WEBTOON Entertainment (Nasdaq: WBTN) reported Q1 2026 revenue of $320.9 million, down 1.5% year-over-year, but up 0.2% on a constant currency basis. Net loss was $8.8 million, while Adjusted EBITDA increased to $9.5 million (3.0% margin).
Cash and equivalents were $594.9 million with no debt. Operating cash outflow was $11.8 million. For Q2 2026, WEBTOON guides constant currency revenue of $332–$342 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $0–$5 million (0.0%–1.5% margin).
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AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Constant currency revenue grew 0.2% to $326.4 million
- Adjusted EBITDA rose to $9.5 million from $4.1 million year-over-year
- Adjusted EBITDA Margin improved to 3.0% from 1.3%
- Net loss narrowed to $8.8 million from $22.0 million
- Cash and cash equivalents totaled $594.9 million with no debt
- Operating cash outflow improved to $11.8 million from $18.7 million
Negative
- Reported revenue declined 1.5% year-over-year to $320.9 million
- IP Adaptations revenue declined year-over-year
- Q1 2026 GAAP net loss was $8.8 million
- Q1 2026 operating activities used $11.8 million of cash
- Q2 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance is $0–$5 million (0.0%–1.5% margin)
-15.55%
Since News
$11.24
Last Price
$11.00
$13.41
Day Range
-$330M
Valuation Impact
$1.79B
Market Cap
0.0x
Rel. Volume
Following this news, WBTN has declined 15.55%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction.
Our momentum scanner has triggered 6 alerts so far, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
The stock is currently trading at $11.24.
This price movement has removed approximately $330M from the company’s valuation.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Gold for real-time data.
Q1 2026 revenue
$320.9M
Total revenue, down 1.5% year-over-year
Constant-currency revenue
$326.4M (0.2% growth)
Q1 2026 revenue on a constant currency basis
Net loss
$8.8M
Q1 2026 net loss vs $22.0M prior-year quarter
Adjusted EBITDA
$9.5M
Q1 2026 vs $4.1M in Q1 2025
Adjusted EBITDA margin
3.0%
Q1 2026 vs 1.3% in Q1 2025
Cash & cash equivalents
$594.9M
Cash at March 31, 2026; no debt outstanding
Operating cash flow
$11.8M outflow
Q1 2026 cash outflow vs $18.7M outflow prior year
Q2 2026 revenue outlook
$332–$342M
Guided constant-currency growth of 1.7%–4.6%
$13.28
Last Close
Volume
Volume 212,265 is below the 20-day average of 274,689, suggesting a relatively muted pre-earnings positioning.
normal
Technical
Shares at 13.28 trade slightly below the 200-day MA of 13.42 and about 40.9% under the 52-week high.
WBTN was up 0.53% pre-release, while peers showed mixed moves: OPRA (-0.11%), MOMO (-1.89%), BMBL (+4.02%), TBLA (+4.17%), GRPN (+11.13%). This pattern points to a stock-specific driver rather than a uniform sector trend.
Common Catalyst
Only one peer, MOMO, had an earnings-date headline, indicating no broad shared news catalyst across the group.
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 03 |
FY 2025 results |
Negative |
-9.3% |
Full-year loss driven by goodwill impairments and weak Q4 revenue. |
| Nov 12 |
Q3 2025 earnings |
Positive |
-25.1% |
Strong revenue growth and positive Adjusted EBITDA but sharp share price drop. |
| Aug 12 |
Q2 2025 earnings |
Positive |
+81.2% |
Revenue growth and sharply improved net loss with positive EBITDA. |
| May 13 |
Q1 2025 earnings |
Negative |
-18.3% |
Flat revenue, lower EBITDA and swing to net loss vs prior year. |
| Feb 25 |
FY 2024 results |
Negative |
-10.5% |
Full-year loss despite revenue growth and higher Adjusted EBITDA. |
Earnings have often triggered downside moves even when revenue or profitability trends improved, with one notable upside outlier in Q2 2025.
Over the last five earnings reports from Feb 2025 through Mar 2026, WEBTOON showed modest revenue growth and persistent net losses, while keeping cash balances above roughly the mid‑$500M level and no debt. Adjusted EBITDA margins generally stayed low single digits, occasionally improving but not yet transforming profitability. Market reactions skewed negative, including double‑digit drops following several 2025 reports, with a single sharp gain after Q2 2025. Today’s Q1 2026 release continues the theme of stable revenue with incremental margin progress.
+3.6%
Average Historical Move
earnings
In the past five earnings releases, average share move was 3.61%. Before this Q1 2026 report, WBTN was up only 0.53%, a smaller pre-announcement shift than usual.
Same-tag earnings history shows low single-digit revenue growth, ongoing net losses, and small but positive Adjusted EBITDA, with consistently strong cash balances and no debt.
This announcement highlights Q1 2026 revenue of $320.9M, essentially flat year-over-year, alongside an improved net loss of $8.8M and stronger Adjusted EBITDA of $9.5M with a 3.0% margin. The company emphasized a robust cash position of roughly $594.9M and no debt, plus modest constant-currency growth and cautious Q2 guidance. Investors may watch future revenue traction, margin progression, and execution on CANVAS and IP monetization as key markers of the evolving earnings profile.
adjusted ebitda
financial
“Adjusted EBITDA of $9.5 million, compared to $4.1 million in the prior year”
Adjusted EBITDA is a way companies measure how much money they make from their core operations, like running a business, by removing certain costs or income that aren’t part of regular business activities. It helps investors see how well a company is doing without distractions from unusual expenses or gains, making it easier to compare companies or track performance over time.
adjusted ebitda margin
financial
“Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 3.0%, compared to 1.3% in the prior year.”
Adjusted EBITDA margin shows how much profit a company makes from its core operations, expressed as a percentage of its total revenue, after removing certain one-time or unusual expenses and income. It helps investors understand the company’s true earning ability from regular business activities, making it easier to compare performance over time or with other companies. Think of it as measuring the efficiency of a business in turning sales into profits, excluding irregular adjustments.
revenue on a constant currency basis
financial
“Revenue on a constant currency basis was $326.4 million, growing 0.2%”
Revenue on a constant currency basis measures sales as if exchange rates had not changed between reporting periods, isolating underlying performance from currency swings. Think of it as comparing apples to apples by holding the price of foreign currencies steady so investors can see whether a company actually sold more or earned more per sale, rather than simply benefiting from favorable or suffering from unfavorable exchange-rate movements.
non-gaap
financial
“This release contains certain financial information that is not presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP measures include Adjusted EBITDA”
Non-GAAP refers to financial measures that companies use to show their earnings or performance without including certain expenses or income that are often added back to give a different picture. It matters because it can make a company’s results look better or more favorable, but it may also hide important costs, so investors need to look at both GAAP (official rules) and non-GAAP numbers to get a full understanding.
u.s. gaap
financial
“financial information that is not presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP.”
U.S. GAAP is a set of rules and standards that companies in the United States follow to prepare their financial reports. It helps ensure that financial information is consistent and clear, so investors and others can compare and understand a company’s financial health easily.
equity method investments
financial
“loss on equity method investments, net | | (446 | ) | | (569 | )”
An equity method investment is an accounting approach used when a company owns a significant share of another company and can influence its decisions but does not fully control it; instead of listing the investment at cost, the investor records its share of the other company’s profits or losses on its own income statement and adjusts the investment value on the balance sheet. For investors, this matters because it links the investor’s reported earnings and asset values directly to the financial performance of that partly-owned business, similar to how a partner’s gains affect a small business owner’s books.
operating lease liabilities
financial
“Current portion of operating lease liabilities 6 | | 8,679 |”
Long-term lease payments a company is legally committed to because it rents assets such as offices, factories, or equipment; under modern accounting rules these future rent obligations are recorded on the balance sheet as liabilities. Investors care because operating lease liabilities act like debt that drains future cash, affects measures of leverage and borrowing capacity, and can change profitability and valuation — think of them as a company’s large, ongoing rent payments that limit its financial flexibility.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Delivered Revenue Within Guidance Range and Adjusted EBITDA Well Above the High-End of Guidance Range
First Quarter Revenue Decline of
Net Loss of
Strong Balance Sheet With Cash and Cash Equivalents of Approximately
LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN) (“WEBTOON Entertainment” or “the Company”), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026. More information about these results can be found in the Company’s shareholder letter on the investor relations section of its website.
First Quarter 2026 Highlights (vs. First Quarter 2025)
- Total revenue of
$320.9 million declined1.5% , driven by declines in IP Adaptations and Advertising, partially offset by growth in Paid Content. - Revenue on a constant currency basis was
$326.4 million , growing0.2% , driven by growth in Paid Content and Advertising, offset by a decline in IP Adaptations. - Net Loss was
$8.8 million , compared to$22.0 million in the prior year, driven primarily by better gross profit. - Adjusted EBITDA was
$9.5 million , compared to$4.1 million in the prior year, due to effective cost controls. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was3.0% , compared to1.3% in the prior year. - Diluted loss per share was
$0.07 , compared to diluted loss per share of$0.17 in the prior year. - Adjusted Earnings Per Share was
$0.07 , compared to$0.03 in the prior year. - Cash and cash equivalents of approximately
$594.9 million plus another$11.1 million of short-term deposits included in prepaid expenses and other current assets. - Cash outflow from operations was
$11.8 million , compared to a cash outflow of$18.7 million in the prior year.
Junkoo Kim, Founder and CEO, said, “We are pleased to share our solid first quarter results with constant currency revenue of
Kim continued, “Importantly, we are continuing to strategically invest across our flywheel. We remain focused on expanding our creator ecosystem, and will introduce major updates to our amateur CANVAS platform throughout the year, positioning us well to produce even more diverse content that our users love. As we look to the rest of the year, we will remain focused on investing in the business to drive further innovation and long-term growth.”
Second Quarter 2026 Outlook
For the second quarter 2026, the Company expects:
- Revenue growth on a constant currency basis in the range of
1.7% –4.6% . This represents revenue in the range of$332 –$342 million , based on current FX rates. - Adjusted EBITDA in the range of
$0.0 –$5.0 million , representing an Adjusted EBITDA Margin in the range of0.0% –1.5% .
Conference Call & Webcast Details
As previously disclosed, the Company will host a webcast and conference call on May 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the Company’s financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
A live webcast of the conference call will be available online at https://ir.webtoon.com/.
For those unable to listen to the live webcast, an archived version will be available at the same location for up to one year.
About WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.
WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators.
With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company’s content partners have included Warner Bros. Animation, Discord, HYBE, and Duolingo, among many others.
With approximately 145 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment’s IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad–the world’s leading webnovel platform–WEBTOON Productions, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involves risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements cover all matters which are not historical facts and include, without limitation, statements or guidance regarding or relating to our future financial position, results of operations and growth, plans and objectives for future capabilities, ability to attract users in both our core and underpenetrated geographies, ability to grow Paid Content, Advertising and IP Adaptations businesses, the impact of our product development initiatives, including our use of AI, our financial condition and liquidity, and other statements concerning the success of our business and strategies. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. They are not assurances of future performance and are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: weakness in the economy, market trends, uncertainty and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, and other geopolitical or macroeconomic factors beyond our control; inability to attract, empower, properly support or incentivize our creators; inability to retain, attract and engage with our users; inability to anticipate, understand and appropriately respond to market trends and changing user preferences; failure to retain or increase our paying users; failure to effectively operate in highly competitive markets; inability to innovate and expand our Advertising business; inability to continue to diversify our monetization strategy or to increase revenues from IP Adaptations; failure to control our content-related costs; exposure to significant legal proceedings and regulatory investigations which may result in significant expenses, fines and reputational damage; failure to provide a safe online environment for children; exposure to claims that we violated third parties’ intellectual property rights; failure to obtain, maintain, protect or enforce our proprietary and intellectual property rights; exposure to liability and adverse effects from the use of AI; rise of conflicts of interests with NAVER Corporation, our majority stockholder; and other risks and uncertainties set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in other filings we make with the SEC in the future.
Additionally, forward-looking statements regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. Other than in accordance with our legal or regulatory obligations, we undertake no obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures & Definitions
This release contains certain financial information that is not presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP measures include Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Adjusted EPS), revenue on a constant currency basis and revenue growth on a constant currency basis.
We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide users of the Company’s financial information with additional meaningful information to assist in understanding financial results and assessing the Company’s performance from period to period. Management believes these measures are important indicators of operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of our core operating results and provide a better baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses, and they are consistent with how business performance is planned, reported and assessed internally by management and the board of directors of the Company. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation, or as substitutes for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP measures have limitations as they do not reflect all the amounts associated with our results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP, and should only be used to evaluate our results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding or the most directly comparable GAAP measures. We strongly encourage investors and shareholders to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.
A reconciliation is provided at the end of this release for each historical non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We encourage investors and shareholders to review the related U.S. GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business. We do not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because we are unable to predict with reasonable certainty or without unreasonable effort non-recurring items that may arise in the future.
Adjusted EBITDA: We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss), adjusted to remove the impact of interest income, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization, with further adjustments to eliminate the effects of loss on equity method investments, effect of applying the valuation method of fair value through profit or loss, impairment of goodwill, non-cash stock-based compensation and certain other non-recurring costs.
Adjusted EBITDA Margin: We define Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.
Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Adjusted EPS): We define Adjusted Earnings Per Share as Earnings Per Share before interest expense, interest income, income tax expense (benefit) and depreciation and amortization with further adjustments to eliminate the effects of loss on equity method investments, effect of applying the valuation method of fair value through profit or loss, impairment of goodwill, non-cash stock-based compensation and certain other non-recurring costs. We calculate Adjusted Earnings Per Share by making the adjustments described herein from Net Income (Loss) and dividing by basic and diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding, respectively, for the applicable period.
Revenue on a Constant Currency Basis: We define revenue on a constant currency basis as revenue adjusted to remove the impact of foreign currency rate fluctuations and the impact of deconsolidated and transferred operations. We calculate revenue on a constant currency basis in a given period by applying the average currency exchange rates in the comparable period of the prior year to the local currency revenue in the current period. We calculate revenue on a constant currency basis in each of our revenue streams – Paid Content, Advertising and IP Adaptations – using the same method as laid out herein.
Revenue Growth on a Constant Currency Basis: We define revenue growth on a constant currency basis as period-over-period growth rates of revenue, adjusted to remove the impact of foreign currency rate fluctuations and the impact of deconsolidated and transferred operations. We calculate revenue growth (as a percentage) on a constant currency basis by determining the increase in current period revenue over prior period revenue, where current period foreign currency revenue is translated using prior period average currency exchange rates.
| Financial Statements WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | ||||||||
| As of | ||||||||
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 594,852 | $ | 581,806 | ||||
| Receivables1, net of allowance for credit losses of | 182,781 | 176,779 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net2 | 73,369 | 72,647 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 851,002 | 831,232 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 10,594 | 8,339 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 20,510 | 23,705 | ||||||
| Debt and equity securities | 64,348 | 69,669 | ||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 150,923 | 157,804 | ||||||
| Goodwill, net | 330,832 | 336,825 | ||||||
| Equity method investments | 76,212 | 80,440 | ||||||
| Deferred tax assets | 23,643 | 22,302 | ||||||
| Other non-current assets, net3 | 65,681 | 65,194 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 1,593,745 | $ | 1,595,510 | ||||
| Liabilities and equity | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable4 | $ | 137,695 | $ | 136,962 | ||||
| Accrued expenses5 | 53,837 | 66,690 | ||||||
| Current portion of operating lease liabilities6 | 8,679 | 9,617 | ||||||
| Contract liabilities | 94,640 | 89,994 | ||||||
| Taxes payable | 7,000 | 4,136 | ||||||
| Provisions and defined pension benefits | 7,013 | 8,766 | ||||||
| Other current liabilities | 3,913 | 2,457 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 312,777 | 318,622 | ||||||
| Non-current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Long-term operating lease liabilities7 | 11,673 | 14,055 | ||||||
| Defined severance benefits | 24,502 | 25,069 | ||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 5,879 | 5,755 | ||||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 3,683 | 3,737 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 358,514 | 367,238 | ||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8) | ||||||||
| Redeemable non-controlling interest in subsidiary | $ | 24,336 | $ | 24,540 | ||||
| Stockholders’ equity: | ||||||||
| Common stock, | 13 | 13 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 2,177,445 | 2,137,926 | ||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (137,007 | ) | (114,363 | ) | ||||
| Accumulated deficit | (862,579 | ) | (853,124 | ) | ||||
| Total stockholders’ equity attributable to WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | 1,177,872 | 1,170,452 | ||||||
| Non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries | 33,023 | 33,280 | ||||||
| Total equity | $ | 1,210,895 | $ | 1,203,732 | ||||
| Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest, and equity | $ | 1,593,745 | $ | 1,595,510 | ||||
| 1. Includes amounts due from related parties of 2. Includes amounts due from related parties of 3. Includes amounts due from related parties of 4. Includes amounts due to related parties of 5. Includes amounts due to related parties of 6. Includes amounts due to related parties of 7. Includes amounts due to related parties of | ||||||||
| WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (unaudited) (in thousands of USD, except share and per share data) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended | ||||||||
| March 31, 2026 | March 31, 2025 | |||||||
| Revenue1 | $ | 320,872 | $ | 325,707 | ||||
| Cost of revenue2 | (237,824 | ) | (254,096 | ) | ||||
| Marketing3 | (30,520 | ) | (31,543 | ) | ||||
| General and administrative expenses4 | (60,559 | ) | (66,702 | ) | ||||
| Operating income (loss) | (8,031 | ) | (26,634 | ) | ||||
| Interest income | 4,374 | 5,113 | ||||||
| Interest expense | (17 | ) | (2 | ) | ||||
| Gain (loss) on equity method investments, net | (446 | ) | (569 | ) | ||||
| Other income (loss), net5 | (2,005 | ) | 2,670 | |||||
| Income (loss) before income tax | (6,125 | ) | (19,422 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense | (2,672 | ) | (2,547 | ) | ||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (8,797 | ) | $ | (21,969 | ) | ||
| Net income (loss) attributable to WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | (9,455 | ) | (22,389 | ) | ||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests and redeemable non-controlling interests | 658 | 420 | ||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss): | ||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax | (23,747 | ) | 6,572 | |||||
| Share of other comprehensive loss of equity method investments, net of tax | $ | (15 | ) | $ | (143 | ) | ||
| Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax | (23,762 | ) | 6,429 | |||||
| Total comprehensive income (loss) | $ | (32,559 | ) | $ | (15,540 | ) | ||
| Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | $ | (32,099 | ) | $ | (15,999 | ) | ||
| Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests and redeemable non-controlling interests | (460 | ) | 459 | |||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding | ||||||||
| Basic | 133,618,587 | 129,598,942 | ||||||
| Diluted | 133,618,587 | 129,598,942 | ||||||
| Income (loss) per share attributable to WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | ||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.17 | ) | ||
| Diluted | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.17 | ) | ||
| 1. Includes amounts earned from related parties of 2. Includes amounts incurred from related parties of 3. Includes amounts incurred from related parties of 4. Includes amounts incurred from related parties of 5. Includes amounts earned from related parties of | ||||||||
| WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (in thousands of USD) | ||||||||
| For the Three Months Ended | ||||||||
| March 31, 2026 | March 31, 2025 | |||||||
| Operating activities: | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (8,797 | ) | $ | (21,969 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | (749 | ) | 443 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 7,998 | 8,437 | ||||||
| Operating lease expense | 2,541 | 1,985 | ||||||
| Gain on foreign currency, net | (6,207 | ) | (2,793 | ) | ||||
| Deferred tax benefit | (2,151 | ) | (1,143 | ) | ||||
| Loss on debt and equity securities, net | 2,627 | 930 | ||||||
| Change in severance benefit, net | 1,562 | 574 | ||||||
| Loss on equity method investments, net | 446 | 569 | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 7,625 | 18,253 | ||||||
| Other non-cash items | (2,963 | ) | (1,369 | ) | ||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities | ||||||||
| Changes in receivables | (11,669 | ) | 750 | |||||
| Changes in other assets | (4,122 | ) | (2,250 | ) | ||||
| Changes in accounts payable | 4,083 | (2,801 | ) | |||||
| Changes in accrued expenses | (9,321 | ) | (15,342 | ) | ||||
| Changes in contract liabilities | 7,501 | (1,450 | ) | |||||
| Changes in other liabilities | 2,516 | (236 | ) | |||||
| Changes in operating lease liabilities | $ | (2,767 | ) | $ | (1,240 | ) | ||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (11,847 | ) | $ | (18,652 | ) | ||
| Investing activities: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments | 684 | 3,446 | ||||||
| Proceeds from sale of property and equipment | 23 | 77 | ||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (3,148 | ) | (536 | ) | ||||
| Purchases of debt and equity securities | — | (3,789 | ) | |||||
| Payment made for short-term investments | (1,368 | ) | (4,824 | ) | ||||
| Payment made for loan receivable | (68 | ) | (207 | ) | ||||
| Purchases of intangible assets | (2,867 | ) | (2,444 | ) | ||||
| Other investing activities | — | 249 | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (6,744 | ) | $ | (8,028 | ) | ||
| Financing activities: | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock related to private placement, net | 32,682 | — | ||||||
| Proceeds from stock option exercise | — | 82 | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 32,682 | $ | 82 | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (1,045 | ) | 4,332 | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents: | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 13,046 | (22,266 | ) | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year | 581,806 | 572,402 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year | $ | 594,852 | $ | 550,136 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosure: | ||||||||
| Income taxes paid | $ | 2,711 | $ | 6,826 | ||||
| Reclassification of long-term advances to current | $ | (10,901 | ) | $ | (28,973 | ) | ||
| Increase in right-of-use assets recognized from new lease agreements | $ | 4 | $ | 12,007 | ||||
| Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures | ||||||||||
| The following table presents a reconciliation of revenue to revenue on a constant currency basis, and ARPPU to ARPPU on a constant currency basis, respectively, for each of the periods presented. | ||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
| (in thousands of USD, except percentages) | 2026 | 2025 | Change | |||||||
| Total Revenue | $ | 320,872 | $ | 325,707 | ( | |||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 5,491 | – | N/A | |||||||
| Revenue on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 326,363 | $ | 325,707 | ||||||
| Paid Content Revenue | 261,438 | 260,226 | ||||||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 4,797 | – | N/A | |||||||
| Paid Content Revenue on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 266,235 | $ | 260,226 | ||||||
| Advertising Revenue | 39,682 | 39,898 | ( | |||||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 541 | – | N/A | |||||||
| Advertising Revenue on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 40,223 | $ | 39,898 | ||||||
| IP Adaptations Revenue | 19,752 | 25,583 | ( | |||||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 153 | – | N/A | |||||||
| IP Adaptations Revenue on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 19,905 | $ | 25,583 | ( | |||||
| Paid Content Average Revenue Per Paying User (“ARPPU”) | ||||||||||
| Korea Paid Content Revenue | $ | 86,888 | $ | 77,027 | ||||||
| Korea ARPPU | $ | 7.8 | $ | 7.5 | ||||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 0.1 | – | N/A | |||||||
| Korea ARPPU on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 7.9 | $ | 7.5 | ||||||
| Japan Paid Content Revenue | 139,182 | 150,401 | ( | |||||||
| Japan ARPPU | 22.5 | 22.3 | ||||||||
| Effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations | 0.6 | – | N/A | |||||||
| Japan ARPPU on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 23.2 | $ | 22.3 | ||||||
| Rest of World Paid Content Revenue | 35,368 | 32,798 | ||||||||
| Rest of World ARPPU | 6.8 | 6.5 | ||||||||
| Rest of World ARPPU on a Constant Currency Basis | $ | 6.8 | $ | 6.5 | ||||||
| 1. ARPPU is calculated by taking Paid Content revenue and dividing it by the number of monthly paid users (“MPU”) for such month, averaged over each month in the given period. ARPPU on a constant currency basis is calculated by dividing Paid Content revenue on a constant currency basis by the number of MPU for such month, averaged over each month in the given period. Where each metric is country specific, the numerator is Paid Content revenue on a constant currency basis by country and the denominator is users by country. | ||||||||||
| The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin for each of the periods presented. | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
| (in thousands of USD, except percentages) | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (8,797 | ) | $ | (21,969 | ) | ||
| Interest income | (4,374 | ) | (5,113 | ) | ||||
| Interest expense | 17 | 2 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 2,672 | 2,547 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 7,998 | 8,437 | ||||||
| EBITDA | $ | (2,484 | ) | $ | (16,096 | ) | ||
| Stock-based compensation expense(1) | 7,625 | 17,035 | ||||||
| Restructuring, advisory and legal fees(2) | 1,267 | 1,642 | ||||||
| Loss (gain) on fair value instruments, net(3) | 2,627 | 930 | ||||||
| Loss on equity method investments, net(4) | 446 | 569 | ||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA(5) | $ | 9,481 | $ | 4,080 | ||||
| Net income (loss) margin | (2.7 | )% | (6.7 | )% | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 3.0 | % | 1.3 | % | ||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding | ||||||||
| Basic | 133,618,587 | 129,598,942 | ||||||
| Diluted | 133,618,587 | 129,598,942 | ||||||
| Earnings (loss) per share | ||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.17 | ) | ||
| Diluted | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.17 | ) | ||
| Adjusted EPS(6) | ||||||||
| Basic | $ | 0.07 | $ | 0.03 | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 0.07 | $ | 0.03 | ||||
| (1) Represents stock-based compensation expense related to WEBTOON’s equity incentive plan and stock-based compensation plans of NAVER Corp. and Munpia Inc., including amounts which are cash settled. (2) Represents specific costs that are incremental and discrete to the periods presented and are not indicative of our core ongoing operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, these amounts were comprised of (i) non-routine legal and professional fees associated with the defense of the 2024 IPO-related shareholder litigation, which are outside the ordinary course of business; (ii) one-time advisory fees related to a purchase agreement, that do not qualify as equity issuance costs; and (iii) professional fees directly related to the strategic restructuring initiative of our Wattpad business. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, these amounts included (i) non-routine legal and professional fees associated with the defense of the 2024 IPO-related shareholder litigation, which are outside the ordinary course of business, and (ii) professional fees associated with the initial implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley (“SOX”) compliance and IPO readiness. (3) Represents unrealized net loss (gain) of financial assets measured at FVPL, which include the Company’s equity investments. (4) Represents our proportionate share of recognized losses associated with our investments accounted for using the equity method. (5) Totals may not foot due to rounding. (6) The numerator for Adjusted EPS is calculated by adjusting Net Income (Loss) by the same items in the Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation. The denominator for computing Adjusted EPS is the same as that used for Basic and Diluted EPS. | ||||||||
Contact Information
Investor Relations
Soohwan Kim, CFA & Taylor Giles
[email protected]
Corporate Communications
Kiel Hume
[email protected]
FAQ
How did WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) perform in Q1 2026?
WEBTOON Entertainment reported Q1 2026 revenue of $320.9 million, down 1.5% year-over-year, and a net loss of $8.8 million. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, Adjusted EBITDA increased to $9.5 million with a 3.0% Adjusted EBITDA Margin, reflecting higher profitability on an adjusted basis.
What were WEBTOON Entertainment’s Q1 2026 constant currency revenue results?
WEBTOON Entertainment generated Q1 2026 constant currency revenue of $326.4 million, representing 0.2% year-over-year growth. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, this growth was driven by Paid Content and Advertising, partially offset by a decline in IP Adaptations, highlighting differing trends across its key revenue streams.
How did WEBTOON Entertainment’s profitability metrics change in Q1 2026?
WEBTOON Entertainment’s Q1 2026 net loss improved to $8.8 million from $22.0 million, while Adjusted EBITDA rose to $9.5 million from $4.1 million. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, these changes were primarily driven by better gross profit and effective cost controls, improving adjusted profitability metrics.
What is WEBTOON Entertainment’s Q2 2026 guidance for revenue and EBITDA?
For Q2 2026, WEBTOON Entertainment expects constant currency revenue of $332–$342 million, implying 1.7%–4.6% growth. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, Adjusted EBITDA is projected between $0–$5 million, corresponding to an Adjusted EBITDA Margin range of 0.0%–1.5% for the quarter.
What does WEBTOON Entertainment’s cash position look like after Q1 2026?
WEBTOON Entertainment ended Q1 2026 with $594.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and no debt outstanding. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, it also held $11.1 million of short-term deposits in prepaid expenses and other current assets, while operating activities used $11.8 million of cash during the quarter.
How did WEBTOON Entertainment’s operating cash flow change in Q1 2026?
WEBTOON Entertainment reported Q1 2026 operating cash outflow of $11.8 million, improving from $18.7 million a year earlier. According to WEBTOON Entertainment, this reduced cash usage occurred alongside improved adjusted profitability metrics, though the business still consumed cash from operations during the quarter.
What segments drove WEBTOON Entertainment’s Q1 2026 revenue changes?
WEBTOON Entertainment’s Q1 2026 revenue declined 1.5% mainly due to lower IP Adaptations and Advertising, partially offset by Paid Content growth. On a constant currency basis, according to WEBTOON Entertainment, revenue grew 0.2%, driven by Paid Content and Advertising, offset by weaker IP Adaptations performance.
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