalties or contractual liability under agreements with our customers and clients. Any failure or perception of failure of our products or services to meet HIPAA, HITECH and related regulatory requirements could expose us to risks of investigation, notification, litigation, penalty or enforcement, adversely affect demand for our products and services and force us to expend significant capital and other resources to modify our products or services to address the privacy and security requirements of our clients and HIPAA and HITECH.
Developments in the healthcare industry could adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of Everyday Health’s advertising and sponsorship revenues is derived from the healthcare industry, including pharmaceutical, over-the-counter and consumer-packaged-goods companies, and could be affected by changes affecting healthcare spending. Industry changes affecting healthcare spending could impact the market for these offerings. General reductions in expenditures by healthcare industry participants could result from, among other things:
government regulation or private initiatives that affect the manner in which healthcare industry participants interact with consumers and the general public;
consolidation of healthcare industry participants;
reductions in governmental funding for healthcare; and
adverse changes in business or economic conditions affecting pharmaceutical companies or other healthcare industry participants.
Even if general expenditures by industry participants remain the same or increase, developments in the healthcare industry may result in reduced spending in some or all of the specific market segments that we serve now or in the future. For example, use of our content offerings and the sale of our products and services could be affected by:
changes in the design and provision of health insurance plans;
a decrease in the number of new drugs or pharmaceutical products coming to market; and
decreases in marketing expenditures by pharmaceutical companies as a result of governmental regulation or private initiatives that discourage or prohibit advertising or sponsorship activities by pharmaceutical companies.
The healthcare industry has changed significantly in recent years, and we expect that significant changes to the healthcare industry will continue to occur. However, the timing and impact of developments in the healthcare industry are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you that the demand for our offerings will continue to exist at current levels or that we will have adequate technical, financial and marketing resources to react to changes in the healthcare industry.
Government regulation of healthcare creates risks and challenges with respect to our compliance efforts and our business strategies with our Everyday Health brand.
The healthcare industry is highly regulated and subject to changing political, legislative, regulatory and other influences. Existing and future laws and regulations affecting the healthcare industry could create unexpected liabilities for us, cause us to incur additional costs and restrict our operations. Many healthcare laws are complex, and their application may not be clear. Our failure to accurately anticipate the application of these laws and regulations, or other failure to comply with such laws and regulations, could create liability for us. Even in areas where we are not subject to healthcare regulation directly, we may become involved in governmental actions or investigations through our relationships with customers that are regulated, and participation in such actions or investigations, even if we are not a party and not the subject of an investigation, may cause us to incur significant expenses.
For example, there are federal and state laws that govern patient referrals, physician financial relationships and inducements to healthcare providers and patients. The federal healthcare programs’ anti-kickback provisions prohibit any person or entity from willingly offering, paying, soliciting or receiving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to induce or reward, or in return for either the referral of patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs or the leasing, purchasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the lease, purchase or order of any item, good, facility or service covered by these programs. Many states also have similar anti-kickback laws that are not necessarily limited to items or services for which payment is made by a federal healthcare program. Our sale of advertising and sponsorships to healthcare providers implicates these laws. However, we review our practices to ensure that we comply with all applicable laws. The laws in this area are broad and we cannot determine precisely how they will be applied to our business practices. Any determination by a state or federal regulatory agency that any of our practices violate any of these laws could subject us to liability and require us to change or terminate some portions of our business.


Further, we derive revenues from the sale of advertising and promotion of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. If the FDA or the FTC finds that any of the information provided on our properties violates FDA or FTC regulations, they may take regulatory or judicial action against us and/or the advertiser of that information. State attorneys general may also take similar action based on their state’s consumer protection statutes. Any increase or change in regulation of advertising and promotion in the healthcare industry could make it more difficult for us to generate and grow our advertising and sponsorship revenues.

In addition, the practice of most healthcare professions requires licensing under applicable state law and state laws may further prohibit business entities from practicing medicine, which is referred to as the prohibition against the corporate practice of medicine. Similar state prohibitions may exist with respect to other licensed professions. We believe that we do not engage in the practice of medicine or any other licensed healthcare profession, or provide, through our properties, professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or other advice that is tailored in such a way as to implicate state licensing or professional practice laws. However, a state may determine that some portion of our business violates these laws and may seek to have us discontinue those portions or subject us to penalties or licensure requirements. Any determination that we are a healthcare provider and acted improperly as a healthcare provider may result in liability to us.

Our business could suffer if providers of broadband internet access services block, impair or degrade our services.
Our business is dependent on the ability of our cloud services customers and visitors to our digital media properties to access our services and applications over broadband internet connections. Internet access providers and internet backbone providers may be able to block, degrade or charge for access or bandwidth use of certain of our products and services, which could lead to additional expenses and the loss of users. Our products and services depend on the ability of our users to access the internet. Use of our services and applications through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, must have a high-speed data connection. Broadband internet access services, whether wireless or landline, are provided by companies with significant market power. Many of these providers offer products and services that directly compete with ours.

On January 4, 2018, the FCC, released an order that largely repeals rules that the FCC had in place which prevented broadband internet access providers from degrading or otherwise disrupting a broad range of services provisioned over consumers’ and enterprises’ broadband internet access lines. The FCC’s January 4, 2018, Order is not yet effective and there are efforts in Congress to prevent the Order from becoming effective. Additionally, a number of state attorneys general have filed an appeal of the FCC’s January 4, 2018, Order and others may also appeal the Order. A number of states have either passed legislation, adopted state executive agency policies or are in the process of adopting legislation that would prevent broadband internet access providers from blocking, degrading and otherwise impairing consumers’ and internet applications service providers’ broadband internet access services. We cannot predict whether the FCC’s January 4, 2018, Order will become effective, whether it will withstand appeal, or whether states have the authority to adopt legislation and executive policies that may conflict with the FCC’s January 4, 2018, Order.

Many of the largest providers of broadband services have publicly stated that they will not degrade or disrupt their customers’ use of applications and services, like ours. If such providers were to degrade, impair or block our services, it would negatively impact our ability to provide services to our customers and likely result in lost revenue and profits, and we would incur legal fees in attempting to restore our customers’ access to our services. Broadband internet access providers may also attempt to charge us or our customers additional fees to access services like ours that may result in the loss of customers and revenue, decreased profitability, or increased costs to our retail offerings that may make our services less competitive. We cannot predict the potential impact of the FCC’s January 4, 2018, Order on us at this time nor can we evaluate the potential impact at this time.

Our cloud services business is dependent on a small number of telecommunications carriers in each region and our inability to maintain agreements at attractive rates with such carriers may negatively impact our business.
Our cloud services business substantially depends on the capacity, affordability, reliability and security of our network and services provided to us by our telecommunications suppliers. Only a small number of carriers in each region, and in some cases only one carrier, offer the number and network services we require. We purchase certain telecommunications services pursuant to short-term agreements that the providers can terminate or elect not to renew. As a result, any or all of our current carriers could discontinue providing us with service at rates acceptable to us, or at all, and we may not be able to obtain adequate replacements, which could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.


Our business could suffer if we cannot obtain or retain numbers, are prohibited from obtaining local numbers or are limited to distributing local numbers to only certain customers.
The future success of our number-based cloud services business depends on our ability to procure large quantities of local numbers in the U.S. and foreign countries in desirable locations at a reasonable cost and offer our services to our prospective customers without restrictions. Our ability to procure and distribute numbers depends on factors such as applicable regulations, the practices of telecommunications carriers that provide numbers, the cost of these numbers and the level of demand for new numbers. For example, several years ago the FCC conditionally granted petitions by Connecticut and California to adopt specialized “unified messaging” area codes, but neither state has adopted such a code. Adoption of a specialized area code within a state or nation could harm our ability to compete in that state or nation if it materially affects our ability to acquire numbers for our operations or makes our services less attractive due to the unavailability of numbers with a local geographic area.
In addition, although we are the customer of record for all of our U.S. numbers, from time to time, certain U.S. telephone carriers inhibit our ability to port numbers or port our numbers away from us to other carriers. If a federal or regulatory agency determines that our customers should have the ability to port numbers without our consent, we may lose customers at a faster rate than what we have experienced historically, potentially resulting in lower revenues. Also, in some foreign jurisdictions, under certain circumstances, our customers are permitted to port their numbers to another carrier. These factors could lead to increased cancellations by our cloud services customers and loss of our number inventory. These factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, cash flows and growth in or entry into foreign or domestic markets.
In addition, future growth in our number-based cloud services subscriber base, together with growth in the subscriber bases of other providers of number-based services, has increased and may continue to increase the demand for large quantities of numbers, which could lead to insufficient capacity and our inability to acquire sufficient numbers to accommodate our future growth.
We may be subject to increased rates for the telecommunications services we purchase from regulated carriers which could require us to either raise the retail prices of our offerings and lose customers or reduce our profit margins.
The FCC adopted wide-ranging reforms to the system under which regulated providers of telecommunications services compensate each other for the exchange of various kinds of traffic. While we are not a provider of regulated telecommunications services, we rely on such providers to offer our cloud services to our customers. As a result of the FCC’s reforms, regulated providers of telecommunications services are determining how the rates they charge customers like us will change in order to comply with the new rules. It is possible that some or all of our underlying carriers will increase the rates we pay for certain telecommunications services. Should this occur, the costs we incur to provide number-based cloud services may increase which may require us to increase the retail price of our services. Increased prices could, in turn, cause us to lose customers, or, if we do not pass on such higher costs to our subscribers, our profit margins may decrease.
New technologies have been developed that are able to block certain of our advertisements or impair our ability to serve interest-based advertising which could harm our operating results.
Technologies have been developed and are likely to continue to be developed that can block internet or mobile display advertising. Most of our Digital Media segment revenues are derived from fees paid by advertisers in connection with the display of advertisements or clicks on advertisements on web pages or mobile devices. As a result, such technologies and tools are reducing the number of display advertisements that we are able to deliver or our ability to serve our interest-based advertising and this, in turn, could reduce our advertising revenue and operating results. Adoption of these types of technologies by more of our users could have a material impact on our revenues. We have implemented third party products to combat these ad-blocking technologies and are developing other strategies to address advertisement blocking. However, our efforts may not be successful to offset the potential increasing impact of these advertising blocking products.
If we or our third-party service providers fail to prevent click fraud or choose to manage traffic quality in a way that advertisers find unsatisfactory, our profitability may decline.
A portion of our display revenue comes from advertisers that pay for advertising on a price-per-click basis, meaning that the advertisers pay a fee every time a user clicks on their advertising. This pricing model can be vulnerable to so-called “click fraud,” which occurs when clicks are submitted on ads by a user who is motivated by reasons other than genuine interest in the subject of the ad. We or our third-party service providers may be exposed to the risk of click fraud or other clicks or conversions that advertisers may perceive as undesirable. If fraudulent or other malicious activity is perpetrated by others and we or our third-


party service providers are unable to detect and prevent it, or choose to manage traffic quality in a way that advertisers find unsatisfactory, the affected advertisers may experience or perceive a reduced return on their investment in our advertising programs which could lead the advertisers to become dissatisfied with our advertising programs and they might refuse to pay, demand refunds, or withdraw future business. Undetected click fraud could damage our brands and lead to a loss of advertisers and revenue.
If we are unable to continue to attract visitors to our websites from search engines, then consumer traffic to our websites could decrease, which could negatively impact the sales of our products and services, our advertising revenue and the number of purchases generated for our retailers through our Digital Media marketplace.
We generate consumer traffic to our websites using various methods, including search engine marketing, or SEM, search engine optimization, or SEO, email campaigns and social media referrals. Our net revenues and profitability levels are dependent upon our continued ability to use a combination of these methods to generate consumer traffic to our websites in a cost-efficient manner. We have experienced and continue to experience fluctuations in search result rankings for a number of our websites. There can be no assurances that we will be able to grow or maintain current levels of consumer traffic.
Our SEM and SEO techniques have been developed to work with existing search algorithms utilized by the major search engines. Major search engines frequently modify their search algorithms. Changes in thesesearch engine algorithms or user interfaces could cause our websites to receive less favorable placements, which could reduce the number of users who visit our websites. In addition, we use keyword advertising to improve our search ranking and to attract users to our sites. If we fail to follow legal requirements regarding the use of keywords or search engine guidelines and policies properly, search engines may rank our content lower in search results or could remove our content altogether from their indices.
Any decline in consumer traffic to our websites could adversely impact the amount of ads that are displayed and the number of purchases we generate for our retailers, which could adversely affect our net revenues. An attempt to replace this traffic through other channels may require us to increase our sales and marketing expenditures, which would adversely affect our operating results and which may not be offset by additional net revenues.

As we continue to grow our international operations, adverse currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
As we expand our international operations, we could be exposed to significant risks of currency fluctuations. In some countries outside the U.S., we offer our services in the applicable local currency, including but not limited to the Australian Dollar, the Canadian Dollar, the Euro, the Hong Kong Dollar, the Japanese Yen, the New Zealand Dollar, the Norwegian Kroner, and the British Pound Sterling, among others. As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates affect the results of our operations, which in turn may materially adversely affect reported earnings and the comparability of period to period results of operations. Changes in currency exchange rates may also affect the relative prices at which we and foreign competitors sell our services in the same market. In addition, changes in the value of the relevant currencies may affect the cost
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of certain items required in our operations. Furthermore, we may become subject to exchange control regulations, which might restrict or prohibit our conversion of other currencies into U.S. Dollars. We cannot assure you that future exchange rate movements will not have a material adverse effect on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows. To date, we have not entered into foreign currency hedging transactions to control or minimize these risks.
We may be subject to risks from international operations.
As we continue to expand our business operations in countries outside the U.S., our future results could be materially adversely affected by a variety of uncontrollable and changing factors including, among others, foreign currency exchange rates; political or social unrest or economic instability in a specific country or region; trade protection measures and other regulatory requirements which may affect our ability to provide our services; difficulties in staffing and managing international operations; compliance with international labor and employment laws and regulations; and adverse tax consequences, including imposition of withholding or other taxes on payments by subsidiaries and affiliates. Any or all of these factors could have a material adverse impact on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
We have only limited experience in marketing and operating our services in certain international markets. Moreover, we have in some cases experienced and expect to continue to experience in some cases higher costs as a percentage of revenues in connection with establishing and providing services in international markets versus in the U.S. In addition, certain international markets may be slower than the U.S. in adopting the internet and/or outsourced messaging and communications solutions and so our operations in international markets may not develop at a rate that supports our level of investments.
Further, the impact on the global economy as a result of unforeseen global crises such as war, acts of terrorism or aggression or strife, strikes, global health pandemics, earthquakes or major weather events, including as exacerbated by climate changes, or other events outside of our control could negatively impact our revenue and operating results.
We may be found to infringe the intellectual property rights of others, and we may be unable to defend our proprietary technology and intellectual property.
Our success depends, in part, upon our proprietary technology and intellectual property. We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, contractual restrictions, and other confidentiality safeguards to protect our proprietary technology. However, these measures may provide only limited protection and it may be costly and time-consuming to enforce compliance with our intellectual property rights. In some circumstances, we may not have adequate, economically feasible or realistic options for enforcing our intellectual property and we may be unable to detect unauthorized use. While we have a robust worldwide portfolio of issued patents and pending patent applications, there can be no assurance that any of these patents will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, that we will be able to successfully police infringement, or that any rights granted under these patents will in fact provide a competitive advantage to us.
In addition, our ability to register or protect our patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other intellectual property may be limited in some foreign countries. As a result, we may not be able to effectively prevent competitors in these regions from utilizing our intellectual property, which could reduce our competitive advantage and ability to compete in those regions and negatively impact our business.
We also strive to protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state, and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We typically enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, our proprietary information. However, we may not be successful in executing these agreements with every party who has access to our confidential information or contributes to the development of our technology or intellectual property rights. Those agreements that we do execute may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. These contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights may not prevent the misappropriation or disclosure of our proprietary information nor deter independent development of similar technology or intellectual property by others.
Monitoring unauthorized use of the content on our websites and mobile applications, and our other intellectual property and technology, is difficult and costly. Our efforts to protect our proprietary rights and intellectual property may not have been and may not be adequate to prevent their misappropriation or misuse. Third parties from time to time copy content or other intellectual property or technology from our solutions without authorization and seek to use it for their own benefit. We generally seek to address such unauthorized copying or use, but we have not always been successful in stopping all unauthorized use of our content or other intellectual property, or technology, and may not be successful in doing so in the future. Further, we may not have been and may not be able to detect unauthorized use of our technology or intellectual property, or to take appropriate steps to enforce our intellectual property rights.
Companies that operate in the same industry as our Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses have experienced substantial litigation regarding intellectual property. We may find it necessary or appropriate to initiate claims or
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litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of intellectual property rights claimed by others. This or any other litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights may be expensive and time-consuming, could divert management resources, and may not be adequate to protect our business.
We have been and expect to continue to be subject to legal claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others. The ready availability of damages and royalties and the potential for injunctive relief have increased the costs associated with litigating and settling patent infringement claims. In addition, we may be required to indemnify our resellers, customers, and users for similar claims made against them. Any claims, whether or not meritorious, could require us to spend significant time, money, and other resources in litigation, pay damages and royalties, develop new intellectual property, modify, design around, or discontinue existing products, services, or features, or acquire licenses to the intellectual property that is the subject of the infringement claims. These licenses, if required, may not be available at all or have acceptable terms. As a result, intellectual property claims against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
The successful operation of our business depends upon the supply of critical business elements and marketing relationships from other companies.
We depend upon third parties for critical elements of our business, including technology, infrastructure, customer service, and sales and marketing components. We rely on private third-party providers for our internet, telecommunications, website traffic, and other connections and services and for co-location of a significant portion of our servers and other hosting services. In addition, we rely on third-party platforms to facilitate and provide access to products sold through our sites. Any disruption in the services provided by any of these suppliers, any adverse change in access to their platforms or services or in their terms and conditions of use or services, or any failure by them to handle current or higher volumes of activity could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows. To obtain new customers, we have marketing agreements with operators of leading search engines and websites and employ the use of resellers to sell our products. These arrangements typically are not exclusive and do not extend over a significant period of time. Failure to continue these relationships on terms that are acceptable to us or to continue to create additional relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
Our success depends on our retention of our executive officers and senior management and our ability to hire and retain key personnel.
Our success depends on the skills, experience, and performance of executive officers, senior management, and other key personnel. The loss of the services of one or more of our executive officers, senior managers, or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows. Our future success also depends on our continuing ability to attract, integrate, and retain highly qualified technical, sales, and managerial personnel. Competition for these people is intense, and there can be no assurance that we can retain our key employees or that we can attract, assimilate, or retain other highly qualified technical, sales, and managerial personnel in the future.
Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our financial flexibility and our competitive position.
Our level of indebtedness could have significant effects on our business. For example, it could:
make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations, including those related to our current indebtedness and any other indebtedness we may incur in the future;
increase our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry, and competitive conditions;
require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make payments on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other elements of our business strategy and other general corporate purposes, including share repurchases and payment of dividends;
limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industries in which we operate;
restrict us from exploiting business opportunities;
place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less indebtedness; and
limit our ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our business strategy, or other general corporate purposes.
In addition, the indentures governing our 4.625% senior notes due 2030 (the “4.625% Senior Notes”) and our 1.75% convertible senior notes due November 1, 2026 (the “1.75% Convertible Notes”) contain, and the agreements evidencing or governing other future indebtedness (“Subsequent Debt Agreements”) may contain, restrictive covenants that may limit our ability to engage in activities that may be in our long-term best interests.
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The restricted covenants contained in the indentures governing the 4.625% Senior Notes and the 1.75% Convertible Notes impose significant operating and financial restrictions and may limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions, meet capital needs or make acquisitions, or otherwise restrict our activities or business plans. These include restrictions on our ability to:
incur additional indebtedness;
create liens;
engage in sale-leaseback transactions;
pay dividends or make distributions in respect of capital stock;
purchase or redeem capital stock;
make investments or certain other restricted payments;
sell assets;
enter into transactions with affiliates;
amend the terms of certain other indebtedness and organizational documents; or
effect a consolidation or merger.
Subsequent Debt Agreements may contain similar restrictive covenants.
A breach of the covenants under the indenture governing the 1.75% Convertible Notes or the indenture governing the 4.625% Senior Notes or under any Subsequent Debt Agreement could result in an event of default. Such a default may allow the note holders to accelerate the 1.75% Convertible Notes, 4.625% Senior Notes or the obligations under Subsequent Debt Agreements and may result in the acceleration of any other indebtedness to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies. In the event the holders of our 1.75% Convertible Notes or 4.625% Senior Notes, or any creditors under Subsequent Debt Agreements, accelerate the repayment of our borrowings, we and our subsidiaries may not have sufficient assets to repay that indebtedness or our other indebtedness.
To service our debt and fund our other capital requirements, we will require a significant amount of cash, and our ability to generate cash will depend on many factors beyond our control.
Our ability to meet our debt service obligations and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other elements of our business strategy and other general corporate purposes, including share repurchases and payment of dividends, will depend upon our future performance, which will be subject to financial, business, and other factors affecting our operations. To some extent, this is subject to general and regional economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot ensure that we will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available, in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our debt or to fund our other liquidity needs.
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional indebtedness or equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, those alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations.
Our inability to generate sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, would materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.
We are exposed to risk if we cannot maintain or adhere to our internal controls and procedures.
We have established and continue to maintain, assess, and update our internal controls and procedures regarding our business operations and financial reporting. Our internal controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurances regarding our business operations and financial reporting. However, because of the inherent limitations in this process, internal controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or misstatements. To the extent our internal controls are inadequate or not adhered to by our employees, our business, financial condition, and operating results could be materially adversely affected. For example, in 2021 we identified a material weakness in our internal control related to our accounting for the Consensus Spin-Off, which we subsequently remediated. Although we successfully remediated this control weakness and it did not result in any material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements for the periods presented, it is reasonably possible that it could have led to a material misstatement of account balances or disclosures. We cannot assure you that additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future.
If we are not able to maintain internal controls and procedures in a timely manner, or without adequate compliance, we may be unable to accurately or timely report our financial results or prevent fraud and may be subject to sanctions or investigations by regulatory authorities such as the SEC or Nasdaq. Any such action or restatement of prior-period financial results as a result could harm our business or investors’ confidence in the Company and could cause our stock price to fall.
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We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to settle conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes or to repurchase the 1.75% Convertible Notes upon a fundamental change or on a repurchase date or repurchase the 4.625% Senior Notes upon a change in control or under certain other circumstances, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion, redemption or repurchase of either the 1.75% Convertible Notes or the 4.625% Senior Notes as the case may be.
Holders of our 1.75% Convertible Notes have the right to require us to repurchase their 1.75% Convertible Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the 1.75% Convertible Notes) at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 1.75% Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, upon conversion of the 1.75% Convertible Notes, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the 1.75% Convertible Notes being converted. It is our intention to satisfy our conversion obligation by paying and delivering a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, where cash will be used to settle each $1,000 of principal and the remainder, if any, will be settled via shares of our common stock. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases or redemptions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes or the 4.625% Senior Notes surrendered therefor or 1.75% Convertible Notes being converted. In addition, our ability to repurchase or redeem the 1.75% Convertible Notes or the 4.625% Senior Notes or to pay cash upon conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes may be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements governing our current or future indebtedness. Our failure to repurchase or redeem 1.75% Convertible Notes or 4.625% Senior Notes at a time when the repurchase or redemption is required by the applicable indenture or to pay any cash payable on future conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes as required by the applicable 1.75% Convertible Notes indenture would constitute a default under the applicable indenture. A default under any indenture or the fundamental change or change of control itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness or certain of our other current indebtedness. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase or redeem the 1.75% Convertible Notes or the 4.625% Senior Notes or make cash payments upon conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes.
The conditional conversion feature of the 1.75% Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
In the event the conditional conversion feature of the 1.75% Convertible Notes is triggered, holders of the 1.75% Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert the 1.75% Convertible Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their 1.75% Convertible Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their 1.75% Convertible Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
Divestitures or other dispositions could negatively impact our business, and contingent liabilities from businesses that we have sold could adversely affect our financial statements.
We continually assess the strategic fit of our existing businesses and may divest or otherwise dispose of businesses that are deemed not to fit with our strategic plan or are not achieving the desired return on investment. For example, in 2021, we spun off our online fax business and sold our B2B backup business. These transactions pose risks and challenges that could negatively impact our business. For example, when we decide to sell or otherwise dispose of a business or assets, we may be unable to do so on satisfactory terms within our anticipated timeframe or at all, and even after reaching a definitive agreement to sell or dispose a business the sale is typically subject to satisfaction of pre-closing conditions which may not become satisfied. In addition, divestitures or other dispositions may dilute our earnings per share, have other adverse financial and accounting impacts, and distract management, and disputes may arise with buyers. In addition, we have retained responsibility for and/or have agreed to indemnify buyers against some known and unknown contingent liabilities related to a number of businesses we have sold or disposed of. The resolution of these contingencies has not had a material effect on our financial statements but we cannot be certain that this favorable pattern will continue.
Potential indemnification liabilities to Consensus pursuant to the separation agreement could materially and adversely affect our businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We entered into a separation and distribution agreement and related agreements with Consensus to govern the separation and distribution of Consensus and the relationship between the two companies going forward. These agreements provide for specific indemnity and liability obligations of each party and could lead to disputes between the parties. If we are required to indemnify Consensus under the circumstances set forth in these agreements, we may be subject to substantial liabilities. In addition, with respect to the liabilities for which Consensus has agreed to indemnify us under these agreements,
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there can be no assurance that the indemnity rights we have against Consensus will be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of the liabilities, or that Consensus will be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations. Each of these risks could negatively affect our businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
ESG matters, as well as related reporting obligations, expose us to risks that could adversely affect our reputation and performance.
U.S. and international regulators, investors and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on ESG matters. The Company has established and publicly announced its ESG goals, including its commitments to diversity and inclusion. These statements reflect current plans and aspirations of the Company and are not guarantees that that the Company will be able to achieve them. The failure to accomplish or accurately track and report on these goals on a timely basis, or at all, could adversely affect the reputation, financial performance, and growth of the Company, and expose it to increased scrutiny from the investment community as well as enforcement authorities.
Risks Related To Our Industries
The Company is subject to laws and regulations worldwide, changes to which could increase the Company’s costs and individually or in the aggregate adversely affect the Company’s business.
The Company is subject to laws and regulations affecting its domestic and international operations in a number of areas. These U.S. and foreign laws and regulations affect the Company’s activities in areas including, but not limited to, labor, advertising, digital content, consumer protection, real estate, billing, e-commerce, promotions, quality of services, telecommunications, mobile communications and media, television, intellectual property ownership and infringement, tax, import/export and sanctions requirements, anti-corruption, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, data privacy and data localization requirements, anti-competition, environmental, health, and safety. Compliance with these laws, regulations and similar requirements may be onerous and expensive, and they may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, further increasing the cost of compliance and doing business. Any such costs, which may rise in the future as a result of changes in these laws and regulations or in their interpretation, could individually or in the aggregate make the Company’s products and services less attractive to the Company’s customers, delay the introduction of new products in one or more regions, or cause the Company to change or limit its business practices. The Company has implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but there can be no assurance that the Company’s employees, contractors, or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or the Company’s policies and procedures.
Our services may become subject to burdensome regulation, which could increase our costs or restrict our service offerings.
We believe that most of our cloud services are “information services” under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and related precedent, or, if not “information services,” that we are entitled to other exemptions, meaning that we generally are not currently subject to U.S. telecommunications services regulation at both the federal and state levels. In connection with our Cybersecurity and Martech business, we utilize data transmissions over public telephone lines and other facilities provided by third-party carriers. These transmissions are subject to foreign and domestic laws, regulations and requirements by the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”), state public utility commissions, foreign governmental authorities, and industry trade associations such as the CTIA. These regulations and requirements affect our ability to provide services, the availability of numbers, the prices we pay for transmission services, the administrative costs associated with providing our services, the competition we face from telecommunications service providers and other aspects of our market. However, as the services we offer expand, we may become subject to other regulatory agency regulation. It is also possible that a federal or state regulatory agency could take the position that our offerings, or a subset of our offerings, are properly classified as telecommunications services or otherwise not entitled to certain exemptions upon which we currently rely. Such a finding could potentially subject us to fines, penalties or enforcement actions as well as liabilities for past regulatory fees and charges, retroactive contributions to various telecommunications-related funds, telecommunications-related taxes, penalties, and interest. It is also possible that such a finding could subject us to additional regulatory obligations that could potentially require us either to modify our offerings in a costly manner, diminish our ability to retain customers, or discontinue certain offerings, in order to comply with certain regulations. Changes in the regulatory environment could decrease our revenues, increase our costs and restrict our service offerings. In many of our international locations, we are subject to regulation by the applicable governmental authority.
In the U.S., Congress, the FCC, and a number of states require regulated telecommunications carriers to contribute to federal and/or state Universal Service Funds (“USF”). Generally, USF is used to subsidize the cost of providing service to low-income customers and those living in high cost or rural areas. Congress, the FCC and a number of states are reviewing the manner in which a provider’s contribution obligation is calculated, as well as the types of entities subject to USF contribution obligations. If any of these reforms are adopted, they could cause us to alter or eliminate our non-paid services and to raise the price of our paid services, which could cause us to lose customers. Any of these results could lead to a decrease in our revenues
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and net income and could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
In addition, due to the number of text messages, phone calls and other communications we send or make on behalf of our customers in connection with the services we provide, communication-related privacy laws could result in particularly significant damage awards or fines. For example, in the United States, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) prohibits placing calls or sending text messages to mobile phones without “prior express consent” subject to limited exceptions, and a plaintiff may seek actual monetary loss or statutory damages of $500 per violation, whichever is greater, and courts may treble the damage award for willful or knowing violations. Parties that solely enable calling or text messaging are only directly liable under the TCPA pursuant to federal common law vicarious liability principles. We take significant steps to ensure that users understand that they are responsible for how they use our technology including complying with relevant federal and state law. However, because we do not enjoy absolute exemption from liability under the TCPA and related FCC and FTC rules, we could face inquiries from the FCC and FTC or enforcement actions by these agencies, or private causes of action, if someone uses our service for such impermissible purposes. If this were to occur and we were to be held liable for someone’s use of our service for unauthorized calling or text messaging mobile users, the financial penalties could cause a material adverse effect on our operations and harm our business reputation.
Also, in the United States, the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (“CALEA”) requires any telecommunications carriers to be capable of performing wiretaps and recording other call identifying information in cooperation with law enforcement. In September 2005, the FCC expanded the definition of “telecommunications carriers” to include facilities-based broadband internet access providers and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (“VoIP”) providers that interconnect with the public switched telephone network. As a result of this definition, the Company’s VoIP offerings are subject to CALEA, which has impacted our operations.
We are subject to a variety of new and existing laws and regulations which could subject us to claims, judgments, monetary liabilities, and other remedies, and to limitations on our business practices.
The application of existing domestic and international laws and regulations to us relating to issues such as defamation, pricing, advertising, taxation, promotions, billing, consumer protection, accessibility, content regulation, data privacy, export restrictions and sanctions, intellectual property ownership and infringement, and accreditation in many instances is unclear or unsettled. In addition, we will also be subject to any new laws and regulations directly applicable to our domestic and international activities. Further, the application of existing laws to us or our subsidiaries regulating or requiring licenses for certain businesses of our advertisers including, for example, distribution of pharmaceuticals, alcohol or other regulated substances, adult content, tobacco, or firearms, as well as insurance and securities brokerage, and legal services, can be unclear. Internationally, we may also be subject to laws regulating our activities in foreign countries and to foreign laws and regulations that are inconsistent from country to country. Our Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses utilize contractors, freelancers and/or staff from third-party outsourcers to provide content and other services. However, in the future, arrangements with such individuals may not be deemed appropriate by a relevant government authority, which could result in additional costs and expenses. We may incur substantial liabilities for expenses necessary to defend such litigation or to comply with these laws and regulations, as well as potential substantial penalties for any failure to comply. Compliance with these laws and regulations may also cause us to change or limit our business practices in a manner adverse to our business.
The use of consumer data by online service providers and advertising networks is a topic of active interest among federal, state, and international regulatory bodies, and the regulatory environment is unsettled and evolving. Federal, state, and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, disclosure, sharing, and security of data that we receive from and about our users. Our privacy and cookie policies and practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of user data are posted on our websites.
A number of U.S. federal laws, including those referenced below, impact our business. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) is intended, in part, to limit the liability of eligible online service providers for listing or linking to third-party websites that include materials that infringe copyrights or other rights of others. Portions of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) are intended to provide statutory protections to online service providers who distribute third-party content. We rely on the protections provided by both the DMCA and the CDA in conducting our business. If these or other laws or judicial interpretations are changed to narrow their protections, or if international jurisdictions refuse to apply similar provisions in international lawsuits, we will be subject to a greater risk of liability, our costs of compliance with these regulations or to defend litigation may increase, or our ability to operate certain lines of business may be limited. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) is intended to impose restrictions on the ability of online services to collect some types of information from children under the age of 13. In addition, the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008 (“PROTECT Act”) requires online service providers to report evidence of violations of federal child pornography laws under certain circumstances, as well as other federal, state or international laws and legislative efforts designed to protect children on the internet may impose additional requirements on us.
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U.S. export control laws and regulations impose requirements and restrictions on exports to certain nations and persons and on our business.
In certain instances, we may be subject to enhanced privacy obligations based on the type of information we store and process. While we believe we are in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations, we could be subject to enforcement actions, fines, forfeitures, and other adverse actions.
The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (the “CAN-SPAM Act”), which allows for penalties that run into the millions of dollars, requires commercial emails to include identifying information from the sender and a mechanism for the receiver to opt out of receiving future emails. Several states have enacted additional, more restrictive and punitive laws regulating commercial email. Foreign legislation exists as well, including Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation and the European laws that have been enacted pursuant to the GDPR and European Union Directive 2002/58/EC and its amendments. We use email as a significant means of communicating with our existing and potential users. We believe that our email practices comply with the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act, state laws, and applicable foreign legislation. If we were ever found to be in violation of these laws and regulations, or any other laws or regulations, our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Many third-parties are examining whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) concept of public accommodation also extends to websites and to mobile applications. Generally, some plaintiffs have argued that websites and mobile applications are places of public accommodation under Title III of the ADA and, as such, must be equipped so that individuals with disabilities can navigate and make use of subject websites and mobile applications. The issue is currently under litigation and there is a split in the federal court of appeals circuits as to what the ADA requires. Certain appellate circuits have found that websites standing alone are subject to the ADA and therefore must be accessible to people with disabilities. Other circuits, including the Ninth Circuit, which has appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts in California have found that in order for websites to be places of public accommodation, and therefore subject to the ADA, there must be both a nexus between the website and the goods and services the website provides as well as a physical brick and mortar location for consumers. We cannot predict how the ADA will ultimately be interpreted as applied to websites and mobile applications.
We believe we are in compliance with relevant law. If the law changes or if certain courts with appellate jurisdiction outside of California attempt to exercise jurisdiction over us and find that our website and mobile applications must comply with the ADA, then any adjustments or requirements to implement any changes prescribed by the ADA could result in increased costs to our business, we may become subject to injunctive relief, plaintiffs may be able to recover attorneys’ fees, and it is possible that, while the ADA does not provide for monetary damages, we become subject to such damages through state consumer protection or other laws. It is possible that these potential liabilities could cause a material adverse effect on our operations and harm our business reputation.
Native advertising is an increasing part of our Digital Media business’s online advertising revenue. On December 22, 2015, the FTC issued Guidelines and an Enforcement Policy Statement on native advertising, described by the FTC as, in part, ads which often “resemble the design, style, and functionality of the media in which they are disseminated.” The Company believes it is compliant with the requirements of these guidelines on our current practices and offerings. However, we will continue to monitor what effect this guideline and other related government regulations, and how the FTC enforces it, could have on our native advertising and branded content business. In addition, the timing and extent of any enforcement by the FTC with regard to the native advertising practices by the Company, or others, could reduce the revenue we generate from this line of business. The UK similarly has issued guidelines on native advertising in the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (“CAP Code”) and is regulated, in part, by the Advertising Standards Authority. The Company believes it is compliant with the requirements of the CAP Code on our current practices and offerings and will continue to monitor the effect of these and other related governmental regulations.
As of May 25, 2018, certain data transfers from and between the European Union (“EU”) are subject to the GDPR. As discussed in more detail below, the GDPR prohibits data transfers from the EU to other countries outside of the EU, including the U.S., without appropriate security safeguards and practices in place. Previously, for certain data transfers from and between the EU and the U.S., the Company, like many other companies, had relied on what is referred to as the “EU-U.S. Safe Harbor,” in order to comply with privacy obligations imposed by EU countries. The European Court of Justice invalidated the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor. Additionally, other countries that relied on the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor that were not part of the EU have also found that data transfers to the U.S. are no longer valid based on the European Court of Justice ruling. Although U.S. and EU policymakers approved a new framework known as “Privacy Shield” that would allow companies like us to continue to rely on some form of a safe harbor for the transfer of certain data from the EU to the U.S., on July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment declaring as “invalid” the European Commission’s Decision (EU) 2016/1250 on the adequacy of the protection provided by the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, rendering it invalid. We cannot predict how or if these issues will be resolved nor can we evaluate any potential liability at this time.
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The Company has put into place various alternative frameworks and grounds on which to rely in order to be in compliance with relevant law for the transfer of data from overseas locations to the U.S., including reviewing the Company’s data collection process and procedures and putting into place Data Processing Agreements that incorporate Standard Contractual Clauses as well as supplementary measures with vendors, partners and other third parties. Some independent data regulators have adopted the position that other forms of compliance are also invalid, though the legal grounds for these findings remain unclear at this time. We cannot predict at this time whether the alternative grounds that the Company continues to implement will be found to be consistent with relevant laws nor can we evaluate what, if any, potential liability may be at this time.
On June 28, 2018, the California legislature enacted the CCPA, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and became enforceable starting July 1, 2020. The CCPA, which covers businesses that obtain or access personal information of California resident consumers, grants consumers enhanced privacy rights and control over their personal information and imposes significant requirements on covered companies with respect to consumer data privacy rights. The CCPA provides consumers with the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information including the requirement to include a “Do Not Sell” link on our websites and applications that sell personal data of California resident consumers. Based on the final implementation regulations released by the California Attorney General in August 2020, we believe we have implemented such links where necessary, we action consumer opt outs and other subject rights when requested, and our privacy policies have been updated and posted on our websites. In addition, in November 2020 California voters adopted the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) that amends the CCPA, including creating a new agency to implement and enforce the law. The CPRA took effect on January 1, 2023 and is subject to a number of required rule-makings. We believe we comply with the CPRA and are continuing to evaluate the impact to our business, if any. Other states have enacted or are considering enacting similar privacy laws, which may subject our Company to additional requirements and restrictions that could have an impact on our business.
Further, failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our policies, applicable requirements, or industry self-regulatory principles related to the collection, use, sharing, or security of personal information, or other privacy, data-retention or data protection matters could result in a loss of user confidence in us, damage to our brands, and ultimately in a loss of users and advertising partners, which could adversely affect our business. Changes in these or any other laws and regulations or the interpretation of them could increase our future compliance costs, limit the amount and type of data we can collect, transfer, share, or sell, make our products and services less attractive to our users, or cause us to change or limit our business practices. Further, any failure on our part to comply with any relevant laws or regulations may subject us to significant civil or criminal liabilities.
Moreover, our Everyday Health Group business may be subject to additional government oversight or regulation by Congress, the FTC, the FDA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state legislatures and regulatory agencies. In addition, certain services provided by Everyday Health Group constituent businesses are also subject to private regulation both directly by accrediting bodies and indirectly by industry codes followed by commercial supporters and providers of continuing education programs for healthcare professionals.
If we are subject to burdensome laws or regulations or if we fail to adhere to the requirements of public or private regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer.
Government and private actions or self-regulatory developments regarding internet privacy matters could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.
Certain business units within our Digital Media business collect and sell data about their users’ online behavior and the revenue associated with this activity could be impacted by government regulation and enforcement, industry trends, self-regulation, technology changes, consumer behavior and attitude, and private action. We also use such information to work with our advertisers to more effectively target ads to relevant users and consumers, which ads command a higher rate.
Many of our users voluntarily provide us with demographic and other information when they register for one of our services or properties. In order for our Everyday Health Group brands to deliver marketing and communications solutions to pharmaceutical and medical device companies, health insurers, hospital systems, and other customers, we rely on data provided by our users. We also purchase data from third-party sources to augment our user profiles and marketing databases so we are better able to personalize content, enhance our analytical capabilities and better target our marketing programs. If changes in user sentiment regarding the sharing of information results in a significant number of visitors to our websites and applications refusing to provide us with information such as demographic information, information about their specific health interests, or profession information, our ability to personalize content for our users and provide targeted marketing solutions would be impaired. If our users choose to opt-out of having their data used for behavioral targeting, it would be more difficult for us to offer targeted marketing programs to our customers.
We append data from third-party sources to augment our user profiles. If we are unable to acquire data from third-party sources for whatever reason, or if there is a marked increase in the cost of obtaining such data, our ability to personalize content and provide marketing solutions could be negatively impacted.
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The use of such consumer data by online service providers and advertising networks is a topic of active interest among federal, state, and international regulatory bodies, and the regulatory environment is unsettled. Federal, state, and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, disclosure, sharing, and security of data that we receive from and about our users. Our privacy policies and practices concerning the collection, use, and disclosure of user data are posted on our websites.
New and expanding “Do Not Track” regulations have recently been enacted or proposed that protect users’ right to choose whether or not to be tracked online. These regulations seek, among other things, to allow consumers to have greater control over the use of private information collected online, to forbid the collection or use of online information, to demand a business to comply with their choice to opt out of such collection or use, and to place limits upon the disclosure of information to third-party websites. Similarly, exercise of the “Do Not Sell” right under the CCPA limits a business’ ability to monetize certain personal information collected online. Such laws and regulations could have a significant impact on the operation of our advertising and data businesses. U.S. regulatory agencies have also placed an increased focus on online privacy matters and, in particular, on online advertising activities that utilize cookies or other tracking tools. Consumer and industry groups have expressed concerns about online data collection and use by companies, which has resulted in the release of various industry self-regulatory codes of conduct and best practice guidelines that are binding for member companies and that govern, among other things, the ways in which companies can collect, use and disclose user information, how companies must give notice of these practices and what choices companies must provide to consumers regarding these practices.
We may be required or otherwise choose to adopt Do Not Track mechanisms or self-regulation principles or provide opt-outs from the sale of certain user data, in which case our ability to use our existing tracking technologies, to collect and sell user behavioral data, and permit their use by other third parties could be impaired. This could cause our net revenues to decline and adversely affect our operating results.
U.S. and foreign governments have enacted or considered or are considering legislation or regulations that could significantly restrict our ability to collect, augment, analyze, use, and share de-identified or anonymous data, which could increase our costs and reduce our revenue.
We operate across many different markets both domestically and internationally which may subject us to cybersecurity, privacy, data security and data protection laws with uncertain interpretations as well as impose conflicting obligations on us.
Cybersecurity, privacy, data security, and data protection laws are constantly evolving at the federal and state levels in the United States, as well as abroad. We are currently subject to such laws both at the federal and state levels in the U.S. as well as similar laws in a variety of international jurisdictions. The interpretation of these laws may be uncertain and may also impose conflicting obligations on us. While we work to comply with all applicable law and relevant “best practices” addressing cybersecurity, privacy, data security and data protection, this is an area of the law that is constantly evolving as are the relevant industry codes and threat matrix. Further it is possible that applicable law and “best practices” are interpreted in an inconsistent or conflicting manner either by differing federal, state or international authorities or across the jurisdictions in which we operate. Any failure or perceived failure by us, our partners, our vendors, or third parties on which we rely for our operations could result in a significant liability to us (including in the form of judicial decisions and/or settlements, regulatory findings and/or forfeitures, and other means), cause considerable harm to us and our reputation (including requiring notification to customers, regulators, and/or the media), cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, and deter current and potential customers from using our services. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
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The GDPR and the CCPA impose significant compliance costs and expose the Company to substantial risks.
The EU has traditionally imposed strict obligations under data privacy laws and regulations. Individual EU member countries have had discretion with respect to their interpretation and implementation of EU data privacy laws, resulting in a variation of privacy standards from country to country. The GDPR harmonizes EU data privacy laws and contains significant obligations and requirements that have resulted in a greater compliance burden with respect to our operations and data use in Europe, which will continue to increase our costs. The CCPA, in its original form and as amended under the CPRA, similarly contains significant obligations and requirements that have resulted in a greater compliance burden with respect to our operations and data usage of California residents, which will continue to increase our costs. Additionally, government authorities will have more power to enforce compliance and impose substantial penalties for any failure to comply. In addition, individuals have the right to compensation under the GDPR, and individuals may have the right to file a class action under the CCPA in certain circumstances. In the event the Company fails to maintain compliance, the Company could be exposed to material damages, costs and/or fines if an EU government authority, an EU resident, the California Attorney General or a California resident commenced an action. Failure to comply or maintain compliance could cause considerable harm to us and our reputation (including requiring notification to customers, regulators, and/or the media), cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, and deter current and potential customers from using our services. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
We face potential liability related to the privacy and security of health-related information we collect from, or on behalf of, our consumers and customers.
The privacy and security of information about the physical or mental health or condition of an individual is an area of significant focus in the United States and in other jurisdictions because of heightened privacy concerns and the potential for significant consumer harm from the misuse of such sensitive data. We have procedures and technology in place intended to safeguard the information we receive from customers and users of our services from unauthorized access or use.
The Privacy Standards and Security Standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) establish a set of basic national privacy and security standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information by health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and certain healthcare providers, referred to as “covered entities”, and the business associates with whom such covered entities contract for services. Notably, whereas HIPAA previously directly regulated only these covered entities, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”) made certain of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Standards directly applicable to covered entities’ business associates. Business associates are subject to significant civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply with applicable Privacy and Security Standards. Additionally, certain states have adopted comparable privacy and security laws and regulations, some of which may be more stringent than HIPAA.
HIPAA directly applies to covered entities such as hospital clients of certain of our subsidiaries. Since these clients disclose protected health information to our subsidiaries so that those subsidiaries can provide certain services to them, those subsidiaries are business associates of those clients. In addition, we may sign business associate agreements in connection with the provision of the products and services developed for other third parties or in connection with certain of our other services that may transmit or store protected health information.
Failure to comply with the requirements of HIPAA, HITECH, regulations promulgated under HIPAA and HITECH (including but not limited to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and the Health Breach Notification Rule), or any of the applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding patient privacy, identity theft prevention and detection, breach notification and data security may subject us to penalties, including civil monetary penalties and, in some circumstances, criminal penalties or contractual liability under agreements with our customers and clients. Any failure or perception of failure of our products or services to meet HIPAA, HITECH and related regulatory requirements could expose us to risks of investigation, notification, litigation, penalty or enforcement, adversely affect demand for our products and services, and force us to expend significant capital and other resources to modify our products or services to address the privacy and security requirements of our clients and HIPAA and HITECH.
These laws and regulations are subject to interpretation by courts and regulators that might expand their scope of coverage. For example, the FTC recently adopted a Policy Statement offering guidance on the scope of its Health Breach Notification Rule, and issued related guidance, stating that consumer mobile applications that draw health information from one source and health or non-health information from one or more other sources are covered by the Rule, and that breaches of security under the Rule include disclosures of sensitive health information without user authorization. Any changes in these or any other laws and regulations or the interpretation of them could increase our future compliance costs, limit the amount and type of data we can collect, transfer, share, or sell, make our products and services less attractive to our users, or cause us to change or limit our business practices. Further, any failure on our part to comply with any relevant laws or regulations may subject us to significant civil or criminal liabilities.
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Developments in the healthcare industry could adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of Everyday Health Group’s advertising and sponsorship revenues is derived from the healthcare industry, including pharmaceutical, medical device, over-the-counter, and consumer-packaged-goods companies, and could be affected by changes affecting healthcare spending. Industry changes affecting healthcare spending could impact the market for these offerings. General reductions in expenditures by healthcare industry participants could result from, among other things:
government regulation or private initiatives that affect the manner in which healthcare industry participants interact with consumers and the general public;
changes to federal and state tax rates and allowed expense deductions;
consolidation of healthcare industry participants;
reductions in governmental funding for healthcare; and
adverse changes in business or economic conditions affecting pharmaceutical and medical device companies or other healthcare industry participants.
Even if general expenditures by industry participants remain the same or increase, developments in the healthcare industry may result in reduced spending in some or all of the specific market segments that we serve now or in the future. For example, use of our content offerings and the sale of our products and services could be affected by:
changes in the design and provision of health insurance plans;
a decrease in the number of new drugs or pharmaceutical and medical device products coming to market; and
decreases in marketing expenditures by pharmaceutical or medical device companies as a result of governmental regulation or private initiatives that discourage or prohibit advertising or sponsorship activities by pharmaceutical or medical device companies.
The healthcare industry has changed significantly in recent years, and we expect that significant changes to the healthcare industry will continue to occur. However, the timing and impact of developments in the healthcare industry are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you that the demand for our offerings will continue to exist at current levels or that we will have adequate technical, financial, and marketing resources to react to changes in the healthcare industry.
Government regulation of healthcare creates risks and challenges with respect to our compliance efforts and our business strategies with our Everyday Health Group set of brands.
The healthcare industry is highly regulated and subject to changing political, legislative, regulatory, and other influences. Existing and future laws and regulations affecting the healthcare industry could create unexpected liabilities for us, cause us to incur additional costs, and restrict our operations. Many healthcare laws are complex, and their application may not be clear. Our failure to accurately anticipate the application of these laws and regulations, or other failure to comply with such laws and regulations, could create liability for us. Even in areas where we are not subject to healthcare regulation directly, we may become involved in governmental actions or investigations through our relationships with customers that are regulated, and participation in such actions or investigations, even if we are not a party and not the subject of an investigation, may cause us to incur significant expenses. Additionally, government actions, investigations, or pronouncements, or a change in self-regulatory organization rules or healthcare industry norms, might impact healthcare industry customer views of risks associated with purchasing our services and result in a reduction in their expenditures.
For example, there are federal and state laws that govern patient referrals, physician financial relationships and inducements to healthcare providers and patients. The federal healthcare programs’ anti-kickback provisions prohibit any person or entity from willingly offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to induce or reward, or in return for either the referral of patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs or the leasing, purchasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the lease, purchase or order of any item, good, facility or service covered by these programs. Many states also have similar anti-kickback laws that are not necessarily limited to items or services for which payment is made by a federal healthcare program. Our sale of advertising and sponsorships to healthcare providers potentially implicates these laws. However, we review our practices to ensure that we comply with all applicable laws. The laws in this area are broad, and we cannot determine precisely how they will be applied to our business practices. Any determination by a state or federal regulatory agency that any of our practices violate any of these laws could subject us to liability and require us to change or terminate some portions of our business.
Further, we derive revenues from the sale of advertising and promotion of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medical devices, as well as non-drug consumer health and wellness products. If the FDA or the FTC finds that any of the information provided on our properties violates FDA or FTC regulations, they may take regulatory or judicial action against us and/or the advertiser of that information. State attorneys general may also take similar action based on their state’s consumer protection statutes. Any increase or change in regulation of advertising and promotion in the healthcare industry could make it more difficult for us to generate and grow our advertising and sponsorship revenues.
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In addition, the practice of most healthcare professions requires licensing under applicable state law and state laws may further prohibit business entities from practicing medicine, which is referred to as the prohibition against the corporate practice of medicine. Similar state prohibitions may exist with respect to other licensed professions. We believe that we do not engage in the practice of medicine or any other licensed healthcare profession, or provide, through our properties, professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or other advice that is tailored in such a way as to implicate state licensing or professional practice laws. However, a state may determine that some portion of our business violates these laws and may seek to have us discontinue those portions or subject us to penalties or licensure requirements. Any determination that we are a healthcare provider and acted improperly as a healthcare provider may result in liability to us.
Our business could suffer if providers of broadband internet access services block, impair or degrade our services.
Our business is dependent on the ability of our customers and visitors to our digital media properties to access our services and applications over broadband internet connections. Internet access providers and internet backbone providers may be able to block, degrade, or charge for access or bandwidth use of certain of our products and services, which could lead to additional expenses and the loss of users. Our products and services depend on the ability of our users to access the internet. Use of our services and applications through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, must have a high-speed data connection. Broadband internet access services, whether wireless or landline, are provided by companies with significant market power. Many of these providers offer products and services that directly compete with ours.
Many of the largest providers of broadband services have publicly stated that they will not degrade or disrupt their customers’ use of applications and services, like ours. If such providers were to degrade, impair, or block our services, it would negatively impact our ability to provide services to our customers and likely result in lost revenue and profits, and we would incur legal fees in attempting to restore our users’ access to our services. Broadband internet access providers may also attempt to charge us or our customers additional fees to access services like ours that may result in the loss of customers and revenue, decreased profitability, or increased costs to our retail offerings that may make our services less competitive.
Technologies have been developed that are able to block certain of our advertisements or impair our ability to serve interest-based advertising which could harm our operating results.
Technologies have been developed and are likely to continue to be developed that can block internet or mobile display advertising. Most of our Digital Media business revenues are derived from fees paid by advertisers in connection with the display of advertisements or clicks on advertisements on web pages or mobile devices. As a result, such technologies and tools are reducing the number of display advertisements that we are able to deliver or our ability to serve our interest-based advertising and this, in turn, could reduce our advertising revenue and operating results. Adoption of these types of technologies by more of our users could have a material impact on our revenues. We have implemented third-party products to combat these ad-blocking technologies and are developing other strategies to address advertisement blocking. However, our efforts may not be successful to offset the potential increasing impact of these advertising blocking products.
If we or our third-party service providers fail to prevent click fraud or choose to manage traffic quality in a way that advertisers find unsatisfactory, our profitability may decline.
A portion of our display revenue comes from advertisers that pay for advertising on a price-per-click basis, meaning that the advertisers pay a fee every time a user clicks on their advertising. This pricing model can be vulnerable to so-called “click fraud,” which occurs when clicks are submitted on ads by a user who is motivated by reasons other than genuine interest in the subject of the ad. A portion of our display revenue also comes from advertisers that pay for advertising on the bases of price-per-impression, price-per-visit or price-per-engagement. These pricing models can also be vulnerable to fraud known variously as “invalid traffic” or “non-human traffic,” which occurs when the impression, visit or engagement is generated for reasons other than genuine interest in the subject of the ad. We or our third-party service providers may be exposed to the risk of click fraud, invalid traffic or other clicks, actions or conversions that advertisers may perceive as undesirable. If fraudulent or other malicious activity is perpetrated by others and we or our third-party service providers are unable to detect and prevent it, or choose to manage traffic quality in a way that advertisers find unsatisfactory, the affected advertisers may experience or perceive a reduced return on their investment in our advertising programs which could lead the advertisers to become dissatisfied with our advertising programs and they might refuse to pay, demand refunds, or withdraw future business. Undetected click fraud could damage our brands and lead to a loss of advertisers and revenue. We obtain third-party certification that certain of our products apply “best practices” to detect and prevent click fraud. If we are unable to maintain such certification, advertisers might refuse to pay, demand refunds, and withdraw future business, and our business reputation might be harmed.
The industries in which we operate are undergoing rapid technological changes and we may not be able to keep up.
The industries in which we operate are subject to rapid and significant technological change. We cannot predict the effect of technological changes on our business. We expect that new services and technologies will emerge in the markets in which we compete. These new services and technologies may be superior to the services and technologies that we use or these
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new services may render our services and technologies obsolete. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and adapt to technological changes and evolving industry standards. We may be unable to obtain access to new technologies on acceptable terms or at all and may therefore be unable to offer services in a competitive manner. Any of the foregoing risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
Increased cost of email transmissions could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We rely on email for the delivery of certain cloud services. We also offer email security, encryption and archival services. If regulations or other changes in the industry lead to a charge associated with the sending or receiving of email messages, the cost of providing our services could increase and, if significant, could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

Risks Related To Our Stock

The fundamental change purchase featurefeatures of the 1.75% Convertible Notes and the change of control features of the 4.625% Senior Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial attempt to take over our company.

The terms of the 1.75% Convertible Notes require us to offer to purchase the 1.75% Convertible Notes for cash in the event of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the 1.75% Convertible Notes), and the terms of the 4.625% Senior Notes require our subsidiary, j2 Cloud Services,us to offer to repurchase the 4.625% Senior Notes for cash in the event of a change of control (as defined in the indenture governing the 4.625% Senior Notes). These features may have the effect of delaying or preventing a takeover of our companythe Company that would otherwise be beneficial to investors.



Conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes willcould dilute the ownership interest of our existing stockholders, including holders who had previously converted their 1.75% Convertible Notes.

The conversion of some or all of the 1.75% Convertible Notes willcould dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders. Any sales in the public market of our common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the 1.75% Convertible Notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the 1.75% Convertible Notes could depress the price of our common stock.

We are a holding company and our operations are conducted through, and substantially all of our consolidated assets are held by, our subsidiaries, which aremay be subject to certain restrictions on their ability to pay dividends to us to fund dividends on our stock, pay interest on the 1.75% Convertible Notes or 4.625% Senior Notes and fund other holding company expenses.

We are a holding company. We conduct substantially all of our operations through our subsidiaries. A substantial portion of our consolidated assets is held by our subsidiaries. Accordingly, our ability to pay dividends on our stock, service our debt, including the 1.75% Convertible Notes and 4.625% Senior Notes, and fund other holding company expenses depends on the results of operations of our subsidiaries and upon the ability of such subsidiaries to provide us with cash, whether in the form of dividends, loans, or otherwise.

In addition, dividends, Dividends, loans or other distributions to us from such subsidiaries arecould be subject to future contractual and other restrictions and are subject to other business considerations. j2 Cloud Services, is subject to restrictions on dividends in its existing indenture with respect to the Senior Notes. The Senior Notes indenture generally prohibits dividends except out of a basket of 50% of cumulative net income (as defined in the indenture) and proceeds from equity offerings, although it permits any dividends if j2 Cloud Services’ pro forma leverage ratio (as calculated as required by the indenture) is less than 3.0 to 1. While j2 Cloud Services is currently in compliance with such covenants, its ability to comply with such covenants is subject to conditions outside its control. If we cannot obtain cash from our subsidiaries, we may not be able to pay dividends on our stock, pay interest on the Convertible Notes and fund other operating company expenses without additional sources of cash.

Quarterly dividends may not continue, may not continue to grow or could decrease.

We may not continue to issue quarterly dividends or we could decrease the amount of any future dividends or cease to increase the amount of any future dividends. We paid our first quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock on September 19, 2011. We have declared increasing dividends in each subsequent quarter. Future dividends are subject to Board approval. We cannot assure that the Company will continue to pay a dividend in the future or the amount of any future dividends.

restrictions.
Future sales of our common stock may negatively affect our stock price.
As of February 26, 2018,24, 2023, substantially all of our outstanding shares of common stock were available for resale, subject to volume and manner of sale limitations applicable to affiliates under SEC Rule 144. Sales of a substantial number of shares of common stock in the public market or the perception of such sales could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sellissue equity securities in the future at a price that we think is appropriate, or at all.
Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our stockholders.
Provisions of Delaware law and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire control of us. For example, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which would make it more difficult for another party to acquire us without the approval of our Board of Directors. Additionally, our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without requiring any stockholder approval, and preferred stock could be issued as a defensive measure in response to a takeover proposal. These provisions could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us even if an acquisition might be in the best interest of our stockholders.



Our stock price may be volatile or may decline.

Our stock price and trading volumes have been volatile and we expect that this volatility will continue in the future due to factors, such as:

Assessments of the size of our advertiser, user, and subscriber base andbases, our average revenue per user and subscriber, and comparisons of our results in these and other areas versus prior performance and that of our competitors;
Our growth and profitability;
Variations between our actual results and investor expectations;
Regulatory or competitive developments affecting our markets;
Investor perceptions of us and comparable public companies;
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Conditions and trends in the communications, messaging and internet-related industries;industries in which we operate;
Announcements of technological innovations and acquisitions;
Introduction of new services by us or our competitors;
Developments with respect to intellectual property rights;
Conditions and trends in the internet and other technology industries;
Rumors, gossip, or speculation published on public chat or bulletin boards;
General market conditions; andconditions, including prolonged or increased inflation;
Geopolitical events such as war, threat of war, or terrorist actions.actions; and

Global health pandemics.
In addition, the stock market has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market prices for the common stocks of technology and other companies, particularly communications and internet companies. These broad market fluctuations have previously resulted in a material decline in the market price of our common stock. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. We may become involved in this type of litigation in the future. Litigation is often expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

As of December 31, 2017, we are leasing approximately 40,000 square feet of office space for ourOur global headquarters in Los Angeles, California under a lease that expires on January 31, 2020. The Digital Media business is headquartered in New York City, where it leaseswe lease approximately 43,00039,000 square feet of office space pursuant to a lease that extends through May 2019 and 87,000 square feet of office space for Everyday Health pursuant to a lease that extends through October 2023.2024. Additionally, we have smaller leased offices throughout Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia.

All of our network equipment is housed either at our leased properties or at one of our multiple co-location facilities around the world. We believe our current facilities are generally in good operating condition and are sufficient to meet our needs for the foreseeable future.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

From timeSee Note 12 - Commitments and Contingencies to time, j2 Global and its affiliates are involved in litigation and other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of business. Any claims or regulatory actions against j2 Global and its affiliates, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming and costly, and could divert significant operational resources. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief.



On February 17, 2011, Emmanuel Pantelakis (“Pantelakis”) filed suit against a j2 Global affiliate in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (No. 11-50673), alleging that the j2 Global affiliate breached a contract relating to Pantelakis’s use of the Campaigner® service. The j2 Global affiliate filed a responsive pleading on March 23, 2011 and responses to undertakings on July 16, 2012. On November 6, 2012, Pantelakis filed a second amended statement of claim, reframing his lawsuit as a negligence action. The j2 Global affiliate filed an amended statement of defense on April 8, 2013. Discovery has closed. A judicial pre-trial has been set for July 27, 2018.

On January 17, 2013, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (“Commissioner”) issued a notice of assessment to a j2 Global affiliate for sales and use tax for the period of July 1, 2003 through December 31, 2011. On July 22, 2014, the Commissioner denied the j2 Global affiliate’s application for abatement. On September 18, 2014, the j2 Global affiliate petitioned the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board for abatement of the tax asserted in the notice of assessment (No. C325426). A trial was held on December 16, 2015. On May 18, 2017, the Appellate Board decided in favor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The j2 Global affiliate has requested the findings of fact and conclusions of law from the Appellate Board.

On October 16, 2013, a j2 Global affiliate entered an appearance as a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation pending in the Northern District of Illinois (No. 1:12-cv-06286). In this litigation, Unified Messaging Solutions, LLC (“UMS”), a company with rights to assert certain patents owned by the j2 Global affiliate, has asserted five j2 Global patents against a number of defendants. While claims against some defendants have been settled, other defendants have filed counterclaims for, among other things, non-infringement, unenforceability, and invalidity of the patents-in-suit. On December 20, 2013, the Northern District of Illinois issued a claim construction opinion and, on June 13, 2014, entered a final judgment of non-infringement for the remaining defendants based on that claim construction. UMS and the j2 Global affiliate filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Circuit on June 27, 2014 (No. 14-1611). On December 8, 2017, the Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the lower court.

On January 21, 2016, Davis Neurology, P.A. filed a putative class action against two j2 Global affiliates in the Circuit Court for the County of Pope, State of Arkansas (58-cv-2016-40), alleging violations of the TCPA. The case was ultimately removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (the “Eastern District of Arkansas”) (No. 4:16-cv-00682). On June 6, 2016, the j2 Global affiliates filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings. On March 20, 2017, the Eastern District of Arkansas dismissed all claims against the j2 Global affiliates. On April 17, 2017, Davis Neurology filed a notice of appeal. On June 20, 2017, Davis Neurology filed its appeal brief. On August 4, 2017 j2 Global affiliates filed a response brief. On August 21, 2017, Davis Neurology filed a reply brief. Oral argument was held January 11, 2018. j2 Global affiliates submitted a supplemental letter brief on January 31, 2018. Davis Neurology submitted a supplemental letter brief on February 15, 2018. The appeal is pending.

j2 Global does not believe, based on current knowledge, that the foregoing legal proceedings or claims, after giving effect to existing reserves, are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’sour accompanying consolidated financial position, resultsstatements for a description of operations, or cash flows. However, depending on the amount and timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of these matters could have a material effect on j2 Global’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in a particular period.our legal proceedings.
The Company has not accrued for any material loss contingencies relating to these legal proceedings because materially unfavorable outcomes are not considered probable by management. It is the Company’s policy to expense as incurred legal fees related to various litigations.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.




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PART II



Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

OurShares of the Company’s common stock isare traded on the NASDAQNasdaq Global Select Market under the stock symbol “JCOM”“ZD”. The following table sets forth the high and low closing sale prices for our common stock for the periods indicated, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
 High Low
Year ended December 31, 2017   
      First Quarter86.96 81.42
      Second Quarter91.17 80.86
      Third Quarter85.85 72.08
      Fourth Quarter78.96 72.17
Year ended December 31, 2016   
      First Quarter80.51 56.90
      Second Quarter68.30 60.01
      Third Quarter69.99 61.89
      Fourth Quarter83.47 62.69

Holders

We had 280206 registered stockholders as of February 26, 2018.24, 2023. That number excludes the beneficial owners of shares held in “street” name or held through participants in depositories.

Dividends

We initiated a quarterly cash dividend program in August 2011 with a payment of $0.20 per share of common stock on September 19, 2011. We have paid an increasing quarterly cash dividend in each subsequent calendar quarter. The following is a summary of each dividend declaredCompany did not pay dividends during fiscal year 2017the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2016:
Declaration Date Dividend per Common Share Record Date Payment Date
February 10, 2016 $0.3250
 February 23, 2016 March 10, 2016
May 5, 2016 $0.3350
 May 18, 2016 June 2, 2016
August 2, 2016 $0.3450
 August 17, 2016 September 1, 2016
November 1, 2016 $0.3550
 November 18, 2016 December 5, 2016
February 9, 2017 $0.3650
 February 22, 2017 March 9, 2017
May 4, 2017 $0.3750
 May 19, 2017 June 2, 2017
August 2, 2017 $0.3850
 August 14, 2017 September 1, 2017
October 31, 2017 $0.3950
 November 17, 2017 December 5, 2017

On February 2, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.4050 per share of common stock payable on March 9, 2018 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2018 (see Note 20 - Subsequent Events).2020, respectively. Future dividends are subject to the approval by the Board approval.of Directors (the “Board”).

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not applicable.



Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
2012 Program
Effective February 15, 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to five million shares of our common stock through February 20, 2013 (the “2012 Program”). On, which was subsequently extended through February 2, 2018,20, 2021. Prior to 2020, the Company announced that it has extendedrepurchased 3,859,181 shares under the 2012 Program set to expire February 19, 2018 byat an additionalaggregate cost of $117.1 million. The repurchased shares were subsequently retired. There were 1,140,819 shares available under the 2012 program as of January 1, 2020. During the year (see Note 20 - Subsequent Events). Cumulatively atended December 31, 2017, we2020, the Company repurchased 2.11,140,819 shares at an aggregate cost of $87.5 million which were subsequently retired in the same year. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had repurchased all of the available shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregated cost of $58.6$204.6 million (including an immaterial amount of commission fees). See Note 14 - Stockholders’ Equity for additional details.

2020 Program
In July 2016,On August 6, 2020, the Company acquired and subsequently retired 935,231Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to ten million shares of j2 Globalour common stock through August 6, 2025 (the “2020 Program”) in addition to the five million shares repurchased under the 2012 Program. In connection with the acquisitionauthorization, the Company entered into certain Rule 10b5-1 trading plans with a broker-dealer to facilitate the repurchase program. During the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 736,536, 445,711 and 2,490,599 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of Integrated Global Concepts, Inc. (see$71.3 million, $47.7 million and $177.8 million, respectively (including an immaterial amount of commission fees) under the 2020 Program, which were subsequently retired. Refer to Note 314 - Business Acquisitions). Stockholders’ Equity for additional details.
As a result of the purchase of j2 Global common stock, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a reduction inshare repurchases, the number of shares available for purchase underof the 2012 Program by the same amount leaving 1,938,689 shares of j2 GlobalCompany’s common stock available for purchase under this program.

the 2020 Program is 6,327,154 shares.
The following table details the repurchases that were made under and outside the 20122020 Program during the three months ended December 31, 2017:2022:
Period
Total Number of Shares
Purchased (1)
Average Price
Paid Per Share
Total Number of
Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or Programs
Maximum Number of
Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
October 1, 2022 - October 31, 2022746 $78.59 — 6,327,154 
November 1, 2022 - November 30, 202219,042 $87.77 — 6,327,154 
December 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022543 $78.98 — 6,327,154 
Total20,331 — 6,327,154 
Period
Total Number of
Shares
Purchased (1)
 
Average Price
Paid Per Share
 
Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs
 
Maximum
Number of
Shares that
May Yet Be
Purchased
Under the Plans or Programs
October 1, 2017 - October 31, 20172,828
 $73.78
 
 1,938,689
November 1, 2017 - November 30, 2017
 $
 
 1,938,689
December 1, 2017 - December 31, 201723,705
 $75.20
 
 1,938,689
Total26,533
  
 
 1,938,689
(1)
Includes shares surrendered to the Company to pay the exercise price and/or to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with employee stock options and/or the vesting of restricted stock issued to employees.

(1)Consists of shares surrendered to the Company to pay the exercise price and/or to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with employee stock options and/or the vesting of restricted stock issued to employees.
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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table providesEquity Compensation Plan information as of December 31, 2017 regarding shares outstanding and availableunder which the Company's equity securities are authorized for issuance required under j2 Global’s existing equity compensation plans:
Plan Category
Number of
Securities
to Be
Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants
and Rights (a)
 
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants
and Rights (b)
 
Number of
Securities
Remaining
Available
for Future
Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation
Plans
(Excluding
Securities
Reflected in
Column (a)) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders375,675
 $31.30
 5,073,717
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
 
 
      Total375,675
 $31.30
 5,073,717

The number of securities remaining available for future issuance includes 3,450,474 and 1,623,243 under our 2015 Stock Option Plan and 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, respectively. Please refer to Note 13Item 5 is hereby incorporated by reference to the accompanying consolidatedCompany's definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act of 1934, which the Company intends to file with the SEC within 120 days after the close of its fiscal year.


financial statements for a description of these Plans as well as our 2007 Stock Option Plan, which terminated on February 14, 2017.

Performance Graph

This performance graph and related information shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of j2 Globalthe Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

Act of 1934.
The following graph comparesreflects the comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return for j2 Global,shares of the NASDAQCompany’s common stock, the S&P MidCap 400 Index, the Nasdaq Internet Index, the Nasdaq Computer Index and an index of companies that j2 Global hasthe selected as its peer group index.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company (1) changed the broad index in the performance graph to the S&P MidCap 400 Index because it is a broad index for which the Company is included and (2) changed from a peer group index to the Nasdaq Internet Index because the Company believes it offers a better comparison of industry performance. The performance graph below continues to include the cumulative total stockholder return for the Nasdaq Computer Index and the selected peer group index, as it is required during the transition period. The selected peer group includes companies providing digital media services and cloud serviceservices for the business space.

j2 Global’sspace and has not changed from the peer group used in 2021. The Company’s peer group index for 20172022 consists of IAC/InterActive Corp., TripAdvisor, Inc., LivePerson, Inc., LogMeIn, Inc., Zillow Group, Inc., Salesforce.com, Inc., Open Text Corp., Tyler Technologies, Inc., and The Ultimate Software Group,Roper Technologies Inc. Given the growth in our Digital Media segment, we have removed Athenahealth, Inc., WebMD Health Corp and Bankrate Inc. and have added IAC/InterActive Corp., TripAdvisor, Inc. and the Zillow Group, Inc. to our peer group. Both WebMD Health Corp. and Bankrate Inc. were acquired during the current year.

j2 Global’s 2016 peer group index consisted of Athenahealth, Inc., WebMD Health Corp., LivePerson, Inc., LogMeIn, Inc., Bankrate Inc., Salesforce.com, Inc., Open Text Corp. and The Ultimate Software Group, Inc.

Measurement points are December 31, 20122017 and the last trading day in each of j2 Global’sthe Company’s fiscal quartersyears through the end of fiscal 2017.2022. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 20122017 in j2 Global’sthe Company’s common stock and in each of the indices, and assumes reinvestment of any dividends. The stock price performance on the following graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance. The Company completed the separation of Consensus on October 7, 2021. For the purpose of this graph, the distribution of 80.1% of the shares of Consensus common stock to holders of Ziff Davis (formerly known as J2 Global. Inc.) common stock, pursuant to which Consensus became an independent company, is treated as a non-taxable cash dividend which was deemed reinvested in Ziff Davis common stock.

S&PNasdaqNasdaq2022 Peer
Measurement Date
Ziff Davis (1)
MidCap 400
Index
Computer IndexInternet
Index
Group
Index
Dec-17100.00100.00100.00100.00100.00
Dec-1894.4688.9297.3895.49121.16
Dec-19128.92112.21147.97123.77151.02
Dec-20134.39127.54223.93200.76228.36
Dec-21175.45159.12310.44190.47243.32
Dec-22125.18138.34200.7499.86140.32
(1)On October 7, 2021, Ziff Davis completed the Separation of Consensus (NASDAQ: CCSI). A shareholder of the Company who acquired one share of Ziff Davis common stock at the start of the measurement period (December 31, 2017) and reinvested all cash dividends into Ziff Davis common stock at then-current prices from the start of the measurement period to the time of the Separation would have owned 1.376 shares of Ziff Davis common stock at the time of the Separation of Consensus. At the time of the Separation of Consensus, Ziff Davis common shareholders received a dividend of one CCSI share for every three shares of Ziff Davis common stock. Therefore, the value of this dividend for each Ziff Davis common shareholder was $18.68 per share based on the October 7, 2021 Consensus share price of $56.04 ($56.04 / 3 = $18.68). For purposes of calculating the Ziff Davis total return, we assume that the value of the Consensus shares issued to the Ziff Davis shareholder at the time of the Separation (1.376 shares x $18.68 = $25.70) was reinvested into Ziff Davis common stock at the ex-dividend price of Ziff Davis common stock ($124.21), resulting in ownership of an additional 0.21 shares of Ziff Davis common stock.

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Measurement NASDAQ2017 Peer2016 Peer
Datej2 GlobalComputer IndexGroup IndexGroup Index
Dec-12100.00100.00100.00100.00
Mar-13129.63102.24107.66108.26
Jun-13141.20104.17103.5698.21
Sep-13164.92115.66132.84128.19
Dec-13167.35131.95146.20140.99
Mar-14168.34133.99151.62146.65
Jun-14171.87144.87158.34144.71
Sep-14167.88152.06154.40147.66
Dec-14210.12158.17152.57153.99
Mar-15223.10160.20167.48164.14
Jun-15231.47160.53171.68164.61
Sep-15241.98152.46164.53168.63
Dec-15280.49168.05183.96189.29
Mar-16213.78169.49169.73178.95
Jun-16220.07162.79185.71193.22
Sep-16232.44186.51177.00181.27
Dec-16283.24188.67166.99171.84
Mar-17291.33212.97190.22200.63
Jun-17296.41221.89203.92211.44
Sep-17261.03241.28214.46221.78
Dec-17266.08261.81230.34242.28
jcom-20221231_g2.jpg





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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, the related notes contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the information contained herein in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of future results.[Reserved]
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 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
 (In thousands, except for share and per share amounts)
Statement of Income Data:         
Revenues$1,117,838
 $874,255
 $720,815
 $599,030
 $520,801
Cost of revenues172,313
 147,100
 122,958
 105,989
 86,893
      Gross profit945,525
 727,155
 597,857
 493,041
 433,908
Operating expenses:         
      Sales and marketing330,296
 206,871
 159,009
 141,967
 131,317
      Research, development and engineering46,004
 38,046
 34,329
 30,680
 25,485
      General and administrative323,517
 239,672
 205,137
 134,188
 101,683
      Total operating expenses699,817
 484,589
 398,475
 306,835
 258,485
Income from operations245,708
 242,566
 199,382
 186,206
 175,423
      Interest expense, net67,777
 41,370
 42,458
 31,204
 21,254
      Other (income) expense, net(22,035) (10,243) 5
 (165) 11,472
Income before income taxes199,966
 211,439
 156,919
 155,167
 142,697
Income tax expense60,541
 59,000
 23,283
 29,840
 35,175
Net income$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
 $125,327
 $107,522
Less extinguishment of Series A preferred stock
 
 
 (991) 
Net income attributable to j2 Global, Inc. common shareholders$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
 $124,336
 $107,522
          
Net income per common share:         
      Basic$2.89
 $3.15
 $2.76
 $2.60
 $2.31
      Diluted$2.83
 $3.13
 $2.73
 $2.58
 $2.28
Weighted average shares outstanding:         
      Basic47,586,242
 47,668,357
 47,627,853
 46,778,015
 45,548,767
      Diluted48,669,027
 47,963,226
 48,087,760
 47,106,538
 46,140,019
Cash dividends declared per common share$1.52
 $1.36
 $1.22
 $1.10
 $0.98


  
 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
 (In thousands)
Balance Sheet Data:         
Cash and cash equivalents$350,945
 $123,950
 $255,530
 $433,663
 $207,801
Working capital355,325
 (106,090) 286,151
 486,816
 274,133
Total assets2,453,093
 2,062,328
 1,783,719
 1,705,202
 1,153,789
Other long-term liabilities31,434
 3,475
 18,228
 22,416
 1,458
Total stockholders’ equity$1,020,305
 $914,536
 $890,208
 $820,235
 $706,418



Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
    
In addition to historical information, the following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including but not limited to those discussed in Part I, Item 1A - “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review the Risk Factors and the risk factors set forth in other documents we file from time to time with the SEC.

Overview

j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 as a Delaware corporation through the creation of a holding company structure. Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“j2 Global”Ziff Davis”, “the Company”, “our”, “us” or “we”), is a leading provider ofvertically focused digital media and internet services. Through our Cloud Services segment, we provide cloud services to consumerscompany whose portfolio includes brands in technology, shopping, gaming and businessesentertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and license our intellectual property (“IP”) to third parties. In addition, the Cloud Services segment includes fax, voice, backup, security and email marketing products.martech. Our Digital Media segmentbusiness specializes in the technology, shopping, gaming lifestyleand entertainment, and healthcare markets, offering content, tools and services to consumers and businesses. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business provides cloud-based subscription services to consumers and businesses including cybersecurity, privacy, and marketing technology.
In February 2021, we sold certain Voice assets in the United Kingdom and, in September 2021, we sold our B2B Backup business.
On October 7, 2021, we completed the separation of our cloud fax business (the “Separation”) into an independent publicly traded company, Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”). In connection with the Separation, we changed our name to Ziff Davis, Inc.from J2 Global, Inc. (for certain events prior to October 7, 2021, the Company may be referred to as J2 Global). The Separation was achieved through the Company’s distribution of 80.1% of the shares of Consensus common stock to holders of J2 Global common stock as of the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The J2 Global stockholders of record received one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of J2 Global’s common stock and we retained a 19.9% interest in Consensus following the Separation (“Investment in Consensus”). Before the Separation, we reported our results as Digital Media and Cloud Services. In connection with the Separation, we now refer to these segments as Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech.
The accounting requirements for reporting the Separation of Consensus as a discontinued operation were met when the Separation was completed on October 7, 2021. Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements for all periods presented reflect the results of the Consensus business as a discontinued operation. Ziff Davis did not retain a controlling interest in Consensus.
On June 10, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment to its Credit Agreement and on September 15, 2022, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to its Credit Agreement, each with MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and collateral agent and the lenders party thereto, to effectuate two debt-for equity exchanges of portions of the Investment in Consensus. The Fifth Amendment to the Credit Agreement provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $90.0 million (the “Term Loan Facility”) and the Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $22.3 million (the “Term Loan Two Facility”). Both amendments provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement. Refer to Note 10 - Debt in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. During June 2022, the Company borrowed approximately $90.0 million under the Term Loan Facility and completed a non-cash exchange of 2.3 million shares of the Investment in Consensus to settle its obligation of $90.0 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facility plus related interest. During September 2022, the Company borrowed approximately $22.3 million under the Term Loan Two Facility and completed a non-cash exchange of 0.5 million shares of the Investment in Consensus to settle its obligation of $22.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Two Facility plus related interest. As of December 31, 2022, the Company holds approximately 1.1 million shares of the common stock of Consensus. The Investment in Consensus represents an investment in equity securities for which the Company elected the fair value option and subsequent fair value changes in the Consensus shares are included in our assets and results from continuing operations.
Our Cloud Services segment generatesconsolidated revenues are currently generated primarily from customer subscriptiontwo basic business models, each with different financial profiles and usage fees and from IP licensing fees.variability. Our Digital Media segment generatesbusiness is driven primarily by advertising revenues, has relatively higher sales and marketing expense and has seasonal strength in the fourth quarter. Our Cybersecurity and Martech business is driven primarily by subscription revenues with relatively stable and predictable margins from advertising and sponsorships, subscription and usage fees, performance marketing and licensing fees.

quarter to quarter. In addition to growing our business organically, on a regular basis we acquire businesses to grow our customer bases, expand and diversify our service offerings, enhance our technologies, acquire skilled personnel, and enter into new markets.
Our consolidated revenues are currently generated from three basic business models, each with different financial profiles and variability. Our Cloud Services segment is driven primarily by subscription revenues that are relatively higher margin, stable and predictable from quarter to quarter with some seasonal weakness in the fourth quarter. The Cloud Services segment also includes the results of our IP licensing business, which can vary dramatically in both revenues and profitability from period to period. Our Digital Media segment is driven primarily by advertising revenues, has relatively higher sales and marketing expense and has seasonal strength in the fourth quarter. We continue to pursue additional
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acquisitions, which may include companies operating under business models that differ from those we operate under today. Such acquisitions could impact our consolidated profit margins and the variability of our revenues.
j2 Global was incorporated in 2014Performance Metrics
Revenues from customers classified by revenue source are as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Digital Media
Advertising$788,135 $838,075 $627,198 
Subscription244,694 197,354 166,219 
Other46,343 33,871 17,943 
Total Digital Media revenues$1,079,172 $1,069,300 $811,360 
Cybersecurity and Martech
Subscription$312,626 $348,611 $347,697 
Total Cybersecurity and Martech revenues$312,626 $348,611 $347,697 
Corporate$— $— $
Elimination of inter-segment revenues(801)(1,189)(229)
Total Revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
We use certain metrics to generally assess the operational and financial performance of our businesses. We have changed these metrics effective January 1, 2022, and the following descriptions align with the metrics management now uses to monitor the performance of its various advertising and subscription-based businesses. For our advertising businesses, net advertising revenue retention is an indicator of our ability to retain the spend of our existing advertisers year over year, which we view as a Delaware corporation throughreflection of the creationeffectiveness of a new holding company structure,our advertising platform. Similarly, we monitor the number of our advertisers and the revenue per advertiser, as defined below, as these metrics provide further details related to our Cloud Services segment, operated by our wholly owned subsidiary, j2 Cloud Services, LLC (formerly j2 Cloud Services, Inc.), and its subsidiaries, was founded in 1995. We manage our operations through two business segments: Cloud Services and Digital Media. Information regardingreported revenue and operating income attributablecontribute to eachcertain of our reportable segmentsbusiness planning decisions.
For our subscription and licensing businesses, the number of subscribers that we serve is an indicator of our customer retention and growth. The average monthly revenue per subscriber and the churn rate also contribute to insights that contribute to certain geographic information is included within Note 16, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.our business planning decisions.


Cloud Services Segment Performance Metrics

The following table sets forth certain key operating metrics for our Cloud Services segmentDigital Media advertising business for the yearsthree months ended December 31, 2017, 20162022 and 20152021 (in thousands, except for percentages)millions):
Three months ended December 31,
20222021
Net advertising revenue retention (1)
92.0 %111.9 %
Advertisers (2)
2,044 2,198 
Quarterly revenue per advertiser (3)
$118,370 $119,932 
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Subscriber revenues: 
  
  
Fixed$471,269
 $468,395
 $414,919
Variable102,928
 93,950
 83,804
Total subscriber revenues574,197
 562,345
 498,723
Other license revenues4,759
 4,593
 5,915
Total revenues$578,956
 $566,938
 $504,638
Percentage of total subscriber revenues: 
  
  
Fixed82.1% 83.3% 83.2%
Variable17.9% 16.7% 16.8%
Total revenues:   
  
Number-based$384,929
 $367,741
 $352,656
Non-number-based194,027
 199,197
 151,982
Total revenues$578,956
 $566,938
 $504,638
      
Average monthly revenue per Cloud Business Customer (ARPU) (1)(2)
$15.31
 $15.21
 $14.79
Cancel rate (3)
2.0% 2.1% 2.1%

(1)
Quarterly ARPU is calculated using our standard convention of applying the average of the quarter’s beginning and ending base to the total revenue for the quarter. We believe ARPU provides investors an understanding of the average monthly revenues we recognize associated with each Cloud Services customer. As ARPU varies based on fixed subscription fee and variable usage components, we believe it can serve as a measure by which investors can evaluate trends in the types of services, levels of services and the usage levels of those services across our Cloud Services customer base.

(2)
Cloud Services customers are defined as paying direct inward dialing numbers for fax and voice services, and direct and resellers’ accounts for other services.

(3)
Cancel Rate is defined as cancels of small and medium businesses and individual Cloud Services customers with greater than four months of continuous service (continuous service includes Cloud Services customers administratively canceled and reactivated within the same calendar month), and enterprise Cloud Services customers beginning with their first day of service. Calculated monthly and expressed as an average over the three months of the quarter.

Digital Media Segment Performance Metrics(1) Net advertising revenue retention equals (i) the trailing twelve month revenue recognized related to prior year advertisers in the current year period (excluding revenue from acquisitions during the stub period) divided by (ii) the trailing twelve month revenue recognized related to prior year advertisers in the prior year period (excluding revenue from acquisitions during the stub period). This excludes advertisers that generated less than $10,000 of revenue in the measurement period.

(2) Excludes advertisers that spent less than $2,500 in the quarter within certain divisions.
(3) Represents total gross quarterly advertising revenues divided by advertisers as defined in footnote (2).
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The following table sets forth certain key operating metrics for our Digital Media segmentand Cybersecurity and Martech subscription and licensing businesses for the yearsthree months ended December 31, 2017, 20162022 and 2015 (in millions):2021:
Three months ended December 31,
20222021
Subscribers (in thousands) (1)
3,032 2,206 
Average quarterly revenue per subscriber (2)
$46.33 $60.89 
Churn rate (3)
3.81 %2.97 %
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Visits5,720
 4,992
 4,001
Page views23,731
 18,063
 10,276
Sources: Google Analytics(1) Represents the quarterly average of the end of month subscriber counts for both the Digital Media and Partner PlatformsCybersecurity and Martech businesses. Cybersecurity and Martech subscribers are defined as a direct customer, including customers who have paused but not cancelled their subscription. If the Company provides services through a reseller or a partner and the Company does not have visibility into the number of underlying subscribers, the reseller or partner is counted as one subscriber.


(2) Represents quarterly subscription revenues divided by customers in the table above.

(3) Churn rate is calculated as (i) the average revenue per subscription in the prior month multiplied by the number of cancellations in the current month, calculated at each business and aggregated; divided by (ii) subscription revenue in the current month, calculated at each business and aggregated. For Ookla, the churn rate calculation included in consolidated churn rate calculation includes the sum of the monthly revenue from the specific cancelled agreements in the numerator,


Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We prepare our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and operating results require us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. See Note 2 “Basis- Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”Policies of the Notesnotes to Consolidated Financial Statementsconsolidated financial statements in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K whichthat describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ significantly from those estimates under different assumptions and conditions and may be material.

We believe that ourThe accounting policies described below are those we consider to be the most critical accounting policies are those related to revenue recognition, valuation and impairment of investments, share-based compensation expense, long-lived and intangible asset impairment, contingent consideration, income taxes and contingencies and allowance for doubtful accounts. We consider these policies critical because they are those that are most important to the portrayalan understanding of our financial condition and results of operations and that require management’sthe most difficult,complex and subjective and complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Senior management has reviewed these critical accounting policies and related disclosures with the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.judgment.

Revenue Recognition

Digital Media
Cloud ServicesDigital Media revenues are earned primarily from the delivery of advertising services and from subscriptions to services and information.

Revenue is earned from the delivery of advertising services on websites that are owned and operated by us and on those websites that are part of Digital Media’s advertising network. Depending on the individual contracts with the customer, revenue for these services is recognized over the contract period when any of the following performance obligations are satisfied: (i) when an advertisement is placed for viewing, (ii) when a qualified sales lead is delivered, (iii) when a visitor “clicks through” on an advertisement; or (iv) when commissions are earned upon the sale of an advertised product.
Revenue from subscriptions is earned through the granting of access to, or delivery of, data products or services to customers. Subscriptions cover video games and related content, health information, data and other copyrighted material. Revenues under such agreements are recognized over the contract term for use of the service. Revenues are also earned from listing fees, subscriptions to online publications, and from other sources. Subscription revenues are recognized over time.
We also generate Digital Media subscription revenues through the license of certain assets to clients. Assets are licensed for clients’ use in their own promotional materials or otherwise and may include logos, editorial reviews, or other copyrighted material. Revenues under such license agreements are recognized over the contract term for use of the asset. On instances when technology assets are licensed to our clients, revenues from the license of these assets are recognized over the term of the access period.
The Digital Media business also generates revenue from other sources which include marketing and production services. Such other revenues are generally recognized over the period in which the products or services are delivered.
We also generate Digital Media revenues from transactions involving the sale of perpetual software licenses, related software support and maintenance, hardware used in conjunction with its software, and other related services. Revenue is
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recognized for these software transactions with multiple performance obligations after (i) the contract has been approved and we are committed to perform the respective obligations and (ii) we can identify and quantify each obligation and its respective selling price. Once the respective performance obligations have been identified and quantified, revenue will be recognized when the obligations are met, either over time or at a point in time depending on the nature of the obligation.
Revenues from software license performance obligations are generally recognized upfront at the point in time that the software is made available to the customer to download and use. Revenues for related software support and maintenance performance obligations are related to technical support provided to customers as needed and unspecified software product upgrades, maintenance releases and patches during the term of the support period when they are available. We are obligated to make the support services available continuously throughout the contract period. Therefore, revenues for support contracts are generally recognized ratably over the contractual period the support services are provided. Hardware product and related software performance obligations, such as an operating system or firmware, are highly interdependent and interrelated and are accounted for as a bundled performance obligation. The revenues for this bundled performance obligation are generally recognized at the point in time that the hardware and software products are delivered and ownership is transferred to the customer. Other service revenues are generally recognized over time as the services are performed.
The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to revenue generated (i) by the Company serving online display and video advertising across its owned and operated web properties, on third-party sites or on unaffiliated advertising networks; (ii) through the Company’s lead-generation business; and (iii) through the Company’s subscriptions. The Company records revenue on a net basis with respect to revenue paid to the Company by certain third-party advertising networks who serve online display and video advertising across the Company’s owned-and-operated web properties and certain third-party sites.
Cybersecurity and Martech
The Company’s Cloud ServicesCybersecurity and Martech revenues substantially consist of monthly fixed subscription fees and variable usage-based fees, a significant portion of which are primarily paid in advance by credit card. In accordance with GAAP, the Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been provided, the sales price is fixed and determinable and collection is probable.advance. The Company defers the portions of monthly, quarterly, semi-annuallysemi-annual, and annually recurring subscription and usage-basedannual fees collected in advance of the satisfaction of performance obligations and recognizes them in the period earned. Additionally, the Company defers and recognizes subscriber activation fees and related direct incremental costs over a subscriber’s estimated useful life.

Along with ourits numerous proprietary Cloud ServicesCybersecurity and Martech solutions, the Company also generates subscription revenues by reselling various third partythird-party solutions, primarily through ourits email security and online backup linesline of business. These third partythird-party solutions, along with ourthe Company’s proprietary products, allow the Companyit to offer customers a variety of solutions to better meet theirthe customer’s needs. The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to reseller revenue because the Company has control of the specified good or service prior to transferring control to the customer.
Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets
The Company accounts for long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, operating lease right-of-use assets and identifiable intangible assets with finite useful lives (subject to amortization), in accordance with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment (“ASC 360”), which requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to the expected undiscounted future net cash flows generated by the asset. If it is determined that the asset may not be recoverable, and if the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recognized to the extent of the difference.
The Company assesses the impairment of identifiable definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors it considers important which could individually or in combination trigger an impairment include the following:
Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business;
Significant negative industry or economic trends;
Significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; and
The Company’s market capitalization relative to net book value.
If the Company determined that the carrying value of definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more indicators of impairment, it would record an impairment equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value.
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The Company assessed whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that potentially indicate the carrying amount of definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets may not be recoverable. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not have any events or circumstances indicating impairment of long-lived assets, other than the recording of an impairment of certain operating right-of-use assets and associated property and equipment. Refer to Note 11 - Leases to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. No impairment was recorded for the year ended 2020.
The Company classifies its long-lived assets to be sold as held for sale in the period (i) it has approved and committed to a plan to sell the asset, (ii) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition, (iii) an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to sell the asset have been initiated, (iv) the sale of the asset is probable and the transfer is expected to qualify for recognition as a sale within one year, (v) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, and (vi) it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. The Company initially measures a long-lived asset that is classified as held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset until the date of sale. Upon designation as an asset held for sale, the Company stops recording depreciation expense on the asset. The Company assesses the fair value of a long-lived asset less any costs to sell at each reporting period and until the asset is no longer classified as held for sale.
Business Combinations and Valuation of Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The Company applies the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in accordance with GAAP and uses estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price paid for acquisitions to the fair value of the assets, including identifiable intangible assets and liabilities acquired. Such estimates may be based on significant unobservable inputs and assumptions such as, but not limited to, future revenue growth rates, gross and operating margins, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, discount rates and terminal growth rate assumptions. The Company uses established valuation techniques and may engage reputable valuation specialists to assist with the valuations. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Intangible assets resulting from the acquisitions of entities accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting are recorded at the estimated fair value of the assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of purchased customer relationships, trademarks and trade names, developed technologies and other intangible assets. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized over the period of estimated economic benefit ranging from one to twenty years and are included in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company evaluates its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), which provides that goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but tested annually for impairment or more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. In connection with the annual impairment test for goodwill, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it then performs an impairment test of goodwill. The impairment test involves comparing the fair values of the applicable reporting units with their aggregate carrying values, including goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of its reporting units using a mix of an income approach and a market approach. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively. No goodwill impairment was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2020. Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of recent accounting pronouncements and the Company’s expectations of the impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.
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Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
See Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with SEC on March 15, 2022, for a discussion of our consolidated and segment results of operations for 2021 compared to 2020.
Digital Media
We expect the Digital Media business to improve as we integrate our recent acquisitions and over the longer term as advertising transactions continue to shift from offline to online, and we continue to expand our advertising platforms. The main focus of our platform monetization programs is to provide relevant and useful advertising to visitors to our websites, provide meaningful content that informs and shapes purchase intent, and leverage our brand and editorial assets into subscription platforms. As a result, we expect to continue to take steps to improve the relevance of the ads displayed on our websites and those included within our advertising networks, and improve the effectiveness of our content in driving purchase decisions and subscriptions.
The operating margin we realize on revenues generated from ads placed on our websites is significantly higher than the operating margin we realize from revenues generated from those placed on third-party websites. Growth in advertising revenues from our websites has generally exceeded that from third-party websites. This trend has generally had a positive impact on our operating margins.
We expect acquisitions to remain an important component of our strategy and use of capital in this business; however, we cannot predict whether our current pace of acquisitions will remain the same within this business, especially in light of the current macroeconomic conditions. In a given period, we may close greater or fewer acquisitions than in prior periods or acquisitions of greater or lesser significance than in prior periods. Moreover, future acquisitions of businesses within this space, but with different business models, may impact Digital Media’s overall operating profit margins.
Cybersecurity and Martech
The main focus of our Cybersecurity and Martech service offerings is to reduce or eliminate costs, increase sales and enhance productivity, mobility, business continuity, and security of our customers as the technologies and devices they use evolve over time. As a result, we expect to continue to take steps to enhance our existing offerings and offer new services to continue to satisfy the evolving needs of our customers.
We expect acquisitions to remain an important component of our strategy and use of capital in this business; however, we cannot predict whether our current pace of acquisitions will remain the same within this business, especially in light of the current macroeconomic conditions. In a given period, we may close greater or fewer acquisitions than in prior periods or acquisitions of greater or lesser significance than in prior periods. Moreover, future acquisitions of businesses within this space but with different business models, may impact Cybersecurity and Martech’s overall operating profit margins.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, information derived from our Statements of Operations as a percentage of revenues.
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Revenues100%100%
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues1413
Sales and marketing3535
Research, development and engineering56
General and administrative2932
Goodwill impairment on business22
       Total operating expenses8688
Income from operations1412
Interest expense, net(2)(5)
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net1
Loss on sale of businesses(2)
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(1)21
Loss on investments, net(3)(1)
Other income, net1
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment1025
Income tax (expense) benefit(4)1
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net(1)3
Net income from continuing operations529
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes6
Net income5%35%

Revenues
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 (2)%
Our revenues consist of revenues from our Digital Media business and Cybersecurity and Martech business. Digital Media revenues primarily consist of advertising revenues and subscriptions earned through the granting of access to, or delivery of, certain data products or services to customers, fees paid for generating business leads, and licensing and sale of editorial content and trademarks. Cybersecurity and Martech revenues primarily consist of revenues from “fixed” customer subscription revenues and “variable” revenues generated from actual usage of our services.
Our revenues decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period primarily due to the absence in 2022 of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from 2021 related to the divested B2B Backup business and Voice assets and declines in certain parts of the Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. These declines were partially offset by $50.4 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, $33.1 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2022 and organic growth within certain other parts of the Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. Revenue from an acquired business becomes organic revenue in the first month in which the Company can compare a full month in the current year against a full month under its ownership in a prior year.

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Cost of Revenues
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Cost of revenue$195,554 $188,053 4.0%
As a percent of revenue14.1%13.3%
Cost of revenues is primarily comprised of costs associated with content fees, editorial and production costs, and hosting costs. The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to a $12.2 million increase associated with newly acquired businesses and advertising inventory costs in other Digital Media businesses, a $6.7 million increase in field operations, and a $3.6 million increase in costs associated with outside services, partially offset by approximately $12.8 million less in cost of revenues related to the sale of the B2B Backup business.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Sales and Marketing$490,777 $493,049 (0.5)%
As a percent of revenue35.3%34.8%
     Our sales and marketing costs consist primarily of internet-based advertising, sales and marketing, personnel costs, and other business development-related expenses. Our internet-based advertising relationships consist primarily of fixed cost and performance-based (cost-per-impression, cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition) advertising relationships with an array of online service providers. The decrease in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to approximately $4.9 million lower sales and marketing expense from the absence of those costs related to the B2B Backup business.
Research, Development and Engineering
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Research, Development and Engineering$74,093 $78,874 (6.1)%
As a percent of revenue5.3%5.6%
Our research, development and engineering costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses. The decrease in research, development and engineering costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to a decrease in engineering costs as more costs were capitalized in 2022 than in 2021, and the absence of engineering costs related to the B2B Backup business.
General and Administrative
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
General and Administrative$404,263 $456,777 (11.5)%
As a percent of revenue29.1%32.2%
Our general and administrative costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, depreciation and amortization, changes in the fair value associated with contingent consideration, share-based compensation expense, bad debt expense, professional fees, severance, and insurance costs. The decrease in general and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to $15.6 million lower depreciation and amortization expense related to intangibles becoming fully amortized, $12.6 million of lower office rent expense, $8.6 million of lower legal and consulting fees, $6.2 million of lower personnel related expenses, the absence of $3.6 million of general, and administrative costs related to the B2B Backup business sold in September 2021, and $3.4 million of lower bad debt expenses.
Goodwill impairment on business
Our goodwill impairment during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $27.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively. Our goodwill impairment in 2022 was generated from the impairment in the Digital Media reportable segment. Our goodwill impairment in 2021 was generated from the impairment in the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment.
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Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Share-Based Compensation
The following table represents share-based compensation expense included in operating costs and expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Cost of revenues$341 $306 
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 
General and administrative20,674 20,551 
Total$26,601 $24,129 
Non-Operating Income and Expenses
The following table represents the components of non-operating income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,Percent change
202220212022 v. 2021
Interest expense, net$(33,842)$(72,023)(53.0)%
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)(318.1)%
Loss on sale of businesses— (21,798)(100.0)%
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 (102.4)%
Loss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)180.3 %
Other income, net8,437 1,293 552.5 %
Total non-operating (expense) income$(67,788)$184,011 (136.8)%
Interest expense, net. Our interest expense, net is generated primarily from interest expense due to outstanding debt, partially offset by interest income earned on cash, cash equivalents, and investments. Interest expense, net was $33.8 million and $72.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Interest expense, net decreased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to approximately $11.5 million less interest expense due to the redemption of our 3.25% Convertible Notes in August 2021, approximately $15.7 million less interest expense from the adoption of ASU 2020-06 during 2022, and approximately $9.5 million less interest expense from the 4.625% Senior Notes related to a lower principal balance over the period due to the repurchase of a portion of the outstanding 4.625% Senior Notes throughout 2022.
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net. Gain on debt extinguishment, net of $11.5 million in 2022 related primarily to the repurchases of 4.625% Senior Notes. Loss on debt extinguishment, net of $5.3 million in 2021 related primarily to the tender of the 4.625% Senior Notes during the fourth quarter of 2021, partially offset by a gain on extinguishment of the 3.25% Convertible Notes during 2021.
Loss on sale of businesses. Loss on sale of businesses was $21.8 million in 2021. The loss on the sale of businesses during 2021 was due to the loss on the sale of the B2B Backup business, partially offset by a gain on the sale of certain Voice assets in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2021 with a subsequent adjustment in the second quarter of 2021. The Company did not sell any businesses in 2022. See Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net. Unrealized loss on short-term investment held at the reporting date was $7.1 million in 2022 and unrealized gain on short-term investment held at the reporting date was $298.5 million in 2021. The unrealized (loss) gain recorded in 2022 and 2021 primarily represents the effect of our Investment in Consensus.
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Loss on investments, net. Loss on investments, net is generated from gains or losses from investments in equity securities. Loss on investments, net was $46.7 million and $16.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Loss on investment, net increased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to the net realized loss on the disposition of 2.9 million shares from our Investment in Consensus during 2022 resulting from the decrease in the quoted share price of Consensus during 2022.
Other income, net. Other income, net is generated primarily from miscellaneous items and gain or losses on currency exchange. Other income, net was $8.4 million and $1.3 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. The change was attributable to changes in gain or losses on currency exchange.
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate is based on pre-tax income, statutory tax rates, tax regulations (including those related to transfer pricing), and different tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax bases of our assets and liabilities reflect our best estimate of the tax benefits and costs we expect to realize. When necessary, we establish valuation allowances to reduce our deferred tax assets to an amount that will more likely than not be realized.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of$22.8 million, after considering substantial restrictions on the utilization of these NOLs due to “ownership changes”, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). The Company estimates that all of the above-mentioned federal NOLs will be available for use before their expiration. $20.7 million of the NOLs expire through the year 2037 and $2.1 million of the NOLs carry forward indefinitely depending on the year the loss was incurred.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had interest expense limitation carryovers of $6.4 million and $23.3 million, respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company also had federal capital loss limitation carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 of $24.1 million and $28.7 million, respectively, that begin to expire in 2031. In addition, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had available state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $3.5 million and $5.1 million, respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company had no foreign tax credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Income tax expense was $58.0 million in 2022 compared to income tax benefit of $14.2 million in 2021. Our effective tax rates for 2022 and 2021 were 44.2% and (4.0)%, respectively.
The increase in our annual effective income tax rate in 2022 from 2021 was primarily attributable to the following:
1.an increase in our effective income tax rate during 2022 due to recognizing a deferred tax liability related to the Investment in Consensus resulting in a tax expense of $13.4 million; and
2.an increase in our tax expense due to a lower net reduction in our reserves in 2022 as compared to 2021 for uncertain tax positions, primarily due to the lapse of the statute of limitations in certain jurisdictions; and
3.an increase in our effective income tax rate during 2022 for U.S. state and local taxes due to a greater portion of our income being subject to tax in the U.S.; partially offset by
4.a decrease in our effective income tax rate during 2022 due to recognizing a tax benefit for a deferred tax asset related to goodwill impairment.
In order to provide additional understanding in connection with our foreign taxes, the following represents the statutory and effective tax rate by significant foreign country:
IrelandUnited KingdomCanada
Statutory tax rate12.5%19.0%26.5%
Effective tax rate (1)
15.6%20.8%24.3%
(1) Effective tax rate excludes certain discrete items.
The statutory tax rate is the rate imposed on taxable income for corporations by the local government in that jurisdiction. The effective tax rate measures the taxes paid as a percentage of pretax profit. The effective tax rate can differ from the statutory tax rate when a company can exempt some income from tax, claim tax credits, or due to the effect of book-tax differences that do not reverse and discrete items.
Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and in evaluating our tax positions on a worldwide basis. We believe our tax positions, including intercompany transfer pricing policies, are consistent with the tax laws
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in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. Certain of these tax positions have in the past been, and are currently being, challenged, and this may have a significant impact on our effective tax rate if our tax reserves are insufficient.
Equity Method Investment
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net. (Loss) income from equity method investment, net is generated from our investment in the OCV Fund I, LP (the “Fund”) for which we receive annual audited financial statements. The investment in the OCV Fund is presented net of tax and on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net was $(7.7) million and $35.8 million, net of tax benefit (expense) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in Loss from equity method investment, net in 2022 was primarily due to the decrease in value of the underlying investment. Income from equity method investment, net during 2021 was primarily a result of a gain on the underlying investments. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized management fee expenses of $1.5 million and $3.0 million, net of tax benefit, respectively.
Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech Results
Our businesses are based on the organization structure used by management for making operating and investment decisions and for assessing performance and have been aggregated into two reportable segments: (i) Digital Media and (ii) Cybersecurity and Martech.
We evaluate the performance of our segments based on revenues, including both external and inter-business net sales, and operating income. We account for inter-business sales and transfers based primarily on standard costs with reasonable mark-ups established between the businesses. Identifiable assets by business are those assets used in the respective business' operations. Corporate assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, deferred income taxes, and certain other assets. All significant inter-business amounts are eliminated to arrive at our consolidated financial results.
Digital Media
    The financial results are presented for the following fiscal years (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$1,078,391 $1,068,476 
Inter-business sales781 824 
Total sales1,079,172 1,069,300 
Operating costs and expenses880,240 851,807 
Operating income$198,932 $217,493 
Digital Media’s net sales of $1.1 billion in 2022 increased $9.9 million, or 0.9% compared to the prior comparable period primarily due to $33.1 million from businesses acquired in 2022 and $31.1 million from businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, partially offset by organic decline in certain other businesses.
Digital Media’s operating costs and expenses of $880.2 million in 2022 increased $28.4 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million recorded in 2022.
As a result of these factors, Digital Media’s operating income of $198.9 million in 2022 decreased $18.6 million, or 8.5%, from 2021.

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Cybersecurity and Martech
The financial results are presented for the following fiscal years (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$312,606 $348,246 
Inter-business sales20 365 
Total sales312,626 348,611 
Operating costs and expenses(1)
262,426 338,464 
Operating income(1)
$50,200 $10,147 
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $19.2 million of general and administrative costs were reflected as Corporate operating costs and expenses in the Company’s December 31, 2021 Form 10-K, however, should have been reflected as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. The Company reclassified these costs in the table above as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment, as well as the resulting impact in operating income for Cybersecurity and Martech.
Cybersecurity and Martech’s net sales of $312.6 million in 2022 decreased $35.6 million, or 10.2%, from the prior comparable period primarily due to the absence of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from the B2B Backup business, which was sold during the third quarter of 2021, and organic decline in certain other businesses during 2022, partially offset by $19.3 million of revenue from the business acquired in 2021, net of its contribution in 2021.
Cybersecurity and Martech operating costs and expenses of $262.4 million in 2022 decreased $76.0 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to a $32.6 million goodwill impairment in 2021 that did not recur, the absence of $22.1 million of costs from the B2B Backup business that was sold during the third quarter of 2021, lower sales and marketing expense, lower general and administrative expenses, and lower depreciation and amortization expense.
As a result of these factors, Cybersecurity and Martech operating income of $50.2 million in 2022 increased $40.1 million, or 394.7%, from 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $839.1 million compared to $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, cash, cash equivalents, and investments consisted of (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash and cash equivalents$652.8 $694.8 
Short-term investments58.4 229.2 
Long-term investments127.9 122.6 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
Our investments consist of equity and debt securities as of December 31, 2022 and equity securities as of December 31, 2021. For financial statement presentation, we classify our debt securities primarily as short- and long-term based upon their maturity dates.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021 cash, cash equivalents, and investments held within domestic and foreign jurisdictions were as follows (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in domestic jurisdictions$671.6 $884.9 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in foreign jurisdictions167.5 161.7 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
For information on short-term and long-term investments of the Company, refer to Note 5 - Investments to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Financings
On January 7, 2019, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as sole lead arranger and as administrative agent for the Lenders (the “Agent”). On October 7, 2020, the Company terminated the Credit Agreement. On November 15, 2019, the Company issued $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes and received net proceeds of $537.1 million in cash, net of initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions, and other debt issuance costs. A portion of the net proceeds were used to pay off all amounts then outstanding under the MUFG Credit Facility, with the remainder to be used for general corporate purposes including acquisitions.
On October 7, 2020, the Company issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes due 2030. A portion of the proceeds were used to fund the redemption of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the 6.0% Senior Notes previously issued by one of our subsidiaries and to pay the redemption premium due in respect of such redemption and accrued and unpaid interest. The net proceeds were used to redeem all of its outstanding 6.0% Senior Notes due in 2025 and, the remaining net proceeds were available for general corporate purposes which may include acquisitions or the redemption of other outstanding indebtedness.
On April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a $100.0 million Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250.0 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350.0 million. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021. and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement.
In connection with the spin-off of Consensus, the Company drew the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility and used the proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility to redeem the 3.25% Convertible Notes. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company satisfied its conversion obligation related to the 3.25% Convertible Notes by paying the principal of $402.4 million in cash and issued 3,050,850 shares of the Company’s common stock. On October 7, 2021, as part of the Separation, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for extinguishment of the indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A. On October 8, 2021, the Company announced that it had accepted tender offers to purchase $83.3 million in aggregate principal of its 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of $90.0 million. The tender offer expired on October 22, 2021.
On June 10, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment to the Credit Agreement, which provided for the Term Loan Facility, in an aggregate principal amount of $90.0 million, which had a maturity date that was 60 days following the date of funding of the Term Loan Facility. On September 15, 2022, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, which provided for the Term Loan Two Facility in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $22.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company completed a non-cash exchange of 2.8 million shares of its common stock of Consensus with the lenders under the Fifth and the Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $112.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facility and Term Loan Two Facility plus related interest.
As of December 31, 2022 there were no amounts drawn under the Credit Agreement.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased approximately $181.2 million in aggregate principal amount of the 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $167.7 million.
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Material Cash Requirements
Ziff Davis’ long-term contractual obligations generally include its long-term debt, interest on long-term debt, lease payments on its property and equipment, holdback payments in connection with certain business acquisitions, and other obligations. These long-term contractual obligations extend through 2031. Refer to Note 4 - Business Acquisitions, Note 10 - Debt and Note 11 - Leases to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for further details on holdback payments, long-term debt, and operating leases.
As of December 31, 2022, we and our subsidiaries had outstanding $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2022, our total minimum lease payments are $59.3 million, of which approximately $23.0 million are due in the succeeding twelve months. As of December 31, 2022, our liability for uncertain tax positions was $40.4 million.
We currently anticipate that our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for working capital, capital expenditures, and stock repurchases, if any, for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Flows
The following information regarding the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows combine continuing and discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 includes the activity from the cloud fax business through the date of Separation on October 7, 2021. Refer to Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations, together with cash and cash equivalents.
The following table provides a summary of cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities (in millions):
Year ended December 31,Change
202220212022 v. 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities$336.4 $516.5 $(180.1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities$(220.8)$59.1 $(279.9)
Net cash used in financing activities$(140.8)$(113.1)$(27.7)
Operating Activities
Our operating cash flows resulted primarily from cash received from our customers offset by cash payments we made to third parties for their services, employee compensation, interest payments associated with our debt, and taxes. The $180.1 million decrease in net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to lower earnings before non-cash adjustments, primarily as a result of the Separation and other divested businesses that occurred in 2021, timing of payments to our vendors, decrease in operating lease liabilities, and net decrease in collections from our customers due to timing year over year.
Investing Activities
The $279.9 million decrease in net cash provided by investing activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to the absence of proceeds of $259.1 million from the Separation and the absence of $48.9 million from the sale of businesses that occurred in 2021 that did not recur, partially offset by lower cash used for acquisition of businesses and purchases of property, plant and equipment.
Financing Activities
The $27.7 million increase in net cash used in financing activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to lower proceeds from debt borrowings, net of repayments.
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Stock Repurchase Program
2012 Program
Effective February 15, 2012, the Company’s Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to five million shares of our common stock through February 20, 2013 (the “2012 Program”), which was subsequently extended through February 20, 2021. Prior to 2020, the Company repurchased 3,859,181 shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregate cost of $117.1 million. The repurchased shares were subsequently retired. There were 1,140,819 shares available under the 2012 program as of January 1, 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 1,140,819 shares at an aggregate cost of $87.5 million which were subsequently retired in the same year. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had repurchased all of the available shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregated cost of $204.6 million (including an immaterial amount of commission fees).
2020 Program
On August 6, 2020, the Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to ten million shares of our common stock through August 6, 2025 (the “2020 Program”) in addition to the five million shares repurchased under the 2012 Program. In connection with the authorization, the Company entered into certain Rule 10b5-1 trading plans with a broker-dealer to facilitate the repurchase program. During the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 736,536, 445,711 and 2,490,599 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of $71.3 million, $47.7 million and $177.8 million, respectively, (including an immaterial amount of commission fees) under the 2020 Program, which were subsequently retired. Refer to Note 14 - Stockholders’ Equity to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
As a result of the Company’s share repurchases, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for purchase as of December 31, 2022 is 6,327,154 shares.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
The following discussion of the market risks we face contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date hereof. Ziff Davis undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in this document as well as in other documents we file from time to time with the SEC, including the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or to be filed by us in 2023.
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio and borrowings under our Credit Facility that bear variable market interest rates. The primary objectives of our investment activities are to preserve our principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. To achieve these objectives, we maintain our portfolio of cash equivalents and investments in a mix of instruments that meet high credit quality standards, as specified in our investment policy or otherwise approved by the Board of Directors. Our cash and cash equivalents are not subject to significant interest rate risk due to the short maturities of these instruments. As of December 31, 2022, the carrying value of our cash and cash equivalents approximated fair value. Our return on these investments is subject to interest rate fluctuations.
As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalent investments primarily in funds that invest in U.S. treasuries, money market funds, as well as, demand deposit accounts with maturities of 90 days or less of $652.8 million and $694.8 million, respectively. We do not have interest rate risk on our outstanding long-term debt as these arrangements have fixed interest rates.
On April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, collateral agent and sole lead arranger for the Lenders (the “Agent”). Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders provided the Company with a revolving credit facility of $100 million (the “Credit Facility”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350 million. The proceeds of the Credit Facility are intended to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes of the Company and its subsidiaries, including to finance certain permitted acquisitions and capital expenditures in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement.
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At the Company’s option, amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at either (i) a base rate equal to the greatest of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent as its U.S. Dollar “Reference Rate” and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1.00% or (ii) a rate per annum equal to LIBOR divided by 1.00 minus the LIBOR Reserve Requirements (as defined in the Credit Agreement), in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin relating to any base rate loan will range from 0.50% to 1.25% and the applicable margin relating to any LIBOR loan will range from 1.50% to 2.25%, in each case, depending on the total leverage ratio of the Company. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026. The Company is permitted to make voluntary prepayments of the Credit Facility at any time without payment of a premium or penalty.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021 and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company drew on the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility with $485.0 million outstanding (later extinguished as described below). The proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility were used to redeem the Company’s 3.25% Convertible Notes. See Note 10 - Debt of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The loans under the Bridge Loan Facility (the “Bridge Loans”) bore interest at a rate per annum equal to (i) initially upon funding of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.00%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.00%, (ii) from six months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.50%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.50%, and (iii) from twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until repayment of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 3.00% or a LIBOR rate plus 4.00%. The Bridge Loan Facility was to mature on the date that was 364 days after the funding date of the Bridge Loans, with two automatic extensions, each for an additional three months, if SEC approval of the spin-off transaction was still outstanding.
On October 7, 2021, in exchange for the equity interest in Consensus, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for extinguishment of outstanding indebtedness under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
We cannot ensure that future interest rate movements will not have a material adverse effect on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. To date, we have not entered into interest rate hedging transactions to control or minimize certain of these risks.
Market Risk
In connection with the Separation, the Company retained the Investment in Consensus, the remaining portion of which was valued at approximately $58.4 million as of December 31, 2022 based upon the quoted market price of Consensus common stock. The Company’s results of operations and financial condition have been and may be materially impacted by increases or decreases in the price of Consensus common stock, which is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Gains (losses) on the Investment in Consensus were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Realized losses on securities sold during the period$(46,743)$— 
Unrealized (losses) gains recognized during the period on equity securities held at the reporting date$(7,145)$298,490 
The carrying value of our Investment in Consensus at December 31, 2022 was $58.4 million, or approximately 1.7% of the Company’s consolidated total assets. A $2.00 increase or decrease in the share price of Consensus common stock would result in an unrealized gain or loss, respectively of approximately $2.2 million.
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Foreign Currency Risk
We conduct business in certain foreign markets, primarily in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union. Our principal exposure to foreign currency risk relates to investment and inter-company debt in foreign subsidiaries that transact business in functional currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, primarily the Canadian Dollar, the British Pound Sterling, the Australian Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, the New Zealand Dollar, and the Norwegian Kroner. If we are unable to settle our intercompany debts in a timely manner, we remain exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.
As we expand our international presence, we become further exposed to foreign currency risk by entering new markets with additional foreign currencies. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements is often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions, and other factors. These changes, if material, could cause us to adjust our financing and operating strategies.
    As currency exchange rates change, translation of the income statements of the international businesses into U.S. Dollars affects year-over-year comparability of operating results.
Historically, we have not hedged translation risks because cash flows from international operations were generally reinvested locally; however, we may do so in the future. Our objective in managing foreign exchange risk is to minimize the potential exposure to changes that exchange rates might have on earnings, cash flows, and financial position.
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, foreign exchange gains (losses) amounted to $8.2 million, $2.0 million, and $(3.1) million, respectively.
Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax, included in other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, was $(32.5) million, $(21.3) million, and $(8.9) million respectively.
We currently do not have derivative financial instruments for hedging, speculative or trading purposes and therefore are not subject to such hedging risk. However, we may in the future engage in hedging transactions to manage our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Shareholders and Board of Directors
Ziff Davis, Inc.
New York, New York
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Ziff Davis, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated March 1, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Change in Accounting Method Related to Convertible Instruments
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for convertible instruments due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entities Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) effective January 1, 2022 under the modified retrospective approach.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Goodwill Impairment Assessment - Digital Media Reporting Units
As described in Notes 2 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements, the Digital Media reportable segment goodwill balance was approximately $1.07 billion as of December 31, 2022. During the year, the Company estimated the fair value of certain reporting units within the Digital Media reportable segment resulting from an interim goodwill impairment assessment. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if there are certain events or changes in circumstances. As a result of a goodwill impairment assessment, the Company recorded impairment of $27.4 million during the third quarter for one of the Digital Media reporting units. The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using a weighting of fair values derived from an income approach and a market approach.
We identified the interim goodwill impairment assessment within certain Digital Media reporting units as a critical audit matter because of certain significant assumptions management makes as part of the assessment to estimate the fair value of the affected reporting units. The income approach requires certain significant management assumptions in projecting future discounted cash flows, specifically revenue growth rates and discount rates. The market approach requires certain judgments in selecting the appropriate peer companies and the valuation multiples. Auditing revenue growth rates and discount rates as well as assessing the reasonableness of peer companies and valuation multiples involved especially challenging and subjective auditor judgment due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to address these matters, including the involvement of professionals with specialized skill or knowledge.
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical matter included:
Evaluating the reasonableness of certain significant management assumptions used in the calculation of the fair value of the affected reporting units, including the revenue growth rate used in the projected future cash flows by comparing to prior period forecasts, historical operating performance, and publicly available industry information.
Utilizing personnel with specialized knowledge and skill in valuation to assist in: (i) testing the source information underlying the determination of the discount rate and the mathematical accuracy of the calculation, and (ii) evaluating the reasonableness of both the identified peer companies and valuation multiples used in the market approach by calculating indicated multiples and related quartiles and comparing those to the ones used by management’s valuation specialist.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2014.

Los Angeles, California
March 1, 2023
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31,
20222021
ASSETS 
Cash and cash equivalents$652,793 $694,842 
Short-term investments58,421 229,200 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $6,868 and $9,811, respectively (includes $0 and $9,272 due from related party, respectively)304,739 316,342 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets68,319 60,290 
Total current assets1,084,272 1,300,674 
Long-term investments127,871 122,593 
Property and equipment, net178,184 161,209 
Trade names, net136,192 147,761 
Customer relationships, net208,057 275,451 
Goodwill1,591,474 1,531,455 
Other purchased intangibles, net118,566 149,513 
Deferred income taxes8,523 5,917 
Other assets80,131 75,707 
TOTAL ASSETS$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 
Accounts payable$120,829 $130,978 
Accrued employee related costs42,178 54,616 
Other accrued liabilities39,539 41,027 
Income taxes payable, current19,712 3,151 
Deferred revenue, current187,904 185,571 
Current portion of long-term debt— 54,609 
Other current liabilities22,286 27,286 
Total current liabilities432,448 497,238 
Long-term debt999,053 1,036,018 
Deferred revenue, noncurrent9,103 14,839 
Income taxes payable, noncurrent11,675 11,675 
Liability for uncertain tax positions40,379 42,546 
Deferred income taxes79,007 108,982 
Other long-term liabilities68,994 91,250 
TOTAL LIABILITIES1,640,659 1,802,548 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 1,000,000.00 and none issued— — 
Preferred stock - Series A, $0.01 par value. Authorized 6,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Preferred stock - Series B, $0.01 par value. Authorized 20,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 95,000,000; total issued and outstanding 47,269,446 and 47,440,137 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.473 474 
Additional paid-in capital439,681 509,122 
Retained earnings1,537,830 1,515,358 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(85,373)(57,222)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY1,892,611 1,967,732 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year ended December 31,
 202220212020
Total revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues (1)
195,554 188,053 178,403 
Sales and marketing (1)
490,777 493,049 366,359 
Research, development and engineering (1)
74,093 78,874 57,148 
General and administrative (1)
404,263 456,777 418,579 
Goodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Total operating costs and expenses1,192,056 1,249,382 1,020,489 
Income from operations198,941 167,340 138,340 
Interest expense, net(33,842)(72,023)(56,188)
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)— 
(Loss) gain on sale of businesses— (21,798)17,122 
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 — 
Loss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)(20,991)
Other income, net8,437 1,293 65 
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment131,153 351,351 78,348 
Income tax (expense) benefit(57,957)14,199 (38,350)
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net of income taxes(7,730)35,845 (11,338)
Net income from continuing operations65,466 401,395 28,660 
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(1,709)95,319 122,008 
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Net income per common share from continuing operations:
Basic$1.39 $8.74 $0.62 
Diluted$1.39 $8.38 $0.61 
Net (loss) income per common share from discontinued operations:
Basic$(0.04)$2.08 $2.62 
Diluted$(0.04)$1.99 $2.58 
Net income per common share:   
Basic$1.36 $10.81 $3.24 
Diluted$1.36 $10.37 $3.18 
Weighted average shares outstanding:   
Basic46,954,558 45,893,928 46,308,825 
Diluted47,025,849 47,862,745 47,115,609 
(1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows:
Cost of revenues$341 $306 $332 
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 1,011 
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 1,396 
General and administrative20,674 20,551 19,781 
Total$26,601 $24,129 $22,520 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustment(32,479)(21,268)(8,902)
Consensus separation adjustment4,056 18,966 — 
Change in fair value on available-for-sale investments, net of tax expense (benefit) of $0, $0 and $181 for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively272 (114)558 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax(28,151)(2,416)(8,344)
Comprehensive income$35,606 $494,298 $142,324 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Cash flows from operating activities:  
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization233,400 258,303 228,737 
Amortization of financing costs and discounts2,692 26,090 28,476 
Non-cash operating lease costs13,412 1,485 17,686 
Share-based compensation26,601 25,248 24,006 
Provision (benefit) for credit losses on accounts receivable(255)8,738 13,283 
Deferred income taxes, net(12,991)(13,433)5,840 
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt(11,505)14,024 37,969 
Loss (gain) on sale of businesses— 21,798 (17,122)
Goodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Changes in fair value of contingent consideration(2,575)(1,223)(80)
Loss (income) from equity method investments, net7,730 (35,845)11,338 
Unrealized loss (gain) on short-term investments held at the reporting date7,145 (298,490)— 
Loss on investment, net46,743 16,677 20,991 
Other945 13,180 (22,690)
Decrease (increase) in:
Accounts receivable14,948 (18,050)(31,611)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets9,665 (15,650)3,046 
Operating lease right-of-use assets3,739 15,267 8,711 
Other assets(19,979)(3,824)(3)
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (includes $0, $17,635 and $0 with related parties)(37,569)22,262 2,184 
Income taxes payable17,323 (21,783)6,489 
Deferred revenue(20,962)14,282 4,720 
Operating lease liabilities(27,131)(30,581)(25,150)
Liability for uncertain tax positions(2,167)(10,383)9,391 
Other long-term liabilities(3,891)(899)3,200 
Net cash provided by operating activities336,444 516,536 480,079 
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Proceeds on sale of available-for-sale investments— 663 — 
Investment in available-for-sale securities(15,000)— — 
Distribution from equity method investment— 15,327 — 
Purchases of equity method investment— (23,249)(31,937)
Purchase of equity investments— (999)(1,246)
Proceeds from sale of equity investments4,527 14,330 — 
Purchases of property and equipment(106,154)(113,740)(92,552)
Proceeds from sale of assets— — 507 
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received(104,094)(141,146)(482,227)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash divested— 48,876 24,353 
Purchases of intangible assets(50)(78)(3,118)
Proceeds from divestiture of discontinued operations— 259,104 — 
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(220,771)59,088 (586,220)
Cash flows from financing activities:   
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt— — 750,000 
Payment of note payable— — (400)
Proceeds from bridge loan— 485,000 — 
Debt issuance cost— — (7,272)
Payment of debt(166,904)(512,388)(650,000)
Debt extinguishment costs (includes reimbursement of $0, $7,500 and $0 with related parties)(756)(1,096)(29,250)
Proceeds from term loan112,286 — — 
Repurchase of common stock(78,291)(78,327)(275,654)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan9,431 9,231 7,382 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options148 2,939 1,619 
Deferred payments for acquisitions(16,116)(14,387)(29,180)
Other(630)(4,060)(1,878)
Net cash used in financing activities(140,832)(113,088)(234,633)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents(16,890)(10,346)7,811 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(42,049)452,190 (332,963)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year694,842 242,652 575,615 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with discontinued operations— 66,210 51,141 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with continuing operations694,842 176,442 524,474 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year652,793 694,842 242,652 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with discontinued operations— — 66,210 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with continuing operations$652,793 $694,842 $176,442 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Accumulated
Common stockAdditional
paid-in
Treasury stockRetainedother comprehensiveTotal
Stockholders’
SharesAmountcapitalSharesAmountearningsincome/(loss)Equity
Balance, January 1, 202047,654,929 $476 $465,652 — $— $891,526 $(46,462)$1,311,192 
Net income— — — — — 150,668 — 150,668 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of $181— — — — — — (8,344)(8,344)
Exercise of stock options42,740 — 1,619 — — — — 1,619 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan118,629 7,381 — — — — 7,382 
Equity portion of 3.25% convertible debt— — (12)— — — — (12)
Issuance of restricted stock, net273,201 (3)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(3,742,869)(37)(42,530)— — (233,087)— (275,654)
Share-based compensation— — 24,006 — — — — 24,006 
Other, net— — 161 — — — — 161 
Balance, December 31, 202044,346,630 $443 $456,274 — $— $809,107 $(54,806)$1,211,018 
Net income— — — — — 496,714 — 496,714 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — — — — — (21,382)(21,382)
Exercise of stock options70,776 2,938 — — — — 2,939 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan109,248 9,230 — — — — 9,231 
Issuance of restricted stock, net560,290 (5)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(697,657)(7)(26,275)(445,711)47,741 (52,045)— (30,586)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 445,711 (47,741)— — (47,741)
Share-based compensation— — 25,248 — — — — 25,248 
Conversion shares issued as extinguishment cost to redeem 3.25% Convertible Notes3,050,850 31 431,921 — — — — 431,952 
Redemption of 3.25% Convertible Notes, net of tax— — (390,526)— — — — (390,526)
Consensus Separation— — — — — 261,394 18,966 280,360 
Other, net— — 317 — — 188 — 505 
Balance, December 31, 202147,440,137 $474 $509,122 — $— $1,515,358 $(57,222)$1,967,732 
Reclassification of the equity component of 1.75% Convertible Notes to liability upon adoption of ASU 2020-06
— — (88,137)— — 23,436 — (64,701)
Net income— — — — — 63,757 — 63,757 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — (206)— — 206 (32,207)(32,207)
Exercise of stock options5,439 — 148 — — — — 148 
Issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan139,992 9,430 — — — — 9,431 
Issuance of restricted stock, net493,300 (6)— — — — (1)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(809,422)(7)(17,277)(736,536)71,337 (61,007)— (6,954)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 736,536 (71,337)— — (71,337)
Share-based compensation— — 26,601 — — — — 26,601 
Other, net— — — — (3,920)4,056 142 
Balance, December 31, 202247,269,446 $473 $439,681 — $— $1,537,830 $(85,373)$1,892,611 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1.       The Company
Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“Ziff Davis”, the “Company”, “our”, “us”, or “we”), is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech. The Company’s Digital Media business specializes in the technology, shopping, gaming, and healthcare markets, offering content, tools and services to consumers and businesses. The Company’s Cybersecurity and Martech business provides cloud-based subscription services to consumers and businesses including cybersecurity, privacy and marketing technology.
On October 7, 2021, in connection with the spin-off of its cloud fax business described further below, the Company changed its name from J2 Global, Inc. to Ziff Davis, Inc. (for certain events prior to October 7, 2021, the Company may be referred to as J2 Global).
2.    Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ziff Davis and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, including judgments about investment classifications and the reported amounts of net revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The Company believes that its most significant estimates are those related to revenue recognition, valuation and impairment of investments, its assessment of ownership interests as variable interest entities and the related determination of consolidation, share-based compensation expense, fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with business combinations, long-lived and intangible asset impairment, contingent consideration, income taxes and contingencies, and allowance for credit losses. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates based on historical experience and on various other factors that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Consensus, Inc. Spin-Off and Discontinued Operations
On September 21, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved its previously announced separation of the cloud fax business (the “Separation”) into an independent publicly traded company, Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”). On October 7, 2021 (the “Distribution Date”), the Separation was completed and the Company transferred J2 Cloud Service, LLC to Consensus who in turn transferred non-fax assets and liabilities back to Ziff Davis such that Consensus was left with the cloud fax business. The Separation was achieved through the Company’s distribution of 80.1% of the shares of Consensus common stock to holders of J2 Global common stock as of the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The Company’s stockholders of record received one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of J2 Global’s common stock. On October 8, 2021, Consensus began trading on Nasdaq under the stock symbol “CCSI”. Ziff Davis, Inc. retained a 19.9% interest in Consensus following the Separation (the “Investment in Consensus”).
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
On October 7, 2021, Consensus paid Ziff Davis approximately $259.1 million of cash in a distribution that was anticipated to be tax-free provided certain requirements were met, and issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, for the extinguishment of indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
The accounting requirements for reporting the Company’s cloud fax business as a discontinued operation were met when the Separation was completed. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements reflect the results of the cloud fax business as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. Ziff Davis did not retain a controlling interest in Consensus.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment and Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, providing for the issuance of senior secured term loans under the Credit Agreement (the “Term Loan Facilities”), in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $112.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company subsequently completed non-cash exchanges of 2,800,000 shares of its common stock of Consensus with the lenders under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $112.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facilities plus related interest. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company continues to hold approximately 1.1 million shares of common stock of Investment in Consensus. The Investment in Consensus represents the investment in equity securities for which the Company elected the fair value option and subsequent fair value changes in the Consensus shares are included in the assets of and results from continuing operations. Refer to Note 5 - Investments and Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions for additional information.
Allowances for Credit Losses
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable, which is recorded as a reduction to accounts receivable. Changes in the allowance are classified as ‘General and administrative’ expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company assesses collectability by reviewing accounts receivable on a collective basis where similar characteristics exist and on an individual basis when it identifies specific customers with known disputes or collectability issues. In determining the amount of the allowance for credit losses, the Company considers historical collectability based on past due status. It also considers customer-specific information, current market conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions to inform adjustments to historical loss data. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates the adequacy of these reserves.
The rollforward of allowance for credit losses on Accounts receivable, net is as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Beginning balance$9,811 $11,552 $8,480 
(Decreases) increases to bad debt expense(255)3,107 5,315 
Write-offs, net of recoveries(2,688)(4,848)(2,243)
Ending balance$6,868 $9,811 $11,552 
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue when the Company satisfies its obligation by transferring control of the goods or services to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Refer to Note 3 - Revenues for additional details.
Principal vs. Agent
The Company determines whether reseller revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis by assessing whether the Company is acting as the principal or an agent in the transaction. If the Company is acting as the principal in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis. If the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a net basis. In determining whether the Company acts as the principal or an agent, the Company follows the accounting guidance for principal-agent considerations and the Company places the most weight on three factors: whether or not the Company (i) is the primary obligor in the arrangement, (ii) has latitude in determining pricing and (iii) bears credit risk.

The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to reseller revenue as the Company is the primary obligator in the arrangement, has latitude in determining pricing and bears all credit risk associated with our reseller program partners.

j2 Global’s Cloud Services also include patent license revenues generated under license agreements that provide for the payment of contractually determined fully paid-up or royalty-bearing license fees to j2 Global in exchange for the grant of non-exclusive, retroactive and future licenses to our intellectual property, including patented technology. Patent revenues may also consist of revenues generated from the sale of patents. Patent license revenues are recognized when earned over the term of the license agreements. With regard to fully paid-up license arrangements, the Company recognizes as revenue in the period the license agreement is executed the portion of the payment attributable to past use of the intellectual property and amortizes the remaining portion of such payments on a straight-line basis, or pro-rata revenue basis, as appropriate over the life of the licensed patent(s). With regard to royalty-bearing license arrangements, the Company recognizes revenues of license fees earned during the applicable period. With regard to patent sales, the Company recognizes as revenue in the period of the sale the amount of the purchase price over the carrying value of the patent(s) sold.



The Cloud Services business also generates revenues by licensing certain technology to third parties. These licensing revenues are recognized when earned in accordance with the terms of the underlying agreement. Generally, revenue is recognized as the third party uses the licensed technology over the period.

Digital Media

The Company’s Digital Media revenues primarily consist of revenues generated from the sale of advertising campaigns that are targeted to the Company’s proprietary websites and to those websites operated by third parties that are part of the Digital Media business’s advertising network. Revenues for these advertising campaigns are recognized as earned either when an ad is placed for viewing by a visitor to the appropriate web page or when the visitor “clicks through” on the ad, depending upon the terms with the individual advertiser.

Revenues for Digital Media business-to-business operations consist of lead-generation campaigns for IT vendors and are recognized as earned when the Company delivers the qualified leads to the customer.

j2 Global also generates Digital Media revenues through the license of certain assets to clients, for the clients’ use in their own promotional materials or otherwise. Such assets may include logos, editorial reviews, or other copyrighted material. Revenues under such license agreements are recognized when the assets are delivered to the client. Also, Digital Media revenues are generated through the license of certain speed testing technology which is recognized when delivered to the client and through providing data services primarily to Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) and wireless carriers which is recognized as earned over the term of the access period. The Digital Media business also generates other types of revenues, including business listing fees, subscriptions to online publications, and from other sources. Such other revenues are recognized as earned.

The Company determines whether Digital Media revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis by assessing whether the Company is acting as the principal or an agent in the transaction. If the Company is acting as the principal in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis. If the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a net basis. In determining whether the Company acts as the principal or an agent, the Company follows the accounting guidance for principal-agent considerations and the Company places the most weight on three factors: whether or not the Company (i) is the primary obligor in the arrangement, (ii) has latitude in determining pricing and (iii) bears credit risk.

The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to revenue generated (i) by the Company serving online display and video advertising across its owned-and-operated web properties, on third party sites or on unaffiliated advertising networks, (ii) through the Company’s lead-generation business and (iii) through the Company’s Digital Media licensing program. The Company records revenue on a net basis with respect to revenue paid to the Company by certain third-party advertising networks who serve online display and video advertising across the Company’s owned-and-operated web properties and certain third party sites.

Valuation and Impairment of Investments

We account for our investments in debt and equity securities in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, for principal-agent considerations and assesses: (i) if another party is involved in providing goods or services to the customer, (ii) whether the Company controls the specified goods or services prior to transferring control to the customer and (iii) whether the Company has discretion on pricing.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Sales Taxes
The Company has made an accounting policy election to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are (i) both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and (ii) collected by the Company from a customer.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company complies with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No.820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), in measuring fair value and in disclosing fair value measurements. ASC 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value and expands the disclosures required for fair value measurements of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.
The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, interest receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, interest payable, customer deposits, and long-term debt are reflected in the financial statements at cost. With the exception of certain investments and long-term debt, cost approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of such instruments. The fair value of the Company’s outstanding debt was determined using the quoted market prices of debt instruments with similar terms and maturities when available. As of the same dates, the carrying value of other long-term liabilities approximated fair value as the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to the Company.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers the balance of its investment in funds that substantially hold securities that mature within three months or less from the date the Company purchases these securities to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents either approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments or are at fair value.
Investments
The Company accounts for its investments in debt securities in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities (“ASC 320”). ASC 320 requires that certain debt and equity securities be classified into one of three categories: trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity securities. OurDebt investments are typically comprised primarily of readily marketable corporate and governmental debt securities, money-market accounts and time deposits. We determine the appropriate classification of our investments at the time of acquisition and reevaluate such determination at each balance sheet date. Held-to-maturity securitieswhich are those investments that we have the ability and intent to hold until maturity. Held-to-maturity securities are recorded at amortized cost.classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains or losses recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity until realized. Trading securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in interest and other income on our consolidated statement ofcomprehensive income. All debt securities are accounted for on a specific identification basis. We assess
The Company’s available-for-sale debt securities are carried at an estimated fair value with any unrealized gains or losses, net of taxes, included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Available-for-sale debt securities with an amortized cost basis in excess of estimated fair value are assessed to determine what amount of that difference, if any, is caused by expected credit losses. Expected credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities are recognized in loss on investments, net on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and any remaining unrealized losses, net of taxes, are included in accumulated comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company accounts for its investments in equity securities in accordance with ASC Topic 321, Investments - Equity Securities (“ASC 321”) which requires the accounting for equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, generally be measured at fair value for equity securities with readily determinable fair values. Equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, which are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting, are measured at their cost, less impairment, if any, and adjusted for observable price changes arising from orderly transactions in the same or similar investment from the same issuer. Any unrealized gains or losses will be reported within earnings on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company assesses whether an other-than-temporary impairment loss on an investment has occurred due to declines in fair value or other market conditions (seeconditions. Refer to Note 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere5 - Investments for additional information.
The Investment in this Annual Report on Form 10-K).



Share-Based Compensation Expense  

We comply with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No. 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Accordingly, we measure share-based compensation expenseConsensus are equity securities accounted for at the grant date, based onfair value under the fair value option, and the related fair value gains and losses are recognized in earnings. As the initial carrying value of the award,Investment in Consensus was negative immediately following the Separation, the Company elected the fair value option under ASC 825-10-25 to support the initial recognition of the Investment in Consensus at fair value and recognize the expense overnegative book value was recorded as a gain at the employee’s requisite service period usingdate of Separation. The fair value of Consensus common stock is readily available as Consensus is a publicly traded company.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”s)
A VIE requires consolidation by the straight-line method.entity’s primary beneficiary. The measurementCompany evaluates its investments in entities in which it is involved to determine if the entity is a VIE and if so, whether it holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. The Company has determined that it holds a variable interest in its investment as a limited partner in the OCV Fund I, LP (“OCV Fund”, “OCV” or the “Fund”), as well as, another independent corporation. In determining whether the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of share-based compensation expense is based on several criteria including, but not limitedthe VIE, both of the following characteristics must be present:
a) the Company has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIEs economic performance (the power criterion); and
b) the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE, or the right to receive benefits of the VIE, that could potentially be significant to the valuation model used and associated input factors, suchVIE (the economic criterion).
The Company has concluded that, as expected terma limited partner in OCV, although the obligations to absorb losses or the right to benefit from the gains is not insignificant, the Company does not have “power” over OCV because it does not have the ability to direct the significant decisions which impact the economics of OCV. The Company believes that the OCV general partner, as a single decision maker, holds the ability to make the decisions about the activities that most significantly impact the OCV Fund’s economic performance. As a result, the Company has concluded that it will not consolidate OCV, as it is not the primary beneficiary of the award, stock price volatility, risk free interest rate, dividend rateOCV Fund, and award cancellation rate. These inputs are subjectivewill account for this investment under the equity-method of accounting (see Note 5 - Investments).
OCV qualifies as an investment company under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services, Investment Companies (“ASC 946”). Under ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and are determined using management’s judgment.Joint Ventures, an investor that holds investments that qualify for specialized industry accounting for investment companies in accordance with ASC 946 should record its share of the earnings or losses, realized or unrealized, as reported by its equity method investees in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company recognizes its equity in the net earnings or losses relating to the investment in OCV on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If differences arise between the assumptions usedCompany becomes aware of a significant decline in determining share-based compensation expense andvalue that is other-than-temporary, the actual factors, which become known over time, we may change the input factors used in determining future share-based compensation expense. Any such changes could materially impact our results of operationsloss will be recorded in the period in which the changesCompany identifies the decline.
Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discount
The Company capitalizes costs incurred with borrowing and issuance of debt securities and records debt issuance costs and discounts as a reduction to the debt amount. These costs and discounts are amortized and included in interest expense over the life of the borrowing using the effective interest method.
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company primarily invests its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities with major financial institutions primarily within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and the European Union. These investments are made in accordance with the Company’s investment policy with the principal objectives being preservation of capital, fulfillment of liquidity needs and above market returns commensurate with preservation of capital. The Company’s investment policy also requires that investments in periods thereafter. We electedmarketable securities be in only highly rated instruments, with limitations on investing in securities of any single issuer. However, these investments are not insured against the possibility of a total or near complete loss of earnings or principal and are inherently subject to adopt the alternative transitioncredit risk related to the continued credit worthiness of the underlying issuer and general credit market risks. At December 31, 2022, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents that were maintained in demand deposit accounts in qualifying financial institutions are insured up to the limit determined by the applicable governmental agency. 
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Foreign Currency
Most of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. Dollars at average exchange rates for the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss). Net translation loss was $32.5 million, $21.3 million and $8.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Realized gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recognized within ‘Other income (loss), net’ on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Foreign exchange gains (losses) amounted to $8.2 million, $2.0 million and $(3.1) million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Equipment under a finance lease is stated at the present value of the minimum lease payments. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets and is recorded in cost of revenues and general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment range from one to ten years. Fixtures, which are comprised primarily of leasehold improvements and equipment under finance leases, are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives or for calculatingleasehold improvements, the tax effectsrelated lease term, if less. The Company has capitalized certain internal-use software and website development costs which are included in property and equipment and depreciated using a straight-line method over the estimated useful life which is evaluated for each specific project and is typically three years.
Impairment or Disposal of share-based compensation.Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived and Intangible Assets

We accountThe Company accounts for long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, operating lease right-of-use assets and identifiable intangible assets with finite useful lives (subject to amortization), in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No. 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment (“ASC 360”), which addresses financial accountingrequires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to the expected undiscounted future net cash flows generated by the asset. If it is determined that the asset may not be recoverable, and reporting forif the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment or disposalcharge is recognized to the extent of long-lived assets.the difference.

We assessThe Company assesses the impairment of identifiable definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we considerit considers important which could individually or in combination trigger an impairment review include the following:
Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
.Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business;
Significant negative industry or economic trends;
.Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business;
Significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; and
.Significant negative industry or economic trends;
.Significant decline in our stock price for a sustained period; and
.Our market capitalization relative to net book value.

The Company’s market capitalization relative to net book value.
If wethe Company determined that the carrying value of definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators of impairment, weit would record an impairment equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value.

We haveThe Company assessed whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that potentially indicate the carrying valueamount of definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets may not be recoverable and noted no indicators of potential impairment forrecoverable. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015.2020, the Company did not have any events or circumstances indicating impairment of long-lived assets, other than the recording of an impairment of certain operating lease right-of-use assets and associated property and equipment. The Company regularly evaluates its office space requirements in light of more of its workforce working from home as part of a permanent “remote” or “partial remote” work model. The impairment is presented in general and administrative expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Refer to Note 11 - Leases for additional details.


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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The Company classifies its long-lived assets to be sold as held for sale in the period (i) it has approved and committed to a plan to sell the asset, (ii) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition, (iii) an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to sell the asset have been initiated, (iv) the sale of the asset is probable and the transfer is expected to qualify for recognition as a sale within one year, (v) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, and (vi) it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. The Company initially measures a long-lived asset that is classified as held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset until the date of sale. Upon designation as an asset held for sale, the Company stops recording depreciation expense on the asset. The Company assesses the fair value of a long-lived asset less any costs to sell at each reporting period and until the asset is no longer classified as held for sale.
Business Combinations and Valuation of Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets

The Company applies the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in accordance with GAAP and uses estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price paid for acquisitions to the fair value of the assets, including identifiable intangible assets and liabilities acquired. Such estimates may be based on significant unobservable inputs and assumptions such as, but not limited to, future revenue growth rates, gross and operating margins, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, discount rates and terminal growth rate assumptions. The Company uses established valuation techniques and may engage reputable valuation specialists to assist with the valuations. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
We evaluate ourGoodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Intangible assets resulting from the acquisitions of entities accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting are recorded at the estimated fair value of the assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of purchased customer relationships, trademarks and trade names, developed technologies and other intangible assets. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized over the period of estimated economic benefit ranging from one to twenty years and are included in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company evaluates its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment pursuant to FASB ASC Topic No. 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), which provides that goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but tested annually for impairment annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate potential impairment.the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. In connection with the annual impairment test for goodwill, we havethe Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If we determinethe Company determines that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it then we perform theit performs an impairment test uponof goodwill. The impairment test is comprisedinvolves comparing the fair values of two steps: (1)the applicable reporting units with their aggregate carrying values, including goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of its reporting units using a mix of an income approach and a market approach. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, an impairment loss is comparedrecognized for the difference. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 the Company recorded a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million, $32.6 million and zero, respectively. Refer to its carrying value; if the fair value is less than its carrying value, impairment is indicated;Note 9 - Goodwill and (2) if impairment is indicated in the first step, it is measured by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill and intangible assets to their carrying value at the reporting unit level. In connection withIntangible Assets for additional details.
The Company performed the annual impairment test for intangible assets we have the option to performwith indefinite lives for fiscal 2021 and 2020 using a qualitative assessment primarily taking into consideration macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance and any other relevant company-specific factors. The Company concluded that there were no impairments in determining whether it is more likely than2021 and 2020. The Company did not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount, then we perform the impairment test uponan assessment in 2022, as there were no intangible assets. We completed the required impairment review for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 and noted no impairment. Consequently, no impairment charges were recorded.assets with indefinite lives during 2022.



Contingent ConsiderationResults of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, information derived from our Statements of Operations as a percentage of revenues.
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Revenues100%100%
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues1413
Sales and marketing3535
Research, development and engineering56
General and administrative2932
Goodwill impairment on business22
       Total operating expenses8688
Income from operations1412
Interest expense, net(2)(5)
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net1
Loss on sale of businesses(2)
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(1)21
Loss on investments, net(3)(1)
Other income, net1
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment1025
Income tax (expense) benefit(4)1
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net(1)3
Net income from continuing operations529
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes6
Net income5%35%

Revenues
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 (2)%
Our revenues consist of revenues from our Digital Media business and Cybersecurity and Martech business. Digital Media revenues primarily consist of advertising revenues and subscriptions earned through the granting of access to, or delivery of, certain data products or services to customers, fees paid for generating business leads, and licensing and sale of editorial content and trademarks. Cybersecurity and Martech revenues primarily consist of revenues from “fixed” customer subscription revenues and “variable” revenues generated from actual usage of our services.
Our revenues decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period primarily due to the absence in 2022 of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from 2021 related to the divested B2B Backup business and Voice assets and declines in certain parts of the Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. These declines were partially offset by $50.4 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, $33.1 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2022 and organic growth within certain other parts of the Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. Revenue from an acquired business becomes organic revenue in the first month in which the Company can compare a full month in the current year against a full month under its ownership in a prior year.

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Cost of Revenues
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Cost of revenue$195,554 $188,053 4.0%
As a percent of revenue14.1%13.3%
Cost of revenues is primarily comprised of costs associated with content fees, editorial and production costs, and hosting costs. The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to a $12.2 million increase associated with newly acquired businesses and advertising inventory costs in other Digital Media businesses, a $6.7 million increase in field operations, and a $3.6 million increase in costs associated with outside services, partially offset by approximately $12.8 million less in cost of revenues related to the sale of the B2B Backup business.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Sales and Marketing$490,777 $493,049 (0.5)%
As a percent of revenue35.3%34.8%
     Our sales and marketing costs consist primarily of internet-based advertising, sales and marketing, personnel costs, and other business development-related expenses. Our internet-based advertising relationships consist primarily of fixed cost and performance-based (cost-per-impression, cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition) advertising relationships with an array of online service providers. The decrease in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to approximately $4.9 million lower sales and marketing expense from the absence of those costs related to the B2B Backup business.
Research, Development and Engineering
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Research, Development and Engineering$74,093 $78,874 (6.1)%
As a percent of revenue5.3%5.6%
Our research, development and engineering costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses. The decrease in research, development and engineering costs for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to a decrease in engineering costs as more costs were capitalized in 2022 than in 2021, and the absence of engineering costs related to the B2B Backup business.
General and Administrative
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
General and Administrative$404,263 $456,777 (11.5)%
As a percent of revenue29.1%32.2%
Our general and administrative costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, depreciation and amortization, changes in the fair value associated with contingent consideration, share-based compensation expense, bad debt expense, professional fees, severance, and insurance costs. The decrease in general and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to $15.6 million lower depreciation and amortization expense related to intangibles becoming fully amortized, $12.6 million of lower office rent expense, $8.6 million of lower legal and consulting fees, $6.2 million of lower personnel related expenses, the absence of $3.6 million of general, and administrative costs related to the B2B Backup business sold in September 2021, and $3.4 million of lower bad debt expenses.
Goodwill impairment on business
Our goodwill impairment during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $27.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively. Our goodwill impairment in 2022 was generated from the impairment in the Digital Media reportable segment. Our goodwill impairment in 2021 was generated from the impairment in the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment.
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Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Share-Based Compensation
The following table represents share-based compensation expense included in operating costs and expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Cost of revenues$341 $306 
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 
General and administrative20,674 20,551 
Total$26,601 $24,129 
Non-Operating Income and Expenses
The following table represents the components of non-operating income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,Percent change
202220212022 v. 2021
Interest expense, net$(33,842)$(72,023)(53.0)%
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)(318.1)%
Loss on sale of businesses— (21,798)(100.0)%
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 (102.4)%
Loss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)180.3 %
Other income, net8,437 1,293 552.5 %
Total non-operating (expense) income$(67,788)$184,011 (136.8)%
Interest expense, net. Our interest expense, net is generated primarily from interest expense due to outstanding debt, partially offset by interest income earned on cash, cash equivalents, and investments. Interest expense, net was $33.8 million and $72.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Interest expense, net decreased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to approximately $11.5 million less interest expense due to the redemption of our 3.25% Convertible Notes in August 2021, approximately $15.7 million less interest expense from the adoption of ASU 2020-06 during 2022, and approximately $9.5 million less interest expense from the 4.625% Senior Notes related to a lower principal balance over the period due to the repurchase of a portion of the outstanding 4.625% Senior Notes throughout 2022.
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net. Gain on debt extinguishment, net of $11.5 million in 2022 related primarily to the repurchases of 4.625% Senior Notes. Loss on debt extinguishment, net of $5.3 million in 2021 related primarily to the tender of the 4.625% Senior Notes during the fourth quarter of 2021, partially offset by a gain on extinguishment of the 3.25% Convertible Notes during 2021.
Loss on sale of businesses. Loss on sale of businesses was $21.8 million in 2021. The loss on the sale of businesses during 2021 was due to the loss on the sale of the B2B Backup business, partially offset by a gain on the sale of certain Voice assets in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2021 with a subsequent adjustment in the second quarter of 2021. The Company did not sell any businesses in 2022. See Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net. Unrealized loss on short-term investment held at the reporting date was $7.1 million in 2022 and unrealized gain on short-term investment held at the reporting date was $298.5 million in 2021. The unrealized (loss) gain recorded in 2022 and 2021 primarily represents the effect of our Investment in Consensus.
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Loss on investments, net. Loss on investments, net is generated from gains or losses from investments in equity securities. Loss on investments, net was $46.7 million and $16.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Loss on investment, net increased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to the net realized loss on the disposition of 2.9 million shares from our Investment in Consensus during 2022 resulting from the decrease in the quoted share price of Consensus during 2022.
Other income, net. Other income, net is generated primarily from miscellaneous items and gain or losses on currency exchange. Other income, net was $8.4 million and $1.3 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. The change was attributable to changes in gain or losses on currency exchange.
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate is based on pre-tax income, statutory tax rates, tax regulations (including those related to transfer pricing), and different tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax bases of our assets and liabilities reflect our best estimate of the tax benefits and costs we expect to realize. When necessary, we establish valuation allowances to reduce our deferred tax assets to an amount that will more likely than not be realized.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of$22.8 million, after considering substantial restrictions on the utilization of these NOLs due to “ownership changes”, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). The Company estimates that all of the above-mentioned federal NOLs will be available for use before their expiration. $20.7 million of the NOLs expire through the year 2037 and $2.1 million of the NOLs carry forward indefinitely depending on the year the loss was incurred.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had interest expense limitation carryovers of $6.4 million and $23.3 million, respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company also had federal capital loss limitation carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 of $24.1 million and $28.7 million, respectively, that begin to expire in 2031. In addition, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had available state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $3.5 million and $5.1 million, respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company had no foreign tax credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Income tax expense was $58.0 million in 2022 compared to income tax benefit of $14.2 million in 2021. Our effective tax rates for 2022 and 2021 were 44.2% and (4.0)%, respectively.
The increase in our annual effective income tax rate in 2022 from 2021 was primarily attributable to the following:
1.an increase in our effective income tax rate during 2022 due to recognizing a deferred tax liability related to the Investment in Consensus resulting in a tax expense of $13.4 million; and
2.an increase in our tax expense due to a lower net reduction in our reserves in 2022 as compared to 2021 for uncertain tax positions, primarily due to the lapse of the statute of limitations in certain jurisdictions; and
3.an increase in our effective income tax rate during 2022 for U.S. state and local taxes due to a greater portion of our income being subject to tax in the U.S.; partially offset by
4.a decrease in our effective income tax rate during 2022 due to recognizing a tax benefit for a deferred tax asset related to goodwill impairment.
In order to provide additional understanding in connection with our foreign taxes, the following represents the statutory and effective tax rate by significant foreign country:
IrelandUnited KingdomCanada
Statutory tax rate12.5%19.0%26.5%
Effective tax rate (1)
15.6%20.8%24.3%
(1) Effective tax rate excludes certain discrete items.
The statutory tax rate is the rate imposed on taxable income for corporations by the local government in that jurisdiction. The effective tax rate measures the taxes paid as a percentage of pretax profit. The effective tax rate can differ from the statutory tax rate when a company can exempt some income from tax, claim tax credits, or due to the effect of book-tax differences that do not reverse and discrete items.
Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and in evaluating our tax positions on a worldwide basis. We believe our tax positions, including intercompany transfer pricing policies, are consistent with the tax laws
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in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. Certain of these tax positions have in the past been, and are currently being, challenged, and this may have a significant impact on our acquisition agreements include contingent earn-out arrangements,effective tax rate if our tax reserves are insufficient.
Equity Method Investment
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net. (Loss) income from equity method investment, net is generated from our investment in the OCV Fund I, LP (the “Fund”) for which we receive annual audited financial statements. The investment in the OCV Fund is presented net of tax and on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net was $(7.7) million and $35.8 million, net of tax benefit (expense) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in Loss from equity method investment, net in 2022 was primarily due to the decrease in value of the underlying investment. Income from equity method investment, net during 2021 was primarily a result of a gain on the underlying investments. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized management fee expenses of $1.5 million and $3.0 million, net of tax benefit, respectively.
Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech Results
Our businesses are generally based on the achievementorganization structure used by management for making operating and investment decisions and for assessing performance and have been aggregated into two reportable segments: (i) Digital Media and (ii) Cybersecurity and Martech.
We evaluate the performance of futureour segments based on revenues, including both external and inter-business net sales, and operating income. We account for inter-business sales and transfers based primarily on standard costs with reasonable mark-ups established between the businesses. Identifiable assets by business are those assets used in the respective business' operations. Corporate assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, deferred income thresholds.taxes, and certain other assets. All significant inter-business amounts are eliminated to arrive at our consolidated financial results.
Digital Media
    The contingent earn-out arrangements are based upon our valuations of the acquired companies and reduce the risk of overpaying for acquisitions if the projected financial results are not achieved.presented for the following fiscal years (in thousands):

Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$1,078,391 $1,068,476 
Inter-business sales781 824 
Total sales1,079,172 1,069,300 
Operating costs and expenses880,240 851,807 
Operating income$198,932 $217,493 
Digital Media’s net sales of $1.1 billion in 2022 increased $9.9 million, or 0.9% compared to the prior comparable period primarily due to $33.1 million from businesses acquired in 2022 and $31.1 million from businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, partially offset by organic decline in certain other businesses.
Digital Media’s operating costs and expenses of $880.2 million in 2022 increased $28.4 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million recorded in 2022.
As a result of these factors, Digital Media’s operating income of $198.9 million in 2022 decreased $18.6 million, or 8.5%, from 2021.

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Cybersecurity and Martech
The fair valuesfinancial results are presented for the following fiscal years (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$312,606 $348,246 
Inter-business sales20 365 
Total sales312,626 348,611 
Operating costs and expenses(1)
262,426 338,464 
Operating income(1)
$50,200 $10,147 
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $19.2 million of general and administrative costs were reflected as Corporate operating costs and expenses in the Company’s December 31, 2021 Form 10-K, however, should have been reflected as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. The Company reclassified these costs in the table above as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment, as well as the resulting impact in operating income for Cybersecurity and Martech.
Cybersecurity and Martech’s net sales of $312.6 million in 2022 decreased $35.6 million, or 10.2%, from the prior comparable period primarily due to the absence of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from the B2B Backup business, which was sold during the third quarter of 2021, and organic decline in certain other businesses during 2022, partially offset by $19.3 million of revenue from the business acquired in 2021, net of its contribution in 2021.
Cybersecurity and Martech operating costs and expenses of $262.4 million in 2022 decreased $76.0 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to a $32.6 million goodwill impairment in 2021 that did not recur, the absence of $22.1 million of costs from the B2B Backup business that was sold during the third quarter of 2021, lower sales and marketing expense, lower general and administrative expenses, and lower depreciation and amortization expense.
As a result of these earn-out arrangements arefactors, Cybersecurity and Martech operating income of $50.2 million in 2022 increased $40.1 million, or 394.7%, from 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $839.1 million compared to $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, cash, cash equivalents, and investments consisted of (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash and cash equivalents$652.8 $694.8 
Short-term investments58.4 229.2 
Long-term investments127.9 122.6 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
Our investments consist of equity and debt securities as of December 31, 2022 and equity securities as of December 31, 2021. For financial statement presentation, we classify our debt securities primarily as short- and long-term based upon their maturity dates.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021 cash, cash equivalents, and investments held within domestic and foreign jurisdictions were as follows (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in domestic jurisdictions$671.6 $884.9 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in foreign jurisdictions167.5 161.7 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
For information on short-term and long-term investments of the Company, refer to Note 5 - Investments to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Financings
On January 7, 2019, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as sole lead arranger and as administrative agent for the Lenders (the “Agent”). On October 7, 2020, the Company terminated the Credit Agreement. On November 15, 2019, the Company issued $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes and received net proceeds of $537.1 million in cash, net of initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions, and other debt issuance costs. A portion of the net proceeds were used to pay off all amounts then outstanding under the MUFG Credit Facility, with the remainder to be used for general corporate purposes including acquisitions.
On October 7, 2020, the Company issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes due 2030. A portion of the proceeds were used to fund the redemption of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the 6.0% Senior Notes previously issued by one of our subsidiaries and to pay the redemption premium due in respect of such redemption and accrued and unpaid interest. The net proceeds were used to redeem all of its outstanding 6.0% Senior Notes due in 2025 and, the remaining net proceeds were available for general corporate purposes which may include acquisitions or the redemption of other outstanding indebtedness.
On April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a $100.0 million Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250.0 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350.0 million. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021. and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement.
In connection with the spin-off of Consensus, the Company drew the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility and used the proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility to redeem the 3.25% Convertible Notes. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company satisfied its conversion obligation related to the 3.25% Convertible Notes by paying the principal of $402.4 million in cash and issued 3,050,850 shares of the Company’s common stock. On October 7, 2021, as part of the Separation, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for extinguishment of the indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A. On October 8, 2021, the Company announced that it had accepted tender offers to purchase $83.3 million in aggregate principal of its 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of $90.0 million. The tender offer expired on October 22, 2021.
On June 10, 2022, the acquired companiesCompany entered into a Fifth Amendment to the Credit Agreement, which provided for the Term Loan Facility, in an aggregate principal amount of $90.0 million, which had a maturity date that was 60 days following the date of funding of the Term Loan Facility. On September 15, 2022, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, which provided for the Term Loan Two Facility in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $22.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company completed a non-cash exchange of 2.8 million shares of its common stock of Consensus with the lenders under the Fifth and the Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $112.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facility and Term Loan Two Facility plus related interest.
As of December 31, 2022 there were no amounts drawn under the Credit Agreement.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased approximately $181.2 million in aggregate principal amount of the 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $167.7 million.
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Material Cash Requirements
Ziff Davis’ long-term contractual obligations generally include its long-term debt, interest on long-term debt, lease payments on its property and equipment, holdback payments in connection with certain business acquisitions, and other obligations. These long-term contractual obligations extend through 2031. Refer to Note 4 - Business Acquisitions, Note 10 - Debt and Note 11 - Leases to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for further details on holdback payments, long-term debt, and operating leases.
As of December 31, 2022, we and our subsidiaries had outstanding $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2022, our total minimum lease payments are $59.3 million, of which approximately $23.0 million are due in the succeeding twelve months. As of December 31, 2022, our liability for uncertain tax positions was $40.4 million.
We currently anticipate that our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for working capital, capital expenditures, and stock repurchases, if any, for at least the next 12 months.
Cash Flows
The following information regarding the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows combine continuing and discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 includes the activity from the cloud fax business through the date of Separation on October 7, 2021. Refer to Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations, together with cash and cash equivalents.
The following table provides a summary of cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities (in millions):
Year ended December 31,Change
202220212022 v. 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities$336.4 $516.5 $(180.1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities$(220.8)$59.1 $(279.9)
Net cash used in financing activities$(140.8)$(113.1)$(27.7)
Operating Activities
Our operating cash flows resulted primarily from cash received from our customers offset by cash payments we made to third parties for their respectiveservices, employee compensation, interest payments associated with our debt, and taxes. The $180.1 million decrease in net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to lower earnings before non-cash adjustments, primarily as a result of the Separation and other divested businesses that occurred in 2021, timing of payments to our vendors, decrease in operating lease liabilities, and net decrease in collections from our customers due to timing year over year.
Investing Activities
The $279.9 million decrease in net cash provided by investing activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to the absence of proceeds of $259.1 million from the Separation and the absence of $48.9 million from the sale of businesses that occurred in 2021 that did not recur, partially offset by lower cash used for acquisition dates. For each transaction,of businesses and purchases of property, plant and equipment.
Financing Activities
The $27.7 million increase in net cash used in financing activities in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily related to lower proceeds from debt borrowings, net of repayments.
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Stock Repurchase Program
2012 Program
Effective February 15, 2012, the Company’s Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to five million shares of our common stock through February 20, 2013 (the “2012 Program”), which was subsequently extended through February 20, 2021. Prior to 2020, the Company repurchased 3,859,181 shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregate cost of $117.1 million. The repurchased shares were subsequently retired. There were 1,140,819 shares available under the 2012 program as of January 1, 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 1,140,819 shares at an aggregate cost of $87.5 million which were subsequently retired in the same year. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had repurchased all of the available shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregated cost of $204.6 million (including an immaterial amount of commission fees).
2020 Program
On August 6, 2020, the Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to ten million shares of our common stock through August 6, 2025 (the “2020 Program”) in addition to the five million shares repurchased under the 2012 Program. In connection with the authorization, the Company entered into certain Rule 10b5-1 trading plans with a broker-dealer to facilitate the repurchase program. During the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 736,536, 445,711 and 2,490,599 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of $71.3 million, $47.7 million and $177.8 million, respectively, (including an immaterial amount of commission fees) under the 2020 Program, which were subsequently retired. Refer to Note 14 - Stockholders’ Equity to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
As a result of the Company’s share repurchases, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for purchase as of December 31, 2022 is 6,327,154 shares.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
The following discussion of the market risks we estimateface contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the fairdate hereof. Ziff Davis undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in this document as well as in other documents we file from time to time with the SEC, including the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or to be filed by us in 2023.
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio and borrowings under our Credit Facility that bear variable market interest rates. The primary objectives of our investment activities are to preserve our principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. To achieve these objectives, we maintain our portfolio of cash equivalents and investments in a mix of instruments that meet high credit quality standards, as specified in our investment policy or otherwise approved by the Board of Directors. Our cash and cash equivalents are not subject to significant interest rate risk due to the short maturities of these instruments. As of December 31, 2022, the carrying value of contingent earn-out paymentsour cash and cash equivalents approximated fair value. Our return on these investments is subject to interest rate fluctuations.
As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalent investments primarily in funds that invest in U.S. treasuries, money market funds, as partwell as, demand deposit accounts with maturities of 90 days or less of $652.8 million and $694.8 million, respectively. We do not have interest rate risk on our outstanding long-term debt as these arrangements have fixed interest rates.
On April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, collateral agent and sole lead arranger for the Lenders (the “Agent”). Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders provided the Company with a revolving credit facility of $100 million (the “Credit Facility”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350 million. The proceeds of the initial purchase priceCredit Facility are intended to be used for working capital and recordgeneral corporate purposes of the estimated fair valueCompany and its subsidiaries, including to finance certain permitted acquisitions and capital expenditures in accordance with the terms of contingent considerationthe Credit Agreement.
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At the Company’s option, amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at either (i) a base rate equal to the greatest of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent as its U.S. Dollar “Reference Rate” and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1.00% or (ii) a liabilityrate per annum equal to LIBOR divided by 1.00 minus the LIBOR Reserve Requirements (as defined in the Credit Agreement), in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin relating to any base rate loan will range from 0.50% to 1.25% and the applicable margin relating to any LIBOR loan will range from 1.50% to 2.25%, in each case, depending on the consolidated balance sheets. We consider several factors when determining that contingent earn-out liabilities are parttotal leverage ratio of the purchase price, including the following: (1) the valuation of our acquisitions is not supported solely by the initial consideration paid, and the contingent earn-out formula is a critical and material componentCompany. The final maturity of the valuation approachCredit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026. The Company is permitted to determining the purchase price; and (2) the former shareholders of acquired companies that remain as key employees receive compensation other than contingent earn-out payments at a reasonable level compared with the compensation of our other key employees. The contingent earn-out payments are not affected by employment termination.

We measure our contingent earn-out liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs classified within Level 3make voluntary prepayments of the fair value hierarchy (seeCredit Facility at any time without payment of a premium or penalty.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021 and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company drew on the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility with $485.0 million outstanding (later extinguished as described below). The proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility were used to redeem the Company’s 3.25% Convertible Notes. See Note 6 “Fair Value Measurements”10 - Debt of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference)10-K.
The loans under the Bridge Loan Facility (the “Bridge Loans”) bore interest at a rate per annum equal to (i) initially upon funding of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.00%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.00%, (ii) from six months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.50%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.50%, and (iii) from twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until repayment of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 3.00% or a LIBOR rate plus 4.00%. We may use various valuation techniques dependingThe Bridge Loan Facility was to mature on the terms and conditionsdate that was 364 days after the funding date of the contingent consideration including a Monte-Carlo simulation. This simulation uses probability distributionBridge Loans, with two automatic extensions, each for each significant input to produce hundreds or thousands of possible outcomes and the results are analyzed to determine probabilities of different outcomes occurring. Significant increases or decreases to these inputs in isolation would result in a significantly higher or lower liability with a higher liability capped by the contractual maximuman additional three months, if SEC approval of the contingent earn-out obligation. Ultimately,spin-off transaction was still outstanding.
On October 7, 2021, in exchange for the liability will be equivalentequity interest in Consensus, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the amount paid,lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the difference betweensubsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the fair value estimate and amount paid will be recordedlenders, in earnings. The amount paid that is less thanexchange for extinguishment of outstanding indebtedness under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or equaltheir affiliates agreed to resell the liability on2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the acquisition date is reflected as cash used in financing activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Any amount paid in excess of the liability on the acquisition date is reflected as cash used in operating activities.

United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
We review and re-assess the estimated fair value of contingent consideration on a quarterly basis, and the updated fair value could differ materially from the initial estimates. Changes in the estimated fair value of our contingent earn-out liabilities related to the time component of the present value calculation are reported incannot ensure that future interest expense. Adjustments to the estimated fair value related to changes in all other unobservable inputs are reported in operating income.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic No. 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), which requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax basis of recorded assets and liabilities. ASC 740 also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some or all of the net deferred tax assetsrate movements will not be realized. Our valuation allowance is reviewed quarterly based upon the facts and circumstances known at the time. In assessing this valuation allowance, we review historical andhave a material adverse effect on our future expectedbusiness, prospects, financial condition, operating results and other factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets are realizable.

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. (federal and state) and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Tax laws, regulations, and administrative practices in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change, with or without notice, due to economic, political, and other conditions, and significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating our provision and accruals for these taxes. There are many transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be affected by numerous factors, such as intercompany transactions, the relative amount of our foreign earnings, including earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions wherecash flows. To date, we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory rates, the applicability of special tax regimes, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not ableentered into interest rate hedging transactions to realize the related tax benefit, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, entry into new businesses and geographies, changes to our existing businesses and operations, acquisitions (including integrations) and investments and how they are financed, changes in our stock price, changes in our deferred tax assets and liabilities and their valuation, and changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations. In addition, a number of countries are actively pursuing changes to their tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals, such as the recently enacted the 2017 Tax Act. Finally, foreign governments may enact tax laws in response to the 2017 Tax Act that could result in further changes to global taxation and materially affect our financial position and results of operations.



The U.S. federal tax legislation, the 2017 Tax Act significantly revised the U.S. tax code by, in part but not limited to, reducing the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and imposing a mandatory one-time transition tax oncontrol or minimize certain un-repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries The SEC staff acknowledged the challenges companies face incorporating the effects of tax reform by their financial reporting deadlines. In response, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, or SAB 118, to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. As of December 31, 2017, we recorded a provisional income tax charge of $49.2 million for the transition tax on deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income. We also recorded a provisional income tax benefit of $33.3 million for the re-measurement of our U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities because of the federal corporate maximum tax rate reduction. The provisional amounts recorded are based on our current interpretation and understanding of the 2017 Tax Act, are judgmental and may change as we receive additional clarification and implementation guidance. We will continue to gather and evaluate the income tax impact of the 2017 Tax Act. Changes to these provisional amounts or any of our other estimates regarding taxes could result in material charges or credits in future reporting periods.
Income Tax Contingencies

We calculate current and deferred tax provisions based on estimates and assumptions that could differ from the actual results reflected in income tax returns filed during the following year. Adjustments based on filed returns are recorded when identified in the subsequent year.

ASC 740 provides guidance on the minimum threshold that an uncertain income tax position is required to meet before it can be recognized in the financial statements and applies to all tax positions taken by a company. ASC 740 contains a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain income tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the income tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. If it is not more likely than not that the benefit will be sustained on its technical merits, no benefit will be recorded. Uncertain income tax positions that relate only to timing of when an item is included on a tax return are considered to have met the recognition threshold. We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense on our consolidated statement of income. On a quarterly basis, we evaluate uncertain income tax positions and establish or release reserves as appropriate under GAAP.

As a multinational corporation, we are subject to taxation in many jurisdictions, and the calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations in various taxing jurisdictions. Ourestimate of the potential outcome of any uncertain tax issue is subject to management’s assessment of relevant risks, facts and circumstances existing at that time. Therefore, the actual liability for U.S. or foreign taxes may be materially different from our estimates, which could result in the need to record additional tax liabilities or potentially to reverse previously recorded tax liabilities. In addition, we may be subject to examination of our tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other domestic and foreign tax authorities.

It is possible that one or more of these audits may conclude in the next 12 months and that the unrecognized tax benefits we have recorded in relation to these tax years may change compared to the liabilities recorded for the periods. However, it is not possible to estimate the amount, if any, of such change. We establish reserves for these tax contingencies when we believe that certain tax positions might be challenged despite our belief that our tax positions are fully supportable. We adjust these reserves when changing events and circumstances arise.risks.

Market Risk
Non-Income Tax Contingencies

We are currently under audit by various state, local and foreign taxing authorities for direct and indirect non-income related taxes, including Canadian sales tax. In accordanceconnection with the provisionsSeparation, the Company retained the Investment in Consensus, the remaining portion of FASB ASC Topic No. 450, Contingencies (“ASC 450”) we make judgments regarding the future outcome of contingent events and record loss contingency amounts that are probable and reasonably estimable based upon available information.

As a provider of cloud services for business, we do not provide telecommunications services. Thus, we believe that our business and our users (by using our services) are generally not subject to various telecommunication taxes. However, several state taxing authorities have challenged this belief and have and may continue to audit and assess our business and operations with respect to telecommunications and other sales taxes. In addition, the application of other indirect taxes (such as sales and use tax, business tax and gross receipt tax) to e-commerce businesses such as j2 Global and our users is a complex and evolving issue. 


The application of existing, new or future laws could have adverse effects on our business, prospects and operating results. There have been, and will continue to be, substantial ongoing costs associated with complying with the various indirect tax requirements in the numerous markets in which we conduct or will conduct business.

On March 3, 2017, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance issued a notice of assessment for sales and use tax for the period of March 1, 2009 through February 28, 2014. We have reached a settlement with the Department which has expanded the period up to November 30, 2017. We have accrued $2.80was valued at approximately $58.4 million as of December 31, 2017. On February 18, 2018, we paid $2.77 million to New York2022 based upon the quoted market price of Consensus common stock. The Company’s results of operations and financial condition have been and may be materially impacted by increases or decreases in settlement. On August 24, 2016, the Officeprice of Finance forConsensus common stock, which is traded on the CityNasdaq Global Select Market.
Gains (losses) on the Investment in Consensus were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Realized losses on securities sold during the period$(46,743)$— 
Unrealized (losses) gains recognized during the period on equity securities held at the reporting date$(7,145)$298,490 
The carrying value of Los Angeles notified us that they will commence an audit of business and communications taxes for the period of January 1, 2013 throughour Investment in Consensus at December 31, 2016 which has concluded with no material impact. For other jurisdictions, we currently have no reserves established for these matters, as we have determined that2022 was $58.4 million, or approximately 1.7% of the liability is not probable and estimable. However, it is reasonably possible that such a liability could be incurred, whichCompany’s consolidated total assets. A $2.00 increase or decrease in the share price of Consensus common stock would result in an unrealized gain or loss, respectively of approximately $2.2 million.
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Foreign Currency Risk
We conduct business in certain foreign markets, primarily in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union. Our principal exposure to foreign currency risk relates to investment and inter-company debt in foreign subsidiaries that transact business in functional currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, primarily the Canadian Dollar, the British Pound Sterling, the Australian Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, the New Zealand Dollar, and the Norwegian Kroner. If we are unable to settle our intercompany debts in a timely manner, we remain exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.
As we expand our international presence, we become further exposed to foreign currency risk by entering new markets with additional expense, whichforeign currencies. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements is often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions, and other factors. These changes, if material, could materially impactcause us to adjust our financialfinancing and operating strategies.
    As currency exchange rates change, translation of the income statements of the international businesses into U.S. Dollars affects year-over-year comparability of operating results.

Historically, we have not hedged translation risks because cash flows from international operations were generally reinvested locally; however, we may do so in the future. Our objective in managing foreign exchange risk is to minimize the potential exposure to changes that exchange rates might have on earnings, cash flows, and financial position.
AllowancesFor the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, foreign exchange gains (losses) amounted to $8.2 million, $2.0 million, and $(3.1) million, respectively.
Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax, included in other comprehensive income for Doubtful Accounts

the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, was $(32.5) million, $(21.3) million, and $(8.9) million respectively.
We reservecurrently do not have derivative financial instruments for receivableshedging, speculative or trading purposes and therefore are not subject to such hedging risk. However, we may not be ablein the future engage in hedging transactions to collect. These reserves are typically drivenmanage our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Shareholders and Board of Directors
Ziff Davis, Inc.
New York, New York
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Ziff Davis, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the volumeCommittee of credit card declinesSponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and pastour report dated March 1, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Change in Accounting Method Related to Convertible Instruments
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for convertible instruments due invoicesto the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entities Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) effective January 1, 2022 under the modified retrospective approach.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Goodwill Impairment Assessment - Digital Media Reporting Units
As described in Notes 2 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements, the Digital Media reportable segment goodwill balance was approximately $1.07 billion as of December 31, 2022. During the year, the Company estimated the fair value of certain reporting units within the Digital Media reportable segment resulting from an interim goodwill impairment assessment. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if there are certain events or changes in circumstances. As a result of a goodwill impairment assessment, the Company recorded impairment of $27.4 million during the third quarter for one of the Digital Media reporting units. The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using a weighting of fair values derived from an income approach and a market approach.
We identified the interim goodwill impairment assessment within certain Digital Media reporting units as a critical audit matter because of certain significant assumptions management makes as part of the assessment to estimate the fair value of the affected reporting units. The income approach requires certain significant management assumptions in projecting future discounted cash flows, specifically revenue growth rates and discount rates. The market approach requires certain judgments in selecting the appropriate peer companies and the valuation multiples. Auditing revenue growth rates and discount rates as well as assessing the reasonableness of peer companies and valuation multiples involved especially challenging and subjective auditor judgment due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to address these matters, including the involvement of professionals with specialized skill or knowledge.
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical matter included:
Evaluating the reasonableness of certain significant management assumptions used in the calculation of the fair value of the affected reporting units, including the revenue growth rate used in the projected future cash flows by comparing to prior period forecasts, historical operating performance, and publicly available industry information.
Utilizing personnel with specialized knowledge and skill in valuation to assist in: (i) testing the source information underlying the determination of the discount rate and the mathematical accuracy of the calculation, and (ii) evaluating the reasonableness of both the identified peer companies and valuation multiples used in the market approach by calculating indicated multiples and related quartiles and comparing those to the ones used by management’s valuation specialist.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2014.

Los Angeles, California
March 1, 2023
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31,
20222021
ASSETS 
Cash and cash equivalents$652,793 $694,842 
Short-term investments58,421 229,200 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $6,868 and $9,811, respectively (includes $0 and $9,272 due from related party, respectively)304,739 316,342 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets68,319 60,290 
Total current assets1,084,272 1,300,674 
Long-term investments127,871 122,593 
Property and equipment, net178,184 161,209 
Trade names, net136,192 147,761 
Customer relationships, net208,057 275,451 
Goodwill1,591,474 1,531,455 
Other purchased intangibles, net118,566 149,513 
Deferred income taxes8,523 5,917 
Other assets80,131 75,707 
TOTAL ASSETS$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 
Accounts payable$120,829 $130,978 
Accrued employee related costs42,178 54,616 
Other accrued liabilities39,539 41,027 
Income taxes payable, current19,712 3,151 
Deferred revenue, current187,904 185,571 
Current portion of long-term debt— 54,609 
Other current liabilities22,286 27,286 
Total current liabilities432,448 497,238 
Long-term debt999,053 1,036,018 
Deferred revenue, noncurrent9,103 14,839 
Income taxes payable, noncurrent11,675 11,675 
Liability for uncertain tax positions40,379 42,546 
Deferred income taxes79,007 108,982 
Other long-term liabilities68,994 91,250 
TOTAL LIABILITIES1,640,659 1,802,548 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 1,000,000.00 and none issued— — 
Preferred stock - Series A, $0.01 par value. Authorized 6,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Preferred stock - Series B, $0.01 par value. Authorized 20,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 95,000,000; total issued and outstanding 47,269,446 and 47,440,137 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.473 474 
Additional paid-in capital439,681 509,122 
Retained earnings1,537,830 1,515,358 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(85,373)(57,222)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY1,892,611 1,967,732 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year ended December 31,
 202220212020
Total revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues (1)
195,554 188,053 178,403 
Sales and marketing (1)
490,777 493,049 366,359 
Research, development and engineering (1)
74,093 78,874 57,148 
General and administrative (1)
404,263 456,777 418,579 
Goodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Total operating costs and expenses1,192,056 1,249,382 1,020,489 
Income from operations198,941 167,340 138,340 
Interest expense, net(33,842)(72,023)(56,188)
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)— 
(Loss) gain on sale of businesses— (21,798)17,122 
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 — 
Loss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)(20,991)
Other income, net8,437 1,293 65 
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment131,153 351,351 78,348 
Income tax (expense) benefit(57,957)14,199 (38,350)
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net of income taxes(7,730)35,845 (11,338)
Net income from continuing operations65,466 401,395 28,660 
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(1,709)95,319 122,008 
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Net income per common share from continuing operations:
Basic$1.39 $8.74 $0.62 
Diluted$1.39 $8.38 $0.61 
Net (loss) income per common share from discontinued operations:
Basic$(0.04)$2.08 $2.62 
Diluted$(0.04)$1.99 $2.58 
Net income per common share:   
Basic$1.36 $10.81 $3.24 
Diluted$1.36 $10.37 $3.18 
Weighted average shares outstanding:   
Basic46,954,558 45,893,928 46,308,825 
Diluted47,025,849 47,862,745 47,115,609 
(1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows:
Cost of revenues$341 $306 $332 
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 1,011 
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 1,396 
General and administrative20,674 20,551 19,781 
Total$26,601 $24,129 $22,520 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustment(32,479)(21,268)(8,902)
Consensus separation adjustment4,056 18,966 — 
Change in fair value on available-for-sale investments, net of tax expense (benefit) of $0, $0 and $181 for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively272 (114)558 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax(28,151)(2,416)(8,344)
Comprehensive income$35,606 $494,298 $142,324 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Cash flows from operating activities:  
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization233,400 258,303 228,737 
Amortization of financing costs and discounts2,692 26,090 28,476 
Non-cash operating lease costs13,412 1,485 17,686 
Share-based compensation26,601 25,248 24,006 
Provision (benefit) for credit losses on accounts receivable(255)8,738 13,283 
Deferred income taxes, net(12,991)(13,433)5,840 
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt(11,505)14,024 37,969 
Loss (gain) on sale of businesses— 21,798 (17,122)
Goodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Changes in fair value of contingent consideration(2,575)(1,223)(80)
Loss (income) from equity method investments, net7,730 (35,845)11,338 
Unrealized loss (gain) on short-term investments held at the reporting date7,145 (298,490)— 
Loss on investment, net46,743 16,677 20,991 
Other945 13,180 (22,690)
Decrease (increase) in:
Accounts receivable14,948 (18,050)(31,611)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets9,665 (15,650)3,046 
Operating lease right-of-use assets3,739 15,267 8,711 
Other assets(19,979)(3,824)(3)
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (includes $0, $17,635 and $0 with related parties)(37,569)22,262 2,184 
Income taxes payable17,323 (21,783)6,489 
Deferred revenue(20,962)14,282 4,720 
Operating lease liabilities(27,131)(30,581)(25,150)
Liability for uncertain tax positions(2,167)(10,383)9,391 
Other long-term liabilities(3,891)(899)3,200 
Net cash provided by operating activities336,444 516,536 480,079 
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Proceeds on sale of available-for-sale investments— 663 — 
Investment in available-for-sale securities(15,000)— — 
Distribution from equity method investment— 15,327 — 
Purchases of equity method investment— (23,249)(31,937)
Purchase of equity investments— (999)(1,246)
Proceeds from sale of equity investments4,527 14,330 — 
Purchases of property and equipment(106,154)(113,740)(92,552)
Proceeds from sale of assets— — 507 
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received(104,094)(141,146)(482,227)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash divested— 48,876 24,353 
Purchases of intangible assets(50)(78)(3,118)
Proceeds from divestiture of discontinued operations— 259,104 — 
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(220,771)59,088 (586,220)
Cash flows from financing activities:   
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt— — 750,000 
Payment of note payable— — (400)
Proceeds from bridge loan— 485,000 — 
Debt issuance cost— — (7,272)
Payment of debt(166,904)(512,388)(650,000)
Debt extinguishment costs (includes reimbursement of $0, $7,500 and $0 with related parties)(756)(1,096)(29,250)
Proceeds from term loan112,286 — — 
Repurchase of common stock(78,291)(78,327)(275,654)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan9,431 9,231 7,382 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options148 2,939 1,619 
Deferred payments for acquisitions(16,116)(14,387)(29,180)
Other(630)(4,060)(1,878)
Net cash used in financing activities(140,832)(113,088)(234,633)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents(16,890)(10,346)7,811 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(42,049)452,190 (332,963)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year694,842 242,652 575,615 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with discontinued operations— 66,210 51,141 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with continuing operations694,842 176,442 524,474 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year652,793 694,842 242,652 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with discontinued operations— — 66,210 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with continuing operations$652,793 $694,842 $176,442 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Accumulated
Common stockAdditional
paid-in
Treasury stockRetainedother comprehensiveTotal
Stockholders’
SharesAmountcapitalSharesAmountearningsincome/(loss)Equity
Balance, January 1, 202047,654,929 $476 $465,652 — $— $891,526 $(46,462)$1,311,192 
Net income— — — — — 150,668 — 150,668 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of $181— — — — — — (8,344)(8,344)
Exercise of stock options42,740 — 1,619 — — — — 1,619 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan118,629 7,381 — — — — 7,382 
Equity portion of 3.25% convertible debt— — (12)— — — — (12)
Issuance of restricted stock, net273,201 (3)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(3,742,869)(37)(42,530)— — (233,087)— (275,654)
Share-based compensation— — 24,006 — — — — 24,006 
Other, net— — 161 — — — — 161 
Balance, December 31, 202044,346,630 $443 $456,274 — $— $809,107 $(54,806)$1,211,018 
Net income— — — — — 496,714 — 496,714 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — — — — — (21,382)(21,382)
Exercise of stock options70,776 2,938 — — — — 2,939 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan109,248 9,230 — — — — 9,231 
Issuance of restricted stock, net560,290 (5)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(697,657)(7)(26,275)(445,711)47,741 (52,045)— (30,586)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 445,711 (47,741)— — (47,741)
Share-based compensation— — 25,248 — — — — 25,248 
Conversion shares issued as extinguishment cost to redeem 3.25% Convertible Notes3,050,850 31 431,921 — — — — 431,952 
Redemption of 3.25% Convertible Notes, net of tax— — (390,526)— — — — (390,526)
Consensus Separation— — — — — 261,394 18,966 280,360 
Other, net— — 317 — — 188 — 505 
Balance, December 31, 202147,440,137 $474 $509,122 — $— $1,515,358 $(57,222)$1,967,732 
Reclassification of the equity component of 1.75% Convertible Notes to liability upon adoption of ASU 2020-06
— — (88,137)— — 23,436 — (64,701)
Net income— — — — — 63,757 — 63,757 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — (206)— — 206 (32,207)(32,207)
Exercise of stock options5,439 — 148 — — — — 148 
Issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan139,992 9,430 — — — — 9,431 
Issuance of restricted stock, net493,300 (6)— — — — (1)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(809,422)(7)(17,277)(736,536)71,337 (61,007)— (6,954)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 736,536 (71,337)— — (71,337)
Share-based compensation— — 26,601 — — — — 26,601 
Other, net— — — — (3,920)4,056 142 
Balance, December 31, 202247,269,446 $473 $439,681 — $— $1,537,830 $(85,373)$1,892,611 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1.       The Company
Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“Ziff Davis”, the “Company”, “our”, “us”, or “we”), is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech. The Company’s Digital Media business specializes in the technology, shopping, gaming, and healthcare markets, offering content, tools and services to consumers and businesses. The Company’s Cybersecurity and Martech business provides cloud-based subscription services to consumers and businesses including cybersecurity, privacy and marketing technology.
On October 7, 2021, in connection with the spin-off of its cloud fax business described further below, the Company changed its name from J2 Global, Inc. to Ziff Davis, Inc. (for certain events prior to October 7, 2021, the Company may be referred to as J2 Global).
2.    Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ziff Davis and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, including judgments about investment classifications and the reported amounts of net revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The Company believes that its most significant estimates are those related to revenue recognition, valuation and impairment of investments, its assessment of ownership interests as variable interest entities and the related determination of consolidation, share-based compensation expense, fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with business combinations, long-lived and intangible asset impairment, contingent consideration, income taxes and contingencies, and allowance for credit losses. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates based on historical experience and on various other factors that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Consensus, Inc. Spin-Off and Discontinued Operations
On September 21, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved its previously announced separation of the cloud fax business (the “Separation”) into an independent publicly traded company, Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”). On October 7, 2021 (the “Distribution Date”), the Separation was completed and the Company transferred J2 Cloud Service, LLC to Consensus who in turn transferred non-fax assets and liabilities back to Ziff Davis such that Consensus was left with the cloud fax business. The Separation was achieved through the Company’s distribution of 80.1% of the shares of Consensus common stock to holders of J2 Global common stock as wellof the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The Company’s stockholders of record received one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of J2 Global’s common stock. On October 8, 2021, Consensus began trading on Nasdaq under the stock symbol “CCSI”. Ziff Davis, Inc. retained a 19.9% interest in Consensus following the Separation (the “Investment in Consensus”).
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
On October 7, 2021, Consensus paid Ziff Davis approximately $259.1 million of cash in a distribution that was anticipated to be tax-free provided certain requirements were met, and issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, for the extinguishment of indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
The accounting requirements for reporting the Company’s cloud fax business as a discontinued operation were met when the Separation was completed. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements reflect the results of the cloud fax business as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. Ziff Davis did not retain a controlling interest in Consensus.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment and Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, providing for the issuance of senior secured term loans under the Credit Agreement (the “Term Loan Facilities”), in an evaluationaggregate principal amount of approximately $112.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company subsequently completed non-cash exchanges of 2,800,000 shares of its common stock of Consensus with the lenders under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $112.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facilities plus related interest. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company continues to hold approximately 1.1 million shares of common stock of Investment in Consensus. The Investment in Consensus represents the investment in equity securities for which the Company elected the fair value option and subsequent fair value changes in the Consensus shares are included in the assets of and results from continuing operations. Refer to Note 5 - Investments and Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions for additional information.
Allowances for Credit Losses
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable, which is recorded as a reduction to accounts receivable. Changes in the allowance are classified as ‘General and administrative’ expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company assesses collectability by reviewing accounts receivable on a collective basis where similar characteristics exist and on an individual basis when it identifies specific customers with known disputes or collectability issues. In determining the amount of the allowance for credit losses, the Company considers historical collectability based on past due status. It also considers customer-specific information, current market conditions.conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions to inform adjustments to historical loss data. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates the adequacy of these reserves.

The rollforward of allowance for credit losses on Accounts receivable, net is as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Beginning balance$9,811 $11,552 $8,480 
(Decreases) increases to bad debt expense(255)3,107 5,315 
Write-offs, net of recoveries(2,688)(4,848)(2,243)
Ending balance$6,868 $9,811 $11,552 
RecentRevenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue when the Company satisfies its obligation by transferring control of the goods or services to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Refer to Note 3 - Revenues for additional details.
Principal vs. Agent
The Company determines whether revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis by assessing whether the Company is acting as the principal or an agent in the transaction. If the Company is acting as the principal in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis. If the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a net basis. In determining whether the Company acts as the principal or an agent, the Company follows the accounting guidance under Financial Accounting PronouncementsStandards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, for principal-agent considerations and assesses: (i) if another party is involved in providing goods or services to the customer, (ii) whether the Company controls the specified goods or services prior to transferring control to the customer and (iii) whether the Company has discretion on pricing.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
See Note 2, “BasisNOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Sales Taxes
The Company has made an accounting policy election to exclude from the measurement of Presentationthe transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are (i) both imposed on and Summaryconcurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and (ii) collected by the Company from a customer.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company complies with the provisions of Significant Accounting Policies”FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), to our accompanying consolidatedin measuring fair value and in disclosing fair value measurements. ASC 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value and expands the disclosures required for fair value measurements of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.
The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, interest receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, interest payable, customer deposits, and long-term debt are reflected in the financial statements at cost. With the exception of certain investments and long-term debt, cost approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of such instruments. The fair value of the Company’s outstanding debt was determined using the quoted market prices of debt instruments with similar terms and maturities when available. As of the same dates, the carrying value of other long-term liabilities approximated fair value as the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to the Company.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers the balance of its investment in funds that substantially hold securities that mature within three months or less from the date the Company purchases these securities to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents either approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments or are at fair value.
Investments
The Company accounts for its investments in debt securities in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments - Debt Securities (“ASC 320”). Debt investments are typically comprised of corporate debt securities, which are classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income. All debt securities are accounted for on a specific identification basis.
The Company’s available-for-sale debt securities are carried at an estimated fair value with any unrealized gains or losses, net of taxes, included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Available-for-sale debt securities with an amortized cost basis in excess of estimated fair value are assessed to determine what amount of that difference, if any, is caused by expected credit losses. Expected credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities are recognized in loss on investments, net on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and any remaining unrealized losses, net of taxes, are included in accumulated comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company accounts for its investments in equity securities in accordance with ASC Topic 321, Investments - Equity Securities (“ASC 321”) which requires the accounting for equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, generally be measured at fair value for equity securities with readily determinable fair values. Equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, which are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting, are measured at their cost, less impairment, if any, and adjusted for observable price changes arising from orderly transactions in the same or similar investment from the same issuer. Any unrealized gains or losses will be reported within earnings on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company assesses whether an other-than-temporary impairment loss on an investment has occurred due to declines in fair value or other market conditions. Refer to Note 5 - Investments for additional information.
The Investment in Consensus are equity securities accounted for at fair value under the fair value option, and the related fair value gains and losses are recognized in earnings. As the initial carrying value of the Investment in Consensus was negative immediately following the Separation, the Company elected the fair value option under ASC 825-10-25 to support the initial recognition of the Investment in Consensus at fair value and the negative book value was recorded as a gain at the date of Separation. The fair value of Consensus common stock is readily available as Consensus is a publicly traded company.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”s)
A VIE requires consolidation by the entity’s primary beneficiary. The Company evaluates its investments in entities in which it is involved to determine if the entity is a VIE and if so, whether it holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. The Company has determined that it holds a variable interest in its investment as a limited partner in the OCV Fund I, LP (“OCV Fund”, “OCV” or the “Fund”), as well as, another independent corporation. In determining whether the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, both of the following characteristics must be present:
a) the Company has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIEs economic performance (the power criterion); and
b) the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE, or the right to receive benefits of the VIE, that could potentially be significant to the VIE (the economic criterion).
The Company has concluded that, as a limited partner in OCV, although the obligations to absorb losses or the right to benefit from the gains is not insignificant, the Company does not have “power” over OCV because it does not have the ability to direct the significant decisions which impact the economics of OCV. The Company believes that the OCV general partner, as a single decision maker, holds the ability to make the decisions about the activities that most significantly impact the OCV Fund’s economic performance. As a result, the Company has concluded that it will not consolidate OCV, as it is not the primary beneficiary of the OCV Fund, and will account for this investment under the equity-method of accounting (see Note 5 - Investments).
OCV qualifies as an investment company under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services, Investment Companies (“ASC 946”). Under ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures, an investor that holds investments that qualify for specialized industry accounting for investment companies in accordance with ASC 946 should record its share of the earnings or losses, realized or unrealized, as reported by its equity method investees in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company recognizes its equity in the net earnings or losses relating to the investment in OCV on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discount
The Company capitalizes costs incurred with borrowing and issuance of debt securities and records debt issuance costs and discounts as a reduction to the debt amount. These costs and discounts are amortized and included in interest expense over the life of the borrowing using the effective interest method.
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company primarily invests its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities with major financial institutions primarily within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and the European Union. These investments are made in accordance with the Company’s investment policy with the principal objectives being preservation of capital, fulfillment of liquidity needs and above market returns commensurate with preservation of capital. The Company’s investment policy also requires that investments in marketable securities be in only highly rated instruments, with limitations on investing in securities of any single issuer. However, these investments are not insured against the possibility of a total or near complete loss of earnings or principal and are inherently subject to the credit risk related to the continued credit worthiness of the underlying issuer and general credit market risks. At December 31, 2022, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents that were maintained in demand deposit accounts in qualifying financial institutions are insured up to the limit determined by the applicable governmental agency. 
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Foreign Currency
Most of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. Dollars at average exchange rates for the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss). Net translation loss was $32.5 million, $21.3 million and $8.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Realized gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recognized within ‘Other income (loss), net’ on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Foreign exchange gains (losses) amounted to $8.2 million, $2.0 million and $(3.1) million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Equipment under a finance lease is stated at the present value of the minimum lease payments. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets and is recorded in cost of revenues and general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment range from one to ten years. Fixtures, which are comprised primarily of leasehold improvements and equipment under finance leases, are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives or for leasehold improvements, the related lease term, if less. The Company has capitalized certain internal-use software and website development costs which are included in property and equipment and depreciated using a straight-line method over the estimated useful life which is evaluated for each specific project and is typically three years.
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets
The Company accounts for long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, operating lease right-of-use assets and identifiable intangible assets with finite useful lives (subject to amortization), in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment (“ASC 360”), which requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to the expected undiscounted future net cash flows generated by the asset. If it is determined that the asset may not be recoverable, and if the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recognized to the extent of the difference.
The Company assesses the impairment of identifiable definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors it considers important which could individually or in combination trigger an impairment include the following:
Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business;
Significant negative industry or economic trends;
Significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a descriptionsustained period; and
The Company’s market capitalization relative to net book value.
If the Company determined that the carrying value of recent accounting pronouncementsdefinite-lived intangibles and our expectationslong-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of their impactone or more indicators of impairment, it would record an impairment equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value.
The Company assessed whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that potentially indicate the carrying amount of definite-lived assets may not be recoverable. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not have any events or circumstances indicating impairment of long-lived assets, other than the recording of an impairment of certain operating lease right-of-use assets and associated property and equipment. The Company regularly evaluates its office space requirements in light of more of its workforce working from home as part of a permanent “remote” or “partial remote” work model. The impairment is presented in general and administrative expense on our consolidatedConsolidated Statements of Operations. Refer to Note 11 - Leases for additional details.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The Company classifies its long-lived assets to be sold as held for sale in the period (i) it has approved and committed to a plan to sell the asset, (ii) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition, (iii) an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to sell the asset have been initiated, (iv) the sale of the asset is probable and the transfer is expected to qualify for recognition as a sale within one year, (v) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, and (vi) it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. The Company initially measures a long-lived asset that is classified as held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset until the date of sale. Upon designation as an asset held for sale, the Company stops recording depreciation expense on the asset. The Company assesses the fair value of a long-lived asset less any costs to sell at each reporting period and until the asset is no longer classified as held for sale.
Business Combinations and Valuation of Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The Company applies the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in accordance with GAAP and uses estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price paid for acquisitions to the fair value of the assets, including identifiable intangible assets and liabilities acquired. Such estimates may be based on significant unobservable inputs and assumptions such as, but not limited to, future revenue growth rates, gross and operating margins, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, discount rates and terminal growth rate assumptions. The Company uses established valuation techniques and may engage reputable valuation specialists to assist with the valuations. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Intangible assets resulting from the acquisitions of entities accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting are recorded at the estimated fair value of the assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of purchased customer relationships, trademarks and trade names, developed technologies and other intangible assets. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized over the period of estimated economic benefit ranging from one to twenty years and are included in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company evaluates its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), which provides that goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but tested annually for impairment or more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. In connection with the annual impairment test for goodwill, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it then it performs an impairment test of goodwill. The impairment test involves comparing the fair values of the applicable reporting units with their aggregate carrying values, including goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of its reporting units using a mix of an income approach and a market approach. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 the Company recorded a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million, $32.6 million and zero, respectively. Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets for additional details.
The Company performed the annual impairment test for intangible assets with indefinite lives for fiscal 2021 and 2020 using a qualitative assessment primarily taking into consideration macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, overall financial positionperformance and results of operations.any other relevant company-specific factors. The Company concluded that there were no impairments in 2021 and 2020. The Company did not perform an assessment in 2022, as there were no intangible assets with indefinite lives during 2022.

Results of Operations

Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015

Cloud Services Segment

Assuming a stable or improving economic environment, and, subject to our risk factors, we expect the revenue and profits as included in the results of operations below in our Cloud Services segment to be stable for the foreseeable future (excluding the impact of acquisitions). The main focus of our Cloud Services offerings is to reduce or eliminate costs, increase sales and enhance productivity, mobility, business continuity and security of our customers as the technologies and devices they use evolve over time. As a result, we expect to continue to take steps to enhance our existing offerings and offer new services to continue to satisfy the evolving needs of our customers. Through our IP licensing operations, which are included in the Cloud Services segment, we seek to make our IP available for license to third parties, and we expect to continue to attempt to obtain additional IP through a combination of acquisitions and internal development in an effort to increase available licensing opportunities and related revenues.

We expect acquisitions to remain an important component of our strategy and use of capital in this segment; however, we cannot predict whether our current pace of acquisitions will remain the same within this segment. In a given period, we may close greater or fewer acquisitions than in prior periods or acquisitions of greater or lesser significance than in prior periods. Moreover, future acquisitions of businesses within this segment but with different business models may impact the segment’s overall profit margins. Also, as IP licensing often involves litigation, the timing of licensing transactions is unpredictable and can and does vary significantly from period to period. This variability can cause the overall segment’s financial results to materially vary from period to period.

Digital Media Segment

Assuming a stable or improving economic environment, and, subject to our risk factors, we expect the revenue and profits in our Digital Media segment to improve over the next several quarters as we integrate our recent acquisitions and over the longer term as advertising transactions continue to shift from offline to online. The main focus of our advertising programs is to provide relevant and useful advertising to visitors to our websites and those included within our advertising networks, reflecting our commitment to constantly improve their overall web experience. As a result, we expect to continue to take steps to improve the relevance of the ads displayed on our websites and those included within our advertising networks.



The operating margin we realize on revenues generated from ads placed on our websites is significantly higher than the operating margin we realize from revenues generated from those placed on third-party websites. Growth in advertising revenues from our websites has generally exceeded that from third-party websites. This trend has had a positive impact on our operating margins, and we expect that this will continue for the foreseeable future. However, the trend in advertising spend is shifting to mobile devices and other newer advertising formats which generally experience lower margins than those from desktop computers and tablets. We expect this trend to continue to put pressure on our margins.

We expect acquisitions to remain an important component of our strategy and use of capital in this segment; however, we cannot predict whether our current pace of acquisitions will remain the same within this segment. In a given period, we may close greater or fewer acquisitions than in prior periods or acquisitions of greater or lesser significance than in prior periods. Moreover, future acquisitions of businesses within this segment but with different business models may impact the segment’s overall profit margins.

j2 Global Consolidated

We anticipate that the stable revenue trend in our Cloud Services segment combined with the improving revenue and profits in our Digital Media segment will result in overall improved revenue and profits for j2 Global on a consolidated basis, excluding the impact of any future acquisitions which can vary dramatically from period to period.

We expect operating profit as a percentage of revenues to generally decrease in the future primarily due to the fact that revenue with respect to our Digital Media segment (i) is increasing as a percentage of our revenue on a consolidated basis and (ii) has historically operated at a lower operating margin.

The following table sets forth, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022 and 2015,2021, information derived from our statementsStatements of incomeOperations as a percentage of revenues. This information should be read in conjunction with the accompanying financial statements and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Revenues100%100%
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues1413
Sales and marketing3535
Research, development and engineering56
General and administrative2932
Goodwill impairment on business22
       Total operating expenses8688
Income from operations1412
Interest expense, net(2)(5)
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net1
Loss on sale of businesses(2)
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(1)21
Loss on investments, net(3)(1)
Other income, net1
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment1025
Income tax (expense) benefit(4)1
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net(1)3
Net income from continuing operations529
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes6
Net income5%35%
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Revenues100% 100% 100%
Cost of revenues15 17 17
       Gross profit85 83 83
Operating expenses:     
       Sales and marketing30 24 22
       Research, development and engineering4 4 5
       General and administrative29 27 28
       Total operating expenses63 55 55
Income from operations22 28 28
Interest expense, net6 5 6
Other expense (income), net(2) (1) 
Income before income taxes18 24 22
Income tax expense5 7 3
Net income12% 17% 19%


Revenues
(in thousands, except percentages)2017 2016 2015 Percentage Change 2017 versus 2016 Percentage Change 2016 versus 2015
Revenues$1,117,838
 $874,255
 $720,815
 28% 21%

Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 (2)%
Our revenues consist of revenues from our Cloud Services segment and from our Digital Media segment. Cloud Servicesbusiness and Cybersecurity and Martech business. Digital Media revenues primarily consist of advertising revenues and subscriptions earned through the granting of access to, or delivery of, certain data products or services to customers, fees paid for generating business leads, and licensing and sale of editorial content and trademarks. Cybersecurity and Martech revenues primarily consist of revenues from “fixed” customer subscription revenues and “variable” revenues generated from actual


usage of our services. We also generate Cloud Services revenues from IP licensing. Digital Media revenues primarily consist of advertising revenues, fees paid for generating business leads, and licensing and sale of editorial content and trademarks.

Our revenues have increased overdecreased for the past three yearsyear ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior period primarily due to the following factors:

Acquisitions within ourabsence in 2022 of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from 2021 related to the divested B2B Backup business and Voice assets and declines in certain parts of the Digital Media properties, plusand Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. These declines were partially offset by $50.4 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, $33.1 million of revenue contributed by businesses acquired in 2022 and organic growth within certain other parts of the Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech businesses. Revenue from an acquired business becomes organic revenue in that segment;the first month in which the Company can compare a full month in the current year against a full month under its ownership in a prior year.
Acquisitions within our Cloud Services segment, plus organic growth in that segment.

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Cost of Revenues
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)2017 2016 2015 Percentage Change 2017 versus 2016 Percentage Change 2016 versus 2015(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Cost of revenue$172,313
 $147,100
 $122,958
 17% 20%Cost of revenue$195,554 $188,053 4.0%
As a percent of revenue15% 17% 17% 
As a percent of revenue14.1%13.3%
Cost of revenues is primarily comprised of costs associated with data and voice transmission, numbers,content fees, editorial and production costs, network operations, customer service, online processing fees and equipment depreciation. The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2017 was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with businesses acquired in and subsequent to fiscal 2016 that resulted in additional editorial and productionhosting costs. The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 20162022 compared to the prior period was primarily due to ana $12.2 million increase associated with newly acquired businesses and advertising inventory costs in other Digital Media businesses, a $6.7 million increase in field operations, and a $3.6 million increase in costs associated with businesses acquiredoutside services, partially offset by approximately $12.8 million less in and subsequentcost of revenues related to fiscal 2015 that resulted in additional network operations, editorial and production costs, customer service and depreciation.

the sale of the B2B Backup business.
Operating Expenses

Sales and Marketing.Marketing
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Sales and Marketing$490,777 $493,049 (0.5)%
As a percent of revenue35.3%34.8%
     
(in thousands, except percentages)2017 2016 2015 Percentage Change 2017 versus 2016 Percentage Change 2016 versus 2015
Sales and Marketing$330,296
 $206,871
 $159,009
 60% 30%
As a percent of revenue30% 24% 22%   
Our sales and marketing costs consist primarily of internet-based advertising, sales and marketing, personnel costs, and other business development-related expenses. Our internet-based advertising relationships consist primarily of fixed cost and performance-based (cost-per-impression, cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition) advertising relationships with an array of online service providers. Advertising cost for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $143.3 million (primarily consisting of $95.4 million of third-party advertising costs and $41.0 million of personnel costs), $96.8 million (primarily consisting of $64.8 million of third-party advertising costs and $26.3 million of personnel costs) and $63.5 million (primarily consisting of $41.2 million of third-party advertising costs and $21.9 million of personnel costs), respectively. The increasedecrease in sales and marketing expenses from 2016for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 2017the prior period was primarily due to increased personnel costs and advertising associated with the acquisition of Everyday Health within the Digital Media segment, which was acquired in December 2016. The increase inapproximately $4.9 million lower sales and marketing expensesexpense from 2015the absence of those costs related to 2016 was primarily due to increased advertising associated with businesses acquired within the Digital Media and Cloud Services segments and additional personnel costs.B2B Backup business.

Research, Development and Engineering.
(in thousands, except percentages)2017 2016 2015 Percentage Change 2017 versus 2016 Percentage Change 2016 versus 2015
Research, Development and Engineering$46,004
 $38,046
 $34,329
 21% 11%
As a percent of revenue4% 4% 5%   



Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
Research, Development and Engineering$74,093 $78,874 (6.1)%
As a percent of revenue5.3%5.6%
Our research, development and engineering costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses. The increasedecrease in research, development and engineering costs from 2016for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 2017 and 2015 to 2016 werethe prior period was primarily due to an increasea decrease in professional servicesengineering costs as more costs were capitalized in 2022 than in 2021, and personnelthe absence of engineering costs associated with acquisitions withinrelated to the Cloud Service and Digital Media segments.B2B Backup business.
General and Administrative.Administrative
Year ended December 31,Percent change
(in thousands, except percentages)2017 2016 2015 Percentage Change 2017 versus 2016 Percentage Change 2016 versus 2015(in thousands, except percentages)202220212022 v. 2021
General and Administrative$323,517
 $239,672
 $205,137
 35% 17%General and Administrative$404,263 $456,777 (11.5)%
As a percent of revenue29% 27% 28% 
As a percent of revenue29.1%32.2%
Our general and administrative costs consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, depreciation and amortization, changes in the fair value associated with contingent consideration, share-based compensation expense, bad debt expense, professional fees, severance, and insurance costs. The increasedecrease in general and administrative expense from 2016for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 2017the prior period was primarily due to additional$15.6 million lower depreciation and amortization expense related to intangibles becoming fully amortized, $12.6 million of intangible assetslower office rent expense, $8.6 million of lower legal and consulting fees, $6.2 million of lower personnel costs relating to acquisitions closed during 2016 and 2015 and increased depreciation expense. The increase inrelated expenses, the absence of $3.6 million of general, and administrative expensecosts related to the B2B Backup business sold in September 2021, and $3.4 million of lower bad debt expenses.
Goodwill impairment on business
Our goodwill impairment during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $27.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively. Our goodwill impairment in 2022 was generated from 2015 to 2016 was primarily due to an increasethe impairment in amortization of intangible assets, an increase in the fair value associated with contingent consideration issued in certain acquisitions within the Digital Media segment, personnel costs relatingreportable segment. Our goodwill impairment in 2021 was generated from the impairment in the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment.
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Refer to acquisitions closed during 2015Note 9 - Goodwill and 2016 and bad debt expense.

Intangible Assets to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Share-Based Compensation

The following table represents share-based compensation expense included in cost of revenuesoperating costs and operating expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statementsConsolidated Statements of incomeOperations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022 and 20152021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Cost of revenues$341 $306 
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 
General and administrative20,674 20,551 
Total$26,601 $24,129 
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Cost of revenues$500
 $436
 $373
Operating expenses:     
      Sales and marketing1,723
 1,782
 2,435
      Research, development and engineering1,182
 904
 863
      General and administrative19,332
 10,528
 8,122
Total$22,737
 $13,650
 $11,793

During the year, the Company accelerated the vesting of certain shares held by employees which were surrendered to the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with such employees’ restricted stock. The Company recognized share-based compensation of $1.4 million during year due to this vesting acceleration.

In connection with Nehemia Zucker’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer effective as of December 31, 2017, all of his outstanding and unvested stock options and time-based restricted shares, along with the tranche of performance-vesting restricted shares that was then next scheduled to vest, vested in full on December 29, 2017. As a result, the Company has accelerated the recognition of share-based compensation expense associated with these awards which impacted the fourth quarter by approximately $5.1 million.

Non-Operating Income and Expenses

The following table represents the components of non-operating income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,Percent change
202220212022 v. 2021
Interest expense, net$(33,842)$(72,023)(53.0)%
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)(318.1)%
Loss on sale of businesses— (21,798)(100.0)%
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 (102.4)%
Loss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)180.3 %
Other income, net8,437 1,293 552.5 %
Total non-operating (expense) income$(67,788)$184,011 (136.8)%
Interest expense, net. Our interest expense, net is generated primarily from interest expense due to outstanding debt, partially offset by interest income earned on cash, cash equivalents, and short and long-term investments. Interest expense, net was $67.8 million, $41.4$33.8 million and $42.5$72.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022 and 2015,2021, respectively. Interest expense, net decreased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to approximately $11.5 million less interest expense due to the redemption of our 3.25% Convertible Notes in August 2021, approximately $15.7 million less interest expense from the adoption of ASU 2020-06 during 2022, and approximately $9.5 million less interest expense from the 4.625% Senior Notes related to a lower principal balance over the period due to the repurchase of a portion of the outstanding 4.625% Senior Notes throughout 2022.
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net. Gain on debt extinguishment, net of $11.5 million in 2022 related primarily to the repurchases of 4.625% Senior Notes. Loss on debt extinguishment, net of $5.3 million in 2021 related primarily to the tender of the 4.625% Senior Notes during the fourth quarter of 2021, partially offset by a gain on extinguishment of the 3.25% Convertible Notes during 2021.
Loss on sale of businesses. Loss on sale of businesses was $21.8 million in 2021. The increase from 2016 to 2017loss on the sale of businesses during 2021 was due to increased interest expense associated with the issuance of the $650 million 6.0% Senior Notes and our line of credit borrowings, the loss on the extinguishmentsale of the $250B2B Backup business, partially offset by a gain on the sale of certain Voice assets in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2021 with a subsequent adjustment in the second quarter of 2021. The Company did not sell any businesses in 2022. See Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net. Unrealized loss on short-term investment held at the reporting date was $7.1 million 8.0% Senior Notesin 2022 and decreased interest incomeunrealized gain on cash, cash equivalentsshort-term investment held at the reporting date was $298.5 million in 2021. The unrealized (loss) gain recorded in 2022 and investments. The decrease between 20152021 primarily represents the effect of our Investment in Consensus.
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Loss on investments, net. Loss on investments, net is generated from gains or losses from investments in equity securities. Loss on investments, net was $46.7 million and 2016 was$16.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Loss on investment, net increased in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to additional interest income.the net realized loss on the disposition of 2.9 million shares from our Investment in Consensus during 2022 resulting from the decrease in the quoted share price of Consensus during 2022.



Other (income) expense,income, net. Our other (income) expense,Other income, net is generated primarily from miscellaneous items and gain or losses on currency exchange and the sale of investments.exchange. Other (income) expense,income, net was $(22.0) million, $(10.2)$8.4 million and $0.0$1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016in 2022 and 2015,2021, respectively. The change from 2016 to 2017 was attributable to an increasechanges in gains earned in the current period related to the sales of subsidiaries in our Digital Media and Cloud segments; partially offset by increasedgain or losses on currency exchange compared to the prior period which included the sale of our strategic investment in Carbonite resulting in a gain on sale of $7.6 million and a breakup fee of $2.5 million associated with the competitive bid for certain assets of Gawker Media. The change from 2015 to 2016 is primarily due to the gain on sale of our Carbonite investment and the Gawker Media Group break-up fee.

exchange.
Income Taxes

Our effective tax rate is based on pre-tax income, statutory tax rates, tax regulations (including those related to transfer pricing), and different tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax bases of our assets and liabilities reflect our best estimate of the tax benefits and costs we expect to realize. When necessary, we establish valuation allowances to reduce our deferred tax assets to an amount that will more likely than not be realized.

The 2017 Tax Act signed into law on December 22, 2017 significantly revises the U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering the statutory corporate tax rate from 35.0% to 21.0%, eliminating certain deductions, imposing a mandatory one-time tax on accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries as of 2017, introducing new tax regimes, and changing how foreign earnings are subject to U.S. tax. The 2017 Tax Act also enhanced and extended through 2026 the option to claim accelerated depreciation deductions on qualified property. The SEC staff acknowledged the challenges companies face incorporating the effects of tax reform by their financial reporting deadlines and issued SAB 118 to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act.

As of December 31, 2017, we have not completed our determination of2022, the accounting implications of the 2017 Tax Act on our tax accruals. However, we have reasonably estimated the effects of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in our financial statements as of December 31, 2017. We recorded a provisional tax expense for the impact of the 2017 Tax Act of $15.9 million. This amount is comprised of $49.2 million expense associated with the mandatory one-time tax on the accumulated untaxed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries, offset with $33.3 million benefit related to the re-measurement of federal net deferred tax liabilities resulting from the permanent reduction in the U.S. statutory corporate tax rate to 21.0% from 35.0%. The one-time transition tax on the accumulated earnings of our foreign subsidiaries will be paid over eight years as provided in the 2017 Tax Act. As we complete our analysis of the 2017 Tax Act, collect and prepare necessary data, and interpret any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, we may make adjustments to the provisional amounts. Those adjustments may materially impact our provision for income taxes in the period in which the adjustments are made.

As of December 31, 2017, weCompany had federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of $102.2$22.8 million, after considering substantial restrictions on the utilization of these NOLs due to “ownership changes”, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. We estimateamended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). The Company estimates that all of the above-mentioned federal NOLs will be available for use before their expiration. These$20.7 million of the NOLs expire through the year 2036. The $102.22037 and $2.1 million NOL carryforward amount includes $89.1 million acquired pursuant toof the Everyday Health transaction.

NOLs carry forward indefinitely depending on the year the loss was incurred.
As of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, the Company has foreign tax creditshad interest expense limitation carryovers of zero$6.4 million and $11.9$23.3 million, respectively.respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company has provided a valuation allowance on the foreign tax credits of zero and $11.9 millionalso had federal capital loss limitation carryforwards as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021 of $24.1 million and $28.7 million, respectively, as the weight of available evidence does not support full utilization of these credits. The foreign tax credits were fully utilizedthat begin to expire in 2017 as a result of the transition tax on repatriated foreign earnings. If these tax credits were not fully utilized, the foreign tax credits would have expired in the year 2025.2031. In addition, as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016, we2021, the Company had available unrecognized state research and development tax creditscredit carryforwards of $2.3$3.5 million and $3.5$5.1 million, respectively, which last indefinitely.

The Company had no foreign tax credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Income tax expense amountedwas $58.0 million in 2022 compared to $60.5income tax benefit of $14.2 million $59.0 million and $23.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.in 2021. Our effective tax rates for 2017, 20162022 and 20152021 were 30.3%, 27.9%44.2% and 14.8%(4.0)%, respectively.



The increase in our annual effective income tax rate in 2022 from 2016 to 20172021 was primarily attributable to the following:

1.1.an increase during 2017 in the transition tax due to the 2017 Tax Act; partially offset by:
2.a decrease during 2017 in the valuation of deferred tax liabilities due to the decrease in the federal tax rate per the 2017 Tax Act; and
3.a decrease during 2017 in the amount of deemed distribution income (Section 956) from our foreign subsidiaries.
The increase in our annual effective income tax rate from 2015during 2022 due to 2016 was primarily attributablerecognizing a deferred tax liability related to the following:Investment in Consensus resulting in a tax expense of $13.4 million; and

2.an increase in our tax expense due to a lower net reduction in our reserves in 2022 as compared to 2021 for uncertain tax positions, primarily due to the lapse of the statute of limitations in certain jurisdictions; and
1.the reversal of uncertain income tax positions during 2015;
2.an increase during 2016 in the amount of deemed distribution income (Section 956) from our foreign subsidiaries; partially offset by:
3.a decrease during 2016 in the valuation allowance for foreign tax credit carryforwards.
3.an increase in our effective income tax rate during 2022 for U.S. state and local taxes due to a greater portion of our income being subject to tax in the U.S.; partially offset by
4.a decrease in our effective income tax rate during 2022 due to recognizing a tax benefit for a deferred tax asset related to goodwill impairment.
In order to provide additional understanding in connection with our foreign taxes, the following represents the statutory and effective tax rate by significant foreign country:
IrelandUnited KingdomCanada
Statutory tax rate12.5%19.0%26.5%
Effective tax rate (1)
15.6%20.8%24.3%
  Ireland United Kingdom Canada
Statutory tax rate 12.5% 20.0% (19.0% from April 1, 2017) 26.5%
Effective tax rate (1)
 12.5% 20.1% 26.5%
(1) Effective tax rate excludes certain discrete items.

The statutory tax rate is the rate imposed on taxable income for corporations by the local government in that jurisdiction. The effective tax rate measures the taxes paid as a percentage of pretax profit. The effective tax rate can differ from the statutory tax rate when a company can exempt some income from tax, claim tax credits, or due to the effect of book-tax differences that do not reverse and discrete items.

Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and in evaluating our tax positions on a worldwide basis. We believe our tax positions, including intercompany transfer pricing policies, are consistent with the tax laws
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in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. Certain of these tax positions have in the past been, and are currently being, challenged, and this may have a significant impact on our effective tax rate if our tax reserves are insufficient.

Equity Method Investment
Segment(Loss) income from equity method investment, net. (Loss) income from equity method investment, net is generated from our investment in the OCV Fund I, LP (the “Fund”) for which we receive annual audited financial statements. The investment in the OCV Fund is presented net of tax and on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net was $(7.7) million and $35.8 million, net of tax benefit (expense) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in Loss from equity method investment, net in 2022 was primarily due to the decrease in value of the underlying investment. Income from equity method investment, net during 2021 was primarily a result of a gain on the underlying investments. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized management fee expenses of $1.5 million and $3.0 million, net of tax benefit, respectively.
Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech Results
Our business segmentsbusinesses are based on the organization structure used by management for making operating and investment decisions and for assessing performance. Ourperformance and have been aggregated into two reportable business segments are:segments: (i) Cloud Services;Digital Media and (ii) Digital Media.Cybersecurity and Martech.
We evaluate the performance of our operating segments based on segment revenues, including both external and intersegmentinter-business net sales, and segment operating income. We account for intersegmentinter-business sales and transfers based primarily on standard costs with reasonable mark-ups established between the segments.businesses. Identifiable assets by segmentbusiness are those assets used in the respective reportable segment’sbusiness' operations. Corporate assets consist of cash and cash equivalents, deferred income taxes, and certain other assets. All significant intersegmentinter-business amounts are eliminated to arrive at our consolidated financial results.

Digital Media

Cloud Services
The following segmentfinancial results are presented for the following fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$1,078,391 $1,068,476 
Inter-business sales781 824 
Total sales1,079,172 1,069,300 
Operating costs and expenses880,240 851,807 
Operating income$198,932 $217,493 
 2017 2016 2015
External net sales$578,956
 100.0% $566,938
 100.0% $504,638
 100.0%
Inter-segment net sales
 
 
 
 
 
Segment net sales578,956
 100.0
 566,938
 100.0
 504,638
 100.0
Cost of revenues118,746
 20.5
 120,562
 21.3
 101,209
 20.1
Gross profit460,210
 79.5
 446,376
 78.7
 403,429
 79.9
Operating expenses234,166
 40.4
 235,497
 41.5
 193,227
 38.3
Segment operating income$226,044
 39.0% $210,879
 37.2% $210,202
 41.7%
SegmentDigital Media’s net sales of $579.0$1.1 billion in 2022 increased $9.9 million, or 0.9% compared to the prior comparable period primarily due to $33.1 million from businesses acquired in 2022 and $31.1 million from businesses acquired in 2021, net of their contribution in 2021, partially offset by organic decline in certain other businesses.
Digital Media’s operating costs and expenses of $880.2 million in 20172022 increased $12.0$28.4 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to a goodwill impairment of $27.4 million recorded in 2022.
As a result of these factors, Digital Media’s operating income of $198.9 million in 2022 decreased $18.6 million, or 2.1%8.5%, from 2021.

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Cybersecurity and Martech
The financial results are presented for the following fiscal years (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
External sales$312,606 $348,246 
Inter-business sales20 365 
Total sales312,626 348,611 
Operating costs and expenses(1)
262,426 338,464 
Operating income(1)
$50,200 $10,147 
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $19.2 million of general and administrative costs were reflected as Corporate operating costs and expenses in the Company’s December 31, 2021 Form 10-K, however, should have been reflected as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. The Company reclassified these costs in the table above as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment, as well as the resulting impact in operating income for Cybersecurity and Martech.
Cybersecurity and Martech’s net sales of $312.6 million in 2022 decreased $35.6 million, or 10.2%, from the prior comparable period primarily due to the absence of approximately $33.5 million of revenue from the B2B Backup business, acquisitions. Segmentwhich was sold during the third quarter of 2021, and organic decline in certain other businesses during 2022, partially offset by $19.3 million of revenue from the business acquired in 2021, net sales of $566.9its contribution in 2021.
Cybersecurity and Martech operating costs and expenses of $262.4 million in 2016 increased $62.3 million, or 12.3%, from the prior comparable period primarily due to business acquisitions.
Segment gross profit of $460.2 million in 2017 increased $13.8 million from 2016 and segment gross profit of $446.4 million in 2016 increased $42.9 million from 2015 primarily due to an increase in net sales between the periods. The gross profit as a percentage of revenues for 2017 was consistent with the previous comparable period. The gross profit as a percentage of revenues for 2016 was lower in comparison to the previous comparable period primarily due to increased transition-related costs within network operations. In addition, acquisitions historically have lower initial profitability than our existing business until synergies with respect to those acquisitions are realized.
Segment operating expenses of $234.2 million in 20172022 decreased $1.3 million from 2016 primarily due to lower depreciation and amortization. Segment operating expenses of $235.5 million in 2016 increased $42.3 million from 2015 primarily due to (a) additional depreciation and amortization and an increase in personnel costs associated with businesses acquired in and subsequent to 2015; and (b) sales and marketing costs primarily due to additional advertising.
As a result of these factors, segment operating earnings of $226.0 million in 2017 increased $15.2 million, or 7.2%, from 2016, and segment operating earnings of $210.9 million in 2016 increased $0.7 million, or 0.3%, from 2015. Our Cloud Services segment consists of several services which have similar economic characteristics, including the nature of the services and their production processes, the type of customers, as well as the methods used to distribute these services.
Digital Media
The following segment results are presented for fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):
 2017 2016 2015
External net sales$538,882
 100.0% $307,317
 100.0% $216,177
 99.9%
Inter-segment net sales57
 
 146
 
 197
 0.1
Segment net sales538,939
 100.0
 307,463
 100.0
 216,374
 100.0
Cost of revenues53,574
 9.9
 26,538
 8.6
 21,749
 10.1
Gross profit485,365
 90.1
 280,925
 91.4
 194,625
 89.9
Operating expenses437,297
 81.1
 230,225
 74.9
 164,188
 75.9
Segment operating income$48,068
 8.9% $50,700
 16.5% $30,437
 14.1%

Segment net sales of $538.9 million in 2017 increased $231.5 million, or 75.3%, and segment net sales of $307.5 million increased $91.1 million, or 42.1%, from the prior comparable period primarily due to business acquisitions subsequent to the prior comparable period.

Segment gross profit of $485.4 million in 2017 increased $204.4 million and segment gross profit of $280.9 million in 2016 increased $86.3$76.0 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to an increasea $32.6 million goodwill impairment in net sales between2021 that did not recur, the periods. Gross profit as a percentageabsence of revenues in 2017 and 2016 was consistent with the prior comparable periods.



Segment operating expenses$22.1 million of $437.3 million in 2017 increased $207.1 millioncosts from the prior comparable period primarily due to (a) increasedB2B Backup business that was sold during the third quarter of 2021, lower sales and marketing costs primarily due to additional advertisingexpense, lower general and personnel costs associated with businesses acquired inadministrative expenses, and subsequent to 2016;lower depreciation and (b) amortization of intangible assets and depreciation associated with business acquisitions subsequent to the prior comparable period. Segment operating expenses of $230.2 million in 2016 increased $66.0 million from the prior comparable period primarily due to (a) increased sales and marketing costs primarily due to additional advertising and personnel costs associated with businesses acquired in and subsequent to 2015; (b) amortization of intangible assets associated with business acquisitions subsequent to the prior comparable period; and (c) an increase in the fair value associated with contingent consideration issued in certain acquisitions.

expense.
As a result of these factors, segmentCybersecurity and Martech operating income of $48.1$50.2 million in 2017 decreased $2.62022 increased $40.1 million, or 5.2%394.7%, from 2016, and segment operating income of $50.7 million in 2016 increased $20.3 million, or 66.6%, from 2015.

2021.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments

AtAs of December 31, 2017,2022, we had cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $408.7$839.1 million compared to $124.0 million at$1.0 billion as of December 31, 2016. The increase in cash and investments resulted primarily from the issuance2021. As of long-term debt and cash from operations, partially offset by the repayment of the line of credit, business acquisitions, dividends and interest paid, and purchases of property and equipment. At December 31, 2017,2022, cash, cash equivalents, and investments consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $350.9 million and long-term investments of $57.7 million. (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash and cash equivalents$652.8 $694.8 
Short-term investments58.4 229.2 
Long-term investments127.9 122.6 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
Our investments are comprised primarilyconsist of certain preferred stockequity and preferred stock warrants.debt securities as of December 31, 2022 and equity securities as of December 31, 2021. For financial statement presentation, we classify our investmentsdebt securities primarily as short- and long-term based upon their maturity dates. Short-term investments mature within one year of the date of the financial statements and long-term investments mature one year or more from the date of the financial statements. We retain a substantial portion of our cash and investments in foreign jurisdictions for future reinvestment. 
As of December 31, 20172022 and 2021 cash, cash equivalents, and investments held within foreigndomestic and domesticforeign jurisdictions were $137.5 millionas follows (in millions):
December 31,
20222021
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in domestic jurisdictions$671.6 $884.9 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments held in foreign jurisdictions167.5 161.7 
Cash, cash equivalents and investments$839.1 $1,046.6 
For information on short-term and $271.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2016 cash andlong-term investments held within foreign and domestic jurisdictions were $48.1 million and $75.9 million, respectively. On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation, the 2017 Tax Act. We will continue to assess the impact of the 2017 Tax Act on the tax consequences of future repatriations of foreign earnings and our assertion of indefinite reinvestment of foreign earnings. SeeCompany, refer to Note 11 “Income Taxes” of5 - Investments to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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The Company’s Board of Directors approved four quarterly cash dividends during the year ended December 31, 2017, totaling $1.5200 per share of common stock. Financings
On February 2, 2018,January 7, 2019, the Company approvedentered into a quarterly cash dividend of $0.4050 per share of common stock payable on March 9, 2018Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to all stockholders of recordtime party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as ofsole lead arranger and as administrative agent for the close of business on February 22, 2018. Future dividends are subject to Board approval.

Lenders (the “Agent”). On June 27, 2017, j2 Cloud Services, LLC (“j2 Cloud”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of j2 Global, Inc., and j2 Cloud Co-Obligor, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of j2 Cloud (the “Co-Issuer” and together with j2 Cloud,October 7, 2020, the “Issuers”) completedCompany terminated the issuance and sale of $650Credit Agreement. On November 15, 2019, the Company issued $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% senior notes due 20251.75% Convertible Notes and received net proceeds of $537.1 million in a private placement. Thecash, net of initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions, and other debt issuance costs. A portion of the net proceeds were used to redeem all of j2 Cloud’s 8.0% notes due in 2020, and to distribute sufficient net proceeds to j2 Global to pay off all amounts then outstanding under its existing credit facility (as described further below),the MUFG Credit Facility, with the remaining net proceedsremainder to be used for general corporate purposes including acquisitions.

On October 7, 2020, the Company issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes due 2030. A portion of the proceeds were used to fund the redemption of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the 6.0% Senior Notes previously issued by one of our subsidiaries and to pay the redemption premium due in respect of such redemption and accrued and unpaid interest. The net proceeds were used to redeem all of its outstanding 6.0% Senior Notes due in 2025 and, the remaining net proceeds were available for general corporate purposes which may include acquisitions or the redemption of other outstanding indebtedness.
On December 5, 2016, j2 Global, Inc.April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a $100.0 million Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250.0 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350.0 million. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021. and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement.
In connection with the spin-off of Consensus, the Company drew the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility and used the proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility to redeem the 3.25% Convertible Notes. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company satisfied its conversion obligation related to the 3.25% Convertible Notes by paying the principal of $402.4 million in cash and issued 3,050,850 shares of the Company’s common stock. On October 7, 2021, as part of the Separation, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and certain otherfor the lenders, from timein exchange for extinguishment of the indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to time party thereto (collectively,resell the “Lenders”). Pursuant2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A. On October 8, 2021, the Company announced that it had accepted tender offers to purchase $83.3 million in aggregate principal of its 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of $90.0 million. The tender offer expired on October 22, 2021.
On June 10, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment to the Credit Agreement, which provided for the LendersTerm Loan Facility, in an aggregate principal amount of $90.0 million, which had a maturity date that was 60 days following the date of funding of the Term Loan Facility. On September 15, 2022, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, which provided j2for the Term Loan Two Facility in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $22.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company completed a non-cash exchange of 2.8 million shares of its common stock of Consensus with a credit facilitythe lenders under the Fifth and the Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $225.0$112.3 million (the “Credit Facility”)outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facility and Term Loan Two Facility plus related interest.
As of December 31, 2022 there were no amounts drawn under the Credit Agreement.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased approximately $181.2 million in aggregate principal amount of the 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $167.7 million.
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Material Cash Requirements
Ziff Davis’ long-term contractual obligations generally include its long-term debt, interest on long-term debt, lease payments on its property and equipment, holdback payments in connection with certain business acquisitions, and other obligations. These long-term contractual obligations extend through 2031. Refer to Note 4 - Business Acquisitions, $180.0Note 10 - Debt and Note 11 - Leases to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for further details on holdback payments, long-term debt, and operating leases.
As of December 31, 2022, we and our subsidiaries had outstanding $1.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2022, our total minimum lease payments are $59.3 million, of which was drawn at closing of the Everyday Health acquisition and used to finance a portion of the cash considerationapproximately $23.0 million are due in the acquisition. During the second quartersucceeding twelve months. As of 2016, the Company drew an additional $45.0December 31, 2022, our liability for uncertain tax positions was $40.4 million. On June 27, 2017, the Company repaid the outstanding Credit Facility with cash received from its subsidiary, j2 Cloud, and terminated the Credit Agreement.

On August 1, 2017, j2 Cloud redeemed all of its outstanding $250 million 8.0% senior unsecured notes due in 2020 for $265 million, including a redemption premium and relevant accrued interest.

In order to timely complete the Everyday Health acquisition, the Company borrowed $126.8 million from its non-US subsidiaries. During the third quarter 2017, the Company repaid its borrowings from its non-U.S. subsidiaries.

On September 25, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the Company’s entry into a commitment to invest $200 million in an investment fund (the “Fund”) over several years at a fairly ratable rate. The manager, OCV Management, LLC (“OCV”), and general partner of the Fund are entities with respect to which Richard S. Ressler, Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, is indirectly the majority equity holder. As a limited partner in the Fund, the Company will pay an annual management fee to the manager equal to 2.0% (reduced by 10% each year beginning with the sixth year) of capital commitments. In addition, subject to the terms and conditions of the Fund’s limited partnership agreement, once the Company has received distributions equal to its invested capital, the Fund’s general partner will be entitled to a carried interest equal to 20%. The Fund has a six year investment period, subject to certain exceptions. The commitment was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board in accordance with the Company’s related-party transaction approval policy.

In February 2018, the Company received a capital call notice from the management of OCV for approximately $12.2 million, inclusive of certain management fees.



We currently anticipate that our existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term investment balances and cash generated from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for working capital, capital expenditure, investment requirements,expenditures, and stock repurchases, and cash dividendsif any, for at least the next 12 months.

Cash Flows

The following information regarding the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows combine continuing and discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 includes the activity from the cloud fax business through the date of Separation on October 7, 2021. Refer to Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations, together with cash and cash equivalentsequivalents.
The following table provides a summary of cash flows from operating, investing and short-term investments. Net cash provided by operatingfinancing activities was $264.4 million, $282.4 million and $229.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (in millions):
Year ended December 31,Change
202220212022 v. 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities$336.4 $516.5 $(180.1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities$(220.8)$59.1 $(279.9)
Net cash used in financing activities$(140.8)$(113.1)$(27.7)
Operating Activities
Our operating cash flows resulted primarily from cash received from our customers offset by cash payments we made to third parties for their services, employee compensation, and interest payments associated with our debt.debt, and taxes. The $180.1 million decrease in our net cash provided by operating activities in 20172022 compared to 20162021 was primarily attributablerelated to lower earnings before non-cash adjustments, primarily as a result of the Separation and other divested businesses that occurred in 2021, timing of payments to our vendors, decrease in accounts payableoperating lease liabilities, and accrued expenses including a $20.0 million payment of certain contingent compensation obligations of Everyday Health as well as a payment of contingent consideration of $20.0 million associated with the acquisition of Ookla; an increase in deferred income tax balances and anet decrease in income tax payable and liability for uncertain tax positions; partially offset by an increasecollections from our customers due to timing year over year.
Investing Activities
The $279.9 million decrease in depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation and increase in other long term liabilities. The increase in our net cash provided by operating activities in 2016 compared to 2015 was primarily attributable to an increase in depreciation and amortization, income tax payable, liability for uncertain tax positions and deferred income tax balances, additional amortization of financing costs and discounts and share-based compensation, partially offset by an increase in accounts receivable and decrease in other long term liabilities. Our prepaid tax payments were $6.0 million and zero at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Our cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were $350.9 million, $124.0 million and $335.2 million at December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Net cash used in investing activities was $(158.5) million, $(448.9) million and $(335.7) million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities in 20172022 compared to 2021 was primarily attributablerelated to business acquisitions, capital expenditures associated with the purchaseabsence of property and equipmentproceeds of $259.1 million from the Separation and the purchaseabsence of intangible assets; partially offset by proceeds$48.9 million from the sale of businesses. Netbusinesses that occurred in 2021 that did not recur, partially offset by lower cash used for acquisition of businesses and purchases of property, plant and equipment.
Financing Activities
The $27.7 million increase in net cash used in investing activities in 2016 was primarily attributable to business acquisitions, purchase of available-for-sale investments, purchases of property and equipment and investments in intangible assets, partially offset by the sale of available-for-sale investments. Net cash used in investing activities in 2015 was primarily attributable to business acquisitions, purchase of available-for-sale investments, purchases of property and equipment and investments in intangible assets, partially offset by the sale of available-for-sale investments and maturity of certificates of deposit.

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities was $111.8 million, $41.2 million and $(67.4) million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities in 20172022 compared to 2021 was primarily attributablerelated to lower proceeds from the issuancedebt borrowings, net of long-term debt, additional borrowings under our line of credit and exercise of stock options; partially offset by the repayment in full of the line of credit and other debt, dividends paid, repurchases of stock and business acquisitions. Net cash used in by financing activities in 2016 was primarily attributable to proceeds from a line of credit, exercise of stock options and excess tax benefit from share-based compensation, partially offset by dividends paid, deferred payments for acquisitions and the repurchase of stock. Net cash provided by financing activities in 2015 was primarily attributable to dividends paid, deferred payments for acquisitions and the repurchase of stock, partially offset by the exercise of stock options and excess tax benefit from share-based compensation.repayments.

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Stock Repurchase Program

2012 Program
InEffective February 15, 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors authorizedapproved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to five million shares of our common stock through February 20, 2013 (the “2012 Program”), which was subsequently extended through February 19, 2018 (see Note 20, - Subsequent Events for discussion regarding2021. Prior to 2020, the extensionCompany repurchased 3,859,181 shares under the 2012 Program at an aggregate cost of $117.1 million. The repurchased shares were subsequently retired. There were 1,140,819 shares available under the 2012 program as of January 1, 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 1,140,819 shares at an aggregate cost of $87.5 million which were subsequently retired in the same year. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had repurchased all of the share repurchase program byavailable shares under the 2012 Program at an additional year)aggregated cost of $204.6 million (including an immaterial amount of commission fees).


2020 Program

On August 6, 2020, the Board approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to ten million shares of our common stock through August 6, 2025 (the “2020 Program”) in addition to the five million shares repurchased under the 2012 Program. In connection with the authorization, the Company entered into certain Rule 10b5-1 trading plans with a broker-dealer to facilitate the repurchase program. During the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased 736,536, 445,711 and 2,490,599 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of $71.3 million, $47.7 million and $177.8 million, respectively, (including an immaterial amount of commission fees) under the 2020 Program, which were subsequently retired. Refer to Note 14 - Stockholders’ Equity to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitmentsAs a result of the Company’s share repurchases, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for purchase as of December 31, 2017:2022 is 6,327,154 shares.
  Payment Due by Period (in thousands)
Contractual Obligations 1 Year 2-3 Years 4-5 Years More than 5 Years Total
Long-term debt - principal (a) $
 $
 $402,500
 $650,000
 $1,052,500
Long-term debt - interest (b) 54,031
 104,163
 84,541
 117,000
 359,735
Operating leases (c) 18,589
 31,046
 23,248
 13,258
 86,141
Capital leases (d) 9
 
 
 
 9
Telecom services and co-location facilities (e) 4,226
 3,641
 855
 
 8,722
Holdback payment (f) 2,097
 1,500
 
 
 3,597
Transition tax (g) 3,807
 7,614
 7,614
 28,553
 47,588
Other (h) 1,866
 2,310
 2,310
 
 6,486
Total  $84,625
 $150,274
 $521,068
 $808,811
 $1,564,778
________________________
(a)These amounts represent principal on long-term debt.
(b)These amounts represent interest on long-term debt.
(c)These amounts represent undiscounted future minimum rental commitments under noncancellable operating leases.
(d)These amounts represent undiscounted future minimum rental commitments under noncancellable capital leases.
(e)These amounts represent service commitments to various telecommunication providers.
(f)These amounts represent the holdback amounts in connection with certain business acquisitions.
(g)These amounts represent commitments related to the transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings.
(h)These amounts primarily represent certain consulting and Board of Director fee arrangements, software license commitments and others.

As of December 31, 2017, our liability for uncertain tax positions was $52.2 million. The future payments related to uncertain tax positions have not been presented in the table above due to the uncertainty of the amounts and timing of cash settlement with the taxing authorities.

We have not presented contingent consideration associated with acquisitions in the table above due to the uncertainty of the amounts and the timing of cash settlements.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We are not party to any material off-balance sheet arrangements.





Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

The following discussion of the market risks we face contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date hereof. j2 GlobalZiff Davis undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.statements. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in this document as well as in other documents we file from time to time with the SEC, including the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or to be filed by us in 2018.2023.

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to our investment portfolio.portfolio and borrowings under our Credit Facility that bear variable market interest rates. The primary objectives of our investment activities are to preserve our principal while at the same time maximizing yields without significantly increasing risk. To achieve these objectives, we maintain our portfolio of cash equivalents and investments in a mix of instruments that meet high credit quality standards, as specified in our investment policy.policy or otherwise approved by the Board of Directors. Our cash and cash equivalents are not subject to significant interest rate risk due to the short maturities of these instruments. As of December 31, 2017,2022, the carrying value of our cash and cash equivalents approximated fair value. Our return on these investments is subject to interest rate fluctuations.

As of December 31, 2017, we had no investments in debt securities with effective maturities greater than one year. As of December 31, 20172022 and December 31, 2016,2021, we had cash and cash equivalent investments primarily in time deposits andfunds that invest in U.S. treasuries, money market funds, as well as, demand deposit accounts with maturities of three months90 days or less of $350.9$652.8 million and $124.0$694.8 million, respectively. We do not have interest rate risk on our outstanding long-term debt as these arrangements have fixed interest rates.

On April 7, 2021, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with certain lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”) and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, collateral agent and sole lead arranger for the Lenders (the “Agent”). Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders provided the Company with a revolving credit facility of $100 million (the “Credit Facility”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350 million. The proceeds of the Credit Facility are intended to be used for working capital and general corporate purposes of the Company and its subsidiaries, including to finance certain permitted acquisitions and capital expenditures in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement.
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At the Company’s option, amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at either (i) a base rate equal to the greatest of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent as its U.S. Dollar “Reference Rate” and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1.00% or (ii) a rate per annum equal to LIBOR divided by 1.00 minus the LIBOR Reserve Requirements (as defined in the Credit Agreement), in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin relating to any base rate loan will range from 0.50% to 1.25% and the applicable margin relating to any LIBOR loan will range from 1.50% to 2.25%, in each case, depending on the total leverage ratio of the Company. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026. The Company is permitted to make voluntary prepayments of the Credit Facility at any time without payment of a premium or penalty.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021 and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company drew on the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility with $485.0 million outstanding (later extinguished as described below). The proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility were used to redeem the Company’s 3.25% Convertible Notes. See Note 10 - Debt of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The loans under the Bridge Loan Facility (the “Bridge Loans”) bore interest at a rate per annum equal to (i) initially upon funding of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.00%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.00%, (ii) from six months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 2.50%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.50%, and (iii) from twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loans until repayment of the Bridge Loans, either a base rate plus 3.00% or a LIBOR rate plus 4.00%. The Bridge Loan Facility was to mature on the date that was 364 days after the funding date of the Bridge Loans, with two automatic extensions, each for an additional three months, if SEC approval of the spin-off transaction was still outstanding.
On October 7, 2021, in exchange for the equity interest in Consensus, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for extinguishment of outstanding indebtedness under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
We cannot ensure that future interest rate movements will not have a material adverse effect on our future business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. To date, we have not entered into interest rate hedging transactions to control or minimize certain of these risks.

Market Risk
In connection with the Separation, the Company retained the Investment in Consensus, the remaining portion of which was valued at approximately $58.4 million as of December 31, 2022 based upon the quoted market price of Consensus common stock. The Company’s results of operations and financial condition have been and may be materially impacted by increases or decreases in the price of Consensus common stock, which is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Gains (losses) on the Investment in Consensus were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Realized losses on securities sold during the period$(46,743)$— 
Unrealized (losses) gains recognized during the period on equity securities held at the reporting date$(7,145)$298,490 
The carrying value of our Investment in Consensus at December 31, 2022 was $58.4 million, or approximately 1.7% of the Company’s consolidated total assets. A $2.00 increase or decrease in the share price of Consensus common stock would result in an unrealized gain or loss, respectively of approximately $2.2 million.
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Foreign Currency Risk

We conduct business in certain foreign markets, primarily in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union. Our principal exposure to foreign currency risk relates to investment and inter-company debt in foreign subsidiaries that transact business in functional currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, primarily the Australian Dollar, the Canadian Dollar, the Euro,British Pound Sterling, the Hong KongAustralian Dollar, theEuro, Japanese Yen, the New Zealand Dollar, and the Norwegian Kroner and the British Pound Sterling.Kroner. If we are unable to settle our short-term intercompany debts in a timely manner, we remain exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.

As we expand our international presence, we become further exposed to foreign currency risk by entering new markets with additional foreign currencies. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements is often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions, and other factors. These changes, if material, could cause us to adjust our financing and operating strategies.
    
As currency exchange rates change, translation of the income statements of the international businesses into U.S. Dollars affects year-over-year comparability of operating results, the impact of which is immaterial to the comparisons set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

results.
Historically, we have not hedged translation risks because cash flows from international operations were generally reinvested locally; however, we may do so in the future. Our objective in managing foreign exchange risk is to minimize the potential exposure to changes that exchange rates might have on earnings, cash flows, and financial position.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, foreign exchange lossesgains (losses) amounted to $5.8$8.2 million, $0.7$2.0 million, and $0.1$(3.1) million, respectively. The increase in losses to our earnings in the current period were attributable to increased inter-company debt between periods in foreign subsidiaries that were in functional currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. Foreign exchange losses were not material to our earnings in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Cumulative translation adjustments, net of tax, included in other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 20172022, 2021, and 2016,2020, was $25.6$(32.5) million, $(21.3) million, and $(23.1)$(8.9) million respectively.



We currently do not have derivative financial instruments for hedging, speculative or trading purposes and therefore are not subject to such hedging risk. However, we may in the future engage in hedging transactions to manage our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data



Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM



Shareholders and Board of Directors
j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc.
Los Angeles, California

New York, New York
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc. (the “Company”) and subsidiaries as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, the related consolidated statements of income,operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2022, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and subsidiaries at December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, and the results of theirits operations and theirits cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 20172022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated March 1, 20182023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Change in Accounting Method Related to Convertible Instruments
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for convertible instruments due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entities Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) effective January 1, 2022 under the modified retrospective approach.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
-56-


Goodwill Impairment Assessment - Digital Media Reporting Units
As described in Notes 2 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements, the Digital Media reportable segment goodwill balance was approximately $1.07 billion as of December 31, 2022. During the year, the Company estimated the fair value of certain reporting units within the Digital Media reportable segment resulting from an interim goodwill impairment assessment. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if there are certain events or changes in circumstances. As a result of a goodwill impairment assessment, the Company recorded impairment of $27.4 million during the third quarter for one of the Digital Media reporting units. The Company estimates the fair value of its reporting units using a weighting of fair values derived from an income approach and a market approach.
We identified the interim goodwill impairment assessment within certain Digital Media reporting units as a critical audit matter because of certain significant assumptions management makes as part of the assessment to estimate the fair value of the affected reporting units. The income approach requires certain significant management assumptions in projecting future discounted cash flows, specifically revenue growth rates and discount rates. The market approach requires certain judgments in selecting the appropriate peer companies and the valuation multiples. Auditing revenue growth rates and discount rates as well as assessing the reasonableness of peer companies and valuation multiples involved especially challenging and subjective auditor judgment due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to address these matters, including the involvement of professionals with specialized skill or knowledge.
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical matter included:
Evaluating the reasonableness of certain significant management assumptions used in the calculation of the fair value of the affected reporting units, including the revenue growth rate used in the projected future cash flows by comparing to prior period forecasts, historical operating performance, and publicly available industry information.
Utilizing personnel with specialized knowledge and skill in valuation to assist in: (i) testing the source information underlying the determination of the discount rate and the mathematical accuracy of the calculation, and (ii) evaluating the reasonableness of both the identified peer companies and valuation multiples used in the market approach by calculating indicated multiples and related quartiles and comparing those to the ones used by management’s valuation specialist.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP


We have served as the Company’s auditorsCompany's auditor since 2014.


Los Angeles, California
March 1, 20182023

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j2 GLOBAL,ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2017 and 2016
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31,
2017 201620222021
ASSETS   ASSETS 
Cash and cash equivalents$350,945
 $123,950
Cash and cash equivalents$652,793 $694,842 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $8,701 and $7,988, respectively234,195
 199,871
Short-term investmentsShort-term investments58,421 229,200 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $6,868 and $9,811, respectively (includes $0 and $9,272 due from related party, respectively)Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $6,868 and $9,811, respectively (includes $0 and $9,272 due from related party, respectively)304,739 316,342 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets35,287
 24,178
Prepaid expenses and other current assets68,319 60,290 
Total current assets620,427
 347,999
Total current assets1,084,272 1,300,674 
Long-term investments57,722
 
Long-term investments127,871 122,593 
Property and equipment, net79,773
 68,094
Property and equipment, net178,184 161,209 
Trade names, net123,947
 115,853
Trade names, net136,192 147,761 
Patent and patent licenses, net10,871
 13,928
Customer relationships, net193,606
 208,155
Customer relationships, net208,057 275,451 
Goodwill1,196,611
 1,122,810
Goodwill1,591,474 1,531,455 
Other purchased intangibles, net157,327
 173,755
Other purchased intangibles, net118,566 149,513 
Deferred income taxes
 5,289
Deferred income taxes8,523 5,917 
Other assets12,809
 6,445
Other assets80,131 75,707 
Total assets$2,453,093
 $2,062,328
TOTAL ASSETSTOTAL ASSETS$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses$169,837
 $178,071
Accounts payableAccounts payable$120,829 $130,978 
Accrued employee related costsAccrued employee related costs42,178 54,616 
Other accrued liabilitiesOther accrued liabilities39,539 41,027 
Income taxes payable, current
 16,753
Income taxes payable, current19,712 3,151 
Deferred revenue, current95,255
 80,384
Deferred revenue, current187,904 185,571 
Line of credit
 178,817
Current portion of long-term debtCurrent portion of long-term debt— 54,609 
Other current liabilities10
 64
Other current liabilities22,286 27,286 
Total current liabilities265,102
 454,089
Total current liabilities432,448 497,238 
Long-term debt1,001,944
 601,746
Long-term debt999,053 1,036,018 
Deferred revenue, non-current47
 1,588
Income taxes payable, non-current43,781
 
Deferred revenue, noncurrentDeferred revenue, noncurrent9,103 14,839 
Income taxes payable, noncurrentIncome taxes payable, noncurrent11,675 11,675 
Liability for uncertain tax positions52,216
 46,537
Liability for uncertain tax positions40,379 42,546 
Deferred income taxes38,264
 40,357
Deferred income taxes79,007 108,982 
Other long-term liabilities31,434
 3,475
Other long-term liabilities68,994 91,250 
Total liabilities1,432,788
 1,147,792
Commitments and contingencies
 
Preferred stock - Series A, $0.01 par value. Authorized 6,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively; total issued and outstanding is zero and zero at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
 
Preferred stock - Series B, $0.01 par value. Authorized 20,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively; total issued and outstanding is zero and zero at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
 
Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 95,000,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016; total issued and outstanding 47,854,510 and 47,443,716 shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.479
 474
TOTAL LIABILITIESTOTAL LIABILITIES1,640,659 1,802,548 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 1,000,000.00 and none issuedPreferred stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 1,000,000.00 and none issued— — 
Preferred stock - Series A, $0.01 par value. Authorized 6,000; total issued and outstanding zeroPreferred stock - Series A, $0.01 par value. Authorized 6,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Preferred stock - Series B, $0.01 par value. Authorized 20,000; total issued and outstanding zeroPreferred stock - Series B, $0.01 par value. Authorized 20,000; total issued and outstanding zero— — 
Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 95,000,000; total issued and outstanding 47,269,446 and 47,440,137 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 95,000,000; total issued and outstanding 47,269,446 and 47,440,137 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.473 474 
Additional paid-in capital325,854
 308,329
Additional paid-in capital439,681 509,122 
Retained earnings723,062
 660,382
Retained earnings1,537,830 1,515,358 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(29,090) (54,649)Accumulated other comprehensive loss(85,373)(57,222)
Total stockholders’ equity1,020,305
 914,536
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$2,453,093
 $2,062,328
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITYTOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY1,892,611 1,967,732 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITYTOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY$3,533,270 $3,770,280 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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j2 GLOBAL,ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year ended December 31,
2017 2016 2015 202220212020
Total revenues$1,117,838
 $874,255
 $720,815
Total revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
     
Operating costs and expenses:Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues (1)
172,313
 147,100
 122,958
Cost of revenues (1)
195,554 188,053 178,403 
Gross profit945,525
 727,155
 597,857
Operating expenses:   
  
Sales and marketing (1)
330,296
 206,871
 159,009
Sales and marketing (1)
490,777 493,049 366,359 
Research, development and engineering (1)
46,004
 38,046
 34,329
Research, development and engineering (1)
74,093 78,874 57,148 
General and administrative (1)
323,517
 239,672
 205,137
General and administrative (1)
404,263 456,777 418,579 
Total operating expenses699,817
 484,589
 398,475
Goodwill impairment on businessGoodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Total operating costs and expensesTotal operating costs and expenses1,192,056 1,249,382 1,020,489 
Income from operations245,708
 242,566
 199,382
Income from operations198,941 167,340 138,340 
Interest expense, net67,777
 41,370
 42,458
Interest expense, net(33,842)(72,023)(56,188)
Other (income) expense, net(22,035) (10,243) 5
Income before income taxes199,966
 211,439
 156,919
Income tax expense60,541
 59,000
 23,283
Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, netGain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net11,505 (5,274)— 
(Loss) gain on sale of businesses(Loss) gain on sale of businesses— (21,798)17,122 
Unrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, netUnrealized (loss) gain on short-term investments held at the reporting date, net(7,145)298,490 — 
Loss on investments, netLoss on investments, net(46,743)(16,677)(20,991)
Other income, netOther income, net8,437 1,293 65 
Income from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investmentIncome from continuing operations before income tax (expense) benefit and changes from equity method investment131,153 351,351 78,348 
Income tax (expense) benefitIncome tax (expense) benefit(57,957)14,199 (38,350)
(Loss) income from equity method investment, net of income taxes(Loss) income from equity method investment, net of income taxes(7,730)35,845 (11,338)
Net income from continuing operationsNet income from continuing operations65,466 401,395 28,660 
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(1,709)95,319 122,008 
Net income$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
     
Net income per common share from continuing operations:Net income per common share from continuing operations:
BasicBasic$1.39 $8.74 $0.62 
DilutedDiluted$1.39 $8.38 $0.61 
Net (loss) income per common share from discontinued operations:Net (loss) income per common share from discontinued operations:
BasicBasic$(0.04)$2.08 $2.62 
DilutedDiluted$(0.04)$1.99 $2.58 
Net income per common share: 
  
  
Net income per common share:   
Basic$2.89
 $3.15
 $2.76
Basic$1.36 $10.81 $3.24 
Diluted$2.83
 $3.13
 $2.73
Diluted$1.36 $10.37 $3.18 
Weighted average shares outstanding: 
  
  
Weighted average shares outstanding:   
Basic47,586,242
 47,668,357
 47,627,853
Basic46,954,558 45,893,928 46,308,825 
Diluted48,669,027
 47,963,226
 48,087,760
Diluted47,025,849 47,862,745 47,115,609 
Cash dividends paid per common share$1.52
 $1.36
 $1.22
     
     
(1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows:
     
(1) Includes share-based compensation expense as follows:
Cost of revenues$500
 $436
 $373
Cost of revenues$341 $306 $332 
Sales and marketing1,723
 1,782
 2,435
Sales and marketing3,083 1,288 1,011 
Research, development and engineering1,182
 904
 863
Research, development and engineering2,503 1,984 1,396 
General and administrative19,332
 10,528
 8,122
General and administrative20,674 20,551 19,781 
Total$22,737
 $13,650
 $11,793
Total$26,601 $24,129 $22,520 
 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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j2 GLOBAL,ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustment(32,479)(21,268)(8,902)
Consensus separation adjustment4,056 18,966 — 
Change in fair value on available-for-sale investments, net of tax expense (benefit) of $0, $0 and $181 for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively272 (114)558 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax(28,151)(2,416)(8,344)
Comprehensive income$35,606 $494,298 $142,324 
 2017 2016 2015
      
Net income$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:     
Foreign currency translation adjustment25,559
 (23,076) (15,058)
Change in fair value on available-for-sale investments, net of tax expense (benefit) of zero, $1,495 and ($4,556) for the years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
 (2,449) (6,939)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax25,559
 (25,525) (21,997)
Comprehensive income$164,984
 $126,914
 $111,639


See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements




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j2 GLOBAL,


ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
(In thousands)
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Cash flows from operating activities:  
Net income$63,757 $496,714 $150,668 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization233,400 258,303 228,737 
Amortization of financing costs and discounts2,692 26,090 28,476 
Non-cash operating lease costs13,412 1,485 17,686 
Share-based compensation26,601 25,248 24,006 
Provision (benefit) for credit losses on accounts receivable(255)8,738 13,283 
Deferred income taxes, net(12,991)(13,433)5,840 
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt(11,505)14,024 37,969 
Loss (gain) on sale of businesses— 21,798 (17,122)
Goodwill impairment on business27,369 32,629 — 
Changes in fair value of contingent consideration(2,575)(1,223)(80)
Loss (income) from equity method investments, net7,730 (35,845)11,338 
Unrealized loss (gain) on short-term investments held at the reporting date7,145 (298,490)— 
Loss on investment, net46,743 16,677 20,991 
Other945 13,180 (22,690)
Decrease (increase) in:
Accounts receivable14,948 (18,050)(31,611)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets9,665 (15,650)3,046 
Operating lease right-of-use assets3,739 15,267 8,711 
Other assets(19,979)(3,824)(3)
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (includes $0, $17,635 and $0 with related parties)(37,569)22,262 2,184 
Income taxes payable17,323 (21,783)6,489 
Deferred revenue(20,962)14,282 4,720 
Operating lease liabilities(27,131)(30,581)(25,150)
Liability for uncertain tax positions(2,167)(10,383)9,391 
Other long-term liabilities(3,891)(899)3,200 
Net cash provided by operating activities336,444 516,536 480,079 
Cash flows from investing activities:   
Proceeds on sale of available-for-sale investments— 663 — 
Investment in available-for-sale securities(15,000)— — 
Distribution from equity method investment— 15,327 — 
Purchases of equity method investment— (23,249)(31,937)
Purchase of equity investments— (999)(1,246)
Proceeds from sale of equity investments4,527 14,330 — 
Purchases of property and equipment(106,154)(113,740)(92,552)
Proceeds from sale of assets— — 507 
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received(104,094)(141,146)(482,227)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash divested— 48,876 24,353 
Purchases of intangible assets(50)(78)(3,118)
Proceeds from divestiture of discontinued operations— 259,104 — 
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(220,771)59,088 (586,220)
Cash flows from financing activities:   
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt— — 750,000 
Payment of note payable— — (400)
Proceeds from bridge loan— 485,000 — 
Debt issuance cost— — (7,272)
Payment of debt(166,904)(512,388)(650,000)
Debt extinguishment costs (includes reimbursement of $0, $7,500 and $0 with related parties)(756)(1,096)(29,250)
Proceeds from term loan112,286 — — 
Repurchase of common stock(78,291)(78,327)(275,654)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan9,431 9,231 7,382 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options148 2,939 1,619 
Deferred payments for acquisitions(16,116)(14,387)(29,180)
Other(630)(4,060)(1,878)
Net cash used in financing activities(140,832)(113,088)(234,633)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents(16,890)(10,346)7,811 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(42,049)452,190 (332,963)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year694,842 242,652 575,615 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with discontinued operations— 66,210 51,141 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year associated with continuing operations694,842 176,442 524,474 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year652,793 694,842 242,652 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with discontinued operations— — 66,210 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year associated with continuing operations$652,793 $694,842 $176,442 
 2017 2016 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:     
Net income$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities: 
  
  
Depreciation and amortization162,041
 122,091
 93,213
Amortization of financing costs and discounts11,952
 9,818
 9,105
Share-based compensation22,737
 13,650
 11,793
Provision for doubtful accounts13,159
 13,169
 6,872
Deferred income taxes, net(21,432) (13,779) (17,083)
Loss on extinguishment of debt and related interest expense7,962
 
 
Gain on sale of businesses(27,681) 
 
Changes in fair value of contingent consideration2,300
 4,850
 16,200
Gain on available-for-sale investments
 (7,716) (549)
Decrease (increase) in: 
  
  
Accounts receivable(37,546) (30,687) (18,508)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets4,001
 (957) 1,461
Other assets(2,712) (497) (3,881)
Increase (decrease) in: 
  
  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(34,116) 6,363
 8,757
Income taxes payable14,888
 25,409
 3,578
Deferred revenue941
 (4,213) (3,480)
Liability for uncertain tax positions4,936
 10,620
 (5,718)
Other long-term liabilities3,564
 (18,173) (6,335)
Net cash provided by operating activities264,419
 282,387
 229,061
Cash flows from investing activities: 
  
  
Maturity of investments
 241,817
 121,752
Purchases of investments(4) (80,918) (135,894)
Purchases of property and equipment(39,595) (24,746) (17,297)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received(174,951) (580,691) (302,809)
Proceeds from sale of businesses, net of cash divested58,300
 
 
Purchases of intangible assets(2,240) (4,321) (1,455)
Net cash used in investing activities(158,490) (448,859) (335,703)
Cash flows from financing activities: 
  
  
Issuance of long-term debt, net636,485
 
 
Repayment of debt(255,000) 
 
Proceeds from line of credit, net44,981
 178,710
 
Repayment of line of credit(225,000) 
 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(9,850) (56,496) (3,674)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan259
 254
 260
Exercise of stock options1,108
 3,570
 4,958
Dividends paid(73,469) (65,835) (58,826)
Deferred payments for acquisitions(7,637) (20,832) (14,271)
Other(54) 1,779
 4,190
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities111,823
 41,150
 (67,363)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents9,243
 (6,258) (4,128)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents226,995
 (131,580) (178,133)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year123,950
 255,530
 433,663
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year$350,945
 $123,950
 $255,530


See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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j2 GLOBAL,ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Years Ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Accumulated
Common stockAdditional
paid-in
Treasury stockRetainedother comprehensiveTotal
Stockholders’
SharesAmountcapitalSharesAmountearningsincome/(loss)Equity
Balance, January 1, 202047,654,929 $476 $465,652 — $— $891,526 $(46,462)$1,311,192 
Net income— — — — — 150,668 — 150,668 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of $181— — — — — — (8,344)(8,344)
Exercise of stock options42,740 — 1,619 — — — — 1,619 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan118,629 7,381 — — — — 7,382 
Equity portion of 3.25% convertible debt— — (12)— — — — (12)
Issuance of restricted stock, net273,201 (3)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(3,742,869)(37)(42,530)— — (233,087)— (275,654)
Share-based compensation— — 24,006 — — — — 24,006 
Other, net— — 161 — — — — 161 
Balance, December 31, 202044,346,630 $443 $456,274 — $— $809,107 $(54,806)$1,211,018 
Net income— — — — — 496,714 — 496,714 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — — — — — (21,382)(21,382)
Exercise of stock options70,776 2,938 — — — — 2,939 
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan109,248 9,230 — — — — 9,231 
Issuance of restricted stock, net560,290 (5)— — — — — 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(697,657)(7)(26,275)(445,711)47,741 (52,045)— (30,586)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 445,711 (47,741)— — (47,741)
Share-based compensation— — 25,248 — — — — 25,248 
Conversion shares issued as extinguishment cost to redeem 3.25% Convertible Notes3,050,850 31 431,921 — — — — 431,952 
Redemption of 3.25% Convertible Notes, net of tax— — (390,526)— — — — (390,526)
Consensus Separation— — — — — 261,394 18,966 280,360 
Other, net— — 317 — — 188 — 505 
Balance, December 31, 202147,440,137 $474 $509,122 — $— $1,515,358 $(57,222)$1,967,732 
Reclassification of the equity component of 1.75% Convertible Notes to liability upon adoption of ASU 2020-06
— — (88,137)— — 23,436 — (64,701)
Net income— — — — — 63,757 — 63,757 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense of zero— — (206)— — 206 (32,207)(32,207)
Exercise of stock options5,439 — 148 — — — — 148 
Issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan139,992 9,430 — — — — 9,431 
Issuance of restricted stock, net493,300 (6)— — — — (1)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock(809,422)(7)(17,277)(736,536)71,337 (61,007)— (6,954)
Repurchase of shares of common stock— — — 736,536 (71,337)— — (71,337)
Share-based compensation— — 26,601 — — — — 26,601 
Other, net— — — — (3,920)4,056 142 
Balance, December 31, 202247,269,446 $473 $439,681 — $— $1,537,830 $(85,373)$1,892,611 
   Additional AccumulatedTotal
 Common stockpaid-inRetainedother comprehensiveStockholders’
 SharesAmountcapitalearningsincome/(loss)equity
Balance, January 1, 201547,409,514
$474
$273,304
$553,584
$(7,127)$820,235
Net income


133,636

133,636
Other comprehensive income, net of tax benefit ($4,556)



(21,997)(21,997)
Dividends


(58,826)
(58,826)
Exercise of stock options221,221
2
4,956


4,958
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan4,020

260


260
Vested restricted stock278,092
3
(3)


Repurchase and retirement of common stock(53,904)(1)(1,955)(1,718)
(3,674)
Exchange of Series B preferred stock91,734
1
(1)


Share based compensation

11,017
113

11,130
Excess tax benefit on share based compensation

4,486


4,486
Balance, December 31, 201547,950,677
$479
$292,064
$626,789
$(29,124)$890,208
Net income


152,439

152,439
Other comprehensive income, net of tax expense $1,495



(25,525)(25,525)
Dividends


(65,835)
(65,835)
Exercise of stock options142,870
1
3,569


3,570
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan3,918

254


254
Vested restricted stock270,098
3
(3)


Repurchase and retirement of common stock(1,015,584)(10)(3,344)(53,142)
(56,496)
Exchange of Series B preferred stock91,737
1
(1)


Share based compensation

13,519
131

13,650
Excess tax benefit on share based compensation

2,271


2,271
Balance, December 31, 201647,443,716
$474
$308,329
$660,382
$(54,649)$914,536
Net income


139,425

139,425
Other comprehensive income, net of tax of zero



25,559
25,559
Dividends


(73,469)
(73,469)
Exercise of stock options38,183
1
1,107


1,108
Issuance of shares under Employee Stock Purchase Plan3,283

259


259
Vested restricted stock397,781
4
(4)


Repurchase and retirement of common stock(117,076)(1)(6,441)(3,408)
(9,850)
Exchange of Series B preferred stock88,623
1
(1)


Share based compensation

22,605
132

22,737
Balance, December 31, 201747,854,510
$479
$325,854
$723,062
$(29,090)$1,020,305


See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements




-62-
j2 GLOBAL,


ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015



1.       The Company

j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“j2 Global”Ziff Davis”, the “Company”, “our”, “us”, or the “Company”“we”), is a leading provider ofvertically focused digital media and internet services. Through our Cloud Services segment, we provide cloud services to consumerscompany whose portfolio includes brands in technology, shopping, gaming and businessesentertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and license our intellectual property (“IP”) to third parties. In addition, the Cloud Services segment includes fax, voice, backup, security and email marketing products. Ourmartech. The Company’s Digital Media segmentbusiness specializes in the technology, shopping, gaming, lifestyle and healthcare markets, offering content, tools and services to consumers and businesses. The Company’s Cybersecurity and Martech business provides cloud-based subscription services to consumers and businesses including cybersecurity, privacy and marketing technology.
On October 7, 2021, in connection with the spin-off of its cloud fax business described further below, the Company changed its name from J2 Global, Inc. to Ziff Davis, Inc. (for certain events prior to October 7, 2021, the Company may be referred to as J2 Global).
2.    Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

(a)Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of j2 GlobalZiff Davis and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

On August 10, 2016, j2 Cloud Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation and subsidiary of the Company, converted into a Delaware limited liability company which continues as j2 Cloud Services, LLC.

On August 12, 2016, all of the equity interests in Ziff Davis, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and all of the equity interests in Advanced Messaging Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, held by j2 Cloud Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, were distributed to j2 Global, the parent company of j2 Cloud Services, LLC.

(b)Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, including judgments about investment classifications and the reported amounts of net revenue and expenses during the reporting period. We believeThe Company believes that ourits most significant estimates are those related to revenue recognition, valuation and impairment of marketable securities, valuationinvestments, its assessment of ownership interests as variable interest entities and the related determination of consolidation, share-based compensation expense, fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with business combinations, long-lived and intangible asset impairment, contingent consideration, income taxes and contingencies, and allowance for doubtful accounts.credit losses. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates based on historical experience and on various other factors that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

(c)Allowances for Doubtful Accounts

Consensus, Inc. Spin-Off and Discontinued Operations
j2On September 21, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved its previously announced separation of the cloud fax business (the “Separation”) into an independent publicly traded company, Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”). On October 7, 2021 (the “Distribution Date”), the Separation was completed and the Company transferred J2 Cloud Service, LLC to Consensus who in turn transferred non-fax assets and liabilities back to Ziff Davis such that Consensus was left with the cloud fax business. The Separation was achieved through the Company’s distribution of 80.1% of the shares of Consensus common stock to holders of J2 Global reserves for receivables it may not be able to collect. These reservescommon stock as of the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The Company’s Cloud Services segmentstockholders of record received one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of J2 Global’s common stock. On October 8, 2021, Consensus began trading on Nasdaq under the stock symbol “CCSI”. Ziff Davis, Inc. retained a 19.9% interest in Consensus following the Separation (the “Investment in Consensus”).
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
On October 7, 2021, Consensus paid Ziff Davis approximately $259.1 million of cash in a distribution that was anticipated to be tax-free provided certain requirements were met, and issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, for the extinguishment of indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A.
The accounting requirements for reporting the Company’s cloud fax business as a discontinued operation were met when the Separation was completed. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements reflect the results of the cloud fax business as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. Ziff Davis did not retain a controlling interest in Consensus.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment and Sixth Amendment to its existing Credit Agreement, providing for the issuance of senior secured term loans under the Credit Agreement (the “Term Loan Facilities”), in an aggregate principal amount of approximately $112.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company subsequently completed non-cash exchanges of 2,800,000 shares of its common stock of Consensus with the lenders under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to settle the Company’s obligations of $112.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facilities plus related interest. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company continues to hold approximately 1.1 million shares of common stock of Investment in Consensus. The Investment in Consensus represents the investment in equity securities for which the Company elected the fair value option and subsequent fair value changes in the Consensus shares are typically drivenincluded in the assets of and results from continuing operations. Refer to Note 5 - Investments and Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions for additional information.
Allowances for Credit Losses
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable, which is recorded as a reduction to accounts receivable. Changes in the allowance are classified as ‘General and administrative’ expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company assesses collectability by reviewing accounts receivable on a collective basis where similar characteristics exist and on an individual basis when it identifies specific customers with known disputes or collectability issues. In determining the volumeamount of the allowance for credit card declines andlosses, the Company considers historical collectability based on past due invoices and are based on historical experience as well as an evaluation ofstatus. It also considers customer-specific information, current market conditions. These reserves for the Company’s Digital Media segment are typically driven by past due invoices based onconditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions to inform adjustments to historical experience.loss data. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates the adequacy of these reserves.

(d)Revenue Recognition

The rollforward of allowance for credit losses on Accounts receivable, net is as follows (in thousands):
Cloud Services
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Beginning balance$9,811 $11,552 $8,480 
(Decreases) increases to bad debt expense(255)3,107 5,315 
Write-offs, net of recoveries(2,688)(4,848)(2,243)
Ending balance$6,868 $9,811 $11,552 

Revenue Recognition
The Company’s Cloud Services revenues substantially consist of monthly recurring subscription and usage-based fees, which are primarily paid in advance by credit card. In accordance with GAAP, the Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been provided, the sales price is fixed and determinable and collection is probable. The Company defers the portions of monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually recurring subscription and usage-based fees collected in advance and recognizes them in the period earned. Additionally, the Company defers and recognizes subscriber activation fees and related direct incremental costs over a subscriber’s estimated useful life.



Along with our numerous proprietary Cloud Services solutions,satisfies its obligation by transferring control of the goods or services to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company also generates revenues by reselling various third party solutions, primarily through our email security and online backup lines of business.  These third party solutions, along with our proprietary products, allow the Companyexpects to offer customers a variety of solutionsbe entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Refer to better meet their needs.  Note 3 - Revenues for additional details.
Principal vs. Agent
The Company determines whether reseller revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis by assessing whether the Company is acting as the principal or an agent in the transaction. If the Company is acting as the principal in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis. If the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a net basis. In determining whether the Company acts as the principal or an agent, the Company follows the accounting guidance for principal-agent considerations and the Company places the most weight on three factors: whether or not the Company (i) is the primary obligor in the arrangement, (ii) has latitude in determining pricing and (iii) bears credit risk.

The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to reseller revenue as the Company is the primary obligator in the arrangement, has latitude in determining pricing and bears all credit risk associated with our reseller program partners.

j2 Global’s Cloud Services also include patent license revenues generated under license agreements that provide for the payment of contractually determined fully paid-up or royalty-bearing license fees to j2 Global in exchange for the grant of non-exclusive, retroactive and future licenses to our intellectual property, including patented technology. Patent revenues may also consist of revenues generated from the sale of patents. Patent license revenues are recognized when earned over the term of the license agreements. With regard to fully paid-up license arrangements, the Company recognizes as revenue in the period the license agreement is executed the portion of the payment attributable to past use of the intellectual property and amortizes the remaining portion of such payments on a straight-line basis, or pro-rata revenue basis, as appropriate over the life of the licensed patent(s). With regard to royalty-bearing license arrangements, the Company recognizes revenues of license fees earned during the applicable period. With regard to patent sales, the Company recognizes as revenue in the period of the sale the amount of the purchase price over the carrying value of the patent(s) sold.

The Cloud Services business also generates revenues by licensing certain technology to third parties. These licensing revenues are recognized when earned in accordance with the terms of the underlying agreement. Generally, revenue is recognized as the third party uses the licensed technology over the period.

Digital Media

The Company’s Digital Media revenues primarily consist of revenues generated from the sale of advertising campaigns that are targeted to the Company’s proprietary websites and to those websites operated by third parties that are part of the Digital Media business’s advertising network. Revenues for these advertising campaigns are recognized as earned, either when an ad is placed for viewing by a visitor to the appropriate web page or when the visitor “clicks through” on the ad, depending upon the terms with the individual advertiser.

Revenues for Digital Media business-to-business operations consist of lead-generation campaigns for IT vendors and are recognized as earned when the Company delivers the qualified leads to the customer.

j2 Global also generates Digital Media revenues through the license of certain assets to clients, for the clients’ use in their own promotional materials or otherwise. Such assets may include logos, editorial reviews, or other copyrighted material. Revenues under such license agreements are recognized when the assets are delivered to the client. Also, Digital Media revenues are generated through the license of certain speed testing technology which is recognized when delivered to the client through providing data services primarily to Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) and wireless carriers which is recognized as earned over the term of the access period. The Digital Media business also generates other types of revenues, including business listing fees, subscriptions to online publications, and from other sources. Such other revenues are recognized as earned.

The Company determines whether Digital Media revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis by assessing whether the Company is acting as the principal or an agent in the transaction. If the Company is acting as the principal in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a gross basis. If the Company is acting as an agent in a transaction, the Company reports revenue on a net basis. In determining whether the Company acts as the principal or an agent, the Company follows the accounting guidance for principal-agent considerations and the Company places the most weight on three factors: whether or not the Company (i) is the primary obligor in the arrangement, (ii) has latitude in determining pricing and (iii) bears credit risk.

The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to revenue generated (i) by the Company serving online display and video advertising across its owned-and-operated web properties, on third party sites or on unaffiliated advertising networks, (ii) through the Company’s lead-generation business and (iii) through the Company’s Digital Media licensing program. The Company records revenue on a net basis with respect to revenue paid to the Company by certain third-party advertising


networks who serve online display and video advertising across the Company’s owned-and-operated web properties and certain third party sites.

(e)Fair Value Measurements

j2 Global complies with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting StandardStandards Codification (“ASC”) Topic No.606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, for principal-agent considerations and assesses: (i) if another party is involved in providing goods or services to the customer, (ii) whether the Company controls the specified goods or services prior to transferring control to the customer and (iii) whether the Company has discretion on pricing.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Sales Taxes
The Company has made an accounting policy election to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are (i) both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and (ii) collected by the Company from a customer.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company complies with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“(“ASC 820”), in measuring fair value and in disclosing fair value measurements. ASC 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value and expands the disclosures required for fair value measurements of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.

As of December 31, 2017, theThe carrying valuevalues of cash and cash equivalents, long-term investments, accounts receivable, interest receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, interest payable, customer deposits, and long-term debt are reflected in the financial statements at cost. With the exception of long-termcertain investments and long-term debt, cost approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of such instruments. The fair value of the Company’s outstanding debt was determined using the quoted market prices of debt instruments with similar terms and maturities ifwhen available. As of the same dates, the carrying value of other long-term liabilities approximated fair value as the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to j2 Global.the Company.

(f)Cash and Cash Equivalents

j2 GlobalThe Company considers cash equivalents to be only those investmentsthe balance of its investment in funds that are highly liquid, readily convertible to cash and with maturities ofsubstantially hold securities that mature within three months or less from the date the Company purchases these securities to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents either approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments or are at the purchase date.fair value.

(g)Investments

j2 GlobalThe Company accounts for its investments in debt and equity securities in accordance with FASB ASC Topic No. 320, Investments - Debt and Equity Securities (“ASC 320”). Debt investments are typically comprised of corporate and governmental debt securities. Equity securities, recordedwhich are classified as available-for-sale represent strategic equity investments. j2 Global determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of acquisition and evaluates such determination at each balance sheet date. Held-to-maturity securities are those investments which the Company has the ability and intent to hold until maturity and are recorded at amortized cost. Available-for-sale securities are those investments j2 Global does not intend to hold to maturity and can be sold.available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income. TradingAll debt securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included in investment income. Securities are accounted for on a specific identification basis.
The Company’s available-for-sale debt securities are carried at an estimated fair value with any unrealized gains or losses, net of taxes, included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Available-for-sale debt securities with an amortized cost basis averagein excess of estimated fair value are assessed to determine what amount of that difference, if any, is caused by expected credit losses. Expected credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities are recognized in loss on investments, net on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and any remaining unrealized losses, net of taxes, are included in accumulated comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company accounts for its investments in equity securities in accordance with ASC Topic 321, Investments - Equity Securities (“ASC 321”) which requires the accounting for equity investments, other than those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, generally be measured at fair value for equity securities with readily determinable fair values. Equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, which are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting, are measured at their cost, methodless impairment, if any, and adjusted for observable price changes arising from orderly transactions in the same or similar investment from the same issuer. Any unrealized gains or losses will be reported within earnings on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company assesses whether an other-than-temporary impairment loss on an investment has occurred due to declines in fair value or other market conditions. Refer to Note 5 - Investments for additional information.
The Investment in Consensus are equity securities accounted for at fair value under the fair value option, and the related fair value gains and losses are recognized in earnings. As the initial carrying value of the Investment in Consensus was negative immediately following the Separation, the Company elected the fair value option under ASC 825-10-25 to support the initial recognition of the Investment in Consensus at fair value and the negative book value was recorded as a gain at the date of Separation. The fair value of Consensus common stock is readily available as Consensus is a publicly traded company.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Variable Interest Entities (“VIE”s)
A VIE requires consolidation by the entity’s primary beneficiary. The Company evaluates its investments in entities in which it is involved to determine if the entity is a VIE and if so, whether it holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. The Company has determined that it holds a variable interest in its investment as a limited partner in the OCV Fund I, LP (“OCV Fund”, “OCV” or the “Fund”), as well as, another independent corporation. In determining whether the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, both of the following characteristics must be present:
a) the Company has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIEs economic performance (the power criterion); and
b) the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE, or the right to receive benefits of the VIE, that could potentially be significant to the VIE (the economic criterion).
The Company has concluded that, as a limited partner in OCV, although the obligations to absorb losses or the right to benefit from the gains is not insignificant, the Company does not have “power” over OCV because it does not have the ability to direct the significant decisions which impact the economics of OCV. The Company believes that the OCV general partner, as a single decision maker, holds the ability to make the decisions about the activities that most significantly impact the OCV Fund’s economic performance. As a result, the Company has concluded that it will not consolidate OCV, as it is not the primary beneficiary of the OCV Fund, and will account for this investment under the equity-method of accounting (see Note 5 - Investments).
OCV qualifies as an investment company under ASC Topic 946, Financial Services, Investment Companies (“ASC 946”). Under ASC Topic 323, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures, an investor that holds investments that qualify for specialized industry accounting for investment companies in accordance with ASC 946 should record its share of the earnings or losses, realized or unrealized, as reported by its equity method as appropriate.investees in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(h)Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discount

The Company recognizes its equity in the net earnings or losses relating to the investment in OCV on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
j2 GlobalDebt Issuance Costs and Debt Discount
The Company capitalizes costs incurred with borrowing and issuance of debt securities and records debt issuance costs and discounts as a reduction to the debt amount. These costs and discounts are amortized and included in interest expense over the life of the borrowing or term of the credit facility using the effective interest method.

(i)Derivative Instruments

Concentration of Credit Risk
j2 Global currently holds an embedded derivative instrument related to contingent interest in connection withThe Company primarily invests its 3.25% Convertible Notes issued on June 10, 2014. This embedded derivative instrument is carried at fair value with changes recorded to interest expense (see Note 6 - Fair Value Measurements).


(j)Concentration of Credit Risk

All of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are invested atwith major financial institutions primarily within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland.the European Union. These institutionsinvestments are required to invest the Company’s cashmade in accordance with the Company’s investment policy with the principal objectives being preservation of capital, fulfillment of liquidity needs and above market returns commensurate with preservation of capital. The Company’s investment policy also requires that investments in marketable securities be in only highly rated instruments, with limitations on investing in securities of any single issuer. However, these investments are not insured against the possibility of a total or near complete loss of earnings or principal and are inherently subject to the credit risk related to the continued credit worthiness of the underlying issuer and general credit market risks. At December 31, 2017,2022, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents that were maintained in demand deposit accounts thatin qualifying financial institutions are insured up to the limit determined by the applicable governmental agency. The Company’s deposits held in qualifying financial institutions in Ireland are fully insured through March 28, 2018 to the extent on deposit prior to March 28, 2013. With respect to the Company’s deposits with financial institutions in other jurisdictions, the insured amount held in other institutions is immaterial in comparison to the total amount
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Foreign Currency
Most of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents held by these institutions which is not insured. These institutions are primarily in the United States and United Kingdom, however, the Company has accounts within several other countries including Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

(k)Foreign Currency

Some of j2 Global’s foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues costs and expenses are translated into U.S. Dollars at average exchange rates for the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income income/(loss). Net translation gain/(loss)loss was $25.6$32.5 million, $(23.1)$21.3 million and $(15.1)$8.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively. Realized gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recognized within other (income) expense, net.‘Other income (loss), net’ on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Foreign exchange lossesgains (losses) amounted to $5.8$8.2 million, $0.7$2.0 million and $0.1$(3.1) million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.

(l)Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Equipment under capital leasesa finance lease is stated at the present value of the minimum lease payments. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.assets and is recorded in cost of revenues and general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment range from 1one to 10ten years. Fixtures, which are comprised primarily of leasehold improvements and equipment under capitalfinance leases, are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives or for leasehold improvements, the related lease term, if less. The Company has capitalized certain internal useinternal-use software and website development costs which are included in property and equipment. Theequipment and depreciated using a straight-line method over the estimated useful life of costs capitalizedwhich is evaluated for each specific project and ranges from 1 to 5is typically three years.

(m)Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets
j2 GlobalThe Company accounts for long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, operating lease right-of-use assets and identifiable intangible assets with finite useful lives (subject to amortization), in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No. 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment (“ASC 360”), which requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to the expected undiscounted future net cash flows generated by the asset. If it is determined that the asset may not be recoverable, and if the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment charge is recognized to the extent of the difference.

The Company assesses the impairment of identifiable definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors it considers important which could individually or in combination trigger an impairment include the following:
j2 GlobalSignificant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business;
Significant negative industry or economic trends;
Significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; and
The Company’s market capitalization relative to net book value.
If the Company determined that the carrying value of definite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more indicators of impairment, it would record an impairment equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value.
The Company assessed whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that potentially indicate the carrying amount of long-liveddefinite-lived assets may not be recoverable. NoDuring the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not have any events or circumstances indicating impairment was recordedof long-lived assets, other than the recording of an impairment of certain operating lease right-of-use assets and associated property and equipment. The Company regularly evaluates its office space requirements in fiscal year 2017, 2016light of more of its workforce working from home as part of a permanent “remote” or 2015.“partial remote” work model. The impairment is presented in general and administrative expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Refer to Note 11 - Leases for additional details.


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The Company classifies its long-lived assets to be sold as held for sale in the period (i) it has approved and committed to a plan to sell the asset, (ii) the asset is available for immediate sale in its present condition, (iii) an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to sell the asset have been initiated, (iv) the sale of the asset is probable and the transfer is expected to qualify for recognition as a sale within one year, (v) the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value, and (vi) it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. The Company initially measures a long-lived asset that is classified as held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset until the date of sale. Upon designation as an asset held for sale, the Company stops recording depreciation expense


on the asset. The Company assesses the fair value of a long-lived asset less any costs to sell at each reporting period and until the asset is no longer is classified as held for sale.

(n)Business Combinations and Valuation of Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The Company applies the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in accordance with GAAP and uses estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price paid for acquisitions to the fair value of the assets, including identifiable intangible assets and liabilities acquired. Such estimates may be based on significant unobservable inputs and assumptions such as, but not limited to, future revenue growth rates, gross and operating margins, customer attrition rates, royalty rates, discount rates and terminal growth rate assumptions. The Company uses established valuation techniques and may engage reputable valuation specialists to assist with the valuations. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Intangible assets resulting from the acquisitions of entities accounted for using the purchaseacquisition method of accounting are recorded at the estimated fair value of the assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of purchased customer relationships, trademarks and trade names, developed technologies and other intangible assets. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized over the period of estimated economic benefit ranging from 1one to 20 years. In accordance withtwenty years and are included in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company evaluates its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment pursuant to FASB ASC Topic No. 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), which provides that goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but tested annually for impairment or more frequently if j2 Globalthe Company believes indicators of impairment exist. In connection with the annual impairment test for goodwill, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it then it performs thean impairment test uponof goodwill. The impairment test involves a two-step process. The first step involves comparing the fair values of the applicable reporting units with their aggregate carrying values, including goodwill. The Company generally determines the fair value of its reporting units using thea mix of an income approach methodology of valuation.and a market approach. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, j2 Global performsan impairment loss is recognized for the second stepdifference. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 the Company recorded a goodwill impairment of the test$27.4 million, $32.6 million and zero, respectively. Refer to determine the amount of impairment loss. The second step involves measuring the impairment by comparing the implied fair values of the affected reporting unit’s goodwillNote 9 - Goodwill and intangible assets with the respective carrying values. In accordance with ASC 350, theIntangible Assets for additional details.
The Company performed the annual impairment test for goodwillintangible assets with indefinite lives for fiscal year 20172021 and 2020 using a qualitative assessment primarily taking into consideration macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance and any other relevant company-specific events.factors. The Company performed the annual impairment test for intangible assets with indefinite lives for fiscal 2017 using a qualitative assessment primarily taking into consideration macroeconomic, industry and market conditions, overall financial performance and any other relevant company-specific events. j2 Global concluded that there were no impairments in 2017, 20162021 and 2015.2020. The Company did not perform an assessment in 2022, as there were no intangible assets with indefinite lives during 2022.

(o)Contingent Consideration

j2 GlobalCertain of the Company’s acquisition agreements include contingent earn-out arrangements, which are generally based on the achievement of future income thresholds or other metrics. The contingent earn-out arrangements are based upon the Company’s valuations of the acquired companies and reduce the risk of overpaying for acquisitions if the projected financial results are not achieved.
The fair values of these earn-out arrangements are included as part of the purchase price of the acquired companies on their respective acquisition dates. For each transaction, the Company estimates the fair value of contingent earn-out payments as part of the initial purchase price and records the estimated fair value of contingent consideration as a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company considers several factors when determining that contingent earn-out liabilities are
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part of the purchase price, including the following: (1) the valuation of our acquisitions is not supported solely by the initial consideration paid, and the contingent earn-out formula is a critical and material component of the valuation approach to determining the purchase price; and (2) the former shareholders of acquired companies that remain as key employees receive compensation other than contingent earn-out payments at a reasonable level compared with the compensation of the Company’s other key employees. The contingent earn-out payments are not affected by employment termination.
The Company measures theits contingent earn-out liabilities in connection with acquisitions at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy (see Note 67 - Fair Value Measurements)Measurements). The Company may use various valuation techniques depending on the terms and conditions of the contingent consideration, including a Monte-Carlo simulation. This simulation uses a probability distribution for each significant input to produce hundreds or thousands of possible outcomes and the results are analyzed to determine probabilities of different outcomes occurring. Significant increases or decreases to these inputs in isolation would result in a significantly higher or lower liability with a higher liability capped by the contractual maximum of the contingent earn-out obligation. Ultimately, the liability will be equivalent to the amount paid, and the difference between the fair value estimate and amount paid will be recorded in earnings. The amount paid that is less than or equal to the liability on the acquisition date is reflected as cash used in financing activities in our consolidated statementsConsolidated Statements of cash flows.Cash Flows. Any amount paid in excess of the liability on the acquisition date is reflected as cash used in operating activities.

j2 GlobalThe Company reviews and re-assessre-assesses the estimated fair value of contingent consideration on a quarterly basis, and the updated fair value could differbe materially different from the initial estimates.estimates or prior amounts. Changes in the estimated fair value of ourits contingent earn-out liabilities related to the time component of the present value calculation are reported in interest expense. Adjustmentsand adjustments to the estimated fair value related to changes in all other unobservable inputs are reported in operating income.general and administrative expenses on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(p)Income Taxes

Self-Insurance Program
j2 Global’sThe Company provides health and dental insurance plans to certain of its employees through a self-insurance structure. The Company has secured reinsurance in the form of a two tiered stop-loss coverage that limits the exposure arising from any claims made. Self-insurance claims filed and claims incurred but not reported are accrued based on management’s estimate of the discounted ultimate costs for self-insured claims incurred using actuarial assumptions followed in the insurance industry and historical experience. Although management believes it has the ability to reasonably estimate losses related to claims, it is possible that actual results could differ from recorded self-insurance liabilities.
Income Taxes
The Company’s income is subject to taxation in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in evaluating the Company’s tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. j2 GlobalThe Company establishes reserves for tax-related uncertainties based on estimates of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. These reserves for tax contingencies are established when the Company believes that certain positions might be challenged despite the Company’s belief that its tax return positions are fully supportable. j2 GlobalThe Company adjusts these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the outcome of a tax audit or lapse of a statute of limitations. The provision for income taxes includes the impact of reserve provisions and changes to reserves that are considered appropriate.



j2 GlobalThe Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic No. 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), which requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities to be recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax basis of recorded assets and liabilities. ASC 740 also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized. The valuation allowance is reviewed quarterly based upon the facts and circumstances known at the time. In assessing this valuation allowance, j2 Globalthe Company reviews historical and future expected operating results and other factors, including its recent cumulative earnings experience, expectations of future taxable income by taxing jurisdiction and the carryforward periods available for tax reporting purposes, to determine whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets are realizable.

ASC 740 provides guidance on the minimum threshold that an uncertain income tax benefit is required to meet before it can be recognized in the financial statements and applies to all income tax positions taken by a company. ASC 740 contains a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain income tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. If it is not more likely than not that the benefit will be sustained on its technical merits, no benefit will be recorded. Uncertain income tax positions that relate only to timing of when an item is included on a tax return are considered to have met the recognition threshold. j2 Global recognizedThe Company
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recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense on its consolidated statementsConsolidated Statements of income.Operations.

(q)Share-Based Compensation

On March 27, 2020, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act” was enacted into law providing for changes to various tax laws that impact business. The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of employer side social security payments, net operating loss carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations, increased limitations on qualified charitable contributions, and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. The Company does not believe these provisions have a significant impact to our current and deferred income tax balances. The Company will benefit from the technical correction to tax depreciation related to qualified improvement property and has elected to defer income tax payments and employer side social security payments where eligible.
j2 GlobalOn August 16, 2022, the “Inflation Reduction Act” of 2022 (“IRA”) was signed into law. The IRA included many climate and energy provisions and introduced a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) for taxpayers whose average annual adjusted financial statement income exceeds a certain threshold. The IRA also enacted a one percent excise tax on stock repurchases made by publicly traded U.S. corporations. The CAMT and excise tax on stock repurchases are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The Company does not believe that it will be subject to the CAMT as it is expected to be under the threshold of the average annual adjusted financial statement income.
Share-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for share-based awards to employees and non-employees in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No. 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Accordingly, j2 Global measures share-based, which requires compensation expensecost, measured at the grant date based on the fair value, of the award, and recognizes the expenseto be recognized over the employee’s requisite service period using the straight-line method. The measurement of share-based compensation expense is based on several criteria, including but not limited to the valuation model used and associated input factors, such as expected term of the award, stock price volatility, risk free interest rate, dividend rate, and award cancellation rate. TheseCertain of these inputs are subjective and are determined using management’s judgment. If differences arise between the assumptions used in determining share-based compensation expense and the actual factors, which become known over time, j2 Globalthe Company may change the input factors used in determining future share-based compensation expense. Any such changes could materially impact the Company’s results of operations in the period in which the changes are made and in periods thereafter. The Company estimates the expectedvesting term based upon the historical exercise behavior of ourits employees.

Earnings Per Common Share (“EPS”)
j2 Global accounts for option grants to non-employees in accordance with FASB ASC Topic No. 505, Equity, whereby the fair value of such options is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model at the earlier of the date at which the non-employee’s performance is complete or a performance commitment is reached.

(r)Earnings Per Common Share (“EPS”)

EPS is calculated pursuant to the two-class method as defined in ASC Topic No. 260, Earnings per Share (“ASC 260”), which specifies that all outstanding unvested share-based payment awards that contain rights to nonforfeitablenon-forfeitable dividends or dividend equivalents are considered participating securities and should be included in the computation of EPS pursuant to the two-class method.

Basic EPS is calculated by dividing net distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to common shareholders, excluding participating securities, by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. The Company’s participating securities consist of its unvested share-based payment awards that contain rights to nonforfeitablenon-forfeitable dividends or dividend equivalents. Diluted EPS includes
On January 1, 2022, the determinantsCompany adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”) using the modified retrospective method. Following this adoption, the Company applies the if-converted method for the diluted net income per share calculation of basic EPS and, in addition, reflectsconvertible debt instruments. Prior to the impact of other potentially dilutive shares outstanding duringadoption, the period.  TheCompany used the treasury stock method when calculating the potential dilutive effect of participating securities is calculated under the more dilutive of either the treasury method or the two-class method.convertible debt instruments.

(s)Research, Development and Engineering

Research, development and engineering costs are expensed as incurred. Costs for software development incurred subsequent to establishing technological feasibility, in the form of a working model, are capitalized and amortized over their estimated useful lives. Research, development and engineering expenditures were $74.1 million, $78.9 million and $57.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Segment Reporting


(t)Segment Reporting

FASB ASC Topic No. 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”), establishes standards for the way that public business enterprises report information about operating segments in their annual consolidated financial statements and requires that those enterprises report selected information about operating segments in interim financial reports. ASC 280 also establishes standards for related
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disclosures about products and services, geographic areas and major customers. The Company’s business segments are based on the organization structure used by the chief operating decision maker for making operating and investment decisions and for assessing performance.
The Company operates ashas two reportable segments: (1) Cloud Services(i) Digital Media and (2) Digital Media.(ii) Cybersecurity and Martech. Refer to Note 18 - Segment Information for additional detail.

(u)Advertising Costs

The Company incurs external advertising costs to promote its brands. These costs primarily consist of expenses related to digital advertising on websites and apps of third parties, creative services, trade shows and similar events, marketing expenses, and marketing intelligence expenses. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs forFor the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015 was $143.32020 external advertising costs were $128.8 million, $96.8$143.5 million and $63.5$96.0 million, respectively.

(v)Sales Taxes

Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The Company may collect sales taxes from certain customers which are remitted to governmental authorities as required and are excluded from revenues.Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

(w)Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as a new Topic, Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606. The new revenue recognition standard provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015,2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue2020-06. The provisions of this update simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by removing certain separation models in ASC 470-20, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options, for convertible instruments. The convertible debt instruments are be accounted for as a single liability at the amortized cost if separation is no longer required unless (1) a convertible instrument contains features that require bifurcation as a derivative under ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or (2) a convertible debt instrument was issued at a substantial premium. Among other potential impacts, this change is expected to reduce reported noncash interest expense, increase reported net income, and result in a reclassification of certain conversion feature balance sheet amounts from Contracts with Customers: Deferralstockholders’ equity to liabilities. Similarly, the debt discount, which is equal to the carrying value of the Effective Date, which deferredembedded conversion feature upon issuance, will no longer be amortized into income as interest expense over the effective datelife of the new revenue standardinstrument. Additionally, ASU 2020-06 requires the use of the if-converted method to calculate the impact of convertible instruments on diluted earnings per share, which includes the effect of share settlement for periods beginning afterinstruments that may be settled in cash or shares, except for certain liability-classified share-based payment awards.
On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2020-06 using the modified retrospective method. The cumulative effect of the changes made on the Consolidated Balance Sheet upon this adoption increased the carrying amount of the 1.75% Convertible Notes (as defined in Note 10 - Debt below) by approximately $85.9 million, increased retained earnings by approximately $23.4 million, reduced deferred tax liabilities by approximately $21.2 million and reduced additional paid-in capital by approximately $88.1 million. The effect of the change on the earnings per share of the Company was an increase of $0.25 on each Basic and Diluted Net income per common share from continuing operations for the year ended December 15, 2016 to December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted but not earlier than the original effective date. 31, 2022.
In March 2016,October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU is related to reporting revenue gross versus net, or principal versus agent considerations. This ASU is meant to clarify the guidance in ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as it pertains to principal versus agent considerations. Specifically, the guidance addresses how entities should identify goodsupdate requires contract assets and services being provided to a customer, the unit of account for a principal versus agent assessment, how to evaluate whether a good or service is controlled before being transferred to a customer, and how to assess whether an entity controls services performed by another party. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. This ASU is meant to clarify the guidance in FASB ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Specifically, the guidance addresses an entity’s identification of its performance obligationscontract liabilities acquired in a contract, as well as an entity’s evaluation of the nature of its promise to grant a license of intellectual property and whether or not that revenue is recognized over time or at a point in time. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients. This ASU does not change the core principle of the guidance in Topic 606. Instead, the amendments provide clarifying guidance in a few narrow areas and add some practical expedients. In December 2016, the FASB issued 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The amendments in this ASU represent changes to clarify the Codification or to correct unintended application of guidance. This ASU must be applied retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. This ASU is effective January 1, 2018 and the Company is using the modified retrospective method and will present the cumulative effect of applying the standard to all contracts not completed as of the adoption date. The Company has (i) finalized its review of customer contracts for its business segments and assessed the impact of the standard on these contracts; (ii) trained internal stakeholders on the changes to revenue recognition policies; and (iii) assessed the need for appropriate changes to the Company’s business processes and controls to support revenue recognition and disclosures under the new standard. The Company has concluded that the primary change to its revenue recognition for its customer contracts upon adopting ASC 606 is related to the timing of when revenue is recognized. While revenue from certain contracts will continuecombination to be recognized at a point in time, revenue from other contracts is required to be recognized over time. The Company expects changes inand measured by the revenue recognition for licensing and patents and has finalized its detailed assessment of customer contracts, including the specific dollar impact of any changes in recognition that will occuracquirer on the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption. While the Company will provide expanded disclosures as a result of the adoption of this ASU, the Company does not expect there to be a material impact to the consolidated financial statements as of January 1, 2018.




In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The amendmentsacquisition date in this ASU modify how entities measure equity investments and present changes in the fair value of financial liabilities. Under the new guidance, entities will have to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted under the equity method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for the new practicality exception. A practicality exception will apply to those equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the practical expedient to estimate fair value underaccordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements, and as such these investments may be measured at cost.606. This ASU is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. After adoption, investments within the scope of the standard will be recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases. This ASU establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on our financial statements. The Company currently has both capital and operating leases, both domestically and internationally, with varying expiration dates through 2025 in the aggregate amount of $86.1 million for the period ended December 31, 2017.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718). This ASU is related to simplifications of employee share-based payment accounting. This pronouncement eliminates the APIC pool concept and requires that excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies be recorded in the income statement when awards are settled. The pronouncement also addresses simplifications related to statement of cash flows classification, accounting for forfeitures, and minimum statutory tax withholding requirements. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted.

The new standard requires prospective recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies resulting from stock-based compensation awards vesting and exercises be recognized in the income statement. Previously, these amounts were recognized in additional paid-in capital. Net excess tax benefits of $2.3 million for the period ended December 31, 2017, were recognized as a reduction of income tax expense. In addition, ASU 2016-09 requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be prospectively excluded from the assumed future proceeds in the calculation of diluted shares, resulting in an insignificant increase in diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the period ended December 31, 2017, which did not have a material impact on earnings per share.

The Company has elected to continue to estimate the number of stock-based awards expected to vest, as permitted by ASU 2016-09, rather than electing to account for forfeitures as they occur.

    The standard also requires that the excess tax benefits from share based compensation awards be reported as operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Previously, these cash flows were included in financing activities. We have elected to apply this change on a prospective basis, resulting in an increase in net cash provided by operating activities of 
$2.3 million for the period ended December 31, 2017.

The prior period was not adjusted with the adoption of ASU 2016-09 due to the adoption of this standard on a prospective basis.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amendments in this ASU replace the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this guidance on a retrospective basis in 2017 and has determined that there is no material impact on our financial statements.



In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory. The amendments in this ASU reduce the complexity in the accounting standards by allowing the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. Historically, the income tax consequence was not recognized until the asset was sold to an outside party. This ASUupdate is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early2022, with early adoption is permitted.permitted, including in interim periods. The Company does not expectearly adopted ASU 2021-08 during the second quarter of 2022. An entity that early adopts in an interim period should apply the amendments (1) retrospectively to all business combinations for which the acquisition date occurs on or after the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period of early application and (2) prospectively to all business combinations that occur on or after the date of initial application. Therefore, the adoption of this ASU 2021-08 was applied retrospectively to January 1, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2021-08 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Recently issued applicable accounting pronouncements not yet adopted
In November 2016,March 2020, the FASB issued 2016-18, Statement of Cash FlowsASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 230)848): Restricted Cash - a consensusFacilitation of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force. The amendments in this ASU require restricted cashEffects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This update provides for optional financial reporting alternatives to reduce cost and restricted cash equivalentscomplexities associated with accounting for contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform. This update applies only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Interbank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be classified in the statementdiscontinued because of cash flows as cash and cash equivalents.reference rate reform. The guidance will be applied on a retrospective basis beginningaccommodations were available for all entities through December 31, 2022, with the earliest period presented. The amendments in thisearly adoption permitted. This update was later amended by ASU are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after2022-06.
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In December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance on a retrospective basis in 2017 and has determined that there is no material impact on our financial statements.

In January 2017,2022, the FASB issued 2017-01, Business CombinationsASU 2022-06, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 805)848): ClarifyingDeferral of the DefinitionSunset Date of a Business. The amendments in this ASU provide a robust frameworkTopic 848. This update defers the expiration date of ASC Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted and31, 2024. We are currently evaluating the standard should be applied prospectively. The Company does not expecteffect the adoption of this ASU toupdate will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The amendments in this ASU simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test and eliminating the requirement for a reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment. Instead, under this pronouncement, an entity would perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and would recognize an impairment change for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized is not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. In addition, income tax effects will be considered, if applicable. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted and should be adopted on a prospective basis. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2018, the FASB issued 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The amendments in this ASU allow reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the U.S. federal tax legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“2017 Tax Act”). Consequently, the amendments eliminate the stranded tax effects resulting from the 2017 Tax Act and will improve the usefulness of information reported to financial statement users. However, because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act, the underlying guidance that requires that the effect of a change in tax laws or rates to be included in income from continuing operations is not affected. This ASU is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the 2017 Tax Act is recognized. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of this ASU on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2018, the FASB issued 2018-03, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The amendments in this ASU clarify certain aspects of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall. As is consistent with other clarifying standards, the amendments are not expected to have a significant effect on the current accounting practice. This ASU is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods beginning after June 15, 2018. Public entities with fiscal years beginning between December 15, 2017 and June 15, 2018 are not required to adopt these amendments until the interim period beginning after June 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted and should be adopted in conjunction with ASU 2016-01. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of this ASU on our financial statements and related disclosures.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year reported amounts have been reclassified to conform with the 20172022 presentation.



3.    Revenues
3.    Business Acquisitions

Digital Media
Digital Media revenues are earned primarily from the delivery of advertising services and from subscriptions to services and information.
Revenue is earned from the delivery of advertising services on websites that are owned and operated by us and on those websites that are part of Digital Media’s advertising network. Depending on the individual contracts with the customer, revenue for these services is recognized over the contract period when any of the following performance obligations are satisfied: (i) when an advertisement is placed for viewing, (ii) when a qualified sales lead is delivered, (iii) when a visitor “clicks through” on an advertisement or (iv) when commissions are earned upon the sale of an advertised product.
Revenue from subscriptions is earned through the granting of access to, or delivery of, data products or services to customers. Subscriptions cover video games and related content, health information, data and other copyrighted material. Revenues under such agreements are recognized over the contract term for use of the service. Revenues are also earned from listing fees, subscriptions to online publications, and from other sources. Subscription revenues are recognized over time.
We also generate Digital Media subscription revenues through the license of certain assets to clients. Assets are licensed for clients’ use in their own promotional materials or otherwise and may include logos, editorial reviews, or other copyrighted material. Revenues under such license agreements are recognized over the contract term for use of the asset. In instances when technology assets are licensed to our clients, revenues from the license of these assets are recognized over the term of the access period.
The Digital Media business also generates revenue from other sources which include marketing and production services. Such other revenues are generally recognized over the period in which the products or services are delivered.
We also generate Digital Media revenues from transactions involving the sale of perpetual software licenses, related software support and maintenance, hardware used in conjunction with its software, and other related services. Revenue is recognized for these software transactions with multiple performance obligations after (i) the contract has been approved and we are committed to perform the respective obligations and (ii) we can identify and quantify each obligation and its respective selling price. Once the respective performance obligations have been identified and quantified, revenue will be recognized when the obligations are met, either over time or at a point in time depending on the nature of the obligation.
Revenues from software license performance obligations are generally recognized upfront at the point in time that the software is made available to the customer to download and use. Revenues for related software support and maintenance performance obligations are related to technical support provided to customers as needed and unspecified software product upgrades, maintenance releases and patches during the term of the support period when they are available. We are obligated to make the support services available continuously throughout the contract period. Therefore, revenues for support contracts are generally recognized ratably over the contractual period the support services are provided. Hardware product and related software performance obligations, such as an operating system or firmware, are highly interdependent and interrelated and are accounted for as a bundled performance obligation. The revenues for this bundled performance obligation are generally recognized at the point in time that the hardware and software products are delivered and ownership is transferred to the customer. Other service revenues are generally recognized over time as the services are performed.
The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to revenue generated (i) by the Company serving online display and video advertising across its owned and operated web properties, on third-party sites or on unaffiliated advertising networks; (ii) through the Company’s lead-generation business; and (iii) through the Company’s subscriptions. The Company records revenue on a net basis with respect to revenue paid to the Company by certain third-party advertising networks who serve online display and video advertising across the Company’s owned-and-operated web properties and certain third-party sites.
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Cybersecurity and Martech
The Company’s Cybersecurity and Martech revenues substantially consist of subscription revenues which include subscription, usage-based fees, a significant portion of which are paid in advance. The Company defers the portions of monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual fees collected in advance of the satisfaction of performance obligations and recognizes them in the period earned.
Along with its numerous proprietary Cybersecurity and Martech solutions, the Company also generates subscription revenues by reselling various third-party solutions, primarily through its email security line of business. These third-party solutions, along with the Company’s proprietary products, allow it to offer customers a variety of solutions to better meet the customer’s needs. The Company records revenue on a gross basis with respect to reseller revenue because the Company has control of the specified good or service prior to transferring control to the customer.
Revenues from external customers classified by revenue source are as follows (in thousands). See Note 18 - Segment Information for additional information.
Year ended December 31,
Digital Media202220212020
Advertising
$788,135 $838,075 $627,198 
Subscription244,694 197,354 166,219 
Other46,343 33,871 17,943 
Total Digital Media revenues$1,079,172 $1,069,300 $811,360 
Cybersecurity and Martech
Subscription$312,626 $348,611 $347,697 
Total Cybersecurity and Martech revenues$312,626 $348,611 $347,697 
Corporate$— $— $
Elimination of inter-segment revenues(801)(1,189)(229)
Total Revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
Timing of revenue recognition
Point in time$46,770 $42,276 $27,685 
Over time1,344,227 1,374,446 1,131,144 
Total$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
The Company has recorded $174.7 million and $153.0 million of revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which was previously included in the deferred revenue balance as of the beginning of each respective year.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company acquired $21.5 million and $9.5 million, respectively, of deferred revenue in connection with the Company’s business acquisitions, which are subject to purchase accounting adjustments, as appropriate. Refer to Note 4 - Business Acquisitions for additional details.
Performance Obligations
The Company is often a party to multiple concurrent contracts with the same customer, or a party related to that customer. These situations require judgment to determine if those arrangements should be accounted for as a single contract. Consideration of both the form and the substance of the arrangement is required. The Company’s contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations, including complex contracts when advertising and licensing services are sold together.
The Company determines the transaction price based on the amount to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for services provided. The Company includes any fixed consideration within its contracts as part of the total transaction price. The Company’s contracts occasionally contain some component of variable consideration, which is often immaterial and estimated. The Company does not include in the transaction price taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are (i) both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and (ii) collected by us from the customer. Due to the nature of the services provided, there are no obligations for returns.
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The Company satisfies its performance obligations within the Digital Media business upon delivery of services to its customers. In addition, the Company provides content to its advertising partners which the Company sells to its partners’ customer base and receives a revenue share based on the terms of the agreement.
The Company satisfies its performance obligations within the Cybersecurity and Martech business upon delivery of services to its customers. Payment terms vary by type and location of our customers and the services offered. The time between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant.
Significant Judgments
Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. Judgment is also required to determine the standalone selling price for each distinct performance obligation.
Performance Obligations Satisfied Over Time
Our Digital Media business consists primarily of performance obligations that are satisfied over time. This was determined based on a review of the contracts and the nature of the services offered, where the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefit of the services provided. Satisfaction of these performance obligations is evidenced in the following ways:
Advertising
Website reporting by the Company, the customer, or a third-party contains the delivery evidence needed to satisfy the performance obligations within the advertising contract
Successfully delivered leads are evidenced by either delivery reports from the Company’s internal lead management systems or through e-mail communication and/or other evidence of delivery showing acceptance of leads by the customer
Commission is evidenced by direct site reporting from the affiliate or via direct confirmation from the customer
Subscription
Evidence of delivery is contained in the Company’s systems or from correspondence with the customer which tracks when a customer accepts delivery of any assets, digital keys or download links
Revenue is recognized based on delivery of services over the contract period for advertising and on a straight-line basis over the contract period for subscriptions. The Company believes that the methods described are a faithful depiction of the transfer of goods and services.
Our Cybersecurity and Martech business consists primarily of performance obligations that are satisfied over time. This has been determined based on the fact that the nature of services offered are subscription based where the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefit of the services provided regardless of whether the customer uses the services or not. Depending on the individual contracts with the customer, revenue for these services are recognized over the contract period when any of the following materially distinct performance obligations are satisfied:
Voice, email marketing and search engine optimization as services are delivered
Consumer privacy services and data backup capabilities are provided
Security solutions, including email and endpoint are provided
Faxing capabilities are provided (included in discontinued operations through October 7, 2021)
The Company has concluded the best measure of progress toward the complete satisfaction of the performance obligation over time is a time-based measure. The Company recognizes revenue on a straight-line basis throughout the subscription period, or as usage occurs, and believes that the method used is a faithful depiction of the transfer of goods and services.
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Performance Obligations Satisfied at a Point in Time
The Company’s Digital Media business has technology subscriptions that have standalone functionality. As a result, they are considered to be functional intellectual property where the performance obligations are satisfied at a point in time. This is evidenced once a digital key is delivered to the customer. Once the key is delivered to the customer, the customer has full control of the technology and the Company has no further performance obligations. The Company has concluded that revenue is recognized once the digital key is delivered. The Company believes that this method is a faithful depiction of the transfer of goods and services.
Practical expedients
Existence of a Significant Financing Component in a Contract
If at contract inception, the Company expects that the period between payment by the customer and the transfer of promised goods or services by the Company to the customer will be one year or less, the Company does not assess whether a contract has a significant financing component. In addition, the Company has determined that the payment terms that the Company provides to its customers are structured primarily for reasons other than the provision of finance to the Company. The Company typically charges a single upfront amount for services because other payment terms would affect the nature of the risk assumed by the Company to provide service given the costs of the customer acquisition and the highly competitive and commoditized nature of the business we operate which allows customers to easily move from one provider to another. This additional risk may make it uneconomical to provide the service.
Costs to Obtain a Contract
The Company’s revenues are primarily generated from customer contracts that are for one year or less. Costs primarily consist of incentive compensation paid based on the achievements of sales targets in a given period for related revenue streams and are recognized in the month when the revenue is earned. Incentive compensation is paid on the issuance or renewal of the customer contract. As a practical expedient, for amortization periods which are determined to be one year or less, the Company expenses any incremental costs of obtaining the contract with a customer when incurred. For those customers with amortization periods determined to be greater than one year, the Company capitalizes and amortizes the expenses over the period of benefit.
In addition, the Company partners with various affiliates in order to generate a portion of its revenue for certain lines of business. The commissions earned by the Company’s affiliates are incentive based and are paid on the acquisition of new customers in a given period. For those customers with amortization periods determined to be greater than one year, the Company capitalizes and amortizes the expenses over the period of benefit.
Revenues Invoiced
The Company has applied the practical expedient for certain revenues streams to exclude the disclosure of the value of remaining performance obligations for the following types of contracts:
i.Contracts within an original expected term of one year or less,
ii.Contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue in proportion to the amount it has the right to invoice for services performed.
Transaction Price Allocation to Future Performance Obligations
As of December 31, 2022, the aggregate amount of transaction price that is allocated to future performance obligations was approximately $21.2 million and is expected to be recognized as follows: 93% by December 31, 2023 and 7% by December 31, 2025. The amount disclosed does not include revenues related to performance obligations that are part of a contract with original expected duration of 12 months or less or portions of the contract that remain subject to cancellations.
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4.Business Acquisitions
The Company uses acquisitions as a strategy to grow its customer base by increasing its presence in new and existing markets, expand and diversify its service offerings, enhance its technology, and acquire skilled personnel and enter into other jurisdictions.personnel.

2022 Acquisitions
The Company completed the following acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2017,2022, paying the purchase price in cash in each transaction: (a) an asseta purchase of sFax,100% equity interests of Lifecycle Marketing Group Limited, acquired on March 31, 2017, an Austin-based providerJanuary 21, 2022, a United Kingdom-based portfolio of mobile cloud faxing for health care;pregnancy and parenting brands, including Emma’s Diary and Health Professional Academy, reported within our Digital Media segment; (b) a share purchase of the entire issued capital100% equity interests of WeCloud AB,FitNow, Inc., acquired on June 12, 2017,2, 2022, a Swedish-basedMassachusetts-based provider of cloud-based internet security services;weight loss products and support, reported within our Digital Media segment; and (c) an asset purchase of MyPhoneFax.com, acquired on June 30, 2017, a provider of online fax services; (d) an asset purchase of EZ Publishing (dba “StreamSend”), acquired on August 22, 2017, a provider of email marketing solutions; (e) a share purchase of all the issued capital of Humble Bundle Inc., acquired on October 13, 2017, a digital storefront for video games based in California; (f) an asset purchase of blackfriday.com, acquired on November 7, 2017, an online solution that markets popular Black Friday ads that are centrally located connecting shoppers with retailers; (g) a share purchase of all the issued capital of OnTargetJobs, Inc., acquired on December 4, 2017, a provider of online recruitment solutions for job seekers and employers in North America; (h) a share purchase of all the issued capital of Mashable Inc., acquired on December 5, 2017, a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company providing tech, digital culture and entertainment content around the globe; and (i)four other immaterial acquisitions of online data backup, email marketing and email security businesses.

Digital Media acquisitions.
The consolidated statementConsolidated Statement of incomeOperations since the date of each acquisition and balance sheet as of December 31, 2017,2022, reflect the results of operations of all 20172022 acquisitions. For the year ended December 31, 2017,2022, these acquisitions contributed $34.7$33.0 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income from continuing operations contributed by these acquisitions was not separately identifiable due to j2 Global’sthe Company’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide. Total consideration for these transactions was $203.9$121.7 million, net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and is subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the preliminary purchase consideration for all 20172022 acquisitions as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
Accounts receivable$7,433 
Accounts receivablePrepaid expenses and other current assets$4,915 14,130
Other assets10,243
Property and equipment369 6,411
Deferred tax assetOperating lease right-of-use assets, noncurrent545 405
Trade names12,839 20,610
TrademarksCustomer relationships20,040 1,373
Customer relationshipsGoodwill95,737 61,307
Other intangibles36,998
GoodwillOther intangibles18,166 121,827
Other long-term assets11 
Accounts payablespayable and accrued expenses(6,221)(27,995)
Deferred revenue(11,853)
Deferred revenue(21,474)
Deferred tax liability(10,140)(29,534)
           TotalOther long-term liabilities$(516)203,922
Total
$
121,704 


During 2017, the purchase price accounting has been finalized for the following acquisitions: (i) Fonebox; (ii) Everyday Health Inc.; (iii) sFax; (iv) MyPhoneFax.com; (v) StreamSend; and (vi) other immaterial fax, online data backup, email security and email marketing businesses. The initial accounting for all other 2017of the 2022 acquisitions is incomplete due to timing of available information and is subject to change, which may be significant. j2 Globalchange. The Company has recorded provisional amounts which may be based upon past acquisitions with similar attributes for certain intangible assets (including trade names, software and customer relationships), preliminary acquisition date working capital, and related tax items.

The fair value of the assets acquired includes accounts receivable of $7.4 million, all of which is expected to be collectible. The Company did not acquire any other classes of receivables as a result of its acquisitions.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized associated with these acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2022 is $95.7 million, of which $1.2 million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.
During the year ended December 31, 2017,2022, the purchase price accounting has been finalized for the following 2021 acquisitions: DailyOM, SEOmoz, Solutelia, LLC, Arthur L. Davis Publishing and four other immaterial Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech acquired businesses. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded adjustments to the initial working capital and to the purchase accounting of certain other prior period acquisitions due to the finalization of prior period acquisitions in the Digital Media business. These measurement period adjustments resulted in a net increase in
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goodwill of $4.5 million, which included a $3.2 million increase in connection with the unfavorable contract liability for an acquired contract. The unfavorable contract liability is expected to be accreted over 3 years as of December 31, 2022. In addition, the Company recorded adjustments to the initial working capital and to the purchase accounting of certain prior period acquisitions due to the finalization of prior period acquisitions in the Cloud Services segmentCybersecurity and Martech businesses which resulted in a net decrease in goodwill of $(0.8)$0.1 million. Such adjustments had an immaterial impact on the amortization expense within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets for additional information.
Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information for All 2022 Acquisitions
The following unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had the Company and the acquired businesses been combined companies during the periods presented. These pro forma results are estimates and exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from these business acquisitions had they occurred on January 1, 2021. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.
The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of the Company and its 2022 acquisitions as if each acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2021 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Year ended December 31,
 20222021
 (unaudited)
Revenues$1,407,300 $1,461,178 
Net income from continuing operations$64,877 $398,201 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Basic$1.38 $8.67 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Diluted$1.38 $8.31 

2021 Acquisitions
The Company completed the following acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2021, paying the purchase price in cash in each transaction: (a) an asset purchase of DailyOM, acquired on April 30, 2021, a California-based provider of health and wellness digital media, content and learning business; (b) a share purchase of SEOmoz, acquired on June 4, 2021, a Seattle-based provider of search engine optimization (“SEO”) solutions; (c) an asset purchase of Solutelia, LLC, acquired on July 15, 2021, a Colorado-based on-demand wireless telecommunications network monitoring and analysis, testing and optimization software business and related wireless telecommunications engineering services business; (d) a stock purchase of Arthur L. Davis Publishing, acquired on September 23, 2021, an Iowa-based digital nursing publication; (e) a stock purchase of Root Wireless, Inc. acquired on December 13, 2021, a Washington-based mobile analytics firm; and (f) four other immaterial Digital Media acquisitions.
The Consolidated Statement of Operations since the date of each acquisition and balance sheet as of December 31, 2021, reflect the results of operations of all 2021 acquisitions. For the year ended December 31, 2021, these acquisitions contributed $39.9 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income from continuing operations contributed by these acquisitions was not separately identifiable due to the Company’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide. Total consideration for these transactions was $160.4 million, net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and is subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.

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The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration for all 2021 acquisitions as of December 31, 2021, including individually material acquisitions noted separately (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
Accounts receivable$9,513 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets1,655 
Property and equipment2,188 
Operating lease right-of-use assets, noncurrent5,888 
Trade names16,349 
Customer relationships21,945 
Goodwill97,032
Other intangibles38,894 
Other long-term assets62 
Deferred tax asset230 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(5,863)
Deferred revenue(9,491)
Operating lease liabilities, current(7,191)
Other current liabilities(14)
Deferred tax liability(9,237)
Other long-term liabilities(1,511)
Total$160,449 

The fair value of the assets acquired includes accounts receivable of $9.5 million. The gross amount due under contracts is $9.9 million, of which $0.4 million was expected to be uncollectible. The Company did not acquire any other classes of receivables as a result of its acquisitions.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized associated with these acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2021 is $97.0 million, of which $42.1 million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.
Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information for All 2021 Acquisitions
The following unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had the Company and the acquired businesses been combined companies during the periods presented. These pro forma results are estimates and exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from these business acquisitions had they occurred on January 1, 2020. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.
The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of the Company and its 2021 acquisitions as if each acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Year ended December 31,
 2021 2020
 (unaudited)
Revenues$1,482,323 $1,267,280 
Net income from continuing operations$416,348 $33,351 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Basic$9.06 $0.72 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Diluted$8.69 $0.71 

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SEOmoz Acquisition
On June 4, 2021, the Company acquired all the outstanding issued capital of SEOmoz at a purchase consideration of $67.0 million, net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities. SEOmoz is a provider of search engine optimization (“SEO”) solutions. The Consolidated Statement of Operations since the date of acquisition and balance sheet as of December 31, 2021, reflect the results of operations of SEOmoz. For the year ended December 31, 2021, SEOmoz contributed $25.6 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income from continuing operations contributed by SEOmoz since the acquisition date was not separately identifiable due to the Company’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide.
The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration for the SEOmoz acquisition (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
Accounts receivable$3,278 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets1,547 
Property and equipment1,845 
Operating lease right of use asset5,888 
Trade names7,406 
Customer relationships5,000 
Goodwill41,329 
Other intangibles22,777 
Other long-term assets62 
Accounts payables and accrued expenses(2,655)
Other current liabilities(14)
Deferred revenue(6,398)
Operating lease liabilities, current(7,191)
Deferred tax liability(5,327)
Other long-term liabilities(550)
           Total$66,997 
The fair value of the assets acquired includes accounts receivable of $3.3 million. The gross amount due under contracts is $3.6 million, of which $0.3 million was expected to be uncollectible. The Company did not acquire any other classes of receivables as a result of its acquisitions.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized in connection with this acquisition during the year ended December 31, 2021 is $41.3 million of which zero is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded adjustments to the initial working capital and to the purchase accounting due to the finalization of prior period acquisitions in the Digital Media business, which resulted in a net decrease in goodwill of $1.4 million. In addition, the Company recorded adjustments to the initial working capital relatedand to the purchase accounting due to the finalization of prior period acquisitions in the Digital Media segment,Cybersecurity and Martech businesses which resulted in a net increase in goodwill of $0.5 million. Such adjustments had an immaterial impact on the amortization expense within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021. Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets for additional information.
Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information for SEOmoz Acquisition
The following unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had the Company and the acquired business been combined companies during the periods presented. These pro forma results are estimates and exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from this business acquisition had it occurred on January 1, 2020. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges as a result of the SEOmoz acquisition, net of the related tax effects.
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The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of the Company and SEOmoz as if the acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Year ended December 31,
 2021 2020
 (unaudited)
Revenues$1,438,099 $1,207,910 
Net income from continuing operations$406,281 $29,382 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Basic$8.84 $0.63 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Diluted$8.48 $0.62 

2020 Acquisitions
The Company completed the following acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2020, paying the purchase price in cash in each transaction: (a) a share purchase of the entire issued capital of RetailMeNot, Inc. acquired on October 28, 2020, a Texas-based provider of marketing solutions; (b) a share purchase of the entire issued capital of Inspired eLearning, LLC, acquired on November 2, 2020, a Texas-based platform for cybersecurity awareness and compliance training; (c) a share purchase of the entire issued capital of The Aberdeen Group, LLC and The Big Willow, Inc., acquired on November 20, 2020, a Massachusetts-based provider in digital marketing solutions; and (d) other immaterial acquisitions of email marketing, security and digital media businesses.
The Consolidated Statement of Operations since the date of each acquisition and balance sheet as of December 31, 2020, reflect the results of operations of all 2020 acquisitions. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these acquisitions contributed $54.6 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income from continuing operations contributed by these acquisitions was not separately identifiable due to the Company’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide. Total consideration for these transactions was $472.8 million, net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.
The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration for all 2020 acquisitions, including individually material acquisitions noted separately (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
Accounts receivable$46,138 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets9,105 
Property and equipment2,204 
Operating lease right of use asset10,644 
Trade names66,763 
Customer relationships214,347 
Goodwill202,901 
Other intangibles56,424 
Other long-term assets685 
Deferred tax asset992 
Accounts payables and accrued expenses(28,979)
Deferred revenue(21,918)
Operating lease liabilities, current(4,520)
Long-term debt(910)
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent(13,104)
Income taxes payable(3,297)
Liability for uncertain tax positions(1,576)
Deferred tax liability(53,870)
Other long-term liabilities(9,269)
           Total$472,760 
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded adjustments to prior period acquisitions due to changes in the initial working capital and related purchase accounting within the Cybersecurity and Martech businesses, which resulted in a net decrease in goodwill of $(4.7) million (see Note 8 - Goodwill$2.1 million. In addition, the Company recorded adjustments to prior period acquisitions due to changes in the initial working capital and Intangible Assets).related purchase accounting within the Digital Media business, which resulted in a net increase in goodwill of $9.7 million. Such


adjustments had an immaterial impact to amortization expense within the Consolidated StatementStatements of IncomeOperations for the year ended December 31, 2017.2020.

The fair value of the assets acquired includes accounts receivable of $46.1 million. The gross amount due under contracts is $53.0 million, of which $6.9 million was expected to be uncollectible. The Company did not acquire any other classes of receivables as a result of its acquisitions.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized in connection with these acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 20172020 is $121.8$202.9 million, of which $34.7$55.0 million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

2016Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information for All 2020 Acquisitions
The following unaudited pro forma information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated results of operations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had the Company completedand the following acquisitionsacquired businesses been combined companies during the year ended December 31, 2016, payingperiods presented. These pro forma results are estimates and exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from these business acquisitions had they occurred on January 1, 2020 and do not take into consideration the purchase priceexiting of any acquired lines of business. The Company acquired a line of business through the RetailMeNot, Inc. acquisition which was in cashthe process of being exited prior to the acquisition. This line of business accounts for each transaction: (a) an$0.1 million of revenue in 2020, respectively, which is included in the pro forma results below. In addition, during 2020, the Company sold certain Voice assets in Australia and New Zealand. This divestiture represented $8.4 million of revenue during the 2020 fiscal year. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset purchase of VaultLogix, acquired on February 17, 2016,amortization, income tax expense, and interest income as a Massachusetts-based provider of cloud data backup and storage for business clients; (b) a share purchaseresult of the entireacquisitions, net of the related tax effects.
The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of the Company and its 2020 acquisitions as if each acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Year ended
December 31, 2020
(unaudited)
Revenues$1,339,927 
Net income from continuing operations$21,450 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Basic$0.46 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Diluted$0.45 

RetailMeNot, Inc. Acquisition
On October 28, 2020, the Company acquired all the outstanding issued capital of Callstream Group Limited,RetailMeNot, Inc. at a purchase consideration of $414.4 million, net of cash acquired on March 3, 2016,and assumed liabilities.
RetailMeNot, Inc. (“RMN”) is a providerleading savings destination that influences purchase decisions through the power of cloud-based call management solutionssavings and coupons. The multinational company operates digital savings websites and mobile applications connecting consumers, both online and in-store, to markets in the United Kingdom; (c) an asset purchase of Publicaster, acquired on April 1, 2016, a Maryland-based provider of email marketing services; (d) an asset purchase of SMTP, acquired on June 27, 2016, a Florida-based provider of cloud email services offering solutions ranging from sophisticated transactional email solutions to cost-effective Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (“SMTP”) relay services; (e) a share purchase of the entire issued capital of Integrated Global Concepts, Inc. (“IGC”), acquired on July 12, 2016, a Chicago-based provider of fax and voicemail services; (f) a share purchase of the entire issued capital of Front-safe A/S, acquired on July 15, 2016, a Denmark-based provider of cloud backup solutions; (g) an asset purchase of Fonebox Australia, acquired on October 18, 2016, an Australia-based provider of voice, call routing and virtual receptionist business; (h) a share purchase of all the outstanding shares of common stock of Everyday Health Inc. (“Everyday Health”), acquired on December 5, 2016, a New York-based provider of digital health and wellness solutions; and (i) other immaterial acquisitions of online data backup, email marketing, email security and digital media businesses.

retailers that advertise with RMN.
The consolidated statementConsolidated Statement of incomeOperations since the date of each acquisition and balance sheet as of December 31, 2016,2020, reflect the results of operations of all 2016 acquisitions.RetailMeNot, Inc. For the year ended December 31, 2016, these acquisitions2020, RetailMeNot, Inc. contributed $52.9$47.6 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income from continuing operations contributed by these acquisitionsRetailMeNot, Inc. since the acquisition date was not separately identifiable due to j2 Global’sthe Company’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide. Total consideration for these transactions was $596.1 million, net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration for all 2016 acquisitionsthe RetailMeNot, Inc. acquisition (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
Accounts receivable$40,525 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets7,367 
Property and equipment587 
Operating lease right of use asset10,313 
Trade names62,940 
Customer relationships198,840 
Goodwill169,581 
Other intangibles42,610 
Other long-term assets494 
Deferred tax asset605 
Accounts payables and accrued expenses(24,526)
Deferred revenue(11,175)
Operating lease liabilities, current(4,029)
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent(13,085)
Income taxes payable(3,308)
Liability for uncertain tax positions(1,576)
Deferred tax liability(52,504)
Other long-term liabilities(9,275)
           Total$414,384 
Assets and Liabilities (1)
Valuation
  
Accounts receivable$70,922
Other assets 11,730
Property and equipment 11,109
Trade names 5,866
Trademarks 70,300
Customer relationships 85,482
Other intangibles 91,264
Goodwill 333,190
Accounts payables and accrued expenses (62,188)
Deferred revenue (6,904)
Deferred tax liability (14,503)
Capital lease (194)
           Total$596,074
(1) In connection with the purchase of IGC, the majorityThe fair value of the valueassets acquired included accounts receivable of $40.5 million. The gross amount due under contracts was associated with the 935,231 shares$47.2 million, of j2 Global common stock held by IGC.which $6.7 million was expected to be uncollectible. The value associated with these shares was recordedCompany did not acquire any other classes of receivables as a separate transaction from the fax business and has been excluded from the schedule above.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded adjustments to prior period acquisitions primarily due to the finalizationresult of the purchase accounting in the Cloud Services segment which resulted in a net increase in goodwill in the amount of $0.8 million. In addition, the Company recorded adjustments to the initial working capital related to prior period


acquisitions and updated the purchase accounting of Offers.com in the Digital Media segment, which resulted in a net decrease in goodwill in the amount of $(5.0) million with a corresponding increase in trade names, net and other purchased intangibles, net (see Note 8 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets). Such adjustments had an immaterial impact to amortization expense within the Consolidated Statement of Income for the year ended December 31, 2016.

its acquisitions.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized in connection with these acquisitionsthis acquisition during the year ended December 31, 2016 is $333.22020 was $169.6 million, of which $102.4$36.6 million iswas expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

IGC
The Company acquired the entire issued capital of IGC on July 12, 2016 for a cash purchase price of approximately $6.3 million (excluding amounts allocated to the Company’s purchase of its common stock described below), net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and is subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.

At the date of acquisition, IGC held 935,231 of the Company’s common stock which the Company determined should be treated as a separate transaction from the acquired fax and voicemail businesses. In order to determine the amount of purchase consideration allocable to the fax and voicemail business and the Company’s common stock, the Company used a relative fair value approach and concluded that the amounts of consideration allocable to the fax and voicemail business and the Company’s common stock were $6.3 million and $51.5 million, respectively. See Note 12 - Stockholders’ Equity for further discussion regarding the Company’s common stock acquired in connection with the IGC business combination.

Everyday Health

On December 5, 2016, the Company acquired all the outstanding shares of common stock of Everyday Health, $0.01 par value per share, at a purchase consideration $493.7 million (net of cash acquired and assumed liabilities) or $10.50 per share in cash, and subject to certain post-closing adjustments which may increase or decrease the final consideration paid.

Everyday Health is a leading provider of digital health and marketing and communication solutions. Everyday Health attracts a large and engaged audience of consumers and healthcare professionals to its premier health and wellness properties and utilizes its data and analytics expertise to deliver highly personalized content experiences and efficient and effective marketing and engagement solutions. Everyday Health enables consumers to manage their daily health and wellness needs, healthcare professionals to stay informed and make better decisions for their patients, and marketers, health payers and providers to communicate and engage with consumers and healthcare professionals to drive better health outcomes. Everyday Health’s content and solutions are delivered through multiple channels, including desktop, mobile web, mobile phone and tablet applications, as well as video and social media.

The Company acquired Everyday Health to bring together two leading digital media companies with complimentary visions and platforms to engage and monetize audiences. The combined company will be well positioned to deliver compelling benefits to customers with content that connects, informs and empowers audiences. The Company’s Digital Media segment maintains leading positions in the technology, gaming and men's lifestyle verticals with strong and well-established brands. Everyday Health adds a new vertical and set of market-leading trusted health properties to the portfolio while diversifying the company’s audience mix.

The consolidated statement of income, since the date of acquisition, and balance sheet, as of December 31, 2016, reflect the results of operations Everyday Health. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Everyday Health contributed $23.2 million to the Company’s revenues. Net income contributed by Everyday Health was not separately identifiable due to j2 Global’s integration activities and is impracticable to provide.



The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase consideration for the Everyday Health acquisition (in thousands):
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
  
Cash$15,918
Accounts receivable 67,968
Other assets 11,168
Property and equipment 6,494
Trademarks 70,300
Customer relationships 45,500
Other intangibles 88,267
Goodwill 263,988
Accounts payables and accrued expenses (59,091)
Deferred revenue (5,297)
Deferred tax liability (11,500)
           Total$493,715

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized in connection with the Everyday Health acquisition during the year ended December 31, 2016 is $264.0 million, of which $65.4 million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information for Everyday HealthRetailMeNot, Inc. Acquisition

The following unaudited pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions, which j2 Global believes are reasonable. However, this information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of incomeoperations in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had j2 Globalthe Company and Everyday Healththe acquired business been combined companies during the periods presented. These pro forma results are estimates and exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from the Everyday Healththis business acquisition had it occurred on January 1, 20152020 and do not take into consideration the exiting of any acquired lines of business. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges asThe Company acquired a resultline of business, through the Everyday HealthRetailMeNot, Inc. acquisition netwhich was in the process of being exited prior to the related tax effects.

acquisition.
The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of j2 Globalthe Company and Everyday HealthRetailMeNot, Inc. as if the acquisition had occurred on January 1, 20152020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Year ended
December 31, 2020
(unaudited)
Revenues$1,308,731 
Net income from continuing operations$23,395 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Basic$0.50 
Income per common share from continuing operations - Diluted$0.49 

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
 Year ended
 
December 31,
2016
 
December 31,
2015
 (unaudited) (unaudited)
Revenues$1,082,813
 $952,806
Net income$103,541
 $115,059
EPS - Basic$2.14
 $2.38
EPS - Diluted$2.13
 $2.35

Pro Forma Financial InformationAs of December 31, 2022, future payments associated with long-term contractual obligations for All 2016 Acquisitions

The following unaudited pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions, that j2 Global believes are reasonable. However, this information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of incomeholdback payments in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had j2 Global and the acquired businesses been combined companies during the periods presented. These pro forma results exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from theseconnection with all business acquisitions had they occurred on January 1, 2015are as follows (in thousands):
2023$19,208 
20247,359 
$26,567 
5.Investments
Investments consist of equity and do not take into considerationdebt securities.
Investment in equity securities
Investment in Consensus
As of December 31, 2022, the exitinginvestment in equity securities consists of any acquired linespublicly traded common stock of business. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.



The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of j2 Global and its 2016 acquisitions as if each acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2015 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Year ended
 
December 31,
2016
 
December 31,
2015
 (unaudited) (unaudited)
Revenues$1,102,510
 $1,009,169
Net income$108,822
 $111,817
EPS - Basic$2.25
 $2.31
EPS - Diluted$2.24
 $2.29

2015

The Company completed the following acquisitions duringConsensus. During the year ended December 31, 2015, paying2022, the purchase priceCompany completed the non-cash tax-free debt-for-equity exchanges of 2,800,000 shares of its Investment in cashConsensus for each transaction: (a) a share purchasethe extinguishment of $112.3 million of principal of the entire issued share capital of Firstway, acquired on February 11, 2015, an Ireland-based distributor of FaxBOX® digital fax services; (b) an asset purchase of Nuvotera (formerly known as Spam Soap), acquired on February 13, 2015, a California-based supplier of email security; (c) an asset purchase of EmailDirect, acquired on February 19, 2015, a California-based provider of email marketing services; (d) an asset purchase of SugarSync®, Inc., acquired on March 23, 2015, a California-based provider of online file backup, synchronizationCompany’s Term Loan Facilities, and sharing assets; (e) an asset purchase of Popfax, acquired on September 23, 2015, a France-based global provider of internet fax services; (f) a stock purchase of the entire capital stock of Salesify, acquired on September 17, 2015, a California-based based provider of lead generation solutions; (g) an asset purchase of LiveVault®, acquired on September 30, 2015, a California-based global provider of data backup and recovery services; (h) a membership interest purchase of the entire units of Offers.com, acquired on December 31, 2015, a Texas-based and is an online marketplace connecting millions of consumers with discounts from thousands of leading merchants; and (i) certain other immaterial acquisitions of fax, online data backup and email businesses.related interest.

The consolidated statement of income since the date of each acquisition and balance sheet, as of December 31, 2015, reflect the results of operations of all 2015 acquisitions. ForDuring the year ended December 31, 2015, these acquisitions contributed $52.4 million to2022, the Company’s revenues. Net income contributed by these acquisitions was not separately identifiable due to j2 Global’s integration activities. Total consideration for these transactions was $314.0 million, netCompany also sold 73,919 shares of cash acquired and assumed liabilities and subject to certain post-closing adjustments.common stock of Consensus in the open market.

The following table summarizesGains (losses) on equity securities recognized in ‘Unrealized gain (loss) on short-term investments held at the allocationreporting date’ consisted of the purchase consideration as followsfollowing (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Net (losses) gains during the period$(53,888)$298,490 
Less: losses on securities sold during the period(46,743)— 
Unrealized (losses) gains recognized during the period on short-term investments held at the reporting date$(7,145)$298,490 
Assets and LiabilitiesValuation
  
Accounts receivable$14,935
Other assets 1,415
Property and equipment 5,769
Software 18,764
Trade names 22,602
Customer relationships 98,027
Other intangibles 1,873
Goodwill 172,593
Accounts payables and accrued expenses (9,684)
Deferred revenue (10,764)
Deferred tax liability (1,316)
Capital lease (195)
           Total$314,019
Goodwill represents the excessAs of the purchase price overDecember 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company held approximately 1.1 million and 4.0 million shares, respectively, of the common stock of Consensus. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Investment in Consensus was $58.4 million and $229.2 million, respectively, and was recorded as a short-term investment on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Other investment
Prior to December 31, 2021, the Company owned certain equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and represents intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. Goodwill recognized in connection


with these acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2015 is $172.6 million, of which $143.3 million is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

Pro Forma Financial Information for 2015 Acquisitions

The following unaudited pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions that j2 Global believes are reasonable. However, this information is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of income in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had j2 Global and the acquired businesses been combined companies during the period presented. These pro forma results exclude any savings or synergies that would have resulted from these business acquisitions had they occurred on January 1, 2014 and do not take into consideration the exiting of any acquired lines of business. This unaudited pro forma supplemental information includes incremental intangible asset amortization and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.

The supplemental information on an unaudited pro forma financial basis presents the combined results of j2 Global and its 2015 acquisitions as if each acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2014 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Year ended
 
December 31,
2015
 
December 31,
2014
 (unaudited) (unaudited)
Revenues$823,904
 $744,388
Net income$159,408
 $126,196
EPS - Basic$3.29
 $2.64
EPS - Diluted$3.26
 $2.62

4.    Investments

Investments consist of certificates of deposits and equity securities. 

The Company’s equity investments wereit received as part of the consideration for the sale of Tea Leaves Health, LLC (“Tea Leaves”) which occurred on October 5, 2017 and are without readily determinable fair values because thesethe subsidiary in 2017. These securities arewere privately held, not traded on any public exchanges and is not an investment in anya mutual fund or similar type investment. The Company elected to measure this investment at cost, less impairment, adjusted for subsequent observable price changes to estimate fair value. The Company made a “reasonable effort” to identify any observable price changes for identical or similar investments with the issuer that were known and could be reasonably known. Any changes in the carrying value of the equity securities were reported in current earnings as Gain (loss) on investment, net.
As part of the consideration for the sale of the subsidiary in 2017, the Company received shares of redeemable preferred stock that were classified as corporate debt securities and were accounted for as available-for-sale-securities. During the year ended December 31, 2020, in a non-cash transaction of $18.3 million, the Company exchanged these shares of redeemable preferred stock that were previously accounted for as available-for-sale corporate debt securities for a new series of preferred stock, classified as equity securities without a readily determinable fair value. The Company recognized a loss on exchange of $4.4 million in 2020, which is reflected in ‘Loss on investments, net’ in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a $19.6 million impairment loss related to a decline in value associated with certain preferred stock primarily due to the recapitalization of the investee and overall market volatility. The Company was not expected to recover the recorded cost of these securities and reduced such amount to what the Company received as a result of the recapitalization. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company has determined thatrecorded a $16.7 million impairment loss on investments related to a decline in value due to a sales transaction of an investee. The Company subsequently sold its remaining investments in these securities with proceeds of $14.3 million and a realized loss of
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
approximately $0.3 million. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, cumulative impairment losses on these securities were $40.5 million and $23.8 million, respectively.
The following table summarizes the historical cost and estimated fair values for the Company’s securities without a readily determinable fair value as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands). Impairment losses are included within Loss on investments, should be accountednet in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
As of December 31,
20212020
Cost$17,156 $50,384 
Impairment(16,677)(19,605)
Adjustments(479)(479)
Reported amount$— $30,300 
Investment in corporate debt security
On April 12, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement with an entity to acquire 4% convertible notes with an aggregate value of $15.0 million.
This investment is included in ‘Long-term investments, net’ in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and is classified as available-for-sale. This investment is initially measured at its transaction price and subsequently remeasured at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of other comprehensive income.
The table below summarizes the carrying value and the maximum exposure of Company’s investment in corporate debt securities as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
December 31, 2022
Fair valueMaximum exposure
Investment in corporate debt securities$15,586 $15,586 
The following table summarizes the gross unrealized gains and losses and fair values for using the cost method of accounting in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 325, Investments - Other (see Note 5 - Assets Held for Sale).investments classified as available-for-sale (in thousands):

Amortized
Cost
Gross Unrealized
Gains
Gross Unrealized
Losses
Fair
Value
December 31, 2022
Investment in corporate debt securities$15,000 $586 $— $15,586 
December 31, 2021
Investment in corporate debt securities$— $— $— $— 
December 31, 2020
Investment in corporate debt securities$511 $152 $— $663 
The following table summarizes the Company’s investmentscorporate debt securities designated as available-for-sale, classified by the contractual maturity date of the security (in thousands):
December 31,
 20222021
Due within 1 year$— $— 
Due within more than 1 year but less than 5 years15,586 — 
Due within more than 5 years but less than 10 years— — 
Due 10 years or after— — 
Total$15,586 $— 
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
 December 31,
2017
 December 31, 2016
Certificates of deposit$
 $60
Equity securities57,722
 
Total$57,722
 $60
There were no investments in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not recognize any other-than-temporary impairment losses on its debt securities.
ForEquity method investment
On September 25, 2017, the Company entered into a commitment to invest $200 million (approximately 76.6% of equity) in the OCV Fund. The primary purpose of the Fund is to provide a limited number of select investors with the opportunity to realize long-term appreciation from public and private companies, with a particular focus on the technology and life science industries. The general activities of the OCV Fund is to buy, sell, hold and otherwise invest in securities of every kind and nature and rights and options with respect thereto, including, without limitation, stock, notes, bonds, debentures and evidence of indebtedness; to exercise all rights, powers, privileges and other incidents of ownership or possession with respect to securities held or owned by the OCV Fund; to enter into, make and perform all contracts and other undertakings; and to engage in all activities and transactions as may be necessary, advisable or desirable to carry out the foregoing.
The manager, OCV Management, LLC, and general partner of the Fund are entities with respect to which Richard S. Ressler, former Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company, is indirectly the majority equity holder. Mr. Ressler’s tenure with the Board ended as of May 10, 2022. As a limited partner in the Fund, prior to the settlement of certain litigation generally related to the Company’s investment in the Fund in January 2022, the Company paid an annual management fee to the manager equal to 2.0% of capital commitments. In addition, subject to the terms and conditions of the Fund’s limited partnership agreement, once the Company has received distributions equal to its invested capital, the Fund’s general partner would be entitled to a carried interest equal to 20%. The Fund has a six year investment period, subject to certain exceptions. The commitment was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board in accordance with the Company’s related-party transaction approval policy. At the time of the settlement of the litigation (see Note 12 - Commitments and Contingencies), the Company had invested approximately $128.8 million in the Fund. In connection with the settlement of the litigation, among other terms, no further capital calls will be made in connection with the Company’s investment in the Fund, nor will any management fees be paid by the Company to the manager.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received no capital call notices from the manager of the Fund. During the year ended 2021, the Company received capital call notices from the management of OCV Management, LLC for $22.2 million, inclusive of certain management fees, of which $22.2 million has been paid for the year ended December 31, 2021. During 2020, the Company received capital call notices from the management of OCV Management, LLC for $32.9 million, inclusive of certain management fees, of which $31.9 million has been paid for the year ended December 31, 2020. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, the Company recorded realized gainsreceived a distribution from the saleOCV of investments of approximately zero, $7.7$15.3 million and $0.5 million,zero, respectively.

The Company recognizes its equity in the net earnings or losses relating to the investment in OCV on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information from OCV. If the Company becomes aware of a significant decline in value that is other-than-temporary, the loss will be recorded in the period in which the Company identifies the decline.
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021, and 2015, we did2020, the Company recognized (Loss) income from equity method investment, net of $(7.7) million, $35.8 million, and $(11.3) million, net of tax expense (benefit), respectively. The gains and losses in 2022 and 2021 were primarily the result of gains and losses in the underlying investments. The fiscal 2020 loss was primarily a result of the impairment of two of the Fund’s investments as a result of COVID-19 in the amount of $7.0 million net of tax benefit. In addition, the Company recognized an investment loss in fiscal 2020 in the amount of $4.3 million, net of tax benefit. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, the Company recognized management fees of $1.5 million, $3.0 million, and $3.0 million, net of tax benefit, respectively.
The following table discloses the carrying amount for the Company’s equity method investment (in thousands). These equity securities are included within ‘Long-term investments’ in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
December 31, 2022December 31, 2021
Carrying valueMaximum exposureCarrying valueMaximum exposure
Equity method investment$112,285 $112,285 $122,593 $122,593 
As a limited partner, the Company’s maximum exposure to loss is limited to its proportional ownership in the partnership. In addition, the Company is not recognizerequired to contribute capital in an aggregate amount in excess of its capital commitment and any other-than-temporary impairment losses.expected losses will not be in excess of the Capital Account. Finally, there are no call or put options, or other types of arrangements, which limit the Company’s ability to participate in losses and returns of the Fund.

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5.Assets Held for Sale


ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
6.Discontinued Operations and Dispositions
Consensus Spin-Off
As further described in Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, on October 7, 2021, the Separation of the cloud fax business was completed. No gain or loss was recorded on the Separation in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
On October 7, 2021, Consensus paid Ziff Davis approximately $259.1 million of cash in a distribution that is anticipated to be tax-free provided certain requirements are met, and issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for extinguishment of indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Refer to Note 10 - Debt for additional details. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A. The Company incurred a net loss on extinguishment of debt principal outstanding on the Bridge Loan Facility of approximately $8.8 million, which is recorded within ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ component of ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 (see note 10 - Debt). The divestiture of the cloud fax business was determined to qualify for US Federal tax-free treatment under certain sections of the Internal Revenue Code.
The accounting requirements for reporting the Company’s cloud fax business as a discontinued operation were met when the Separation was completed as the Separation constituted a strategic shift that would have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements reflect the results of the cloud fax business as a discontinued operation for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Operations report discontinued operations separate from continuing operations. The Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, including Note 19 - Supplemental Cash Flow Information, and Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity combine continuing and discontinued operations.
The key components of cash flows from discontinued operations were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20212020
Capital expenditures$15,252 $16,237 
Depreciation and amortization$9,010 $22,759 
Loss on debt extinguishment$8,750 $37,969 
Amortization of financing costs and discounts$— $1,171 
Foreign currency remeasurement gain$— $31,537 
Deferred taxes$8,015 $5,534 
In preparation for and executing the Separation, the Company incurred $11.6 million, net of reimbursement from Consensus, in transaction-related costs including legal and accounting fees during the year ended December 31, 2021, which were recorded in ‘General and administrative expenses’ component of ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statement of Operations. These transaction costs primarily related to professional fees associated with preparation of regulatory filings and transaction execution and separation activities within finance, tax and legal functions.
In connection with the Separation, Ziff Davis and Consensus entered into several agreements that govern the relationship of the parties following the Separation, which are further discussed in Note 21 - Related Party Transactions. Further, certain of the Company’s management and members of its board of directors resigned from the Company as of the Distribution Date and joined Consensus.
The Company made an accounting policy election not to allocate interest to discontinued operations. Interest expense included in discontinued operations relates to the 6.0% Senior Notes (as defined in Note 10 - Debt) issued by J2 Cloud Services, LLC and the Bridge Loan Facility (as defined in Note 10 - Debt), which was required to be repaid as part of the Separation.
During the second quarter 2017,year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded $1.7 million in income tax expense within ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statement of Operations related to the finalization of state tax returns related to the Separation.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The key components of income from discontinued operations were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Revenues$— $270,248 $330,764 
Cost of revenues— (44,306)(53,379)
Sales and marketing— (40,980)(47,116)
Research, development and engineering— (5,814)(7,146)
General and administrative— (39,279)(26,852)
Interest expense and other— (13,856)(44,220)
Income before income taxes— 126,013 152,051 
Income tax expense(1,709)(30,694)(30,043)
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes$(1,709)$95,319 $122,008 
B2B Back-up and Voice Asset Sales
The Company completed the following dispositions that did not meet the criteria for discontinued operations.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company committed to a plan to sell Cambridge BioMarketing Group, LLC (“Cambridge”), a subsidiarycertain Voice assets in the United Kingdom as they were determined to be non-core assets. Such assets were recorded within the Digital Media segment,Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. On February 9, 2021, in a cash transaction, the Company sold the Voice assets. The total gain recognized on the sale of these Voice assets was $2.8 million, which is presented in ‘(Loss) gain on sale of businesses’ on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the year ended December 31, 2021.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company committed to a plan to sell its B2B Backup business as it was determined to be a non-core asset.business. The B2B Backup business met the held for sale criteria, and accordingly, the assets and liabilities were presented as held for sale on the Consolidated Statement Balance Sheets at March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The business was recorded within the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. During the second quarter of 2021, the Company received an offer to purchase the B2B Backup business and management determined that the fair value of the business less cost to sell was lower than its carrying amount. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment to goodwill of $32.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2021, which is presented in ‘Goodwill impairment on business” on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Refer to Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets. On July 12, 2017,September 17, 2021, in a cash transaction, the Company sold Cambridge for athe B2B Backup business. The total loss recognized on the sale of $0.9the B2B Backup business was $24.6 million, which was recordedis presented in other (income) expense, net.‘(Loss) gain on sale of businesses’ on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the year ended December 31, 2021.



During the thirdsecond quarter 2017,of 2020, the Company committed to a plan to sell j2certain Voice assets in Australia Hosting Pty Ltd (dba “Web24”), a subsidiary within the Cloud Services segment,and New Zealand as it wasthey were determined to be a non-core asset.assets. Such assets were recorded within the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. On September 1, 2017,August 31, 2020, in a cash transaction, the Company sold Web24these Voice assets for a gain of $1.6$17.1 million which was recorded in other (income) expense, net.gain on sale of businesses on the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the year ended December 31, 2020.

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During the third quarter 2017, the

ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
7.Fair Value Measurements
The Company committed to a plan to sell Tea Leaves, a subsidiary within the Digital Media segment, as it was determined to be a non-core asset. On October 5, 2017, in a transaction consisting of a combination of cash and various equity securities, the Company sold Tea Leaves for a gain of $27.0 million which was recorded in other (income) expense, net.

6.Fair Value Measurements

j2 Global complies with the provisions of ASC 820, which defines fair value, provides a framework for measuring fair value and expands the disclosures required for fair value measurements of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. ASC 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, ASC 820 establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value:
§Level 1 – Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
§Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
§Level 3 – Unobservable inputs which are supported by little or no market activity.


The fair value hierarchy also requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.

The Company’s money market funds are classified within Level 1. The Company values these Level 1 investments using quoted market prices.

The fair value of the Convertible Notes (see Note 9 - Long-Term Debt)long-term debt is determined using recent quoted market prices or dealer quotes for such securities,each of the Company’s instruments, which are Level 1 inputs.
The Investment in Consensus are equity securities for which the Company elected the fair value option, and the fair value of the Investment in Consensus and subsequent fair value changes are included in our assets of and results from continuing operations, respectively. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, our investment in Consensus common stock was remeasured at fair value based on Consensus’ closing stock price, with unrealized (losses) gains of $(7.1) million and $298.5 million, respectively, recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and a balance of $58.4 million and $229.2 million, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The fair value of the investment in Consensus is determined using the quoted market prices, which is a Level 1 input.
The fair value of our senior notes (8.0% senior unsecured notes at December 31, 20164.625% Senior Notes and 6.0% senior unsecured notes at December 31, 2017) (seeour 1.75% Convertible Notes (as defined in Note 910 - Long-Term Debt) isDebt) was determined using quoted market prices or dealer quotes for instruments with similar maturities and other terms and credit ratings, which are Level 1 inputs.
Certain of the Company’s debt securities are classified within Level 2. The Company values these Level 2 inputs.investments based on model-driven valuations using significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data. The Company has investment in a corporate debt security that is measured at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Unrealized gains and losses are reported in other comprehensive income until realized. These corporate debt securities do not have a readily determinable fair value because acquired securities are privately held, not traded on any public exchanges and not an investment in a mutual fund or similar investment. The investment in corporate debt securities is classified as available-for-sale and is initially measured at its transaction price. The fair value of long-termthe corporate debt was $1.2 billionsecurities is determined primarily based on significant estimates and $792.2 million, atassumptions, including Level 3 inputs. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

In addition,2022, the Convertible Notes contain terms that may require the Company to pay contingent interest on the Convertible Notes which is accounted for as a derivative with fair value adjustments being recorded to interest expense (see Note 9was determined based upon various probability-weighted scenarios and included assumptions of a 13% discount rate and conversion in a range of 0.8 years - Long Term Debt). This derivative is fair valued using a binomial lattice convertible bond pricing model using historical and implied market information, which are Level 2 inputs.

1.3 years.
The Company classifies its contingent consideration liability in connection with acquisitions within Level 3 because factors used to develop the estimated fair value are unobservable inputs, such as volatility and market risks, and are not supported by market activity. The fairvaluation approaches used to value ofLevel 3 investments considers unobservable inputs in the contingent consideration liability was determined using option based approaches. This methodology was utilized because the distribution of payments is not symmetricmarket such as time to liquidity, volatility, dividend yield, and amounts are only payable upon certain earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) thresholds being reached. Such valuation approach included a Monte-Carlo simulation for the contingency since the financial metric driving the payments is path dependent.breakpoints. Significant increases or decreases in either of the inputs noted above in isolation would result in a significantly lower or higher fair value measurement.

As of December 31, 2022, the contingent consideration was determined using a 100% probability of payout, without any other estimates applied. The following table presents the fair values, valuation techniques, unobservable inputs, and ranges of the Company’s financial liabilities categorized within Level 3. The weighted averages below are a product of the unobservable input and fair value of the contingent consideration arrangement as of December 31, 2021.



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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Valuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRangeWeighted Average
Contingent ConsiderationOption-Based ModelRisk free rate1.9% - 2.2%2.0 %
Debt spread0.0% - 74.7%13.6 %
Probabilities10.0% - 100.0%80.5 %
Present value factor2.2% - 26.9%19.0 %
Discount rate27.3% - 38.0%30.7 %
The following tables present the fair values of the Company’s financial assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
December 31, 2022Level 1Level 2Level 3Fair ValueCarrying Value
Assets:
Cash equivalents:
   Money market and other funds$312,010 $— $— $312,010 $312,010 
Investment in corporate debt securities— — 15,586 15,586 15,586 
Investment in Consensus58,421 — — 58,421 58,421 
Total assets measured at fair value$370,431 $— $15,586 $386,017 $386,017 
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration$— $— $555 $555 $555 
Debt939,319 — — 939,319 999,053 
Total liabilities measured at fair value$939,319 $— $555 $939,874 $999,608 
December 31, 2021Level 1Level 2Level 3Fair ValueCarrying Value
Assets:
Cash equivalents:
   Money market and other funds$144,255 $— $— $144,255 $144,255 
Investment in Consensus229,200 — — 229,200 229,200 
Total assets measured at fair value$373,455 $— $— $373,455 $373,455 
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration$— $— $5,775 $5,775 $5,775 
Debt1,345,311 — — 1,345,311 1,090,627 
Total liabilities measured at fair value$1,345,311 $— $5,775 $1,351,086 $1,096,402 
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December 31, 2017Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Fair Value
Assets:       
Cash equivalents:       
   Money market and other funds$453
 $
 $
 $453
Total assets measured at fair value$453
 $
 $
 $453
        
Liabilities:       
Contingent consideration$
 $
 $20,477
 $20,477
Contingent interest derivative
 768
 
 768
Total liabilities measured at fair value$
 $768
 $20,477
 $21,245
        
December 31, 2016Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Fair Value
Assets:       
Cash equivalents:       
   Money market and other funds$7,737
 $
 $
 $7,737
Certificates of Deposit
 60
 
 60
Total assets measured at fair value$7,737
 $60
 $
 $7,797
        
Liabilities:       
Contingent consideration$
 $
 $17,450
 $17,450
Contingent interest derivative
 958
 
 958
Total liabilities measured at fair value$
 $958
 $17,450
 $18,408
ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
At the end of each reporting period, management reviews the inputs to measure the fair value measurements of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities to determine when transfers between levels are deemed to have occurred. For the yearsyear ended December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, there were no transfers that have occurred between levels.


The following table presents a reconciliation of the Company’s derivative instruments (in thousands):
 Amount Affected line item in the Statement of Income
Derivative Liabilities:   
Level 2:   
Balance as of January 1, 2016$1,450
  
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings(492) Interest expense, net
Balance as of December 31, 2016$958
  
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings(190) Interest expense, net
Balance as of December 31, 2017$768
  

The following tables presents a reconciliation of the Company’s Level 3 financial assets or liabilitiesrelated to our investment in corporate debt securities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
Level 3Affected line item in the Statement of Operations
Balance as of January 1, 2022$— 
Investment in corporate debt securities15,586 Not applicable
Balance as of December 31, 2022$15,586 
 Level 3 Affected line item in the Statement of Income
Balance as of January 1, 2016$30,600
  
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings4,850
 General and administrative
Contingent consideration payments(18,000) Not Applicable
Balance as of December 31, 2016$17,450
  
Contingent consideration17,577
  
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings2,300
 General and administrative
Contingent consideration payments(16,850) Not Applicable
Balance as of December 31, 2017$20,477
  


The following table presents a reconciliation of the Company’s Level 3 financial liabilities related to contingent consideration that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
Level 3Affected line item in the Statement of Operations
Balance as of January 1, 2021$5,022 
Contingent consideration4,713 
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings(1,910)General and administrative
Contingent consideration payments(2,050)Not applicable
Balance as of December 31, 2021$5,775 
Contingent consideration555 
Total fair value adjustments reported in earnings(2,575)General and administrative
Contingent consideration payments(3,200)Not applicable
Balance as of December 31, 2022$555 
In connection with the Company’s other acquisition of Ookla on December 1, 2014,activity, contingent consideration of up to an aggregate of $40.0$0.6 million may be payable upon achieving certain future incomeearnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), revenue, and/or unique visitor thresholds and had a combined fair value of $17.0$0.6 million and $5.8 million at December 31, 2016.2022 and 2021, respectively. Due to the Company achievingachievement of certain earnings targets for the year ended December 31, 2016, $20.0thresholds, $3.2 million ($16.9and $2.1 million of contingent consideration and $3.1 million of compensation) was paid during the second quarter of 2017. There are no further payments pending.

In connection with the acquisition of Salesify on September 17, 2015, contingent consideration of up to an aggregate of $17.0 million may be payable upon achieving certain future income thresholds and had a fair value of zero and $0.6 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

In connection with the acquisition of Humble Bundle, on October 13, 2017, contingent consideration of up to an aggregate of $40.0 million may be payable upon achieving certain future income thresholds and had a fair value of $19.7 million at December 31, 2017 which was recorded as an other long-term liability on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2017.

In connection with the acquisition of blackfriday.com on November 7, 2017, contingent consideration of up to an aggregate of $1.5 million may be payable upon achieving certain future income thresholds and had a fair value of $0.8 million at December 31, 2017 which was recorded as an other long-term liability on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2017.

During the yearyears ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded a net increase in the2022 and 2021, respectively.
The Company’s non-financial assets, such as goodwill, intangible assets, right-of-use assets and property, plant and equipment, are adjusted to fair value of the contingent consideration of $2.3 milliononly when an impairment is recognized. See Note 9 - Goodwill and reported such increase in generalIntangible Assets for further information. Such fair value measurements are based predominately on Level 3 inputs. See Note 9 - Goodwill and administrative expenses.Intangible Assets for further information.



7.    Property and Equipment

8.Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, stated at cost, at December 31, 2017 and 2016 consistedconsists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
20222021
Computer hardware, software and related equipment$424,275 $343,101 
Furniture and equipment881 934 
Leasehold improvements8,614 8,287 
433,770 352,322 
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization(255,586)(191,113)
 Total property and equipment, net$178,184 $161,209 
 2017 2016
Computers and related equipment$215,631
 $173,103
Furniture and equipment2,035
 1,928
Leasehold improvements16,163
 12,929
 233,829
 187,960
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization(154,056) (119,866)
 Total property and equipment, net$79,773
 $68,094

Depreciation and amortization expense was $33.0$76.7 million,$26.8 $63.6 million and $19.2$60.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.

Total disposals of long-lived assets was $0.2 million, $11.0 million and $0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015 was $4.0 million, zero2020, respectively.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
9.Goodwill and zero, respectively. The disposals during 2017 were primarily related to the sale of Cambridge, Web24, and Tea Leaves (see Note 5 -Intangible Assets Held for Sale).

8.Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination and is assigned to the reporting unit that is expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually on October 1st at the reporting unit level, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist, or if a decision is made to dispose of a business. The Company’s Digital Media reportable segment is comprised of seven reporting units and the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment is comprised of two reporting units.
The changes in carrying amounts of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):
Digital MediaCybersecurity and MartechConsolidated
Balance as of January 1, 2021$942,934 $582,066 $1,525,000 
Goodwill acquired (Note 4)55,704 41,328 97,032 
Goodwill removed due to sale of businesses (1)
— (50,277)(50,277)
Goodwill impairment— (32,629)(32,629)
Purchase accounting adjustments (2)
(1,437)505 (932)
Foreign exchange translation(542)(6,197)(6,739)
Balance as of December 31, 2021$996,659 $534,796 $1,531,455 
Goodwill acquired (Note 4)95,737 — 95,737 
Goodwill impairment(27,369)— (27,369)
Purchase accounting adjustments (2)
4,475 (137)4,338 
Foreign exchange translation(3,513)(9,174)(12,687)
Balance as of December 31, 2022$1,065,989 $525,485 $1,591,474 
(1)On February 9, 2021, in a cash transaction, the Company sold certain of its Voice assets in the United Kingdom which resulted in $1.3 million of goodwill being removed in connection with this sale and on September 17, 2021, the Company sold certain of its B2B Backup assets which resulted in $49.0 million of goodwill being removed in connection with the sale (see Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions).
(2)Purchase accounting adjustments relate to measurement period adjustments to goodwill in connection with prior business acquisitions (see Note 4 - Business Acquisitions).
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company reassessed the fair value of a reporting unit within the Digital Media reportable segment as a result of a forecasted reduction in revenue and operating income in that reporting unit, as well as an increase in interest rates and market volatility that would affect the Company’s assumptions on its discount rate. Based on the quantitative fair value test, the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeded its fair value, and the Company recorded an impairment of approximately $27.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using an equal weighting of an income approach that was based on the discounted estimated future cash flows of the reporting unit and a market approach that uses the guideline public company approach. We believe the combination of these approaches provides a reasonable valuation approach because it incorporates the expected cash generation of the reporting unit in addition to how a third-party market participant would value the reporting unit. As the business is assumed to continue in perpetuity, the discounted future cash flows include a terminal value. Determining fair value using a discounted estimated future cash flow analysis requires the exercise of significant judgment with respect to several items, including the amount and timing of expected future cash flows and appropriate discount rates. The expected cash flows used in the discounted cash flow analyses were based on the most recent forecast for the reporting unit. For years beyond the forecast period, the estimates were based, in part, on forecasted growth rates. The discount rate the Company used represents the estimated weighted average cost of capital, which reflects the overall level of inherent risk involved in its reporting unit operations and the rate of return a market participant would expect to earn. Determining fair value using a market approach considers multiples of financial metrics based on trading multiples of a selected peer group of companies. From the comparable companies, a representative market multiple is determined, which is applied to financial metrics to estimate the fair value of the reporting unit. Following the impairment, this reporting unit had goodwill of approximately $86.9 million and the carrying value approximated its fair value.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company realigned two reporting units within the Digital Media reportable segment. The Company re-allocated goodwill between the two identified reporting units based upon the relative fair value of the respective reporting units. Immediately before and immediately following this change in reporting units, the Company performed a quantitative fair value assessment using the income approach and market approach noted above, and each of these reporting units exceeded their respective carrying values and, therefore, there was no impairment to goodwill.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded an impairment of approximately $32.6 million related to the Company’s B2B Backup business (included in the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment). In 2021, the Company received an offer to purchase the B2B Backup business and management determined that the fair value of that business less cost to sell was lower than its carrying amount. The fair value of the business was determined based upon the offer price. The fair value of the remaining reporting unit was determined using an equal weighting of an income approach and a market approach, and was in excess of the remaining carrying value of the reporting unit.
Goodwill as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 reflects accumulated impairment losses of $27.4 million and $32.6 million, respectively, in the Digital Media reportable segment and the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment, respectively.
Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization
Intangible assets resulting from the acquisitions of entities accounted for using the purchaseacquisition method of accounting are recorded at the estimated fair value of the assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of purchased customer relationships, trademarks and trade names, developed technologies, and other intangible assets. The fair values of these identified intangible assets are based upon expected future cash flows or income, which take into consideration certain assumptions such as customer turnover, trade names and patent lives. These determinations are primarily based upon the Company’s historical experience and expected benefit of each intangible asset. If it is determined that such assumptions are not accurate, then the resulting change will impact the fair value of the intangible asset. Identifiable intangible assets are amortized over the period of estimated economic benefit, which ranges from one to 20twenty years.

The changes in carrying amounts of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):
 Cloud Services Digital Media Consolidated
Balance as of January 1, 2016$502,718
 $304,943
 $807,661
Goodwill acquired (Note 3)69,202
 263,988
 333,190
Purchase Accounting Adjustments (4)
816
 (4,957) (4,141)
Foreign exchange translation(13,584) (316) (13,900)
Balance as of December 31, 2016$559,152
 $563,658
 $1,122,810
Goodwill acquired (Note 3)34,035
 87,792
 121,827
Goodwill written off related to sale of a business unit (1)(2)(3)
(3,614) (54,127) (57,741)
Purchase accounting adjustments (4)
(766) (4,667) (5,433)
Foreign exchange translation14,946
 202
 15,148
Balance as of December 31, 2017$603,753
 $592,858
 $1,196,611
(1) On July 12, 2017, in a cash transaction, the Company sold Cambridge which resulted in $17.8 million of goodwill being written off in connection with this sale (see Note 5 - Assets Held for Sale).
(2) On September 1, 2017, in a cash transaction, the Company sold Web24 which resulted in $3.6 million of goodwill being written off in connection with this sale (see Note 5 - Assets Held for Sale).
(3) On October 5, 2017, in a cash and equity transaction, the Company sold Tea Leaves, which resulted in $36.3 million of goodwill being written off in connection with this sale (see Note 5 - Assets Held for Sale).
(4) Purchase accounting adjustments relate to adjustments to goodwill in connection with prior year business acquisitions (see Note 3 - Business Acquisitions).



Intangible assets are summarized as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 as follows (in thousands):

Intangible Assets with Indefinite Lives:
 2017 2016
Trade names$27,379
 $27,379
Other5,432
 5,432
Total$32,811
 $32,811

Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization:

As of December 31, 2017,2022, intangible assets subject to amortization relate primarily to the following (in thousands):
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
Historical
Cost
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Trade names10.0 years$261,614 $125,422 $136,192 
Customer relationships (1)
7.9 years687,798 479,741 208,057 
Other purchased intangibles8.3 years481,973 363,407 118,566 
Total $1,431,385 $968,570 $462,815 
 
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
 
Historical
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 Net
Trade names11.2 years $147,997
 $51,429
 $96,568
Patent and patent licenses6.6 years 67,724
 56,853
 10,871
Customer relationships (1)
8.9 years 447,070
 253,464
 193,606
Other purchased intangibles4.8 years 218,628
 66,733
 151,895
Total  $881,419
 $428,479
 $452,940

(1) Historically, theThe Company has amortized itsamortizes customer relationship assets in a pattern that best reflects the pace inat which the assets’asset’s benefits are consumed. This pattern results in a substantial majority of the amortization expense being recognized in the first four4 to five5 years, despite the overall life of the asset.


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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company completed acquisitions (see Note 4 - Business Acquisitions) which were individually immaterial. The identified intangible assets were recognized as part of all 2022 acquisitions and their respective estimated weighted average amortizations were as follows as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
Weighted-Average
Amortization
Period
Carrying Value
Trade names9.6 years$12,423 
Customer relationships7.3 years18,714 
Other purchased intangibles2.4 years17,567 
Total$48,704 
As of December 31, 2016,2021, intangible assets subject to amortization relate primarily to the following (in thousands):
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
Historical
Cost
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Trade names9.7 years$250,418 $102,657 $147,761 
Customer relationships (1)
8.1 years673,847 398,396 275,451 
Other purchased intangibles9.3 years467,028 317,515 149,513 
Total $1,391,293 $818,568 $572,725 
 
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
 
Historical
Cost
 
Accumulated
Amortization
 Net
Trade names11.5 years $127,342
 $38,868
 $88,474
Patent and patent licenses6.6 years 65,605
 51,677
 13,928
Customer relationships (1)
9.6 years 390,930
 182,775
 208,155
Other purchased intangibles6.0 years 195,913
 27,590
 168,323
Total  $779,790
 $300,910
 $478,880

(1) Historically, theThe Company has amortized itsamortizes customer relationship assets in a pattern that best reflects the pace inat which the assets’asset’s benefits are consumed. This pattern results in a substantial majority of the amortization expense being recognized in the first four4 to five5 years, despite the overall life of the asset.


During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company acquired Everyday Health. The identified intangible assets recognized as part of the acquisition and their respective estimated weighted average amortizations were as follows (in thousands):
 December 31, 2016
 
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
 Fair Value
Trademarks5.2 years $70,300
Customer relationships10.1 years 45,500
Other purchased intangibles1.7 years 88,267
Total  $204,067

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company completed 21 other acquisitions which were individually immaterial. The identified intangible assets recognized as part of these acquisition and their respective estimated weighted average amortizations were as follows (in thousands):
 December 31, 2016
 
Weighted-Average
  Amortization
Period
 Fair Value
Trade names6.3 years $5,866
Customer relationships7.5 years 39,982
Other purchased intangibles3.3 years 2,997
Total  $48,845


Expected amortization expenses for intangible assets subject to amortization at December 31, 20172022 are as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Year:
2023$139,975 
202499,158 
202576,614 
202668,813 
202729,467 
Thereafter48,788 
Total expected amortization expense$462,815 
Fiscal Year: 
2018$122,294
2019103,172
202054,315
202135,280
202230,231
Thereafter107,648
Total expected amortization expense$452,940

Amortization expense, was $129.0included in General and administrative expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, approximated $156.7 million, $95.3$185.7 million, and $74.0$156.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.

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9.    Long-Term Debt


ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
10.    Debt
Long-term debt consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
20222021
4.625% Senior Notes$460,038 $641,276 
Convertible Notes:
1.75% Convertible Notes550,000 550,000 
Total Notes1,010,038 1,191,276 
Less: Unamortized discount(2,764)(91,593)
Deferred issuance costs(8,221)(9,056)
Total debt999,053 1,090,627 
Less: current portion— (54,609)
Total long-term debt, less current portion$999,053 $1,036,018 
At December 31, 2022, future principal and interest payments for debt are as follows (in thousands):
PrincipalInterest
2023$— $30,902 
2024— 30,902 
2025— 30,902 
2026550,000 30,902 
2027— 21,276 
Thereafter460,038 63,830 
$1,010,038 $208,714 
Interest expense was $37.1 million, $79.6 million and $58.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
6.0% Senior Notes

On June 27, 2017, j2J2 Cloud Services, LLC (“j2J2 Cloud”) and j2J2 Cloud Co-Obligor, Inc. (the “Co-Issuer” and together with j2J2 Cloud, the “Issuers”), wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, completed the issuance and sale of $650$650.0 million aggregate principal amount of their 6.0% senior notes due in 2025 (the “6.0% Senior Notes”) in a private placement offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. j2J2 Cloud received proceeds of $636.5 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions, and offering expenses. The 6.0% Senior Notes are presented as long-term debt, net of deferred issuance costs, on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2017. The proceeds were used to redeem all of j2 Cloud’s 8.0% notes due in 2020, and to distribute sufficient net proceeds to j2 Global to pay off all amounts outstanding under its existing credit facility, with the remaining net proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes, including acquisitions.
The 6.0% Senior Notes bearbore interest at a rate of 6.0% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year.
On October 7, 2020, J2 Cloud redeemed all of its outstanding $650.0 million 6.0% Senior Notes due in 2025 for $694.6 million, including an early redemption premium of $29.2 million and accrued and unpaid interest of $15.4 million. The Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of $38.0 million which is recorded in ‘Interest expense and other’ within (Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes on our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Refer to Note 6 - Discontinued Operations and Dispositions for additional details.
4.625% Senior Notes
On October 7, 2020, the Company completed the issuance and sale of $750.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.625% senior notes due 2030 (the “4.625% Senior Notes”) in a private placement offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. The Company received proceeds of $742.7 million after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions and offering expenses. The net proceeds were used to redeem all of its outstanding 6.0% Senior Notes due in 2025 and, the remaining net proceeds were available for general corporate purposes which may include acquisitions and the repurchase or redemption of other outstanding indebtedness.
These senior notes bear interest at a rate of 4.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on JanuaryApril 15, 2018.2021. The 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes mature on JulyOctober 15, 2025,2030, and are senior unsecured


obligations of the IssuersCompany which are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on an unsecured basis by certain of the
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Company’s existing and future domestic direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of j2 Cloud (as defined in(collectively, the Indenture, dated June 27, 2017 (the “Indenture”)“Guarantors”). If j2 Cloudthe Company or any of its restricted subsidiaries acquires or creates a domestic restricted subsidiary, other than an insignificant subsidiaryInsignificant Subsidiary (as defined in the Indenture)indenture pursuant to which the 4.625% Senior Notes were issued (the “Indenture”)), after the issue date, or any insignificant subsidiaryInsignificant Subsidiary ceases to fit within the definition of insignificant subsidiary,Insignificant Subsidiary, such restricted subsidiary is required to unconditionally guarantee, jointly and severally, on an unsecured basis, the Issuers’Company’s obligations under the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes.

The IssuersCompany may redeem some or all of the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes at any time on or after JulyOctober 15, 20202025 at specified redemption prices plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, up to, but excluding the redemption date. Before JulyOctober 15, 2020, in connection with2023, and following certain equity offerings, the IssuersCompany also may redeem up to 35%40% of the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes at a price equal to 106.0%104.625% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, up to, but excluding the redemption date. The Company may make such redemption only if, after such redemption, at least 50% of the aggregate principal amount of the 4.625% Senior Notes remains outstanding. In addition, at any time prior to JulyOctober 15, 2020,2025, the IssuersCompany may redeem some or all of the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date, plus an applicable “make-whole” premium.

The discount and deferred issuance costs are being amortized, at an effective interest rate of 4.7%, to interest expense through the maturity date.
The indentureIndenture contains certain restrictive and other covenants applicablethat restrict the Company’s ability to j2 Cloud and subsidiaries designated as restricted subsidiaries including, but not limited to, restrictions on (i) payingpay dividends or makingmake distributions on j2 Cloud’s membership intereststhe Company’s common stock or repurchasing j2 Cloud’s membership interests;repurchase the Company’s capital stock; (ii) makingmake certain restricted payments; (iii) creatingcreate liens or enteringenter into sale and leaseback transactions; (iv) enteringenter into transactions with affiliates; (v) mergingmerge or consolidatingconsolidate with another company; and (vi) transferringtransfer and sellingsell assets. These covenants includecontain certain exceptions. Violation of these covenants could result in a default which could result in the acceleration of outstanding amounts if such default is not cured or waived within the time periods outlined in the indenture. Payments, specifically dividendRestricted payments are restrictedapplicable only if j2 Cloudthe Company and its subsidiaries designated as restricted subsidiaries have a net leverage ratio of greater than 3.03.5 to 1.0. In addition, if such net leverage ratio is in excess of 3.03.5 to 1.0, the restriction on restricted payments is subject to various exceptions, including an exceptionthe total aggregate amount not exceeding the greater of (A) $250 million and (B) 50.0% of EBITDA for the payment of restricted payments upmost recently ended four fiscal quarter period ended immediately prior to $75 million. These contractual provisions did not, as of December 31, 2017, restrict j2 Cloud’s ability to pay dividends to j2 Global, Inc.such date for which internal financial statements are available. The Company is in compliance with its debt covenants for the 4.625% Senior Notes as of December 31, 2017.2022.

On October 8, 2021, Ziff Davis announced that it had accepted tender offers to purchase $83.3 million in aggregate principal of its 4.625% Senior Notes for an aggregate purchase price of $90.0 million. The tender offer expired on October 22, 2021. As such, the Company recognized a loss of approximately $7.4 million associated with the tender of the 4.625% Senior Notes during the year ended December 31, 2021, which is presented in ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Repurchases of 4.625% Senior Notes on the open market (excluding those from a tender offer) were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Principal repurchased$181,238 $25,391 
Aggregate purchase price$167,661 $26,035 
(Gain) loss on repurchase (1)
$(12,060)$644 
(1)Presented within ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
As of December 31, 2017,2022 and 2021, the estimated fair value of the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes was approximately $684.1$390.9 million and $659.9 million, respectively, and was based on therecent quoted market prices of debt instruments with similar terms, credit rating and maturities ofor dealer quotes for the 6.0%4.625% Senior Notes which are Level 2 inputs (see1 inputs. Refer to Note 67 - Fair Value Measurements).Measurements for additional details.

8.0%The following table provides additional information on the 4.625% Senior Notes (in thousands):

December 31,
20222021
Principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes$460,038 $641,276 
Less: Unamortized discount(2,764)(4,259)
Less: Debt issuance costs(874)(1,339)
Net carrying amount of 4.625% Senior Notes$456,400 $635,678 
On August 1, 2017, j2 Cloud redeemed all
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The following table provides the components of its outstanding $250 million 8.0% senior unsecured notes due in 2020 for $265 million, including a redemption premium and relevant accrued interest which resulted in a loss on extinguishment of $8.0 million recorded which was recorded in Interest expense net.related to 4.625% Senior Notes (in thousands):

Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Coupon interest expense$24,500 $33,899 $8,094 
Non-cash amortization of discount on 4.625% Senior Notes333 529 103 
Amortization of debt issuance costs109 66 29 
Total interest expense related to 4.625% Senior Notes$24,942 $34,494 $8,226 

3.25% Convertible Notes

On June 10, 2014, j2 Globalthe Company issued $402.5 million aggregate principal amount of 3.25% convertible senior notes due June 15, 2029 (the “Convertible“3.25% Convertible Notes”). j2 Global received proceeds of $391.4 million in cash, net of underwriters’ discounts and commissions. The net proceeds were available for general corporate purposes. The3.25% Convertible Notes bear interest at a rate of 3.25% per annum, payable semiannually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year. Beginning with the six-month interest period commencing on June 15, 2021, the Company musthad to pay contingent interest on the 3.25% Convertible Notes during any six-month interest period if the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of the 3.25% Convertible Notes for each of the five trading days immediately preceding the first day of such interest period equalsequaled or exceedsexceeded $1,300. Any contingent interest payable on the 3.25% Convertible Notes will bewould have been in addition to the regular interest payable on the 3.25% Convertible Notes.

In connection with the Separation, the Company redeemed in full all of its outstanding 3.25% Convertible Notes. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company satisfied its conversion obligation by paying the principal of $402.4 million in cash and issued 3,050,850 shares of the Company’s common stock. Refer to Note 14 - Stockholders’ Equity for additional details. The redemption of the liability component of the 3.25% Convertible Notes, resulted in a gain of approximately $2.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2021 within ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ on our Consolidated Statement of Operations. The reacquisition of the equity component of the 3.25% Convertible Notes resulted in a reduction of stockholders’ equity of approximately $390.5 million, net of tax.
The following table provides the components of interest expense related to the 3.25% Convertible Notes (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20212020
Coupon interest expense$5,994 $13,080 
Non-cash amortization of discount on 3.25% Convertible Notes4,645 9,717 
Amortization of debt issuance costs855 1,749 
Total interest expense related to 3.25% Convertible Notes$11,494 $24,546 
No changes in fair value associated with the contingent interest feature of the 3.25% Convertible Notes in interest expense were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Refer to Note 7 - Fair Value Measurements for additional details.
1.75% Convertible Notes
On November 15, 2019, the Company issued $550.0 million aggregate principal amount of 1.75% convertible senior notes due November 1, 2026 (the “1.75% Convertible Notes”). The Company received proceeds of $537.1 million in cash, net of purchasers’ discounts and commissions and other debt issuance costs. A portion of the net proceeds were used to pay off all amounts outstanding under the then-existing Credit Facility. The 1.75% Convertible Notes bear interest at a rate of 1.75% per annum, payable semiannually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on May 1, 2020. The 1.75% Convertible Notes will mature on November 1, 2026, unless earlier converted or repurchased.
Holders may surrender their 1.75% Convertible Notes for conversion at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the maturity dateJuly 1, 2026 only if one or more ofunder the following conditions is satisfied:circumstances: (i) during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on September 30, 2014March 31, 2020 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the closinglast reported sale price of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock for at least 20 trading days in(whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the calendar quarter in which the conversion occurs is moregreater than 130% of the applicable conversion price of the 1.75% Convertible Notes on each such applicable trading day; (ii) during the five consecutive business day period following any ten10 consecutive trading day period in which the trading price for theper $1,000
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes for each such trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of (a) the closinglast reported sale price of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock on each such trading day and (b) the applicable conversion rate on each such trading day; or (iii) if j2 Global calls anyupon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or all of the Convertible Notes for redemption, at any timeafter July 1, 2026, and prior to the close of business on the business day prior to the redemption date; (iv) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events; or (v) during either the period beginning on, and including, March 15, 2021 and ending on, but excluding, June


20, 2021 or the period beginning on, and including, March 15, 2029 and ending on, but excluding,immediately preceding the maturity date. j2 Globaldate, holders may convert all or any portion of their notes at any time, regardless of the foregoing circumstances. The Company will settle conversions of the 1.75% Convertible Notes by paying or delivering, as the case may be, cash, shares of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock or a combination thereof at j2 Global’sthe Company’s election. The Company currently intends to satisfy its conversion obligation by paying and delivering a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, wherestock. Holders of the notes will have the right to require the Company to repurchase for cash will be usedall or any portion of their notes upon the occurrence of certain corporate events, subject to settle each $1,000certain conditions. As of principalDecember 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the remainder, if any, will be settled viamarket trigger conditions did not meet the conversion requirements of the 1.75% Convertible Notes and, accordingly, the 1.75% Convertible Notes are classified as long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Prior to the Separation, the conversion rate on the 1.75% Convertible Notes was 7.9864 shares of the Company’s common stock.

As of December 31, 2017, the conversion rate is 14.5899 shares of j2 Global common stock for each $1,000 principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes, which represents a conversion price of approximately $68.54$125.21 per share of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock. The Separation constituted an event under the 1.75% Convertible Notes that required an adjustment and the conversion rate increased to 9.3783 shares of the Company’s common stock for each $1,000 principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes (or 5,158,071 shares), which represents a conversion price of approximately $106.63 per share of the Company’s common stock. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment for certain events as set forth in the indenture governing the 1.75% Convertible Notes, but will not be adjusted for accrued interest. In addition, following certain corporate events that occur on or prior to June 20, 2021, j2 Globalupon the occurrence of a “Make-Whole Fundamental Change” (as defined in the 1.75% Convertible Note Indenture), the Company will increase the conversion rate for a holder that elects to convert its 1.75% Convertible Notes in connection with such a corporate event.event in certain circumstances.

j2 GlobalThe Company may not redeem the 1.75% Convertible Notes prior to June 20, 2021. On or after June 20, 2021, j2 Global may redeem for cash all or part of the Convertible Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes to be redeemed, plus accruedNovember 1, 2026, and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. Nono sinking fund is provided for the 1.75% Convertible Notes.

Holders have the right to require j2 Global to repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes on each of June 15, 2021 and June 15, 2024 at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the relevant repurchase date. In addition, if a fundamental change, as defined in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes, occurs prior to the maturity date, holders may require j2 Global to repurchase for cash all or part of their Convertible Notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date.

The 1.75% Convertible Notes are the Company’s general senior unsecured obligations and rank: (i) senior in right of payment to any of the Company’s future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the 1.75% Convertible Notes; (ii) equal in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future unsecured indebtedness that is not so subordinated; (iii) effectively junior in right of payment to any of the Company’s secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness; and (iv) structurally junior to all existing and future indebtedness (including trade payables)and other liabilities incurred by the Company’s subsidiaries.

Accounting for the 1.75% Convertible Notes

On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2020-06using the modified retrospective method. As a result of this adoption, the Company de-recognized the remaining unamortized debt discount of $87.3 million on the 1.75% Convertible Notes and, therefore, no longer recognizes any amortization of debt discounts as interest expense. Refer to Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for additional details.
In accordanceconnection with ASC 470-20, Debt with Conversionthe issuance of the 1.75% Convertible Notes, the Company incurred $12.9 million of deferred issuance costs, which primarily consisted of the underwriters’ discount, legal and Other Options, convertible debt that can be settled for cash is required to be separated intoother professional service fees. Of the liability and equity component attotal deferred issuance with each component assigned a value. The value assignedcosts incurred, $10.1 million of such deferred issuance costs were attributable to the liability component isand are being amortized, at an effective interest rate of 5.5%, to interest expense through the estimated fair value, asmaturity date. The remaining $2.8 million of the deferred issuance date, of similar debt without the conversion feature. The difference between the cash proceeds and estimated fair value of the liability component, representing the value of the conversion premium assigned tocosts were netted with the equity component is recorded as a debt discount onin additional paid-in capital at the issuance date. This debt discount is amortizedUpon adoption of ASU 2020-06, the Company reclassified the $2.8 million from additional paid-in-capital to interest expense using the effective interest method over the periodlong-term liability and recorded a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings for amortization from the issuance date through the first stated repurchase date on June 15, 2021.

j2 Global estimated the borrowing rates of similarJanuary 1, 2022 and will record amortization expense for these debt without the conversion feature at origination to be 5.79% for the Convertible Notes and determined the debt discount to be $59.0 million. As a result, a conversion premium after tax of $37.7 million was recorded in additional paid-in capital. The aggregate debt discount is amortized as interest expense over the period from the issuance datecosts through the first stated repurchase date on June 15, 2021 which management believes is the expected life of the Convertible Notes using an interest rate of 5.81%. As of December 31, 2017, the remaining period over which the unamortized debt discount will be amortized is 3.5 years.maturity date.

The 1.75% Convertible Notes are carried at face value less any unamortized debt discount.discount (prior to adoption of ASU 2020-06) and issuance costs. The fair value of the 1.75% Convertible Notes at each balance sheet date is determined based on recent quoted market prices or dealer quotes for the 1.75% Convertible Notes, which are Level 1 inputs (see Note 67 - Fair Value Measurements)Measurements). If such information is not available, the fair value is determined using cash-flow models of the scheduled payments discounted at market interest rates for comparable debt without the conversion feature. As of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,December 31, 2021, the estimated fair value of the 1.75% Convertible Notes was approximately $504.5$548.4 million and $516.8$685.4 million, respectively.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the if-converted value of our Convertible Notes exceeded the principal amount of $402.5 million by $38.1 million and $75.2 million, respectively.NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED



The following table provides additional information related to ourthe 1.75% Convertible Notes (in thousands):
December 31,
20222021
Additional paid-in capital$— $88,137 
Principal amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes$550,000 $550,000 
Less: Unamortized discount of the liability component— (87,334)
Less: Carrying amount of debt issuance costs(7,347)(7,717)
Net carrying amount of 1.75% Convertible Notes$542,653 $454,949 
 2017 2016
Additional paid-in capital$37,700
 $37,700
    
Principal amount of Convertible Notes$402,500
 $402,500
Unamortized discount of the liability component32,189
 40,356
Carrying amount of debt issuance costs5,667
 7,002
Net carrying amount of Convertible Notes$364,644
 $355,142


The following table provides the components of interest expense related to ourthe 1.75% Convertible Notes (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 (1)
20212020
Coupon interest expense$9,776 $9,625 $9,653 
Non-cash amortization of discount on 1.75% Convertible Notes— 15,338 14,563 
Amortization of debt issuance costs1,858 1,173 1,098 
Total interest expense related to 1.75% Convertible Notes$11,634 $26,136 $25,314 
 2017 2016 2015
Cash interest expense (coupon interest expense)$13,081
 $13,081
 $13,081
Non-cash amortization of discount on Convertible Notes8,167
 7,707
 7,274
Amortization of debt issuance costs1,335
 1,217
 1,109
Total interest expense related to Convertible Notes$22,583
 $22,005
 $21,464

The(1)On January 1, 2022 the Company hasadopted ASU 2020-06using the modified retrospective method. At the time of adoption, the Company de-recognized the remaining unamortized debt discount. No amortization of debt discount was recorded additional interest expense associated withduring the contingent interest feature of the Convertible Notes for the yearsyear ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 of $(0.2) million, $(0.5) million, and $0.7 million, respectively (see Note 6 - Fair Value Measurements).2022.

Long-term debt as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 consists of the following (in thousands):
 2017 2016
Senior Notes:   
6.0% Senior Notes$650,000
 $
8.0% Senior Notes
 250,000
3.25% Convertible Notes402,500
 402,500
Less: Unamortized discount(42,902) (42,997)
Deferred issuance costs(7,654) (7,757)
Total long-term debt$1,001,944
 $601,746
Less: Current portion
 
Total long-term debt, less current portion$1,001,944
 $601,746

At December 31, 2017, future principal payments for debt were as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31, 
2018$
2019
2020
2021402,500
2022
Thereafter650,000
 $1,052,500

Interest expense was $59.2 million, $42.7 million and $43.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.



10.    Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

From time to time, j2 Global and its affiliates are involved in litigation and other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of business. Any claims or regulatory actions against j2 Global and its affiliates, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming and costly, and could divert significant operational resources. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief.

On February 17, 2011, Emmanuel Pantelakis (“Pantelakis”) filed suit against a j2 Global affiliate in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (No. 11-50673), alleging that the j2 Global affiliate breached a contract relating to Pantelakis’s use of the Campaigner® service. The j2 Global affiliate filed a responsive pleading on March 23, 2011 and responses to undertakings on July 16, 2012. On November 6, 2012, Pantelakis filed a second amended statement of claim, reframing his lawsuit as a negligence action. The j2 Global affiliate filed an amended statement of defense on April 8, 2013. Discovery has closed. A judicial pre-trial has been set for July 27, 2018.

On January 17, 2013, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (“Commissioner”) issued a notice of assessment to a j2 Global affiliate for sales and use tax for the period of July 1, 2003 through December 31, 2011. On July 22, 2014, the Commissioner denied the j2 Global affiliate’s application for abatement. On September 18, 2014, the j2 Global affiliate petitioned the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board for abatement of the tax asserted in the notice of assessment (No. C325426). A trial was held on December 16, 2015. On May 18, 2017, the Appellate Board decided in favor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Company paid and expensed the tax assessment. The j2 Global affiliate has requested the findings of fact and conclusions of law from the Appellate Board.

On October 16, 2013, a j2 Global affiliate entered an appearance as a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation pending in the Northern District of Illinois (No. 1:12-cv-06286). In this litigation, Unified Messaging Solutions, LLC (“UMS”), a company with rights to assert certain patents owned by the j2 Global affiliate, has asserted five j2 Global patents against a number of defendants. While claims against some defendants have been settled, other defendants have filed counterclaims for, among other things, non-infringement, unenforceability, and invalidity of the patents-in-suit. On December 20, 2013, the Northern District of Illinois issued a claim construction opinion and, on June 13, 2014, entered a final judgment of non-infringement for the remaining defendants based on that claim construction. UMS and the j2 Global affiliate filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Circuit on June 27, 2014 (No. 14-1611). On December 8, 2017, the Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the lower court.

On January 21, 2016, Davis Neurology, P.A. filed a putative class action against two j2 Global affiliates in the Circuit Court for the County of Pope, State of Arkansas (58-cv-2016-40), alleging violations of the TCPA. The case was ultimately removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas (the “Eastern District of Arkansas”) (No. 4:16-cv-00682). On June 6, 2016, the j2 Global affiliates filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings. On March 20, 2017, the Eastern District of Arkansas dismissed all claims against the j2 Global affiliates. On April 17, 2017, Davis Neurology filed a notice of appeal. On June 20, 2017, Davis Neurology filed its appeal brief. On August 4, 2017 j2 Global affiliates filed a response brief. On August 21, 2017, Davis Neurology filed a reply brief. Oral argument was held January 11, 2018. j2 Global affiliates submitted a supplemental letter brief on January 31, 2018. Davis Neurology submitted a supplemental letter brief on February 15, 2018. The appeal is pending.

j2 Global does not believe, based on current knowledge, that the foregoing legal proceedings or claims, after giving effect to existing reserves, are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, depending on the amount and timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of these matters could have a material effect on j2 Global’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in a particular period.
The Company has not accrued for any material loss contingencies relating to these legal proceedings because materially unfavorable outcomes are not considered probable by management. It is the Company’s policy to expense as incurred legal fees related to various litigations.


Credit Agreement

On December 5, 2016, j2 GlobalApril 7, 2021, the Company entered into a $100.0 million Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). Subject to customary conditions, the Company may, from time to time, request increases in the commitments under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount up to $250.0 million, for a total aggregate commitment of up to $350.0 million. The final maturity of the Credit Facility will occur on April 7, 2026.
At the Company’s option, amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at either (i) a base rate equal to the greater of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in effect on such day plus 0.5% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent (as defined in the Credit Agreement) as its U.S. Dollar “Reference Rate” and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1.00% or (ii) a rate per annum equal to LIBOR divided by 1.00 minus the LIBOR Reserve Requirements (as defined in the Credit Agreement), in each case, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin relating to any base rate loan will range from 0.50% to 1.25% and the applicable margin relating to any LIBOR loan will range from 1.50% to 2.25%, in each case, depending on the total leverage ratio of the Company. The Company is permitted to make voluntary prepayments of the Credit Facility at any time without payment of a premium or penalty. The Credit Agreement is secured by an associated collateral agreement that provides for a lien on the majority of the Company’s assets and the assets of the guarantors, in each case, subject to customary exceptions. As of December 31, 2022, there were no amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement.
The Credit Agreement contains financial maintenance covenants, including (i) a maximum total leverage ratio as of the last date of any fiscal quarter not to exceed 4.00:1.00 for the Company and its restricted subsidiaries and (ii) a minimum interest coverage ratio as of the last date of any fiscal quarter not less than 3.00:1.00 for the Company and its restricted subsidiaries. The Credit Agreement also contains restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the Company’s and its restricted subsidiaries’ ability to incur additional indebtedness, create, incur or assume liens, consolidate, merge, liquidate or dissolve, pay dividends or make other distributions or other restricted payments, make or hold any investments, enter into certain transactions with affiliates, sell assets other than on terms specified by the Credit Agreement, amend the terms of certain other indebtedness and organizational documents and change their lines of business and fiscal years, in each case, subject to customary exceptions. The Credit Agreement also sets forth customary events of default, including, among other things, the failure to make timely payments under the Credit Facility, the failure to satisfy certain covenants, cross-default and cross-acceleration to other material debt for borrowed money, the occurrence of a change of control and specified events of bankruptcy and insolvency. The Company is in compliance with its debt covenants for the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022.
On June 2, 2021, June 21, 2021, August 20, 2021 and September 16, 2021, the Company entered into First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments (together the “Amendments”) to the Credit Agreement. The Amendments (i) provided for the
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
issuance of a senior secured term loan under the Credit Agreement, in an aggregate principal amount of $485.0 million (the “Bridge Loan Facility”), (ii) permitted the spin-off of the Company’s cloud fax business into a new publicly traded company, and (iii) provided for certain other changes to the Credit Agreement.
The Bridge Loan Facility bore interest at a rate per annum equal to (i) initially upon funding of the loan, either a base rate plus 2.00%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.00%, (ii) from six months after the funding date of the Bridge Loan Facility until twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loan Facility, either a base rate plus 2.50%, or a LIBOR rate plus 3.50%, and (iii) from twelve months after the funding date of the Bridge Loan Facility until repayment of the Bridge Loan Facility, either a base rate plus 3.00% or a LIBOR rate plus 4.00%. The Bridge Loan Facility was to mature on the date that is 364 days after the funding date of the Bridge Loan Facility, with two automatic extensions, each for an additional three months, if SEC approval of the spin-off transaction was still outstanding. The Company was required to pay a funding fee of 0.50% of the aggregate principal amount of Bridge Loan Facility made on the funding date thereof, as well as a duration fee of 0.25% of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Bridge Loans on the sixth month anniversary of the funding of the Bridge Loans, and a fee of 0.50% of the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Bridge Loans on each of the nine-month, twelve-month and fifteen-month anniversaries of the funding of the Bridge Loans. The Company incurred approximately $6.3 million ($5.2 million in the third quarter of 2021 and $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021) in costs and interest associated with the Bridge Loan Facility recorded within ‘Interest and other expense’ component of ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.
In connection with the spin-off of Consensus, the Company drew the full amount of the Bridge Loan Facility and used the proceeds of the Bridge Loan Facility to redeem the 3.25% Convertible Notes and a portion of the 4.625% Senior Notes. On October 7, 2021, Consensus issued $500.0 million of senior notes due 2028 to Ziff Davis, which Ziff Davis then exchanged such notes with the lenders under the Credit Agreement and Credit Agreement Amendments by and among the subsidiaries of Ziff Davis party thereto as guarantors, Citicorp North America Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., as administrative agent for the lenders, in exchange for the extinguishment of the indebtedness outstanding under the Bridge Loan Facility. Such lenders or their affiliates agreed to resell the 2028 notes to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A. The Company incurred a net loss on extinguishment of approximately $8.8 million recorded within ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ component of ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.
On June 10, 2022 (the “Term Loan Funding Date”), the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment to its Credit Agreement with MUFG Union Bank, N.A, as administrative agent and certain othercollateral agent and the lenders from time to time party thereto (collectively,to effectuate the Lenders). Pursuantdebt-for-equity exchange. The Fifth Amendment to the Credit Agreement provided for the LendersTerm Loan Facility in an aggregate principal amount of $90.0 million and certain other changes to the Credit Agreement. The Term Loan Facility had a maturity date that was 60 days after the Term Loan Funding Date. The Term Loan Facility bore interest at a base rate equal to the greater of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate, as defined in the Credit Agreement, in effect on such day plus 0.5% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent, as defined in the Credit Agreement, as its U.S. Dollar "Reference Rate" and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1%, provided j2 Global with a credit facilitythat the base rate for any term loan made under the Credit Agreement shall be greater of $225.0 million (the Credit Facility). Onclause (x) and (y) above in each case. During June 27, 2017,2022, the Company paid offborrowed approximately $90.0 million under the entire lineTerm Loan Facility and completed the non-cash debt-for-equity exchange of credit2,300,000 shares of $225.0its common stock of Consensus to settle its obligation of $90.0 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Facility plus an immaterial amount of interest.
On September 15, 2022 (the “Term Loan Two Funding Date”), the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to its Credit Agreement with MUFG Union Bank, N.A, as administrative agent and collateral agent and the lenders party thereto to effectuate the debt-for-equity exchange. The Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement provided for the Term Loan Two Facility in addition to interest and miscellaneous feesan aggregate principal amount of $0.5approximately $22.3 million and terminatedcertain other changes to the Credit Agreement. The Term Loan Two Facility had a maturity date that was 60 days after the Term Loan Two Funding Date. The Term Loan Two Facility bore interest at a base rate equal to the greater of (x) the Federal Funds Effective Rate, as defined in the Credit Agreement, in effect on such day plus 0.5% per annum, (y) the rate of interest per annum most recently announced by the Agent, as defined in the Credit Agreement, as its U.S. Dollar "Reference Rate" and (z) one month LIBOR plus 1%, provided that the base rate for any term loan made under the Credit Agreement shall be greater of clause (x) and (y) above in each case. During September 2022, the Company borrowed approximately $22.3 million under the Term Loan Two Facility and completed the non-cash debt-for-equity exchange of 500,000 shares of its common stock of Consensus to settle its obligation of $22.3 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Term Loan Two Facility plus an immaterial amount of interest.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of approximately $0.6 million, related to the debt-for-equity exchanges, which is presented within ‘Gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, net’ on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Operating Leases
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
j2 GlobalNOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
11.Leases
The Company leases certain facilities and equipment under non-cancelable operating and finance leases which expire at various dates through 2025.2031. Office and equipment leases are typically for terms of three to five years and generally provide renewal options for terms up to an additional five years. In most cases,Some of the Company’s leases include options to terminate within one year.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company expects leases that expire will be renewed or replaced by other leases with similar terms. Future minimumrecorded impairments of $1.0 million on its operating lease payments atright-of-use assets primarily related to exiting certain lease spaces within Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech. During the year ended December 31, 20172021, the Company recorded impairments of $12.7 million on its operating lease right of use assets within Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech primarily related to exiting certain lease space as the Company regularly evaluates its office space requirements in light of more of its workforce working from home as part of a permanent “remote” or “partial remote” work model. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company had also decided to exit and seek subleases for certain leased facilities in the Digital Media reportable segment primarily also due to work from home models. The Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $12.1 million related to operating lease right-of-use assets for the affected facilities and an impairment charge of $3.6 million for associated property and equipment. The impairments were determined by comparing the fair value of the impacted right-of-use asset to the carrying value of the asset as of the impairment measurement date, as required under non-cancelable operatingASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment. The fair value of the right-of-use asset was based on the estimated sublease income for the affected facilities taking into consideration the time it will take to obtain a sublease tenant, the applicable discount rate and the sublease rate which represent Level 3 unobservable inputs. The impairments are presented in ‘General and administrative’ expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
In certain agreements in which the Company leases (with initial or remainingoffice space where the Company is the tenant, it subleases the site to various other companies through a sublease agreement.
Operating right-of-use assets are included in ‘Other assets’ on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease termsliabilities are included in excess‘Other current liabilities’ and ‘Other noncurrent liabilities’, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
20222021
Operating lease right-of-use assets$40,640 $55,617 
Operating lease liabilities, current$22,153 $27,156 
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent33,996 53,708 
Total operating lease liabilities$56,149 $80,864 
The components of one year)lease expense are as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
20222021
Operating lease cost$17,656 $31,396 
Short-term lease cost (1)
1,127 2,754 
Total lease cost$18,783 $34,150 
(1)The Company made an election to account for a short-term lease payments on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Other supplemental operating lease information consists of the following:
December 31,
20222021
Operating leases:
Weighted average remaining lease term3.3 years3.9 years
Weighted average discount rate3.08 %3.48 %

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
 Lease Payments
Fiscal Year: 
2018$18,589
201917,325
202013,721
202112,049
202211,199
Thereafter13,258
Total minimum lease payments$86,141

Rental expense for the years endedAs of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $15.3 million, $10.6 million and $9.0 million, respectively.2022, maturities of operating lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands):

2023$23,000 
202417,453 
20258,527 
20265,470 
20272,443 
Thereafter2,445 
Total lease payments$59,338 
Less: Imputed interest3,189 
Present value of operating lease liabilities$56,149 
Sublease

Total sublease income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $0.7$6.8 million $2.0 million, and $0.6 million and $0.5$2.6 million, respectively. Total estimated aggregate sublease income to be received in the future is $9.0$11.9 million.

In 2020, the Company recorded $2.1 million associated with its sublease tenants in default as a result of the economic effects of COVID-19. The impairment is presented in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statement of Operations.
Finance leases are not material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Significant Judgments
Discount Rate
The majority of the Company’s leases are discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate as the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable. Rates are obtained from various large banks to determine the appropriate incremental borrowing rate each quarter for collateralized loans with a maturity similar to the lease term.
Options
The lease term is generally the minimum noncancellable period of the lease. The Company does not include option periods unless the Company determined it is reasonably certain of exercising the option at inception or when a triggering event occurs.
12.Commitments and Contingencies
Litigation
From time to time, the Company and its affiliates are involved in litigation and other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of business. Any claims or regulatory actions against the Company and its affiliates, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming and costly, and could divert significant operational resources. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief.
On July 8, 2020, Jeffrey Garcia filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company in the Central District of California (20-cv-06096), alleging violations of federal securities laws. The court appointed a lead plaintiff. The Company moved to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint. The court granted the motion to dismiss and the lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint. The Company moved to dismiss the amended complaint. On August 8, 2022, the court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint without leave to amend. The lead plaintiff has filed a notice of appeal.
On September 24, 2020, International Union of Operating Engineers of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery (C.A. No. 2020-0819-VCL) asserting derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty and related theories against directors of the Company and other third parties relating generally to the investment by the Company in OCV Fund I, L.P. (the “Chancery Court Derivative Action”). On November 17, 2020, the court entered an order allowing Orlando Police Pension Fund to intervene as a plaintiff in the case. The parties reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit, which required court approval. On July 29, 2021, the parties filed a stipulation of settlement that provided the terms of the settlement and began the settlement approval process with the Court. On January 20, 2022 the Court approved the settlement. Among other terms of the settlement, no further management fees will be charged and no further capital calls will be made in connection with the Company’s investment in OCV Fund I, L.P.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
On December 11, 2020, Danning Huang filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (20-cv-01687-LPS) asserting derivative claims against directors of the Company and other third parties. The lawsuit alleges violations of Section 14(a), Section 10(b), Section 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and abuse of control.
On March 24, 2021, Fritz Ringling filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (21-cv-00421-UNA) asserting substantially similar derivative claims, and on April 8, 2021, the district court consolidated the two actions under the caption In re J2 Global Stockholder Derivative Litigation. No.: 20-cv-01687-LPS. As part of the settlement of the Chancery Court Derivative Action described above, the Company and its directors and officers intend to defend against the remaining claims in the other actions.
The Company does not believe, based on current knowledge, that the foregoing legal proceedings or claims, after giving effect to existing accrued liabilities, are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, depending on the amount and timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of these matters could have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in a particular period.
The Company has not accrued for any material loss contingencies relating to these legal proceedings because materially unfavorable outcomes are not considered probable by management. It is the Company’s policy to expense as incurred legal fees related to various litigations.
Non-Income Related Taxes

As a provider of cloud services for business, theThe Company does not provide telecommunications services. Thus, it believes that its businesscollect and its users (by using our services) are generally not subject to various telecommunication taxes. However, several state taxing authorities have challenged this belief and have and may continue to audit and assess our business and operations with respect to telecommunications and other sales taxes. In addition, the application of other indirect taxes (such asremit sales and use, tax, business taxtelecommunication, or similar taxes and gross receipt tax)fees in certain jurisdictions where the Company believes such taxes are not applicable or legally required. Several states and other taxing jurisdictions have presented or threatened the Company with assessments, alleging that the Company is required to e-commerce businessescollect and remit such as j2 Global and our users is a complex and evolving issue.   The application of existing, new or future laws could have adverse effects on our business, prospects and operating results. There have been, and will continue to be, substantial ongoing costs associated with complying with the various indirect tax requirements in the numerous markets in which we conduct or will conduct business.

taxes there.
The Company is currently under audit or is subject to audit for indirect taxes in severalvarious states, municipalities and municipalities. On March 3, 2017, the New York State Department of Taxationforeign jurisdictions. The Company has a $25.5 million and Finance issued a notice of assessment for sales and use tax for the period of March 1, 2009 through February 28, 2014. We have reached a settlement with the Department which has expanded the period up to November 30, 2017. We have accrued $2.80$24.0 million as of December 31, 2017. On February 18, 2018, we paid $2.77 million to New York in settlement. On August 24, 2016, the Office of Finance for the City of Los Angeles notified us that they would commence an audit of business and communications taxes for the period of January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016, which has concluded with no material impact. For other jurisdictions, we currently have no reservesreserve established for these matters as we have determined thatof December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which is included within ‘Accounts payable and accrued expenses’ and ‘Other long-term liabilities’ on the liability is not probable and estimable. However, itConsolidated Balance Sheet. It is reasonably possible that such a liabilityadditional liabilities could be incurred which would resultresulting in additional expense, which could materiallyhave a material impact to our financial results.



11.    Income Taxes

13.Income tax expense amounted to $60.5 million, $59.0 million and $23.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Our effective tax rates for 2017, 2016 and 2015 were 30.3%, 27.9% and 14.8%, respectively.

Taxes
The Company has not completed its accounting for thecontinuing operations income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. Where the Company has been able to make reasonable estimates of the effects for which its analysis is not yet complete, the Company has recorded provisional amounts in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. Where the Company has not yet been able to make reasonable estimates of the impact of certain elements, the Company has not recorded any amounts related to those elements and has continued accounting for them in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of the tax laws in effect immediately prior to the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act.

The Company’s accounting for the following elements of the 2017 Tax Act is incomplete. However, the Company was able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects and, therefore, has recorded provisional amounts as follows:

Revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities: The 2017 Tax Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. In addition, the 2017 Tax Act makes certain changes to the depreciation rules and implements new limits on the deductibility of certain executive compensation. The Company has evaluated these changes and has recorded a provisional decrease to net deferred tax liabilities of $33.3 million with a corresponding decrease to deferred tax expense. The Company is still completing its calculation of the impact of these changes on its deferred tax balances.

Transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings: The transition tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings is a tax on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits (“E&P”) of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. To determine the amount of the transition tax, the Company must determine, among other factors, the amount of post-1986 E&P of its foreign subsidiaries, as well as the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid on such earnings. The Company was able to make a reasonable estimate of the transition tax and has recorded a provisional transition tax expense of $49.2 million. The Company is continuing to gather additional information to more precisely compute the amount of the transition tax to complete its calculation of E&P as well as the final determination of non-U.S. income taxes paid.

Valuation allowances: The Company must assess whether its valuation allowance analyses for deferred tax assets are affected by various aspects of the 2017 Tax Act (e.g., deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income, future GILTI inclusions, new categories of foreign tax credits). Since, as discussed herein, the Company has recorded provisional amounts related to certain portions of the 2017 Tax Act, any corresponding determination of the need for or change in a valuation allowance is also provisional. Prior to 2017, the Company had recorded valuation allowances for certain tax attributes that the Company estimated were not more likely than not to be utilized prior to their expiration. Based on a preliminary review of its 2017 and future taxable income, the Company has recorded a provisional release of valuation allowance in the amount of $11.9 million with a corresponding deferred tax benefit.

The Company’s accounting for the following elements of the 2017 Tax Act is incomplete, and it has not yet been able to make reasonable estimates of the effects of these items. Therefore, no provisional amounts were recorded.

Global intangible low taxed income (“GILTI”): The 2017 Tax Act creates a new requirement that certain income (i.e. GILTI) earned by foreign subsidiaries must be included currently in the gross income of the U.S. shareholder. Due to the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, the Company is continuing to evaluate this provision of the 2017 Tax Act and the application of ASC 740. Under U.S. GAAP, the Company is permitted to make an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on future inclusions in U.S. taxable income related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred or to factor such amounts into the Company’s measurement of its deferred taxes. The Company has not yet completed its analysis of the GILTI tax rules and is not yet able to reasonably estimate the effect of this provision of the 2017 Tax Act or make an accounting policy election for the ASC 740 treatment of the GILTI tax. Therefore, the Company has not recorded any amounts related to potential GILTI tax in its financial statements and has not yet made a policy decision regarding whether to record deferred taxes on GILTI.

Indefinite reinvestment assertion: Beginning in 2018, the 2017 Tax Act provides a 100% deduction for dividends received from 10-percent owned foreign corporations by U.S. corporate shareholders, subject to a one-year holding period. Although dividend income is now exempt from U.S. federal tax in the hands of the U.S. corporate shareholders, companies must still apply the guidance of ASC 740-30-25-18 to account for the tax consequences of outside basis differences and other tax impacts of their investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries. While the Company has accrued the transition tax on the deemed repatriated earnings that were previously indefinitely reinvested, the Company was unable to determine a reasonable estimate of the remaining tax liability, if any, under the 2017 Tax Act for its remaining outside basis differences or evaluate how the 2017 Tax Act will affect the Company’s


existing accounting position to indefinitely reinvest unremitted foreign earnings. Therefore, the Company has not included a provisional amount for this item in its financial statements for fiscal 2017. The Company will record amounts as needed for this item beginning in the first reporting period during the measurement period in which the Company obtains necessary information and is able to analyze and prepare a reasonable estimate.

The provision for income tax(expense) benefit consisted of the following (in thousands):
 Year ended December 31,
 20222021 2020
Current:
Federal$(42,698)$8,435 $(15,112)
State(12,184)248 (4,300)
Foreign(16,066)(15,931)(18,631)
Total current(70,948)(7,248)(38,043)
 
Deferred:   
Federal12,667 17,132 6,022 
State(1,577)5,044 67 
Foreign1,901 (729)(6,396)
Total deferred12,991 21,447 (307)
Income tax (expense) benefit from continuing operations$(57,957)$14,199 $(38,350)
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 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Current:     
Federal$55,804
 $46,293
 $21,745
State3,265
 3,874
 1,805
Foreign22,904
 22,612
 16,816
             Total current81,973
 72,779
 40,366
  
Deferred: 
  
  
Federal(15,682) (6,822) (8,581)
State962
 (330) (3,462)
Foreign(6,712) (6,627) (5,040)
Total deferred(21,432) (13,779) (17,083)
Total provision$60,541
 $59,000
 $23,283
ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate with j2 Global’sthe Company’s continuing operations effective income tax rate is as follows:
Years Ended December 31, Year ended December 31,
2017 2016 2015 202220212020
Statutory tax rate35 % 35 % 35 %Statutory tax rate21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %
State income taxes, net0.8
 1.1
 0.3
State income taxes, net5.0 (1.3)1.8 
Foreign rate differential(16.1) (14.6) (15.8)Foreign rate differential1.0 (0.3)2.8 
Foreign income inclusion7.2
 9.4
 5.4
Foreign income inclusion5.4 0.7 5.2 
Foreign tax credit(6.2) (5.5) (6.1)Foreign tax credit(5.1)(0.8)(4.3)
Reserve for uncertain tax positions3.9
 4.7
 (3.3)Reserve for uncertain tax positions(3.2)(2.4)11.5 
Valuation allowance(0.9) (1.0) 1.8
Valuation allowance— (1.7)9.9 
IRC Section 199 deductions(1.6) (1.1) (1.2)
The 2017 Tax Act - provisional transition tax24.6
 
 
The 2017 Tax Act - tax rate impact on deferred taxes(16.1) 
 
Impact on deferred taxes of enacted tax law and rate changesImpact on deferred taxes of enacted tax law and rate changes1.4 (0.5)3.3 
Tax credits and incentivesTax credits and incentives(5.0)(1.5)(7.2)
Mark-to market on investment in ConsensusMark-to market on investment in Consensus22.1 (18.0)— 
Return to provision adjustmentsReturn to provision adjustments1.1 0.5 2.4 
Executive compensationExecutive compensation1.5 0.7 2.7 
Other(0.3) (0.1) (1.3)Other(1.0)(0.4)(0.2)
Effective tax rates30.3 % 27.9 % 14.8 %Effective tax rates44.2 %(4.0)%48.9 %
The Company’s effective tax rate for eachcontinuing operations for the year is normally lower thanended December 31, 2022 differs from the 35% U.S. federal statutory plus applicable state income tax ratesrate primarily due to earningsa book-tax difference related to the loss recognized for accounting purposes related to the Company’s shares held in Consensus stock. The Company recognized a deferred tax liability resulting in tax expense of j2 Global’s subsidiaries$13.4 million on the outside basis difference between the book basis exceeding the tax basis of the U.S.Investment in jurisdictions whereConsensus on October 7, 2022 due to future disposals of the shares being subject to tax based on guidance and requirements set out by the Internal Revenue Service.
Additional reasons the effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory tax rate is lower thandue to income earned in the United States also being subject to income taxes in various state jurisdictions with statutory tax rates that can range from 2.5 percent to 11.5 percent. This increase in the effective income tax rate is offset by a decrease in the net reserve for uncertain tax positions during 2022 and a tax benefit claimed in the United States related to a deduction for foreign-derived intangible income. The decrease in the reserve for uncertain tax positions is primarily due to the lapse of the statute of limitations for U.S. tax reserves.

The effective tax rate for continuing operations for 2021 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to a book-tax difference related to the $298.5 million of book income recognized related to the Company’s shares held in Consensus stock. The income was not subject to tax since the Company had the ability to dispose of the investment in a tax-free manner based on guidance and requirements set out by the Internal Revenue Service. Additionally, the Company recorded a decrease in the net reserve for uncertain tax positions during 2021 and a reduction in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets related to realized and unrealized capital losses. The decrease in the reserve for uncertain tax positions is primarily due to the lapse of the statute of limitations for U.S. tax reserves. The reduction in the valuation allowance is primarily due to an increase in unrealized capital gains on investments held by the Company which can provide a source of capital gain income in future years to realize the benefit of the capital losses.

The effective tax rate for continuing operations for 2020 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to the Company recording a net increase in the reserve for uncertain tax positions during 2020 and recording a valuation allowance for a capital loss recognized due to the sale of assets related to its Voice business unit in Australia and New Zealand and the impairment of certain U.S. investments.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Deferred tax assets and liabilities result from differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities. Temporary differences and carryforwards which give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities from continuing operations are as follows (in thousands):
 Years Ended December 31,
 2022 2021
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss and other carryforwards$19,513 $28,393 
Tax credit carryforwards4,222 2,801 
Accrued expenses10,702 12,548 
Allowance for bad debt1,445 2,116 
Share-based compensation expense3,885 3,545 
Operating lease liabilities16,756 21,771 
Basis difference in fixed assets14,642 — 
Deferred revenue2,994 4,331 
State taxes4,447 3,771 
Other3,920 4,351 
 82,526 83,627 
Less: valuation allowance(1,699)(1,812)
Total deferred tax assets$80,827 $81,815 
  
Deferred tax liabilities: 
Basis difference in property and equipment$— $(8,337)
Operating lease right-of-use assets(14,008)(16,696)
Basis difference in intangible assets(101,797)(117,244)
Unrealized gains on investments(24,123)(11,291)
Prepaid insurance(2,744)(3,121)
Convertible debt— (21,972)
Other(8,639)(6,219)
Total deferred tax liabilities(151,311)(184,880)
Net deferred tax liabilities$(70,484)$(103,065)
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016
Deferred tax assets:   
Net operating loss carryforwards$29,317
 $59,806
Tax credit carryforwards2,645
 16,281
Accrued expenses3,165
 14,759
Allowance for bad debt1,570
 2,624
Share-based compensation expense6,476
 5,631
Basis difference in fixed assets1,881
 2,195
Impairment of investments48
 74
Deferred revenue728
 2,361
State taxes1,777
 1,758
Other14,165
 9,227
 61,772
 114,716
Less: valuation allowance(197) (12,028)
Total deferred tax assets$61,575
 $102,688
    
Deferred tax liabilities:   
Basis difference in intangible assets$(70,252) $(98,830)
Prepaid insurance(616) (246)
Convertible debt(27,504) (36,592)
Other(1,467) (2,088)
Total deferred tax liabilities(99,839) (137,756)
Net deferred tax liabilities$(38,264) $(35,068)

The Company had approximately $61.6$80.8 million and $102.7$81.8 million in deferred tax assets from continuing operations as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, respectively, related primarily to net operating loss, operating lease liabilities, interest expense and capital loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, capitalized research and development expenses and accrued expenses treated differently between its financial statements and its tax returns. Based on the weight of available evidence, the Company assesses whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. If necessary, j2 Globalthe Company records a valuation allowance sufficient to reduce the deferred tax asset to the amount that is more likely thatthan not to be realized. The deferred tax assets should be realized through future operating results and the reversal of temporary differences.

The Company had a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets from continuing operations of $1.7 million and $1.8 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The valuation allowance related to net operating loss and capital loss carryforward in certain foreign jurisdictions decreased $0.1 million primarily as a result of re-measurement due to tax rate changes.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The rollforward of the valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets from continuing operations is as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Beginning balance$1,812 $8,262 $563 
Charges to costs and expenses— 178 9,456 
Write-offs and recoveries(113)(6,628)(1,757)
Ending balance$1,699 $1,812 $8,262 
As of December 31, 2017,2022, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of $102.2$22.8 million, after considering substantial restrictions on the utilization of these NOLs due to “ownership changes”, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). j2 Global currentlyamended. The Company estimates that all of the above-mentioned federal NOLs will be available for use before their expiration. These$20.7 million of the NOLs expire through the year 2036. The $102.22037 and $2.1 million NOL carryforward amount includes $89.1 million acquired pursuant toof the Everyday Health transaction.

NOLs carry forward indefinitely depending on the year the loss was incurred.
As of December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, the Company has foreignCompany’s deferred tax creditsassets include interest expense limitation carryovers of zero$6.4 million and $11.9$23.3 million, respectively.respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company also has provided a valuation allowance on the foreign tax creditsfederal capital loss limitation carryforwards as of zeroDecember 31, 2022 and $11.92021 of $24.1 million and $28.7 million, respectively as the weight of available evidence does not support full utilization of these credits. The foreign tax credits were fully utilizedthat begin to expire in 2017 as a result of the transition tax on repatriated foreign earnings. If these tax credits were not fully utilized, the foreign tax credits would have expired in the year 2025.2031. In addition, as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016, the Company2021, we had available state research and development tax creditscredit carryforwards of $2.3$3.5 million and $3.5$5.1 million, respectively, which last indefinitely. The Company had no foreign tax credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

The Company has not provided for deferred taxes on approximately $307.8 million of undistributed earnings from foreign subsidiaries as of December 31, 2022. The Company has not provided any additional deferred taxes with respect to items such as foreign withholding taxes, state income tax or foreign exchange gain or loss that would be due when cash is actually repatriated to the U.S. because those foreign earnings are considered permanently reinvested in the business or may be remitted substantially free of any additional taxes. Because of the various avenues in which to repatriate the earnings, it is not practicable to determine the amount of the unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the undistributed earnings if eventually remitted.
Certain tax paymentstaxes are prepaid during the year and, where appropriate, included within prepaid‘Prepaid expenses and other current assetsassets’ on the consolidated balance sheet.Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company’s prepaid tax paymentstaxes were $6.0$3.2 million and zero$0.8 million at December 31, 20172022 and 2016,2021, respectively.

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes included income from domestic operations of $71.8 million, $279.7 million, $(2.0) million  for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and income from foreign operations of $59.4 million, $71.7 million and $80.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.


Uncertain Income Tax Positions

Tax positions are evaluated in a two-step process. The Company first determines whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination. If a tax position meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, it is then measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company classifies gross interest and penalties and unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to result in payment or receipt of cash within one year as non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.Consolidated Balance Sheets.

As of December 31, 2017,2022, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits for continuing operations was $45.0$34.2 million, of which $39.8$32.7 million, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2016,2021, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits for continuing operations was $41.2$39.5 million, of which $37.0$35.6 million, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2015,2020, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits for continuing operations was $32.5$46.0 million, of which $29.8$44.9 million, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The aggregate changes in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits, which excludes interest and penalties, for 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, is as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Beginning balance$39,527 $46,032 $43,687 
Increases related to tax positions during a prior year— 3,448 3,953 
Decreases related to tax positions taken during a prior year(2,816)(5,511)(244)
Increases related to tax positions taken in the current year819 4,675 4,264 
Settlements— — (5,628)
Decreases related to expiration of statute of limitations(3,322)(9,117)— 
Ending balance$34,208 $39,527 $46,032 
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Beginning balance$41,218
 $32,536
 $34,635
Increases related to tax positions during a prior year
 2,082
 10,361
Decreases related to tax positions taken during a prior year(401) 
 (17,107)
Increases related to tax positions taken in the current year7,223
 6,703
 8,841
Settlements(2,639) 
 (4,194)
Decreases related to expiration of statute of limitations(389) (103) 
Ending balance$45,012
 $41,218
 $32,536

The Company includes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within ‘Income tax expense’ on the provision for income taxes.Consolidated Statements of Operations. As of December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, the total amount of interest and penalties accrued was $7.2$6.3 million, $5.3$5.7 million, and $3.4$7.2 million, respectively, which is classified as non-current liabilities ina liability for uncertain tax positions on the consolidated balance sheets.Consolidated Balance Sheets. In connection with the liability for unrecognized tax matters,benefits, the Company recognized interest and penalty expense (benefit) expense in 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 of $2.1$0.7 million, $1.9$(1.5) million and $(1.4)$2.8 million, respectively.

Uncertain income tax positions are reasonably possible to significantly change during the next 12 months as a result of completion of income tax audits and expiration of statutes of limitations. At this point it is not possible to provide an estimate of the amount, if any, of significant changes in reserves for uncertain income tax positions as a result of the completion of income tax audits that are reasonably possible to occur in the next 12 months. In addition, the Company cannot currently estimate the amount of, if any, uncertain income tax positions which will be released in the next 12 months as a result of expiration of statutes of limitations due to ongoing audits. As a result of ongoing federal, state and foreign income tax audits (discussed below), it is reasonably possible that ourthe Company’s entire reserve for uncertain income tax positions for the periods under audit will be released. It is also reasonably possible that the Company’s reserves will be inadequate to cover the entire amount of any such income tax liability.

Income before income taxes included income from domestic operations of $61.9 million, $84.8 million and $61.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and income from foreign operations of $138.1 million, $126.6 million and $95.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Income Tax Audits:

In November 2015,The Company is in various stages of audit by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) began an income tax audit of the Company’sfor its 2012 and 2013through 2016 tax years. In March 2016,On February 24, 2021, the Company received a Notice of Deficiency for tax years 2012 through 2014 which disallowed certain deductions for domestic production. The Company disagrees with the Notice and has filed a petition with the United States Tax Court on May 24, 2021 and has continued to work with the IRS expanded its income tax audit to includereach a conclusion. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s 2014 tax year. Additionally, the Company was notified on March 22, 2017 that the IRS will be auditing Everyday Health’s 2014 tax year. In December 2017, the Company was notified by the IRS that the 2014 audit of Everyday Health will be concluded with no changes.

audits are ongoing.
The Company is under audit by the California Franchise Tax Board (“FTB”) for its tax years 2012 and 2013. The FTB, however, has agreed to suspend its audit for 2012 and 2013 pending the outcome of the IRS audit for such tax years.


In August 2018, the FTB notified the Company that it will commence an audit of tax years 2015 and 2016. The Company is under incomeresponded to the inquiries from the FTB. The tax years remain open pending the outcome of the IRS audit byfor such tax years. As of December 31, 2022, the audits are ongoing.
In June 2019, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“NYS”) for tax years 2011 through 2013. In March 2017, NYS expanded its income tax audit to include the Company’s 2014 tax year.

In September 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue notified the Company that it will commence an audit of income tax for tax years 2014 andyear 2015. In addition,April 2020, the Georgia Department of RevenueNYS notified the Company that it willwould also commence an audit of income tax for tax years 20142016 and 2017. The tax years remain open pending the outcome of the IRS audit for such tax years. On October 2022, the Company signed an additional extension of the statute of limitations for tax years 2015 to 2017 to September 2023. As of December 31, 2022, the audits are ongoing.
We conduct business on a global basis and as a result, one or more of our subsidiaries files income tax returns in the U.S. federal and in multiple state, local, and foreign tax jurisdictions. As noted previously, our U.S. federal income tax returns for years 2012 through 2016.

The Company is currently2016 are under various stages of audit by the FrenchIRS. We are also under audit for various U.S. state and local tax purposes as noted above for our significant jurisdictions. With limited exception, our significant foreign tax jurisdictions are no longer subject to an income tax audit by the various tax authorities for tax years 2011prior to 2016. The audit is in the preliminary fact gathering stage.

2017.
It is reasonably possible that these audits may conclude in the next 12twelve months and that the uncertain tax positions the Company has recorded in relation to these tax years may change compared to the liabilities recorded for these periods. If the recorded uncertain tax positions arewere inadequate to cover the associated tax liabilities, the Company would be required to record additional tax expense in the relevant period, which could be material. If the recorded uncertain tax positions are were
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
adequate to cover the associated tax liabilities, the Company would be required to record any excess as reduction in tax expense in the relevant period, which could be material. However, it is not currently possible to estimate the amount, if any, of such change.

12.    Stockholders’ Equity

Preferred Stock Exchange

In November 2014, the Company provided holders of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock (“j2 Series A Stock”) and the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock (“j2 Series B Stock”) an exchange right in which shares may be exchanged for j2 common stock. The exchange right associated with the shares of j2 Series A Stock provided that such shares were immediately exercisable at an exchange ratio of 20.4319 shares of j2 common stock per share of j2 Series A Stock (the “Series A Exchange Ratio”). Both holders of the j2 Series A Stock exercised this exchange right which resulted in the issuance of 235,665 shares of j2 common stock. The exchange right associated with the vested shares of the j2 Series B Stock is exercisable during specified exchange periods at an exchange ratio of 31.8094 shares of j2 common stock per share of j2 Series B Stock (the “Series B Exchange Ratio”). Holders of vested j2 Series B Stock exercised this exchange right which resulted in the issuance of 88,623 and 91,737 shares of j2 common stock during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.

In connection with the exercise of the exchange right and the resulting extinguishment of the j2 Series A Stock, the Company recorded the difference between the carrying value of the Series A and the fair value of the j2 common stock exchanged within retained earnings as a preferred stock dividend. In connection with the exercise of the exchange right associated with j2 Series B Stock, the Company recognized incremental fair value in the amount of $6.3 million and recorded additional share-based compensation in the amount of $1.2 million and $1.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The remaining amount of unrecognized incremental fair value will be recognized over the remaining service period.

The Series B Exchange Ratio is adjusted in the event of a subdivision of the outstanding j2 common stock or j2 Series B Stock, a declaration of a dividend payable in shares of j2 common stock or j2 Series B Stock, a declaration of a dividend payable in a form other than shares in an amount that has a material effect on the value of shares of j2 common stock or j2 Series B Stock, a combination or consolidation of the outstanding j2 common stock or j2 Series B Stock into a lesser number of shares of j2 common stock or j2 Series B Stock, respectively, specified changes in control, a recapitalization, a reclassification, or a similar occurrence, the Company shall adjust the Series B Exchange Ratio as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion.

Common Stock Repurchase Program

14.Stockholders’ Equity
In February 2012, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a program authorizing the repurchase of up to five million shares of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock through February 20, 2013 (the “2012 Program”) which was subsequently extended through February 19, 2019 (see Note 20, - Subsequent Events). On February 15, 2012,2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company entered into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan with a broker to facilitaterepurchased 1,140,819 shares at an aggregate cost of $87.5 million under the repurchase program. No2012 Program, which were subsequently retired in the same year. As of December 31, 2020, all of the available shares were repurchased under the share2012 Program.
On August 6, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a program authorizing the repurchase program forof up to ten million shares of the Company’s common stock through August 6, 2025 (the “2020 Program”). The Company entered into certain Rule 10b5-1 trading plans during the years ended December 31, 20172022, 2021 and 2016. Cumulatively at2020 to execute repurchases under the 2020 Program. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2.12022, 2021 and 2020, the Company repurchased 736,536, 445,711 and 2,490,599 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of $71.3 million, $47.7 million and $177.8 million, respectively (including an immaterial amount of commission fees) under the 2020 Program. These shares were subsequently retired. Cumulatively as of December 31, 2022, 3,672,846 shares were repurchased at an aggregate cost of $58.6$296.9 million (including an immaterial amount of commission fees). under the 2020 Program. As a result of the repurchases, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for purchase as of December 31, 2022 was 6,327,154 shares.

In July 2016,connection with the Separation, the Company acquiredcalled its 3.25% Convertible Notes for redemption and subsequently retired 935,231during the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company issued 3,050,850 shares of j2 Globalthe Company’s common stock in connection with the acquisition of Integrated Global Concepts, Inc.that redemption (see Note 310 - Business Acquisitions)Debt). As a result of the purchase of j2 Global common stock, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a reduction in the number of shares available for purchase


under the 2012 Program by the same amount leaving 1,938,689 shares of j2 Global common stock available for purchase under this program.

Periodically, participants in j2 Global’sthe Company’s stock plans surrender to the Company shares of j2 Global stock to pay the exercise price or to satisfy tax withholding obligations arising upon the exercise of stock options or the vesting of restricted stock. During the yearyears ended December 31, 2017,2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company purchased 117,076and retired 72,886, 251,946 and 111,451 shares, respectively, at an aggregate cost of approximately $7.0 million, $30.6 million and $10.4 million, respectively, from plan participants for this purpose.

Dividends
15.Stock Based Compensation
The following is a summary of each dividend declared during fiscal year 2017 and 2016:
Declaration Date Dividend per Common Share Record Date Payment Date
February 10, 2016 $0.3250
 February 23, 2016 March 10, 2016
May 5, 2016 $0.3350
 May 18, 2016 June 2, 2016
August 2, 2016 $0.3450
 August 17, 2016 September 1, 2016
November 1, 2016 $0.3550
 November 18, 2016 December 5, 2016
February 9, 2017 $0.3650
 February 22, 2017 March 9, 2017
May 4, 2017 $0.3750
 May 19, 2017 June 2, 2017
August 2, 2017 $0.3850
 August 14, 2017 September 1, 2017
October 31, 2017 $0.3950
 November 17, 2017 December 5, 2017

On February 2, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.4050 per share of common stock payable on March 9, 2018 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2018 (see Note 20 - Subsequent Events). Future dividends will be subject to Board approval.

13.    Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan

j2 Global’sCompany’s share-based compensation plans include the 2007 Stock Plan, the 2015 Stock Plan and the 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Each plan is described below.

(a)The 2007 Stock Option Plan and the 2015 Stock Option Plan

In October 2007, j2 Global’s Board of Directors adopted the j2 Global, Inc. 2007 Stock Option Plan (the “2007 Plan”). The 2007 Plan provides for the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other share-based awards. The number of authorized shares of common stock that may be used for 2007 Plan purposes is 4,500,000. Options under the 2007 Plan may be granted at exercise prices determined by the Board of Directors, provided that the exercise prices shall not be less than the fair market value of j2 Global’s common stock on the date of grant for incentive stock options and not less than 85% of the fair market value of j2 Global’s common stock on the date of grant for non-statutory stock options. The 2007 Plan terminated on February 14, 2017.

In May 2015, j2 Global’s Board of Directors adopted the j2 Global, Inc. 2015 Stock Option Plan (the “2015 Plan”) and 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”). Each plan is described below.
The 2015 Plan provides for the grantgranting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance share units and other share-based awards and is intended as a successor plan to the 2007 Stock Plan since no further grants will be made under the 2007 Stock Plan.awards. 4,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock are authorized to be used for 2015 Plan purposes. Options under the 2015 Plan may be granted at exercise prices determined by the Board of Directors, provided that the exercise prices shall not be less than the higher of the par value or 100% of the fair market value of j2 Global’sthe Company’s common stock subject to the option on the date the option is granted.

As of December 31, 2022, 435,135 shares underlying options and 464,354 shares of restricted stock units were outstanding under the 2015 Plan. At December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015,2022, there were 1,496,619 additional shares underlying options, to purchase 361,875, 353,258 and 457,792 shares of commonrestricted stock were exercisableand other share-based awards available for grant under the 2015 Plan.
In connection with the Separation and outsidepursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the 2015 Plan, the number of shares underlying each stock-based award outstanding as of the date of the Separation was multiplied by a factor of approximately 1.09 and the 2007 Plan combined, at weighted averagerelated exercise pricesprice for the stock options was divided by a factor of $29.92, $26.10approximately 1.09, which was intended to preserve the intrinsic value of the awards prior to the Separation. Further, the price targets for the Company’s market-based restricted stock units were reduced by $21.41. These adjustments to the Company’s equity compensation awards did not result in additional compensation expense. Stock based compensation awards that were held by Consensus employees were terminated and $24.78, respectively. Stock options generally expire after 10 years and vest over a 5-year period.

Allreplaced with awards issued under the Consensus stock option grants are approved by “outside directors” withincompensation plan (including under the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m)Purchase Plan). Stock-based compensation expense through the Separation date for Consensus employees is included in results from discontinued operations.


Stock Options
At December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, options to purchase 217,567, 168,614 and 175,601 shares of common stock were exercisable under and outside of the 2015 Plan, at weighted average exercise prices of $68.97, $67.62, $60.35, respectively. Stock options generally expire after 10 years and vest over a 5-year period.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
All stock option grants are approved by “outside directors” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m).
Stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 is summarized as follows:
Number of Shares
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (In Years)
  Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding at January 1, 2020518,341 $65.77 
      Granted— — 
      Exercised(42,740)23.11 
      Canceled— — 
Options outstanding at December 31, 2020475,601 $69.61 
      Granted— — 
      Exercised(70,776)41.63 
      Canceled— — 
Adjustment due to Consensus Separation (1)
35,749 $68.25 
Options outstanding at December 31, 2021440,574 $68.45 
      Granted— $— 
      Exercised(5,439)$27.15 
      Canceled— $— 
Options outstanding at December 31, 2022435,135 $68.97 5.0$4,407,918 
Exercisable at December 31, 2022217,567 $68.97 5.0$2,203,954 
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2022396,185 $68.97 5.0$4,013,353 
 Number of Shares 
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
 Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (In Years) 
  Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at January 1, 2015725,649
 $24.29
    
      Granted62,000
 67.35
    
      Exercised(221,221) 22.41
    
      Canceled
 
    
Options outstanding at December 31, 2015566,428
 $29.74
    
      Granted
 
    
      Exercised(142,870) 26.04
    
      Canceled(9,700) 26.92
    
Options outstanding at December 31, 2016413,858
 $31.09
    
      Granted
 
    
      Exercised(38,183) 29.03
    
      Canceled
 
    
Options outstanding at December 31, 2017375,675
 $31.30
 2.5 $16,429,727
Exercisable at December 31, 2017361,875
 $29.92
 2.3 $16,323,743
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2017373,168
 $31.05
 2.4 $16,410,477

For(1)As noted above, in connection with the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016Consensus separation and 2015, j2 Global granted zero, zero and 62,000 options, respectively, to purchase shares of common stock pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the 2015 Plan. ThesePlan, the number of shares underlying each stock options vest 20% per year and expire 10 years fromoption outstanding as of the date of grant.

The per share weighted-average grant-date fair valuesthe Separation was multiplied by a factor of approximately 1.09 and the related exercise price for the stock options granted duringwas divided by a factor of approximately 1.09, which was intended to preserve the period ended December 31, 2015 was $15.22. There were no stock options granted duringintrinsic value of the years 2017 and 2016.

awards prior to the Separation.
The total intrinsic values of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $2.1$0.4 million, $5.6$5.8 million and $10.5$3.0 million, respectively. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $0.6$1.1 million, $0.6$1.0 million and $0.7$1.0 million, respectively.

Cash received from options exercised under all share-based payment arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 was $1.1$0.1 million, $3.6$2.9 million and $5.0$1.6 million, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from option exercises under the share-based payment arrangements totaled $0.7$0.3 million, $1.9 million and $3.7$0.7 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015.



2020, respectively.
The following table summarizes information concerning outstanding and exercisable options as of December 31, 2017:2022:
Options OutstandingExercisable Options
Exercise PriceNumber Outstanding December 31, 2022
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Number
Exercisable
December 31,
2022
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
$68.97 435,135 5.0 years$68.97 217,567 $68.97 
  Options Outstanding Exercisable Options
Range of
Exercise Prices
 Number Outstanding December 31, 2017 
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
Number
Exercisable
December 31,
2017
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
$17.19 22,000
 1.18 years $17.19
 22,000
 $17.19
20.91 45,558
 0.34 years 20.91
 45,558
 20.91
21.67 50,040
 1.35 years 21.67
 50,040
 21.67
22.92 84,092
 2.35 years 22.92
 84,092
 22.92
24.61 - 25.93 14,500
 4.02 years 25.13
 14,500
 25.13
27.60 700
 3.08 years 27.60
 700
 27.60
29.34 75,585
 3.36 years 29.34
 75,585
 29.34
29.53 13,700
 4.17 years 29.53
 13,700
 29.53
31.07 7,500
 3.82 years 31.07
 7,500
 31.07
67.35 62,000
 3.51 years 67.35
 48,200
 67.35
$17.19 - $67.35 375,675
 2.46 years $31.30
 361,875
 $29.92

As discussed in Note 12, “Stockholders’ Equity”, the Company provided holders of j2 Series B Stock an exchange right in which j2 Series B Stock may be exchanged for j2 common stock during specified exchange periods. The Company determined that such exchange right represents a grant under the 2007 Plan for the year ended December 31, 2014, and accordingly, reduced the awards available under the 2007 Plan. At December 31, 2017, there were 3,450,474 additional shares underlying options, shares of restricted stock and other share-based awards available for grant under the 2015 Plan, and no additional shares are available for grant under or outside of the 2007 Plan.

The Company recognized $0.4 million, $0.4 million and $0.7 million of compensation expense related to stock options for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of December 31, 2017,2022, there was $0.2$3.9 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested share-based compensation options granted under the 2015 Plan and the 2007 Plan. That expense is expected to be recognized ratably over a weighted average period of 2.353.0 years (i.e., the remaining requisite service period).

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Fair Value Disclosure
j2 GlobalThe Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to calculate the fair value of each option grant. The expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The Company estimates the expected term based upon the historical exercise behavior of ourits employees. The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a term equal to the expected term of the option assumed at the date of grant. The Company uses an annualized dividend yield based upon the per share dividends declared by its Board of Directors. There were no dividends declared during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. Estimated forfeiture rates were 14.3%13.0%, 12.7%12.4% and 14.1%13.0% as of December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015,2020, respectively.

The weighted-average fair values of stock options granted have been estimated utilizing the following assumptions:
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Risk-free interest rate—% —% 1.6%
Expected term (in years)0.0 0.0 5.2
Dividend yield—% —% 1.8%
Expected volatility—% —% 28.1%
Weighted average volatility—% —% 28.1%



Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
j2 GlobalThe Company has awarded restricted stock and restricted stock units to its Board of Directors and senior staff pursuant to the the 2007 Plan and the 2015 Plan.certain share-based compensation plans. Compensation expense resulting from restricted stock and restricted unit grants is measured at fair value on the date of grant and is recognized as share-based compensation expense over the applicable vesting period. Beginning in fiscal year 2012 vestingVesting periods are approximately one year for awards to members of the Company’s Board of Directors, andfour or five years for senior staff.staff (excluding market-based awards discussed below) and four to eight years for the Chief Executive Officer. The Company granted 300,330, 317,914154,022, 246,251 and 252,940129,786 shares of restricted stock and restricted units (excluding awards with market conditions below) during the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 2015, respectively, and recognized $22.2 million, $13.2 million and $11.0 million, respectively of related compensation expense. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had unrecognized share-based compensation cost of $36.6 million associated with these awards. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.9 years for awards and 3.3 years for units. The total fair value of restricted stock and restricted stock units vested during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $15.1 million, $8.0 million and $6.4 million,2020, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from the vesting of restricted stock awards and units totaled $2.3 million, $3.5 million and $3.8 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. In accordance with ASC 718, share-based compensation is recognized on dividends paid related to nonvested restricted stock not expected to vest, which amounted to approximately $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

During the year, the Company accelerated the vesting of certain shares held by employees which were surrendered to the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with such employees’ restricted stock. The Company recognized share-based compensation of $1.4 million during the year due to this vesting acceleration.

In connection with Nehemia Zucker’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer effective as of December 31, 2017, all of his outstanding and unvested stock options and time-based restricted shares, along with the tranche of performance-vesting restricted shares that was then next scheduled to vest, vested in full on December 29, 2017. As a result, the Company has accelerated the recognition of share-based compensation expense associated with these awards which impacted the fourth quarter by approximately $5.1 million.

Restricted Stock - Awardsand Restricted Stock Units with Market Conditions

j2 GlobalThe Company has awarded certain key employees market-based restricted stock awardsand market-based restricted stock units pursuant to the 2015 Plan. The market-based awards have vesting conditions that are based on specified stock price targets of the Company’s common stock. Market conditions were factored into the grant date fair value using a Monte Carlo valuation model, which utilized multiple input variables to determine the probability of the Company achieving the specified stock price targets with a 20-day and 30-day lookback (trading days) for 2016 and 2017, respectively.. Stock-based compensation expense related to an award with a market condition will be recognized over the requisite service period using the graded-vesting method regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied, provided that the requisite service period has been completed. During the yearyears ended December 31, 20172022, 2021, and 2016,2020 the Company awarded 85,825100,193, 73,094 and 106,78082,112 market-based restricted stock awards,units, respectively. The per share weighted average grant-date fair values of the market-based restricted stock awardsunits granted during the years ended December 31, 20172022, 2021 and 20162020 were $72.20$87.11, $94.40 and $44.67,$70.99, respectively.

The weighted-average fair values of market-based restricted stock awardsunits granted have been estimated utilizing the following assumptions:
December 31,
202220212020
Underlying stock price at valuation date$99.32 $113.27 $91.17 
Expected volatility36.7 %30.3 %27.0 %
Risk-free interest rate1.8 %1.3 %0.7 %

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016
Underlying stock price at valuation date$91.17
 $63.73
Expected volatility29.0% 29.8%
Risk-free interest rate2.17% 1.51%



Restricted stock award activity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 is set forth below:
SharesWeighted-Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 20201,105,059 $64.76 
Granted1,268 98.63 
Vested(264,172)70.25 
Canceled(21,589)79.34 
Nonvested at December 31, 2020820,566 $62.66 
Granted— — 
Vested(435,529)60.52 
Canceled(33,194)83.23 
Adjustment due to Consensus Separation (1)
32,120 74.62 
Nonvested at December 31, 2021383,963 $62.66 
Granted— — 
Vested(67,762)80.64 
Canceled(4,920)84.77 
Nonvested at December 31, 2022311,281 $59.90 
(1)As noted above, in connection with the Consensus separation and pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the 2015 Plan, the number of shares underlying each restricted stock award outstanding as of the date of the Separation was multiplied by a factor of approximately 1.09 and the market condition stock price target for marked-based restricted stock awards was also adjusted.

-110-

 Shares 
Weighted-Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2015814,050
 $26.57
Granted234,540
 68.11
Vested(254,871) 25.16
Canceled(88,915) 40.97
Nonvested at December 31, 2015704,804
 $39.08
Granted296,414
 41.27
Vested(255,503) 31.27
Canceled(40,700) 63.95
Nonvested at December 31, 2016705,015
 $41.40
Granted289,230
 61.34
Vested(381,411) 39.71
Canceled(7,268) 76.08
Nonvested at December 31, 2017605,566
 $51.57
ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Restricted stock unit activity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 20162022, 2021 and 20152020 is set forth below:
Number of
Shares
Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Outstanding at January 1, 202020,874 
Granted210,630 
Vested(9,029)
Canceled(12,691)
Outstanding at December 31, 2020209,784 
Granted319,345 
Vested(124,761)
Canceled(60,201)
Adjustment due to Consensus Separation (1)
16,576 
Outstanding at December 31, 2021360,743   
Granted254,215   
Vested(115,523)  
Canceled(35,081)  
Outstanding at December 31, 2022464,354 2.61$36,730,401 
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2022334,674 2.12$26,472,675 
 Number of
Shares
 Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
 Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2015102,924
    
Granted18,400
    
Vested(23,221)    
Canceled(41,858)    
Outstanding at December 31, 201556,245
    
Granted21,500
    
Vested(14,595)    
Canceled(11,200)    
Outstanding at December 31, 201651,950
    
Granted11,100
    
Vested(16,370)    
Canceled(8,280)    
Outstanding at December 31, 201738,400
 1.8 $2,881,152
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 201729,397
 1.6 $2,205,686

(1) As noted above, in connection with the Consensus separation and pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the 2015 Plan, the number of shares underlying each restricted stock unit outstanding as of the date of the Separation was multiplied by a factor of approximately 1.09 and the market condition stock price target for marked-based restricted stock units was also adjusted.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had unrecognized share-based compensation cost of $40.1 million associated with these restricted stock and restricted stock units. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.8 years for restricted stock and 3.4 years for restricted stock units. The total fair value of restricted stock and restricted stock units vested during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 was $12.4 million, $68.1 million and $18.6 million, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units totaled $2.8 million, $9.5 million and $2.1 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. 
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In May of 2001, j2 Global established the j2 Global, Inc. 2001 Employee StockThe Purchase Plan as amended (the “Purchase Plan”), which provides for the issuance of a maximum of 2,000,000two million shares of the Company’s common stock. Under the Purchase Plan, eligible employees can have up to 15% of their earnings withheld, up to certain maximums, to be used to purchase shares of j2 Global’sthe Company’s common stock at certain plan-defined dates. The price of the Company’s common stock purchased under the Purchase Plan for the offering periods is equal to 95%85% of the lesser of the fair market value of a share of the common stock aton the beginning or the end of the offering period. During 2017, 2016 and 2015, 3,283, 3,918 and 4,020 shares, respectively were purchased under the Purchase Plan at price ranging from $85.73 to $70.43 per share during 2017. As of December 31, 2017, 1,623,243 shares were available under the Purchase Plan for future issuance. See Note 20 “Subsequent Events” for changes to the Purchase Plan.



14.    Defined Contribution 401(k) Savings Plan

j2 Global has several 401(k) Savings Plans that qualify under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eligible employees may contribute a portion of their salary through payroll deductions, subject to certain limitations. The Company may make annual contributions at its sole discretion to these plans. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company incurred expenses of $3.0 million, $1.8 million and $1.9 million, respectively, for contributions to these 401(k) Savings Plans.

15.    Earnings Per Share
The components of basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Numerator for basic and diluted net income per common share: 
  
  
Net income attributable to j2 Global, Inc. common shareholders$139,425
 $152,439
 $133,636
Net income available to participating securities (a)
(1,792) (2,242) (2,159)
Net income available to j2 Global, Inc. common shareholders137,633
 150,197
 131,477
Denominator: 
  
  
Weighted-average outstanding shares of common stock47,586,242
 47,668,357
 47,627,853
Dilutive effect of:     
Equity incentive plans228,166
 201,660
 293,911
Convertible debt (b)
854,619
 93,209
 165,996
Common stock and common stock equivalents48,669,027
 47,963,226
 48,087,760
Net income per share: 
  
  
Basic$2.89
 $3.15
 $2.76
Diluted$2.83
 $3.13
 $2.73

(a)
Represents unvested share-based payment awards that contain certain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid).
(b)
Represents the incremental shares issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes due June 15, 2029 by applying the treasury stock method when the average stock price exceeds the conversion price of the Convertible Notes (see Note 9 - Long Term Debt)

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, there were zero options outstanding, respectively, which were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common shares.



16.    Segment Information

The Company’s business segments are based on the organization structure used by management for making operating and investment decisions and for assessing performance. j2 Global’s reportable business segments are: (i) Cloud Services; and (ii) Digital Media.
The Company’s Cloud Services segment is driven primarily by subscription revenues that are relatively higher margin, stable and predictable from quarter to quarter with some seasonal weakness in the fourth quarter. The Cloud Services segment also includes the results of our IP licensing business, which can vary dramatically in both revenues and profitability from period to period. The Company’s Digital Media segment is driven primarily by advertising revenues, has relatively higher sales and marketing expense and has seasonal strength in the fourth quarter.
Information on reportable segments and reconciliation to consolidated income from operations is as follows (in thousands):
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Revenue by segment:     
Cloud Services$578,956
 $566,938
 $504,638
Digital Media538,939
 307,463
 216,374
Elimination of inter-segment revenues(57) (146) (197)
Total revenue1,117,838
 874,255
 720,815
    
Direct costs by segment (1):
     
Cloud Services352,912
 356,059
 294,436
Digital Media490,871
 256,763
 185,937
Direct costs by segment (1):
843,783
 612,822
 480,373
      
Cloud Services operating income (2)
226,044
 210,879
 210,202
Digital Media operating income48,068
 50,700
 30,437
Segment operating income274,112
 261,579
 240,639
      
Global operating costs (2)(3)
28,404
 19,013
 41,257
Income from operations$245,708
 $242,566
 $199,382
      
(1) Direct costs for each segment include cost of revenues and other operating expenses that are directly attributable to the segment, such as employee compensation expense, local sales and marketing expenses, engineering and network operations expenses, depreciation and amortization and other administrative expenses.
(2) During 2016, the Company determined certain personnel and third-party costs were directly attributable to a particular segment. As a result, these costs were no longer classified as Global operating costs in 2016. If such costs in 2015 were classified consistent with the 2016 presentation, the operating income for Cloud Services segment would have been $189.1 million and Global operating costs would have been $20.2 million, respectively.
(3) Global operating costs include general and administrative and other corporate expenses that are managed on a global basis and that are not directly attributable to any particular segment.



 2017 2016  
Assets:     
Cloud Services$1,078,577
 $911,327
   
Digital Media1,317,113
 1,124,535
   
Total assets from reportable segments2,395,690
 2,035,862
   
Corporate57,403
 26,466
   
Total assets$2,453,093
 $2,062,328
   
      
 2017 2016 2015
Capital expenditures:     
Cloud Services$7,031
 $6,113
 $7,546
Digital Media32,564
 18,633
 9,389
Total from reportable segments39,595
 24,746
 16,935
Corporate
 
 362
Total capital expenditures$39,595
 $24,746
 $17,297
      
Depreciation and amortization:     
Cloud Services$68,436
 $79,533
 $62,385
Digital Media93,605
 42,558
 30,008
Total from reportable segments162,041
 122,091
 92,393
Corporate
 
 820
Total depreciation and amortization$162,041
 $122,091
 $93,213

j2 Global maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Japan and other countries. Geographic information about the U.S. and all other countries for the reporting periods is presented below. Such information attributes revenues based on jurisdictions where revenues are reported (in thousands).
 Years Ended December 31,
 2017 2016 2015
Revenues: 
  
  
United States$830,800
 $607,285
 $492,682
Canada78,099
 76,775
 74,864
Ireland74,430
 71,340
 43,717
All other countries134,509
 118,855
 109,552
Total$1,117,838
 $874,255
 $720,815
 December 31,
2017
 December 31,
2016
Long-lived assets: 
  
United States$452,143
 $453,053
All other countries80,571
 93,430
Total$532,714
 $546,483

17.    Supplemental Cash Flows Information

Cash paid for interest during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $35.8 million, $33.1 million and $33.1 million, respectively, substantially all of which related to interest on outstanding debt and foreign taxes.

Cash paid for income taxes net of refunds received was $51.1 million, $37.4 million and $42.0 million during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.



The Company acquired property and equipment for $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $0.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which had not been yet paid at the end of each such year.
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, j2 Global recorded the tax benefit from the exercise of stock options and restricted stock as a reduction of its income tax liability of $2.9 million, $5.4 million and $7.5 million, respectively.

In connection with the sale of Tea Leaves during the fourth quarter 2017, the Company received certain equity securities as non cash consideration initially valued in the amount of $57.7 million.
18.Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):
 Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Investments Foreign Currency Translation Total
Balance as of January 1, 2016$2,449
 $(31,573) $(29,124)
     Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications744
 (23,076) (22,332)
     Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income(3,193) 
 (3,193)
Net current period other comprehensive loss(2,449) (23,076) (25,525)
Balance as of December 31, 2016$
 $(54,649) $(54,649)
     Other comprehensive income before reclassifications
 25,559
 25,559
Net current period other comprehensive income
 25,559
 25,559
Balance as of December 31, 2017$
 $(29,090) $(29,090)

The following table provides details about reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Affected Line Item in the Statement of Income
  Year Ended December 31, 2017 Year Ended December 31, 2016  
       
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale investments $
 $(5,149) Other (income) expense, net
  
 (5,149) 
Income before income taxes

  
 1,956
 Income tax expense
  
 (3,193) Net income
Total reclassifications for the period $
 $(3,193) Net income



19.    Quarterly Results (unaudited)

The following tables contain selected unaudited statement of income information for each quarter of 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except share and per share data). j2 Global believes that the following information reflects all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the periods presented. The operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period.
 Year Ended December 31, 2017
 
Fourth
Quarter
 
Third
Quarter
 
Second
Quarter
 
First
Quarter
        
Revenues$316,380
 $273,616
 $273,174
 $254,669
Gross profit 270,406
  231,245
  230,015
  213,859
Net income 49,871
  32,358
  31,376
  25,820
            
Net income per common share:           
Basic$1.03
 $0.67
 $0.65
 $0.54
Diluted$1.02
 $0.66
 $0.63
 $0.52
Weighted average shares outstanding           
Basic 47,721,700
  47,609,819
  47,547,118
  47,463,231
Diluted 48,437,580
  48,521,082
  48,948,315
  48,766,031
  
 Year Ended December 31, 2016
 Fourth
Quarter
 Third
Quarter
 Second
Quarter
 First
Quarter
            
Revenues$251,837
 $210,116
 $211,800
 $200,502
Gross profit 211,608
  173,124
  176,209
  166,214
Net income 43,158
  45,569
  33,770
  29,943
            
Net income per common share:           
Basic$0.90
 $0.95
 $0.69
 $0.62
Diluted$0.89
 $0.94
 $0.69
 $0.61
Weighted average shares outstanding           
Basic 47,348,372
  47,310,011
  48,055,783
  47,966,718
Diluted 47,862,218
  47,494,744
  48,265,298
  48,238,098

20.    Subsequent Events
On January 4, 2018, in a cash transaction, the Company acquired certain assets of Lifescript, a California based provider of digital health and wellness solutions.

On January 26, 2018, in a cash transaction, the Company acquired all the issued capital of ThreatTrack Security Holdings, Inc., a Florida based provider of cybersecurity solutions.

On February 2, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.4050 per share of common stock payable on March 9, 2018 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2018. The Company also announced that it extended the Company’s share repurchase program set to expire February 19, 2018 by an additional year.



On February 2, 2018, the Company approved an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, to be effective May 1, 2018, such that (i) the purchase price for each offering period shall be 85% of the lesser of the fair market value of a share of common stock of the Company (a “Share”) on the beginning or the end of the offering period, rather than 95% of the fair market value of a Share at the end of the offering period, and (ii) each offering period will be six months, rather than three months.

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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
The Company determined that a plan provision exists which allows for the more favorable of two exercise prices, commonly referred to as a “look-back” feature. The purchase price discount and the look-back feature cause the Purchase Plan to be compensatory and the Company to recognize compensation expense. The compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to calculate the estimated fair value of the purchase right issued under the Purchase Plan. The expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock. The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a term equal to the expected term of the option assumed at the date of grant. The Company uses an annualized dividend yield based upon the per share dividends declared by its Board of Directors. Estimated forfeiture rates were 11.83%, 11.15% and 11.15% as of December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The increase in forfeiture rate comes as a result of the Purchase Plan being offered to all employees regardless of employment location.
During 2022, 2021 and 2020, 139,992, 109,248 and 118,629 shares, respectively were purchased under the Purchase Plan at price ranging from $66.33 to $68.22 per share during 2022. Cash received upon the issuance of the Company’s common stock under the Purchase Plan was $9.4 million, $9.2 million and $7.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, 1,155,699 shares were available under the Purchase Plan for future issuance.
The compensation expense related to the Purchase Plan has been estimated utilizing the following weighted average assumptions:
December 31,
202220212020
Risk-free interest rate1.17%0.05%0.73%
Expected term (in years)0.50.50.5
Dividend yield0.0%0.0%0.0%
Expected volatility40.7%35.0%25.3%

16.    Defined Contribution 401(k) Savings Plan
The Company has several 401(k) Savings Plans that qualify under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eligible employees may contribute a portion of their salary through payroll deductions, subject to certain limitations. The Company may make annual contributions at its sole discretion to these plans. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company made contributions of $5.1 million, $4.8 million, and $3.3 million, respectively, to these 401(k) Savings Plans.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
17.Earnings Per Share
The components of basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations are as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):
 Year ended December 31,
 202220212020
Numerator for basic and diluted net income per common share:   
Net income from continuing operations$65,466 $401,395 $28,660 
Net income available to participating securities (1)
(20)(326)(120)
1.75% Convertible Notes interest expense (after-tax) (2)
— — — 
Net income available to the Company’s common shareholders from continuing operations$65,446 $401,069 $28,540 
Denominator:   
Basic weighted-average outstanding shares of common stock46,954,558 45,893,928 46,308,825 
Effect of dilution: 
Equity incentive plans71,291 311,585 7,537 
Convertible debt (2)
— 1,657,232 799,247 
Diluted weighted-average outstanding shares of common stock47,025,849 47,862,745 47,115,609 
Net income per share from continuing operations:   
Basic$1.39 $8.74 $0.62 
Diluted$1.39 $8.38 $0.61 
Weighted-average shares excluded from diluted weighted-average shares outstanding:
Anti-dilutive stock options and restricted stock— — — 
Anti-dilutive convertible debt5,158,071 — — 
(1)Represents unvested share-based payment awards that contain certain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid).
(2)Under the modified retrospective method of adoption of ASU 2020-06, the dilutive impact of convertible debt was calculated using the if-converted method for the year ended December 31, 2022. The dilutive impact of convertible debt was calculated using the treasury stock method for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (see Note 10 - Debt).
18.Segment Information
The Company’s businesses are based on the organizational structure used by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The Company aggregates its operating segments into two reportable segments: Cybersecurity and Martech and Digital Media.
The accounting policies of the businesses are the same as those described in Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. The Company evaluates performance based on revenue and profit or loss from operations.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Information on reportable segments and reconciliation to income from operations is as follows (in thousands):
 Years Ended December 31,
 202220212020
Revenue by reportable segment:
Digital Media$1,079,172 $1,069,300 $811,360 
Cybersecurity and Martech312,626 348,611 347,697 
Elimination of inter-segment revenues(801)(1,189)(229)
Total segment revenues1,390,997 1,416,722 1,158,828 
Corporate (1)
— — 
Total revenues$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
Operating costs and expenses by reportable segment (2):
Digital Media880,240 851,807 672,280 
Cybersecurity and Martech(3)
262,426 338,464 294,765 
Elimination of inter-segment operating expenses(801)(1,189)(229)
Total segment operating expenses1,141,865 1,189,082 966,816 
Corporate (1)(3)
50,191 60,300 53,673 
Total operating costs and expenses1,192,056 1,249,382 1,020,489 
Operating income by reportable segment:
Digital Media operating income$198,932 $217,493 $139,080 
Cybersecurity and Martech operating income(3)
50,200 10,147 52,932 
Total segment operating income249,132 227,640 192,012 
Corporate (1)(3)
(50,191)(60,300)(53,672)
Income from operations$198,941 $167,340 $138,340 
(1)Corporate includes costs associated with general and administrative and other expenses that are managed on a global basis and that are not directly attributable to any particular segment.
(2)Operating expenses for each segment include cost of sales and other operating expenses that are directly attributable to the segment, such as employee compensation expense, local sales and marketing expenses, engineering and network operations expense, depreciation and amortization and other administrative expenses. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, goodwill impairment related to our B2B Backup business is also included within operating costs and expenses for Cybersecurity and Martech. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, the Company had an impairment to goodwill within operating costs and expenses for Digital Media.
(3)For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $19.2 million of general and administrative costs were reflected as Corporate operating costs and expenses in the Company’s December 31, 2021 Form 10-K, however, should have been reflected as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment. The Company reclassified these costs in the table above as an operating cost for the Cybersecurity and Martech reportable segment and as a reduction of operating costs for Corporate, as well as the resulting impact in operating income (loss) for Cybersecurity and Martech and Corporate. The reclassification has no impact on consolidated operating income (loss) from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The CODM does not use Balance Sheet information in connection with operating and investment decisions and as such that information is not presented. The CODM does use capital expenditures by reportable segment in connection with operating and investment decisions. Accordingly, the following segment information is presented for Digital Media and Cybersecurity and Martech.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Capital expenditures:
Digital Media$85,049 $80,877 $59,693 
Cybersecurity and Martech21,094 17,611 16,622 
Total from reportable segments106,143 98,488 76,315 
Corporate11 — — 
Capital expenditures of discontinued operations— 15,252 16,237 
Total capital expenditures$106,154 $113,740 $92,552 
Depreciation and amortization:
Digital Media$184,658 $193,661 $145,321 
Cybersecurity and Martech48,714 55,344 56,999 
Total from reportable segments233,372 249,005 202,320 
Corporate28 288 3,658 
Depreciation and amortization of
discontinued operations
— 9,010 22,759 
Total depreciation and amortization$233,400 $258,303 $228,737 
The Company maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, India and other countries. Geographic information about the U.S. and all other countries for the reporting periods is presented below. Such information attributes revenues based on jurisdictions where revenues are reported (in thousands).
 Year ended December 31,
 202220212020
Revenues:  
United States$1,181,936 $1,187,207 $958,833 
All other countries209,061 229,515 199,996 
Total$1,390,997 $1,416,722 $1,158,829 
Long-lived assets, excluding goodwill and other intangible assets are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
20222021
Long-lived assets:  
United States$171,957 $170,490 
All other countries46,867 46,336 
Total$218,824 $216,826 
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
19.    Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Non-cash investing and financing activities were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
2022
2021 (1)
2020 (1)
Non-cash investing activity:
Property and equipment, accrued but unpaid$150 $50 $3,154 
Right-of-use assets acquired in exchange for operating lease obligations$4,130 $9,850 $31,148 
Exchange of corporate debt securities (2)
$— $— $18,326 
Disposition of Investment in Consensus(3)
$112,286 $— $— 
Non-cash financing activity:
Debt principal settled in exchange for Investment in Consensus(3)
$112,286 $— $— 
Debt principal settled in exchange for Consensus senior notes due 2028$— $485,000 $— 
Conversion shares issued as extinguishment cost to redeem 3.25% Convertible Notes$— $431,952 $— 
Reacquisition of 3.25% Convertible Notes, net of tax$— $390,526 $— 
(1)Combines continuing and discontinued operations.
(2)During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company exchanged shares of redeemable preferred stock that were previously classified as available-for-sale corporate debt securities for a new series of preferred stock, classified as equity securities without a readily determinable fair value. Refer to Note 5 - Investments for additional details.
(3)During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company disposed $160.1 million of its Investment in Consensus in exchange for $112.3 million of debt and recorded $47.8 million of loss on investment, net.
Supplemental data (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Interest paid$36,168 $54,479 $105,962 
Income taxes paid, net of refunds$59,543 $61,162 $45,046 
 Operating cash outflows related to lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
202220212020
Operating cash outflows related to lease liabilities$26,921 $27,798 $27,402 
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
20.Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive loss (income), net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 (in thousands):
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on InvestmentsForeign Currency TranslationTotal
Balance as of January 1, 2020$(275)$(46,187)$(46,462)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications558 (8,902)(8,344)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)558 (8,902)(8,344)
Balance as of December 31, 2020$283 $(55,089)$(54,806)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications(114)(21,268)(21,382)
Consensus separation— 18,966 18,966 
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)(114)(2,302)(2,416)
Balance as of December 31, 2021$169 $(57,391)$(57,222)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications272 (32,479)(32,207)
Consensus separation adjustment— 4,056 4,056 
Net current period other comprehensive loss272 (28,423)(28,151)
Balance as of December 31, 2022$441 $(85,814)$(85,373)
The following table provides details about reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss ComponentsAmount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive LossAffected Line Item in the Statements of Operations
For the year ending December 31,
202220212020
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments$— $(151)$698 Loss on investments, net
— (151)698 Income before income taxes
— — — Income tax expense
Total reclassifications for the period$— $(151)$698 Net income
21.Related Party Transactions
Consensus
As of December 31, 2022, the Company holds approximately 1.1 million shares of the common stock of Consensus, representing approximately 5% of the Consensus outstanding common stock. The Company determined that Consensus is no longer a related party after September 30, 2022. Related party transactions with Consensus through September 30, 2022 are included within the disclosures below.
In preparation for and in executing the Separation, the Company incurred transaction-related costs, some of which were reimbursed by Consensus, of approximately $23.3 million (excluding costs associated with the debt exchange noted below), before reimbursement by Consensus. These transaction costs primarily related to professional fees associated with preparation of regulatory filings and transaction execution and separation activities within finance, tax and legal functions. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Ziff Davis received or expected to receive approximately $11.7 million (excluding the reimbursement of a portion of the debt exchange noted below) from Consensus resulting in net transaction costs of $11.6 million. These net transaction-related costs were recorded in ‘General and administrative expenses’ component of ‘Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes’ within the Consolidated Statement of Operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Consensus also reimbursed Ziff Davis for certain costs associated with the debt exchange in connection with the Separation totaling $7.5 million, which was recorded as an offset to the loss on extinguishment of debt on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. In addition, Consensus paid the Company approximately $8.5 million subsequent to the Separation due to excess cash held at the Separation date net of other related items pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement.
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ZIFF DAVIS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - CONTINUED
In connection with the Separation, Ziff Davis and Consensus entered into several agreements that govern the relationship of the parties following the Separation, including a separation and distribution agreement, a transition services agreement, a tax matters agreement, an employee matters agreement, an intellectual property license agreement, and a stockholder and registration rights agreement. The transition services agreement governs services including certain information technology services, finance and accounting services and human resource and employee benefit services. The agreed-upon charges for such services are generally intended to allow the providing company to recover all costs and expenses of providing such services, and nearly all such services were terminated without extension twelve months after the Separation. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded an offset to expense of approximately $1.2 million and $2.1 million, respectively, from Consensus related to the transition services agreement within ‘General and administrative expenses’ within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Further, the Company assigned its lease of office space in Los Angeles, California to Consensus. Ziff Davis remained the lessee under this lease and its obligations remained through October 7, 2022, after which time Consensus took over the lease in full. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded an offset to lease expense of approximately $1.5 million and $0.5 million, respectively, related to this lease, however, Consensus paid the landlord directly and not Ziff Davis. Amounts due from Consensus as of December 31, 2021 was $9.3 million (comprised of $2.1 million related to services provided under the transition services agreement and $7.2 million related to reimbursement of certain transaction related costs and other reimbursements), and is included in within ‘Accounts receivable’ within the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
OCV
On February 2, 2018,September 25, 2017, the Company entered into a commitment to invest in the Fund. The manager, OCV, and general partner of the Fund are entities with respect to which Richard S. Ressler, former Chairman of the Board appointed Sarah Fayof Directors of the Company, is indirectly the majority equity holder. Mr. Ressler’s tenure with the Board ended as a director, effective immediately.

In February 2018,of May 10, 2022. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, the Company recognized expense for management fees of $1.5 million, $3.0 million, and $3.0 million, net of tax benefit, respectively. During the years ended 2021 and 2020, the Company received a capital call noticenotices from the management of OCV Management, LLC.LLC for approximately $12.2$22.2 million and $32.9 million, inclusive of certain management fees.fees, of which $22.2 million and $31.9 million had been paid as of the end of each respective year. In connection with the settlement of certain litigation generally related to the Company’s investment in the Fund (see Note 12 - Commitments and Contingencies), among other terms, no further capital calls were made during 2022 or will be made in the future in connection with the Company’s investment in the Fund, nor will any management fees be paid by the Company to the manager. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company received a distribution from OCV of zero, $15.3 million, and zero respectively.






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Item 9. Changes In And Disagreements With Accountants On Accounting And Financial Disclosure

None.


Item 9A.Controls and Procedures

(a) Item 9A.Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, j2 Global’s management, with the participation of Vivek Shah, our principal executive officer, Our CEO and R. Scott Turicchi, our principal financial officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, Mr. Shah and Mr. TuricchiCFO concluded that, theseas of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.effective.

(b) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Overover Financial Reporting

j2 Global’sZiff Davis’ management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)and15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) for j2 Global.Ziff Davis. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, management has conducted an assessment, including testing, using the criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)(“COSO”) using the 2013 framework. Our system of internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Based on its assessment, management has concluded that j2 Global’sZiff Davis’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017. Management2022.
Because of the timing of acquisitions in 2022, pursuant to applicable SEC staff guidance, management was not required to and therefore did not assess the effectiveness of
internal control over financial reporting of all of the 20172022 acquisitions (see Note 34 - Business Acquisitions) because ofAcquisitions in the timing of these acquisitions.accompanying consolidated financial statements). These acquisitions combined constituted 9.9%5.4% of total assets as of December 31, 20172022 and 3.1%2.4% of revenues for the year then ended.
Remediation of Material Weakness
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we determined that we did not design and maintain effective controls over the accounting for certain elements related to the Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”) Spin-off. The control activities were not designed to allow the Company to timely identify and account for (i) a debt exchange with a third-party lender that resulted in a loss on extinguishment of existing debt, (ii) the unrealized gain on the Company’s remaining 19.9% investment in Consensus, and (iii) the completeness and accuracy of certain amounts classified in discontinued operations in the consolidated financial statements. Although this control weakness did not result in any material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements for the periods presented, it is reasonably possible that it could have led to a material misstatement of account balances or disclosures. Accordingly, management had concluded that this control weakness constituted a material weakness.
Management has completed the execution of its remediation plan and remediated the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting that was reported as of December 31, 2021. During 2022, our management enhanced and revised the design of existing controls and procedures over our accounting for significant non-recurring transactions. These controls relate to the research, analysis and documentation supporting our management’s evaluations, judgments, and conclusions that are required in order to account for significant unusual transactions. We enhanced our approach to and the execution of the research, analysis, and documentation related to these matters. Our process of consulting third-party experts was also enhanced and we continue to include outreach to and coordination with experts with the relevant knowledge and experience to assist our management with the evaluation of our accounting for significant non-recurring transactions. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we completed our testing of the operating effectiveness of the implemented controls and found them to be effective. As a result, we have concluded the material weakness has been remediated as of December 31, 2022.
Our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 20172022 have been audited by BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in the attestation report which is included herein.

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(c) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

ThereOther than in respect of the remediation activities described above, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934)Act) which occurred during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year ended December 31, 20172022 that hashave materially affected, or isare reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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(d) Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


Shareholders and Board of Directors
j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc.
Los Angeles, CaliforniaNew York, New York

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc.’s (the “Company’s”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the “COSO criteria”). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2022, based on the COSO criteria.criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 20172022 and 2016, and2021, the related consolidated statements of income,operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017,2022, and the related notes and schedules, and our report dated March 1, 20182023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Item 9A, Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
As indicated in the accompanying Item 9A, Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of all the 20172022 acquisitions, which are included in the consolidated balance sheetsheets of the Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017,2022, and the related consolidated statements of income,operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended. These acquisitions combined constituted approximately 9.9%5.4% of total assets as of December 31, 2017,2022, and approximately 3.1%2.4% of revenues for the year then ended. Management did not assess the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of all the 20172022 acquisitions because of the timing of these acquisitions. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of all the 20172022 acquisitions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.


/s/ BDO USA, LLP


Los Angeles, California
March 1, 2018

2023



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Item 9B. Other Information


None.


Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

Not applicable.

PART III


Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The informationItems 10-14
Information required by this itemunder Item 10, Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance, Item 11, Executive Compensation, Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters, Item 13, Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence and Item 14, Principal Accountant Fees and Services, is hereby incorporated by reference to the information to be set forth in our proxy statement (“2017 Proxy Statement”) for the 20172022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.2022.


Item 11. Executive Compensation

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information to be set forth in our 2017 Proxy Statement.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information to be set forth in our 2017 Proxy Statement.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information to be set forth in our 2017 Proxy Statement.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information to be set forth in our 2017 Proxy Statement.

PART IV


Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

Item 15.     Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) 1. (1) Financial Statements.

Statements. The following financial statements are filed as a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (BDO USA, LLP; Los Angeles, California; PCAOB ID #243)
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of IncomeOperations
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


2.   (a) (2) Financial Statement Schedule
Schedule.The following financial statement schedule is filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
 
Schedule II-Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

All other schedules are omitted because they are not required or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.




3.   Exhibits

(a) (3) Exhibits.The following exhibits are filed with this Annual Report on Form 10-K or are incorporated herein by reference as indicated below (numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K). We shall furnish copies of exhibits for a reasonable fee (covering the expense of furnishing copies) upon request.

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10.6Employment Agreement, dated as of March 21, 1997, between j2 Global Inc. and Nehemia Zucker (1)
10.7Registration Rights Agreement, dated Richter, effective as of June 30, 1998,13, 2022 (incorporated by and among JFAX Communications, Inc., the Delaware State Employees’ Retirement Fund, the Declaration of Trust for Defined Benefit Plan of ICI American Holdings Inc., the Declaration of Trust for Defined Benefit Plan of Zeneca Holdings Inc., the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, DCJ Fund Investment Partners II, L.P., DLJ Capital Corporation, GMT Partners, LLC, Orchard/JFAX Investors, L.L.C. and DLJ Private Equity Employees Fund, L.P. (1)
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101.INS
101.INSXBRL Instance Document
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)




____________________

(1)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Commission on April 16, 1999,
Registration No. 333-76477.
(2)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the Commission on April 30, 2001.
(3)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on April 1, 2002.
(4)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 3, 2006.
(5)    Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to j2 Global’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission
on September 18, 2007.
(6)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on December 7, 2011.
(7)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 27, 2012.
(8)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 10, 2014.
(9)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR filed with the Commission on June 10,
2014, Registration No. 333-196640.
(10)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 17, 2014.
(11)    Incorporated by reference to Annex A to j2 Global’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission
on March 26, 2015.
(12)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the Commission on May
6, 2015.
(13) Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 27, 2016.
(14) Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on December 5, 2016.
(15)    Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on March 1, 2017.
(16) Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on June 27, 2017.
(17) Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on December 27, 2017.
(18) Incorporated by reference to j2 Global’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 8, 2018.

Item 16.Form 10-K Summary

* A management or compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed as an exhibit to this report pursuant to Item 15(b) of Form 10-K.
** This instance document does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document.

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Item 16.Form 10-K Summary

None.



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SIGNATURE



Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 1, 2018.
2023.
j2 Global,Ziff Davis, Inc.
By:/s/ VIVEK SHAH
Vivek Shah
Chief Executive Officer 
(Principal Executive Officer)


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated, in each case on March 1, 2018.indicated.

SignatureTitleDate
SignatureTitle
   /s/    VIVEK SHAHChief Executive Officer and a DirectorMarch 1, 2023
Vivek Shah(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/    R. SCOTT TURICCHIBRET RICHTERPresident and Chief Financial OfficerMarch 1, 2023
R. Scott TuricchiBret Richter(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/    STEVE P. DUNNLAYTH TAKIChief Accounting OfficerMarch 1, 2023
Steve P. DunnLayth Taki
/s/    RICHARD S. RESSLERSARAH FAYChairman of the Board and a DirectorMarch 1, 2023
Richard S. ResslerSarah Fay
/s/    DOUGLAS Y. BECHTRACE HARRISDirectorMarch 1, 2023
Douglas Y. BechTrace Harris
   /s/    ROBERT J. CRESCIDirector
Robert J. Cresci
/s/    WILLIAM B. KRETZMERDirectorMarch 1, 2023
William B. Kretzmer
   /s/    STEPHEN ROSS/s/    JONATHAN F. MILLERDirectorMarch 1, 2023
Stephen RossJonathan F. Miller
/s/    JON MILLERSCOTT C. TAYLORDirectorMarch 1, 2023
Jon MillerScott C. Taylor
/s/    SARAH FAYDirector
Sarah Fay


SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
(In thousands)

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Description 
Balance at
Beginning
of Period
 
Additions:
Charged to
Costs and
Expenses
 
Deductions:
Write-offs (1)
and recoveries
 
Balance
at End
of Period
Year Ended December 31, 2017:        
Allowance for doubtful accounts $7,988
 $13,159
 $(12,446) $8,701
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance $12,028
 $70
 $(11,901) $197
Year Ended December 31, 2016:        
Allowance for doubtful accounts $4,261
 $13,168
 $(9,441) $7,988
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance $14,242
 $339
 $(2,553) $12,028
Year Ended December 31, 2015:        
Allowance for doubtful accounts $3,685
 $6,873
 $(6,297) $4,261
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance $11,358
 $6,959
 $(4,075) $14,242
______________________

(1)     Represents specific amounts written off that were considered to be uncollectible.





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