UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form 10-K

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012

 

Commission File Number 1-11460

 

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 
   
Delaware 31-1103425

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

   

2231 Rutherford Road, Suite 200

Carlsbad, California

92008
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(760) 438-7400

(Registrant’s telephone number, including Area Code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

   

Title of Each Class

 

Name of Each Exchange on

Which Registered

 
Common Stock, $.005 par value NYSE MKT

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ 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 filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceeding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the 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. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer   ¨ Accelerated filer   ¨
Non accelerated filer   ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company   x
   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company. Yes ¨ No x

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2012, computed by reference to the closing sale price of the common stock on the NYSE Amex on June 30, 2012, was approximately $7.1 million. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each person who owns 10% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. The determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

As of March 26, 2013, the Registrant had 71,515,854 shares of common stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference.

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2013 annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report where indicated. Such proxy statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

 

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     

Item 

 

Page 

     
  Part I  
     
1. Business 1
1A. Risk Factors 5
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 11
2. Properties 11
3. Legal Proceedings 12
4. Mine Safety Disclosures 12
     
  Part II  
     
5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 13
6. Selected Financial Data 13
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 13
7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 21
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 22
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 22
9A. Controls and Procedures 22
9B. Other Information 22
     
  Part III  
     
10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 23
11. Executive Compensation 25
12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 25
13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 25
14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 25
     
  Part IV  
     
15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 26
  Signatures 29
  Index to Financial Statements and Schedule F-1

 

 

i
 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates” and words of similar import. Our actual results could differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date of this report, as a result of risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations, development efforts and business environment. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements. You should carefully review the “Risks and Factors” section below and the risk factors in other documents that we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

 

PART I

 

ITEM 1.         Business

 

Unless otherwise indicated, references herein to “Buzztime,” “NTN,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to NTN Buzztime, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. NTN Buzztime, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in 1984 as Alroy Industries and changed its corporate name to NTN Communications, Inc. in 1985. We changed our name to NTN Buzztime, Inc. in 2005 to better reflect the growing role of the Buzztime consumer brand.

 

We own several trademarks and consider the Buzztime and Play Along TV trademarks to be among our most valuable assets.

 

Overview

 

We provide marketing services through interactive game content for hospitality venues that offer the games free to their customers. We have evolved from a developer and distributor of content to an interactive entertainment network provider that helps our network subscribers to acquire, engage and retain their patrons. Built on an extended network platform, this entertainment system has historically allowed multiple players to interact at the venue, but also enables competition between different venues, referred to as massively multiplayer gaming. We are now embarking on a complete change of our network architecture, technology platform and player engagement paradigm, which we currently refer to as our next generation product line, or Next-Gen.

 

We generate revenues by charging subscription fees for our service to our network subscribers and from the sale of advertising aired on in-venue screens as well as in conjunction with customized games. Our games are currently available in over 3,600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where they are shown on approximately 10,000-15,000 screens daily. We have over 3 million player registrations and over 52 million of our games are played each year. Approximately 38% of our network subscriber venues are related to national and regional restaurants and include well-known names such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Black Angus, Boston Pizza, Fox and Hound, Native New Yorker and Old Chicago.

 

Recent Acquisitions and Developments

 

In December 2012, we acquired substantially all of the assets of Interactive Hospitality. We also hired its founder, Barry Chandler, as our Chief Marketing Officer, or CMO. Interactive Hospitality’s digital media business specializes in creating digital marketing strategies for the hospitality industry. The business assists clients in attracting, engaging and retaining customers through the strategic use of social media. In addition to one-on-one digital strategies that Interactive Hospitality provides its national, regional and local clients, the industry- specific blog, TheBarBlogger.com, is seen as a trusted content source for strategies that independent bars and restaurants can implement quickly and effectively. In addition, Interactive Hospitality’s proprietary subscription based management toolkit, ManageYourBar.com, has been used by more than 1,500 bars and restaurants in the U.S. since its launch in 2009. We believe that the addition of Mr. Chandler as our CMO and the assets of Interactive Hospitality will be instrumental in helping us transition our strategy to include an inbound content marketing strategy versus primarily traditional outbound strategies that we have historically employed.

 

In October 2011, we acquired substantially all of the assets of the Stump! Trivia hosted live trivia business. We also hired the founders of that business as our employees. Stump! Trivia currently conducts nearly 300 events per week, or over 13,000 annually, primarily in the Northeastern region of the U.S. We have incorporated the Stump! Trivia business as part of our larger effort in the live event business, which we are launching under the “Buzztime Live” moniker.

 

Starting in late December 2012 and continuing into February 2013, we launched the first iteration of our new Next-Gen configuration in a pilot for one of our national chain clients. Next-Gen will be our new technology platform and product line. The Next-Gen configuration, when fully developed, will consist of application programming interfaces, or APIs, and mobile applications, or apps.

 

1
 

 

 

The first iteration of Next-Gen consists primarily of a new 7” tablet playmaker device, which we have customized and ruggedized and to which we added a video game arcade. The first iteration of Next-Gen does not contain all the features we plan to offer, for example, it does not incorporate the new technology stack we are developing. However, at the end of February 2013, these tablet playmakers were installed in 32 locations, and engagement metrics, such as visits to our multiplayer games and registration rates, for these locations showed significant improvement relative to similar metrics measured at locations that contain our existing playmaker device. Because of our new game arcade, we will have new engagement metrics to monitor in the future.

 

Customization of the platform might be available for larger subscribers, and systems integration work might consist of venue-specific development to provide more advanced services such as music programming, POS integration, digital and dynamic menu management, and back of house utilities and training. These additional services are not yet proven on an economic basis and are still under development.

 

The new tablet playmakers are designed to be managed entirely through software and to have the potential to operate on a variety of networks. We also expect the platform in conjunction with our new playmaker to be versatile to support video playback and social networking.

 

We expect the tablet playmaker’s versatility to provide additional value for us and our network subscribers.

 

Our Strategy

 

We have historically operated under a recurring subscription-based model, whereby our primary source of revenue was related to monthly fees from network subscribers. Although we expect that subscription revenues will remain our primary source of revenue, we believe there are other revenue streams that could grow as a result of additional different functionality in and economic models related to our Next-Gen product offerings. These potential revenue streams include virtual currency and revenues from advanced services functionality contemplated on the Next-Gen platform and proprietary devices. We also generate revenue from advertising sales. Our strategy for achieving revenue growth from these various sources includes the following:

 

· Establish the foundation for growth by improving the entertainment and marketing value of the in-venue content via our Next-Gen product concept, which includes more content, more games, different programming and more emphasis on both proprietary devices and the bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, consumer market.

 

· Revamp the sales, account management and field marketing teams and capabilities. This strategy includes more focus on national accounts as well as increased discipline around qualifying prospective customers in an effort to ensure we are selling to only s uccessful bars and grills in the independent market, our ideal client profile. We also hope to create more affiliate relationships to help sell, manage and retain network subscribers.

 

· Transform our marketing approach utilizing more inbound content marketing strategies through proprietary articles, blog posts, videos and social media content that is shared within the industry and targeted at increasing the number of network subscribers as well as much more aggressive tactics aimed at increasing the number of players and the size of our audience, including through media partnerships. In conjunction with our Next-Gen platform, we intend to offer customer marketing services, designed to leverage our enhanced ability to register and “opt-in” patrons at network subscriber locations.

 

· Improve the in-venue “live” experience and enable a variety of live trivia, game and casino style events under different formats for our network subscribers. We currently offer in-venue interactive entertainment products, including our Hosted Trivia, Competition Manager and our recently acquired Stump! Trivia™ live trivia event service.

 

· Apply a more strategic approach to our poker product and other casino style games. We have approximately 250,000 registered poker players, and our ability to drive registration of poker players should grow significantly with new proprietary devices like our Android tablet and our Next-Gen poker app, which is under development.

 

· Increase advertising revenue. Our Next-Gen platform should provide a more focused, interactive advertising opportunity, and we will expand the sales resources focused on selling these capabilities.

 

· Significantly expand our brand reach and size of our player base by developing integrated mobile products that can be accessed out-of-venue, designed to augment and create context and relevance for our in-venue products.

 

2
 

 

Transition to the Next-Gen Platform

 

The Next-Gen platform and product line incorporates a series of APIs and mobile apps that will be made available on proprietary Buzztime playmakers and consumer devices. This platform and product line will enable patrons to interact with a series of networked multiplayer games, single player arcades, synchronized programming and loyalty programs. The product line is the result of new technology efforts that will be built to operate independently from Buzztime’s legacy network.

 

Building on the experience and data received from our pilot of the first iteration of Next-Gen for one of our large clients in 32 locations, we expect significantly higher levels of engagement by patrons as well as more ways to monetize that engagement.

 

Geographic Areas

 

The following table presents the geographic breakdown of our revenue for the last two fiscal years.

 

    Year Ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
United States     94%       92%  
Canada     6%       8%  
                 
Total     100%       100%  

 

The following table presents the geographic breakdown of our long-term tangible assets for our last two fiscal years.

 

    Year Ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
United States     100%       99%  
Canada     0%       1%  
                 
Total     100%       100%  

 

Competition

 

We face direct competition in hospitality venues and face competition for total entertainment dollars in the marketplace from other companies offering similar content and services. A relatively small number of direct competitors are active in the bar and restaurant games market, including Touchtunes Interactive Networks, The Answer Is . . . Productions Inc., TableTop Media, E la Carte, Inc., AMI Rowe and Livewire/Incredible Technologies, Inc. Competing forms of technology and entertainment provided in public venues include mobile device games and entertainment, such as mobile phone and table applications, on-table bar and restaurant entertainment systems, music and video-based systems, live entertainment and games, cable and pay-per-view programming, coin-operated single-player games/amusements and traffic-building promotions like happy hour specials and buffets.

 

Buzztime Significant Customer

 

Our customers are diverse and vary in venue size and location. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, we generated approximately 23% and 21%, respectively, of revenue from a single national chain, Buffalo Wild Wings, together with its franchisees. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $123,000 and $95,000, respectively, was included in accounts receivable from this customer.

 

3
 

 

Buzztime Network Backlog

 

We historically have not had a significant backlog at any time because we normally can deliver and install new systems at hospitality locations within the delivery schedule requested by customers (generally, within three to four weeks).

 

Licensing, Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents

 

We keep confidential as trade secrets our technology, know-how and software. The hardware used in our operations is purchased from outside vendors. We enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and non-disclosure agreements with third parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure of, our proprietary information. We have either received, or have applied for, trademark protection for the names of our proprietary programming, to the extent that trademark protection is available for them. Our intellectual property assets, especially trademarks and copyright, are important to our business and, accordingly, we have launched a program directed to the protection of our intellectual property assets.

 

We have a small number of patent applications pending in the United States and Canada related to our interactive, network-based game technologies. These include applications for interactive gaming via mobile devices, systems and method for multiplayer gaming, and video feed synchronization. We do not consider technology patents to be central to our competitive position. Instead, our content and branding, which are protected by copyright and trademark law, form the core of our market approach.

 

We consider the Buzztime, Playmaker and Play Along trademarks and our many related trademarks to be valuable assets and have registered these trademarks in the United States and aggressively seek to protect them. Our flagship game titles, Countdown and Showdown are protected by both trademark and copyright registrations in the United States.

 

Government Contracts

 

We provide our content distribution services through the Buzztime network to colleges, universities and a small number of government agencies, typically military base recreation units. However, the number of government customers is small compared to our overall customer base. We provide our products and services to government agencies under contracts with substantially the same terms and conditions as are in place with non-government customers.

 

Government Regulations

 

The cost of compliance with federal, state and local laws has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position to date. In June 1998, we received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) for our 900 MHz Playmakers, and in December 2012, we received approval from the FCC for our tablet playmaker charging trays. The tablets we currently use have been certified by its manufacturer. The multi-player card games offered on the Buzztime network may be restricted in some jurisdictions; the laws and regulations governing distribution of card games vary in different jurisdictions.

 

We are subject not only to regulations applicable to businesses generally, but also to laws and regulations that apply directly to the industry of interactive television products. Although there are currently few such laws and regulations, state and federal governments may adopt laws and regulations that address issues such as:

 

  user privacy;
     
  copyrights;
     
  gaming, lottery and alcohol beverage control regulations;
     
  consumer protection;
     
  the media distribution of specific material or content; and
     
  the characteristics and quality of interactive television products and services.

 

In addition, we operate games of chance and, in some instances, award prizes. These games are regulated in many jurisdictions. The selection of prizewinners is sometimes based on chance, although none of our games require any form of monetary payment. We also operate interactive card games, such as Texas Hold’em poker and Blackjack. These card games are restricted in several jurisdictions. The laws and regulations that govern these games, however, vary in different jurisdictions and are subject to legislative and regulatory change in all of the jurisdictions in which we offer our games, as well as law enforcement discretion. We may find it necessary to eliminate, modify or cancel certain components of our products in certain states or jurisdictions based on changes in law, regulations or law enforcement discretion, which could result in additional development costs and/or the possible loss of customers and revenue.

 

4
 

 

Web Site Access to SEC Filings

 

We maintain an internet website at www.buzztime.com . We make available free of charge on our internet website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

 

Materials we file with the SEC may be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding our company that we file electronically with the SEC.

 

Employees

 

As of March 26, 2013, we employed approximately 120 people on a full-time basis and 211 people on a part-time basis. We also utilize independent contractors for specific projects and hire as many as 5 seasonal employees as needed to produce our play-along sports games during various professional and collegiate sports seasons. None of our employees are represented by a labor union and we believe our employee relations are satisfactory.

 

ITEM 1A .     Risk Factors

 

Risk Factors That May Affect Our Business

 

Our financial position, results of operations and cash flows are subject to various risks, many of which are not exclusively within our control. These risks may cause actual performance to differ materially from historical or projected future performance. We urge investors to carefully consider the risk factors described below in evaluating the information contained in this report:

 

We have experienced significant losses, and we may incur significant losses in the future.

 

We have a history of significant losses, including net losses of $995,000 and $3,419,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and an accumulated deficit of $111,730,000 as of December 31, 2012. We may also incur future operating and net losses, due in part to expenditures required to implement our business strategies, including the development and implementation of our Next-Gen technology platform and product line. Despite significant expenditures, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Moreover, if we do achieve profitability, the level of any profitability cannot be predicted and may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year.

 

We receive a significant portion of our revenues from a single customer, and any decrease in the amount of business from that customer or any other significant customer could materially and adversely affect our cash flow and revenue.

 

Buffalo Wild Wings together with its franchisees is a significant customer.  For the year ended December 31, 2012, we generated approximately 23% of our total revenue from this national chain. As of that date, approximately $123,000 was included in accounts receivable from this customer. If Buffalo Wild Wings, a significant number of its franchisees, and/or one or more other significant customers breach or terminate their subscriptions or otherwise decrease the amount of business they transact with us, we could lose a significant portion of our revenues and cash flow.

 

Our cash flow may not cover current capital needs and we may need to raise additional funds in the future.  Such funds may not be available on favorable terms or at all and, if available, may dilute current stockholders.

 

Our capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

 

· our ability to generate cash from operating activities;

 

· acceptance of, and demand for, our interactive games and entertainment;

 

· the costs of developing and implementing our Next-Gen technology platform and product line;

 

· the costs of developing new entertainment content, products or technology or expanding our offering to new media platforms such as the internet and mobile phones;

 

· the extent to which we invest in the creation of new entertainment content and new technology; and

 

· the number and timing of acquisitions and other strategic transactions, if any.

 

5
 

 

In addition, in order to fully execute on our strategic initiatives discussed above, we believe we will likely require additional capital.

 

If we need to raise additional funds in the future, such funds may not be available on favorable terms, or at all.  Furthermore, if we issue equity or debt securities to raise additional funds, our existing stockholders may experience dilution, and the new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders.  If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to develop and implement our Next-Gen technology platform and product line, develop or enhance our other products and services, execute our business plan or any or all of our strategic initiatives, take advantage of future opportunities, or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated customer requirements.

 

A disruption in our sole-source supply of playmaker controllers or components could negatively impact our subscriptions and revenue.

 

We currently purchase our Classic playmaker game controllers from an unaffiliated manufacturer located in Taiwan under a supply agreement executed in April 2007, with a term that automatically renews for one year periods. We purchase our Next-Gen playmaker tablets from a single manufacturer and certain tablet components from another unaffiliated manufacturer located in China. We currently do not have an alternative source of supply for these devices or components.   If these sole suppliers are delayed, become unavailable, have product quality issues or shortages occur, we may be unable to timely obtain replacement equipment, which, in turn could hurt our customer loyalty, cause subscription cancellations and reduce our revenue. If our suppliers were to go out of business or otherwise become unable to meet our needs for reliable game controller equipment, the process of locating and qualifying alternate sources could take months, during which time our production could be delayed, and may, in some cases, require us to redesign our products and systems. Such delays and potentially costly re-sourcing and redesign could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

Industry and economic conditions have and may continue to adversely affect the market and can affect demand for our services and ultimately harm our business.

 

Negative trends in the general economy and reduced traffic and revenues in the restaurant and hospitality industry continue to depress the market for our products and services.  The current and continuing financial and economic problems have resulted in a tightening in the credit markets, a low level of liquidity in many financial markets and volatility in credit and equity markets.  These continued financial and economic problems could adversely affect our operating results if they result, for example, in spending cutbacks at our customers generally or the insolvency of one or more significant customers.   Tight credit markets could eliminate or delay growth of our customers and the number of customer sites and could also delay or prevent us from acquiring or making investments in other technologies, products or businesses that could enhance or complement our Buzztime network or ability to generate additional revenues, such as from advertising.

 

In addition, global economic conditions, increased cost of commodities, widespread employee layoffs, actual or threatened military action by the United States and the continued threat of terrorism, have resulted in decreased consumer spending and may continue to negatively impact consumer confidence and spending.  Continued weakness in consumer confidence or disposable income in general may negatively affect consumer spending at the hospitality venues that comprise the primary customer base for our Buzztime network, and may also negatively affect spending by advertisers in our market.

 

We cannot predict other negative events that may have adverse effects on the global economy in general and the hospitality and advertising industries specifically.  However, the factors described above and such unforeseen events could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and operating results.

 

We may not be able to compete effectively within the highly competitive interactive games and entertainment industries.

 

We face intense competition in the markets in which we operate. First, we face significant competition for total revenues in the overall market for entertainment in hospitality venues from other companies offering similar content and services.  Our direct competitors in the hospitality games market comprise a small number of significant competitors including Touchtunes Interactive Networks, The Answer Is . . . Productions Inc., TableTop Media, E la Carte, Inc., AMI Rowe and Livewire/Incredible Technologies, Inc. Additionally, we compete with a variety of other forms of technology and entertainment for total entertainment dollars in the marketplace. These other forms of entertainment include mobile device games and entertainment, such as mobile phone and table applications, on-table bar and restaurant entertainment systems, music and video-based systems, live entertainment and games, cable and pay-per-view programming, coin-operated single-player games/amusements and traffic-building promotions like happy hour specials and buffets.

 

Our network programming competes generally with broadcast television, direct satellite programming, pay-per-view, other content offered on cable television and other forms of entertainment. Some of our current and potential competitors enjoy substantial competitive advantages, including greater financial resources for competitive activities, such as content development and programming, research and development, strategic acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures and sales and marketing. As a result, these current and potential competitors may be able to respond more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or consumer preferences.

 

6
 

 

We also compete with providers of other content and services available to consumers through online services and a variety of mobile and on-table devices and systems. The expanded use of online and wireless networks and the internet provides computer users and site owners with an increasing number of alternatives to video games and entertainment software. With this increasing competition and the rapid pace of change in product and service offerings in the interactive entertainment industry, we must be able to compete in terms of technology, content and management strategy. If we fail to provide competitive, engaging, quality services and products, we will lose revenues to competing companies and technologies in the entertainment industry. Increased competition may also result in price reductions, fewer customer orders, reduced gross margins, longer sales cycles, reduced revenues and loss of market share.

 

New products and rapid technological change may render our operations obsolete or noncompetitive.

 

The emergence of new entertainment products and technologies, changes in consumer preferences, the adoption of new industry standards and other factors may limit the life cycle of our technologies, products and services. Accordingly, our future performance will depend on our ability to:

 

· identify emerging technological trends and industry standards in our market;

 

· identify changing consumer needs, desires or tastes;

 

· develop and maintain competitive technology, including new hardware and content products and service offerings;

 

· improve the performance, features and reliability of our existing products and services, particularly in response to changes in consumer preferences, technological changes and competitive offerings; and

 

· bring technology to the market quickly at cost-effective prices.

 

If we do not compete successfully in the development of new products and keep pace with rapid technological change, we will be unable to achieve profitability or sustain a meaningful market position. The interactive entertainment, game and advertising industries are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological changes. We are aware of other companies that are introducing interactive game products on various platforms, including mobile devices and interactive television, which allow players to compete across the nation. Some of these companies may have substantially greater financial and organizational resources than we do, which could allow them to identify or better exploit emerging trends and market opportunities. In addition, changes in customer tastes may render our products and services obsolete or noncompetitive.

 

We may not be successful in developing and marketing new products and services that respond to technological and competitive developments and changing customer needs. We may have to incur substantial costs to modify or adapt our products or services to respond to these developments. We must be able to incorporate new technologies into the products we design and develop in order to address the increasingly complex and varied needs of our customer base. Any significant delay or failure in developing new or enhanced technology, including new product and service offerings, could result in a loss of actual or potential market share and a decrease in revenues.

 

We may not be able to significantly grow our subscription revenue and implement our other business strategies.

 

We expect to derive substantially all of our revenue, including subscription and advertising revenue, for at least the next several years from our Buzztime network and Stump! Trivia events. Accordingly, our success depends on our ability to increase market awareness and encourage the adoption of the Buzztime brand and our game service among establishments such as restaurants, sports bars, taverns and pubs, and within the interactive game player community. Our success also depends on our ability to improve customer retention. We may not be able to leverage our resources to expand awareness of and demand for our game service. In addition, our efforts to improve our game platform and content may not succeed in generating additional demand for our products within the player community or strengthening the loyalty and retention of our existing customers. The degree of market adoption of Buzztime will depend on many factors, including consumer preferences, the availability and quality of competing products and services, and our ability to leverage our brand.

 

Our success also depends on our ability to implement our other business strategies, which include growing our advertising revenue, developing our Next-Gen platform that allows for consumer play across the digital platform including our Buzztime network and provides related cross-selling opportunities across our Buzztime network, the internet, and mobile devices focusing on national accounts and growing our marketing services and sponsorship revenues. The implementation of these strategies will require us to dedicate significant resources to, among other things, fully developing and implementing our Next-Gen technology platform and product line, expanding our other product offerings, customizing our products and services to meet the unique needs of our national accounts and expanding and improving our marketing services and promotional efforts. We may be unable to implement these strategies as currently planned.

 

7
 

 

Communication or other system failures could result in the cancellation of subscribers and a decrease in our revenues.

 

We rely on continuous operation of our information technology and communications systems, and those of a variety of third parties, to communicate with our subscriber locations and distribute our services.  We currently transmit our data to our hospitality customer sites via broadband internet connectivity including telephone and cable TV networks.  These systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, terrorist attacks, floods, storms, fires, power loss, telecommunications and other network failures, equipment failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service or other attacks, and other causes. These systems are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, vandalism, and to other disruptions, for example if we or the operators of these systems and system facilities have financial difficulties.  Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our system protections and disaster recovery plans cannot prevent all outages, errors or data losses. A natural or man-made disaster, a decision to close a facility we are using without adequate notice for financial or other reasons, or other unanticipated problems at our facilities or those of a third party could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. In addition, our services and systems are highly technical and complex and may contain errors or other vulnerabilities. Any errors or vulnerabilities in our products and services, or damage to or failure of our systems, could result in interruptions in our services, which could reduce our revenues and cash flow, and damage our brand.  Any interruption in communications or failure of proper hardware or software function at our, or our subscribers', locations could decrease customer loyalty and satisfaction and result in a cancellation of our services.

 

Our management turnover creates uncertainties.

 

We have experienced significant changes in our executive leadership over the past several years.  Jeff Berg, our Chairman of the Board, has served as our Interim Chief Executive Officer since June 2012. Michael Bush was appointed Chief Executive Officer in April 2010 and resigned effective June 2012.  Terry Bateman was appointed Chief Executive Officer in February 2009 and resigned effective March 2010.  Michael Fleming served as Interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2008 until his resignation in November 2008.  Dario Santana, our former Chief Executive Officer and President, separated from our Company in May 2008.  Because of our recent financial and stock performance, geographic location and other business factors in a relatively small industry, we face substantial challenges in attracting and retaining experienced senior executives.  Changes in senior management are inherently disruptive, and efforts to implement any new strategic or operating goals may not succeed in the absence of a long-term management team.  Changes to strategic or operating goals with the appointment of new executives may themselves prove to be disruptive. Executive leadership transition periods are often difficult as the new executives gain detailed knowledge of company operations and due to cultural differences and friction that may result from changes in strategy and style.  Without consistent and experienced leadership, customers, employees, creditors, stockholders and others may lose confidence in us.

 

Our products and services are subject to government regulations that may restrict our operations or cause demand for our products to decline significantly.

 

We are subject not only to regulations applicable to businesses generally, but also to laws and regulations that apply directly to the interactive television products and game industries. In the area of interactive television products, state and federal governments may adopt a number of laws and regulations governing any of the following issues:

 

· gaming, lottery and alcohol beverage control regulations;

 

· user privacy;

 

· copyrights;

 

· consumer protection;

 

· media distribution of specific material or content; and

 

· the characteristics and quality of interactive television products and services.

 

In particular, we operate games of chance and, in some instances, award prizes. These games are regulated in many jurisdictions. The selection of prizewinners is sometimes based on chance, although none of our games require or contemplate any form of monetary payment. We also operate interactive card games, such as Texas Hold'em poker and Blackjack.  These card games are restricted in several jurisdictions. The laws and regulations that govern these games also vary in different jurisdictions and are subject to legislative and regulatory change as well as to law enforcement discretion in all of the jurisdictions in which we offer our games. We may find it necessary to eliminate, modify, suspend or cancel certain components of our products in certain states or jurisdictions based on changes in law, regulations or law enforcement discretion, which could result in additional development costs and/or the loss of customers and revenue.

 

8
 

 

Our success depends on our ability to recruit and retain skilled professionals for our business.

 

Our business requires experienced programmers, creative designers, application developers and sales and marketing personnel. Our success will depend on identifying, hiring, training and retaining such experienced and knowledgeable professionals. We must recruit talented professionals in order for our business to grow. There is significant competition for employees with the skills required to develop the products and perform the services we offer. We may be unable to attract a sufficient number of qualified employees in the future to sustain and grow our business, and we may not be successful in motivating and retaining the employees we are able to attract. If we cannot attract, motivate and retain qualified technical and sales and marketing professionals, our business, financial condition and results of operations will suffer.

 

Execution of our growth strategy may result in unsuitable acquisitions and we may fail to successfully integrate acquired companies.

 

We expect to continue to consider and pursue opportunities to grow our business through acquisitions of other businesses, assets, technologies and products.  We have in the past and may in the future invest significant resources in evaluating, consummating and integrating such acquisitions. For example, we acquired substantially all the assets of Interactive Hospitality in December 2012 and of Trailside Entertainment, also known as Stump! Trivia, in October 2011. In making acquisition decisions, we may not be successful in selecting businesses, assets, technologies or products that complement our existing or future business and products.  We may also be unsuccessful in integrating any acquired business and personnel.

 

We may face exposure on sales and use taxes in various states.

 

From time to time, state tax authorities have made and other states will make inquiries as to whether or not a portion of our services might require the collection of sales and use taxes from customers in those states. In the current difficult economic climate, many states are expanding their interpretation of their sales and use tax statutes to derive additional revenue. While in the past the sales and use tax assessments we have paid have not been significant to our operations, such expenses may increase in the future.

 

We may be liable for the content we make available on our Buzztime network and the internet.

 

We make content available on our Buzztime network and the internet. The availability of this content could result in claims against us based on a variety of theories, including defamation, obscenity, negligence or copyright or trademark infringement. We could also be exposed to liability for third-party content accessed through the links from our websites to other websites. Federal laws may limit, but not eliminate, our liability for linking to third-party websites that include materials that infringe copyrights or other rights, so long as we comply with certain statutory requirements. We may incur costs to defend against claims related to either our own content or that of third parties, and our financial condition could be materially adversely affected if we are found liable for information that we make available. Implementing measures to reduce our exposure may require us to spend substantial resources and may limit the attractiveness of our services to users which would impair our profitability and harm our business operations.

 

If we do not adequately protect our proprietary rights and intellectual property, or we are subjected to intellectual property claims by others, our business could be seriously damaged.

 

We rely on a combination of trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secret laws to protect our proprietary rights in our products. We believe that the success of our business also depends on such factors as the technical expertise and innovative capabilities of our employees. It is our policy that all employees and consultants sign non-disclosure agreements and assignment of invention agreements. Our competitors and former employees and consultants may, however, misappropriate our technology or independently develop technologies that are as good as, or better than ours. Our competitors may also challenge or circumvent our proprietary rights. If we have to initiate or defend against an infringement claim to protect our proprietary rights, the litigation over such claims could be time-consuming and costly to us, adversely affecting our financial condition.

 

From time to time, we hire or retain employees or external consultants who may have worked for other companies developing products similar to those that we offer. These other employers may claim that our products are based on their products and that we have misappropriated their intellectual property. Any such litigation could prevent us from exploiting our proprietary portfolio and cause us to incur substantial costs, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business. We have a small number of patent applications pending in the United States and Canada related to our interactive, network-based game technologies. Our pending patent applications and any future applications might not be approved. Moreover, our patents might not provide us with competitive advantages. Third parties might challenge our patents or trademarks or attempt to use infringing technologies or brands which could harm our ability to compete and reduce our revenues, as well as create significant litigation expenses. In addition, patents and trademarks held by third parties might have an adverse effect on our ability to do business and could likewise result in significant litigation expenses. Furthermore, third parties might independently develop similar products, duplicate our products or, to the extent patents are issued to us, design around those patents. Others may have filed and, in the future may file, patent applications that are similar or identical to ours. Such third-party patent applications might have priority over our patent applications. To determine the priority of inventions, we may have to participate in interference proceedings declared by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Such interference proceedings could result in substantial cost to us.

 

9
 

 

We have incurred significant net operating loss carryforwards that likely we will be unable to use.

 

As of December 31, 2012, we had federal income tax net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards of approximately $54.4 million, which begin to expire in 2017.  As of December 31, 2012, we had state income tax NOL carryforwards of approximately $20.7 million, which will continue expiring in 2013. We believe that our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards may be substantially restricted by the passage of time and the limitations of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, which apply when there are certain changes in ownership of a corporation. To the extent we begin to realize significant taxable income, these Section 382 limitations may result in our incurring federal income tax liability notwithstanding the existence of otherwise available carryforwards. We have established a full valuation allowance for substantially all of our deferred tax assets, including the NOL carryforwards, since we do not believe we are likely to generate future taxable income to realize these assets.

 

Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, trade barriers and other risks associated with operating our business in foreign countries could harm our business.

 

We operate the Buzztime network in Canada. Since service fees and operating expenses from our Canadian subsidiary are recognized in its local currency, our financial position and results of operations could be significantly affected by large fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or by weak economic conditions in Canada. To the extent we attempt to expand our sales efforts in other international markets, we may also face difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, longer payment cycles and problems with collecting accounts receivable and increased risks of piracy and limits on our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights. If we are unable to adequately address the risks of doing business abroad, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.

 

Risks Relating to the Market for Our Common Stock

 

Our common stock could be delisted or suspended from trading on the NYSE MKT if we fail to maintain compliance with continued listing criteria.

 

The NYSE MKT will normally consider suspending dealings in, or delisting, securities selling for a substantial period of time at a low price per share if the issuer fails to effect a reverse split of such stock within a reasonable time after being notified that NYSE MKT deems such action to be appropriate under the circumstances. While the NYSE MKT does not provide bright line minimum share price standards for continued listing, we believe that a price less than $1.00 per share for a substantial period of time may be investigated. Our common stock has traded at below $1.00 per share since July 2007.

 

In addition, the NYSE MKT will normally consider suspending dealings in, or delisting, securities of an issuer which has stockholders' equity of less than $6,000,000 if such issuer has sustained losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in its five most recent fiscal years. Although our stockholders' equity increased from $6.4 million as of December 31, 2011 to $7.9 million as of December 31, 2012, we had losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in each of our five most recent fiscal years.

 

If we are unable to comply with the NYSE MKT continued listing requirements, including its trading price requirements, our common stock may be suspended from trading on and/or delisted from the NYSE MKT. Alternatively, in order to avoid delisting by the NYSE MKT for having a low trading price for a substantial period, we may be required to effect a reverse split of our common stock. The delisting of our common stock from the NYSE MKT for whatever reason may materially impair our stockholders' ability to buy and sell shares of our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our common stock. In addition, the delisting of our common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital.

 

Our charter contains provisions that may hinder or prevent a change in control of our company, which could result in our inability to approve a change in control and potentially receive a premium over the current market value of your stock.

 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if such a change in control would benefit our stockholders, or to make changes in our board of directors. For example, our certificate of incorporation (i) prohibits stockholders from filling vacancies on our board of directors, calling special stockholder meetings or taking action by written consent, and (ii) requires a supermajority vote of at least 80% of the total voting power of our outstanding shares, voting together as a single class, to remove our directors from office or to amend provisions relating to stockholders taking action by written consent or calling special stockholder meetings.

 

Additionally, our certificate of incorporation and restated bylaws contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control of our company. Some of these provisions:

 

· authorize the issuance of preferred stock which can be created and issued by our board of directors without prior stockholder approval, with rights senior to those of the common stock;

 

10
 

 

· prohibit our stockholders from making certain changes to our bylaws except with 66 2/3% stockholder approval; and

 

· require advance written notice of stockholder proposals and director nominations.

 

These provisions could discourage third parties from taking control of our company. Such provisions may also impede a transaction in which you could receive a premium over then current market prices and your ability to approve a transaction that you consider in your best interest.

 

In addition, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. These and other provisions in our certificate of incorporation, restated bylaws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors, including delaying or impeding a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest involving our company. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of directors could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

 

Future sales of our common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to stock option and warrant exercises may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market or the anticipation of such sales could have a material adverse effect on then-prevailing market prices. As of December 31, 2012, there were approximately 1,814,000 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding stock options at exercise prices ranging from $0.14 to $3.33 per share. As of December 31, 2012, there were also outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of approximately 4,500,000 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.30 to $1.50 per share.

 

These outstanding options and warrants could adversely affect our ability to obtain future financing or engage in certain mergers or other transactions because the holders of the options and warrants may exercise these securities when we are attempting to raise additional capital through a new offering of securities at a price per share that exceeds the exercise price of such options and warrants. To the extent the trading price of our common stock at the time of exercise of any of our outstanding options or warrants exceeds the exercise price, such exercise will have a dilutive effect on our stockholders.

 

Our authorized but unissued and unreserved shares of common stock may not be sufficient to address our need to raise additional funds, which could adversely affect our business.

 

We may need to raise additional funds in the future and it could require us to issue additional shares of our common stock. Currently, we have 84,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and as of December 31, 2012, approximately 71,123,000 shares of common stock were outstanding and approximately 11,830,000 shares were reserved for issuance under our stock option plans and outstanding warrants. As a result, we only had approximately 1,047,000 authorized shares of common stock available for issuance as of December 31, 2012, and any increase in the authorized shares will require stockholder approval. If we do not have enough shares authorized to effect an equity financing and we are unable to obtain stockholder approval to increase the number of shares or such approval is not able to be obtained in a timely manner, our ability to raise capital through equity financing may be harmed and our business could suffer.

 

ITEM 1B.      Unresolved Staff Comments

 

We do not have any unresolved comments issued by the SEC Staff.

 

ITEM 2.         Properties

 

We lease approximately 28,000 square feet of office space at 2231 Rutherford Road, Carlsbad, California. The term of the lease is from June 2011 through November 2018, and we are entitled to renew the lease for an additional five-year extension. The facility that we lease is suitable for our current needs and is considered adequate to support expected growth.

 

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ITEM 3.         Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we become subject to legal proceedings and claims, both asserted and unasserted, that arise in the ordinary course of business. Litigation in general, and securities litigation in particular, can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of legal proceedings are difficult to predict. An unfavorable resolution of one or more legal proceedings could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, defending any claim requires resources, including cash to pay legal fees and expenses, and our limited financial resources could severely impact our ability to defend any such claim.

 

Also from time to time, state and provincial tax agencies have made, and we anticipate will make in the future, inquiries as to whether our service offerings are subject to taxation in their jurisdictions. Many states have expanded their interpretation of their sales and use tax statutes, which generally had the effect of increasing the scope of activities that may be subject to such statutes. We evaluate inquiries from state and provincial tax agencies on a case-by-case basis and have favorably resolved the majority of these inquiries in the past, though we can give no assurances as to our ability to favorably resolve such inquiries in the future. Any such inquiry could, if not resolved favorably to us, materially adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

 

We are currently involved in sales tax inquiries with certain states and provinces. As a result of those inquiries, we recorded a total net liability of $70,000 and $604,000 as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, with respect to tax assessments to which we may be subject as a result of such inquiries. Based on the guidance set forth by ASC No. 450, Contingencies, we deemed the likelihood that we will be required to pay all or part of these assessments as reasonably possible. During the year ended December 31, 2012, we prevailed in one state tax inquiry, resulting in a reversal of the liability of approximately $425,000.

 

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

 

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE MKT under the symbol “NTN.” Set forth below are the high and low sales prices for the common stock for the two most recent fiscal years:

 

    High     Low  
Year Ended December 31, 2012                
First Quarter   $ 0.28     $ 0.20  
Second Quarter   $ 0.25     $ 0.13  
Third Quarter   $ 0.23     $ 0.13  
Fourth Quarter   $ 0.23     $ 0.18  

 

    High     Low  
Year Ended December 31, 2011                
First Quarter   $ 0.52     $ 0.38  
Second Quarter   $ 0.52     $ 0.42  
Third Quarter   $ 0.45     $ 0.38  
Fourth Quarter   $ 0.42     $ 0.25  

 

On March 26, 2013, the closing price for our common stock as reported on the NYSE MKT was $0.25 and there were approximately 1,078 holders of record.

 

To date, we have not declared or paid any cash dividends with respect to our common stock, and the current policy of our Board of Directors is to retain earnings, if any, after payment of dividends on the outstanding preferred stock to provide for our growth. Consequently, no cash dividends are expected to be paid on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

We have 156,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. The Series A Preferred Stock provides for a cumulative annual dividend of 10 cents per share, payable in semi-annual installments in June and December. Dividends may be paid in cash or with shares of our common stock. In 2012, we issued approximately 73,000 shares of our common stock for payment of these dividends.

 

ITEM 6.        Selected Financial Data

 

Under SEC rules and regulations, as a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information otherwise required by this item.

 

ITEM 7.        Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

This report (including, but not limited to, the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations) and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projections,” “may,” “potential,” “plan,” “continue” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this report. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding our future financial performance or position, our business strategy, plans or expectations, and our objectives for future operations, including relating to our products and services. Forward-looking statements contained herein are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties and our actual results and outcomes may be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations, development efforts and business environment, including those set forth under the Section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A, and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances.

 

You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included elsewhere in this report.

 

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Overview

 

We provide marketing services through interactive game content for hospitality venues that offer the games free to their customers. We have evolved from a developer and distributor of content to an interactive entertainment network provider that helps our network subscribers to acquire, engage and retain their patrons. Built on an extended network platform, this entertainment system has historically allowed multiple players to interact at the venue, but also enables competition between different venues, referred to as massively multiplayer gaming. We are now embarking on a complete change of our network architecture, technology platform and player engagement paradigm, which we currently refer to as our next generation product line, or Next-Gen.

 

We generate revenues by charging subscription fees for our service to our network subscribers and from the sale of advertising aired on in-venue screens as well as in conjunction with customized games. Our games are currently available in over 3,600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where they are shown on approximately 10,000-15,000 screens daily. We have over 3 million player registrations and over 52 million of our games are played each year. Approximately 38% of our network subscriber venues are related to national and regional restaurants and include well-known names such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Black Angus, Boston Pizza, Fox and Hound, Native New Yorker and Old Chicago.

 

Recent Acquisitions and Developments

 

In December 2012, we acquired substantially all of the assets of Interactive Hospitality. We also hired its founder, Barry Chandler, as our Chief Marketing Officer, or CMO. Interactive Hospitality’s digital media business specializes in creating digital marketing strategies for the hospitality industry. The business assists clients in attracting, engaging and retaining customers through the strategic use of social media. In addition to one-on-one digital strategies that Interactive Hospitality provides its national, regional and local clients, the industry- specific blog, TheBarBlogger.com, is seen as a trusted content source for strategies that independent bars and restaurants can implement quickly and effectively. In addition, Interactive Hospitality’s proprietary subscription based management toolkit, ManageYourBar.com, has been used by more than 1,500 bars and restaurants in the U.S. since its launch in 2009. We believe that the addition of Mr. Chandler as our CMO and the assets of Interactive Hospitality will be instrumental in helping us transition our strategy to include an inbound content marketing strategy versus primarily traditional outbound strategies that we have historically employed.

 

In October 2011, we acquired certain assets from Trailside Entertainment Corporation, also known as Stump! Trivia, which are used in providing live hosted trivia events at hospitality venues. We are using these acquired assets to complement our existing social entertainment offerings.

 

Results of Operations

 

Year Ended December 31, 2012 compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2011

 

We generated a net loss of $995,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared to net loss of $3,419,000 for the year ended December 31, 2011.

 

Revenue

 

Revenue increased $194,000, or 1%, to $24,064,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $23,870,000 for the year ended December 31, 2011 due primarily to an increase of $1,356,000 generated by the Stump! Trivia business that we acquired in October 2011 and a net increase of approximately $7,000 in other revenues, offset by a decrease in subscription revenue of $1,169,000 related to lower average site count and lower average revenue generated per site. Comparative site count information for the Buzztime network is as follows:

 

    Network Subscribers
as of December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
Site Count - Beginning of Period     3,932       3,925  
Installations     602       1,016  
Terminations     (896 )     (1,009 )
Site Count - End of Period     3,638       3,932  
Churn Percentage     23.7 %     25.7 %

 

Geographic breakdown of our ending site count for the Buzztime network is as follows:

 

    Network Subscribers
as of December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
United States     3,416       3,692  
Canada     222       240  
Total     3,638       3,932  

 

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Direct Costs and Gross Margin

 

The following table compares the direct costs and gross margin for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011:

 

    For the years ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
Revenues   $ 24,064,000     $ 23,870,000  
Direct Costs     6,157,000       5,807,000  
Gross Margin   $ 17,907,000     $ 18,063,000  
                 
Gross Margin Percentage     74%       76%  

 

Gross margin as a percentage of revenue decreased to 74% for the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to 76% in the prior year. Direct costs increased $350,000, or 6%, to $6,157,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to $5,807,000 for the prior year period. The increase in direct costs was primarily due to direct wages of $1,004,000 as a result of acquiring Stump! Trivia and $90,000 of other net miscellaneous increases. These increases were offset by decreased direct depreciation and amortization expense of $211,000 due to assets becoming fully depreciated, decreased service provider fees of $192,000 primarily due to fewer installations and deinstallations of customer sites during the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, decreased freight expense of $179,000 also due to fewer installations and deinstallations of customer sites and decreased content fees of $162,000.

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $2,200,000, or 11%, to $18,248,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $20,448,000 for the prior year period. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to decreased payroll and related expenses of $1,766,000 due to the reorganization that took place during the second quarter of 2012, decreased other tax expense of $541,000 primarily due to the favorable outcome of a sales tax assessment resulting in a reversal of an accrued liability of approximately $425,000, decreased selling and marketing expenses of $373,000, decreased occupancy expense of $303,000 resulting from lower rent related to our new facility lease, decreased travel and entertainment expense of $268,000 due to our reorganization and a decrease of $126,000 related to expenses incurred during the year ended December 31, 2011 in connection with moving our corporate headquarters and warehouse. These decreases were offset by increased consulting fees of $731,000 for product development and administrative services, increased severance expense of $147,000 related to our reorganization, increased bad debt expense of $113,000, increased service fees of $90,000, and other net increases totaling $96,000.

 

Depreciation and Amortization

 

Depreciation and amortization expense (excluding depreciation and amortization included in direct operating costs) decreased $170,000 to $721,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $891,000 for 2011 primarily due to accelerating the amortization expense of an intangible asset we acquired in 2009.

 

Other (Expense) Income, Net

 

Other (expense) income, net changed from $20,000 of other net income during the year ended December 31, 2011 to $16,000 of other net expense for the year ended December 31, 2012. The change was primarily due to having recognized as income in the prior period a $49,000 sales tax refund and an increase of $8,000 in other miscellaneous expenses. This was offset by a decrease in foreign currency exchange losses of $21,000 related to our foreign operations.

 

Income Taxes

 

We expect to incur state income tax liability in 2012 related to our U.S. operations. We also expect to pay income taxes in Canada due to the profitability of NTN Canada. For the year ended December 31, 2012, we recorded a net tax benefit of approximately $83,000 due to recognizing certain state tax credit carryforwards. For the year ended December 31, 2011, we recorded a net tax provision of $163,000.

 

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At December 31, 2012, we had net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards of approximately $54,371,000 and $20,708,000 for federal and state income tax purposes, respectively. Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) imposes limits on the ability to use NOL carryforwards that existed prior to a change in control to offset future taxable income. We have not yet performed an analysis through December 31, 2012 due to the complexity and cost associated with the study, and the fact that there may be additional ownership changes in the future.  Such limitations would reduce, potentially significantly, gross deferred tax assets related to net operation loss carryforwards.  We continue to disclose the net operating loss carryforwards at their original amount as no potential limitation has been quantified.  We have also established a full valuation allowance for substantially all deferred tax assets, including the NOL carryforwards, since we could not conclude that we were more likely than not able to generate future taxable income to realize these assets.

 

EBITDA—Consolidated Operations

 

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, is not intended to represent a measure of performance in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Nor should EBITDA be considered as an alternative to statements of cash flows as a measure of liquidity. EBITDA is included herein because we believe it is a measure of operating performance that financial analysts, lenders, investors and other interested parties find to be a useful tool for analyzing companies like us that carry significant levels of non-cash depreciation and amortization charges in comparison to their GAAP earnings or loss.

 

The following table reconciles our consolidated net loss per GAAP to EBITDA:

 

    For the three months ended
December 31,
    For the years ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011     2012     2011  
Net income (loss) per GAAP   $ 629,000     $ (1,039,000 )   $ (995,000 )   $ (3,419,000 )
Interest expense, net     7,000       13,000       41,000       49,000  
Depreciation and amortization     689,000       947,000       2,879,000       3,260,000  
Income tax (benefit) provision     (109,000 )     115,000       (83,000 )     163,000  
EBITDA   $ 1,216,000     $ 36,000     $ 1,842,000     $ 53,000  

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As of December 31, 2012, we had cash and cash equivalents of $2,721,000 compared to cash and cash equivalents of $1,374,000 as of December 31, 2011.

 

In February 2012, we completed a stockholders rights offering to our stockholders of record as of February 2, 2012. We issued a total of 2,070,719 shares of our common stock at a subscription price of $0.25 per share. In connection with the rights offering, we entered into an investment agreement with Matador Capital Partners, LP, or Matador. Mr. Jeffrey A. Berg, one of our directors and also now our Interim Chief Executive Officer, is the managing member of the general partner of Matador. Under the terms of the investment agreement, upon expiration of the rights offering, Matador purchased for $0.25 per share 8,000,000 shares of our common stock not subscribed for and purchased by holders upon exercise of their subscription rights . We received gross proceeds of $2.5 million from the rights offering and under the investment agreement.

 

We believe existing cash and cash equivalents, funds generated from operations and the proceeds received from the rights offering completed in February 2012 (see Note 10) will be sufficient to meet our operating cash requirements for at least the next twelve months. We have no debt obligations other than capital leases and a note payable for certain equipment purchases. It is our intention to continue entering into capital lease or financing facilities for certain equipment requirements when economically advantageous. In the event that net cash provided by operating activities and cash on hand are not sufficient to meet future cash requirements, we may be required to reduce planned capital expenses, reduce operational cash uses, sell assets or seek financing. Any actions we may undertake to reduce planned capital purchases, reduce expenses, or generate proceeds from the sale of assets may be insufficient to cover shortfalls in available funds. If we require additional capital, we may be unable to secure additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.

 

16
 

 

Working Capital

 

As of December 31, 2012, we had working capital (current assets in excess of current liabilities) of $841,000 compared to negative working capital (current liabilities in excess of current assets) of $1,070,000 as of December 31, 2011. The following table shows our change in working capital from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2012.

 

    Increase
(Decrease)
 
Working capital as of December 31, 2011   $ (1,070,000 )
Changes in current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents     1,347,000  
Restricted cash     (50,000 )
Accounts receivable, net of allowance     (140,000 )
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     274,000  
Total current assets     1,431,000  
Changes in current liabilities:        
Accounts payable     21,000  
Accrued compensation     (159,000 )
Accrued expenses     (263,000 )
Sales taxes payable     (567,000 )
Income taxes payable     2,000  
Obligations under capital lease     (186,000 )
Deferred revenue     456,000  
Other current liabilities     216,000  
Total current liabilities     (480,000 )
Net change in working capital     1,911,000  
Working capital as of December 31, 2012   $ 841,000  

 

Cash Flows

 

Cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, as reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows, are summarized as follows:

 

    For the years ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
Cash provided by (used in):                
Operating activities   $ 2,156,000     $ 574,000  
Investing activities     (2,777,000 )     (2,790,000 )
Financing activities     1,952,000       (300,000 )
Effect of exchange rates     16,000       (16,000 )
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,347,000     $ (2,532,000 )

 

Net cash provided by operating activities. We are dependent on cash flows from operations to meet our cash requirements. Net cash generated from operating activities was $2,156,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to net cash generated from operating activities of $574,000 for the same period in 2011. The $1,582,000 increase in cash provided by operations was primarily due to a decrease in net loss of $1,829,000, after giving effect to adjustments made for non-cash transactions, offset by a decrease of $247,000 in cash provided by operating assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.

 

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Our largest use of cash is payroll and related costs. Cash used related to payroll increased $225,000 to $11,382,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $11,157,000 during 2011 due primarily to having higher headcount related to Stump! Trivia as well as severance expenses related to our reorganization that took place during the second quarter of 2012. Cash received from customers increased $1,232,000 to $25,252,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $24,020,000 during the same period in 2011 and includes payments received from a customer under an equipment leasing agreement as well as for amounts received under a services agreement.

 

Net cash used in investing activities. We used $2,777,000 in cash for investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to $2,790,000 in cash used for investing activities during 2011. The $13,000 decrease in cash used in investing activities was primarily due to a decrease in capital expenditures of $368,000 resulting from fewer field equipment purchases, as well as a decrease of approximately $140,000 related to the acquisition of Stump! Trivia. These decreases were offset by an increase in capitalized software development activities of $361,000 and a decrease in proceeds from sales of securities available-for-sale of $134,000.

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities. Net cash provided by financing activities increased $2,252,000 to $1,952,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 compared to net cash used in financing activities of $300,000 for 2011. The increase in cash provided by financing activities was due to net proceeds from the rights offering and the related investment agreement completed in February 2012 of $2,310,000 and decreased payments on our capital leases of $128,000, offset by a decrease in proceeds from a note payable of $123,000, an increase of $26,000 in principal payments on our note payable, a $36,000 decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options, and $1,000 for tax withholding related to the net-share settlement of restricted stock units.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to deferred costs and revenues, depreciation of broadcast equipment, allowance for doubtful accounts, investments, intangible assets and contingencies. We base our estimates on a combination of historical experience and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. Critical accounting policies and estimates are defined as those that are both most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results and require management’s most subjective judgments.

 

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts —We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from nonpayment by our customers. We reserve for all accounts that have been suspended or terminated from our Buzztime network services and for customers with balances that are greater than a predetermined number of days past due. We analyze historical collection trends, customer concentrations and creditworthiness, economic trends and anticipated changes in customer payment patterns when evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts for specific and general risks. Additional reserves may also be established if specific customers’ balances are identified as potentially uncollectible. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

 

Broadcast Equipment and Fixed Assets —Broadcast equipment and fixed assets are recorded at cost. Equipment under capital leases is recorded at the present value of future minimum lease payments. Depreciation of broadcast equipment and fixed assets is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Depreciation of leasehold improvements and fixed assets under capital leases is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the lease period.

 

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We incur a relatively significant level of depreciation expense in relation to our operating income. The amount of depreciation expense in any fiscal year is largely related to the estimated life of handheld wireless Playmaker devices and associated electronics and the computers located at our customer’s sites. The Playmakers are depreciated over a five-year life and the associated electronics and computers are depreciated over two to four years. The depreciable life of these assets was determined based on the shorter of the contractual capital lease period or their estimated useful life, which considers anticipated technology changes. We determined that the useful life of our Playmakers we purchased after September 2011 decreased from seven to five years, and any existing Playmaker prior to October 2011 was deemed to have a remaining useful life of five years as of December 31, 2011. We based this determination on our expectation of the current version Playmakers’ usefulness in the marketplace. As a result, we recognized approximately $21,000 in accelerated depreciation expense associated with reducing the remaining useful lives of the existing Playmakers to five years as of December 31, 2011. If our Playmakers and associated electronics and the computers turn out to have longer lives, on average, than estimated, our depreciation expense would be significantly reduced in those future periods. Conversely, if the Playmakers and associated electronics and the computers turn out to have shorter lives, on average, than estimated, our depreciation expense would be significantly increased in those future periods.

 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets —Goodwill represents the excess of costs over fair value of assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase combination determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but instead are assessed quarterly for impairment based on qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying amount. Such qualitative factors include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance and other relevant events. If after assessing the totality of events or circumstances we determine it is not more likely than not that the goodwill is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test outlined in ASC No. 350 is unnecessary. During the year ended December 31, 2012, we performed the annual qualitative assessment of our goodwill related to NTN Canada, Inc., and determined that there were no indications of impairment.

 

ASC No. 350 also requires that intangible assets with estimable useful lives be amortized over their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values, and reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC No. 360, Property, Plant and Equipment . In accordance with ASC No. 360, we assess potential impairments of our long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be recognized when the carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable and exceeds its fair value. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or asset group. We performed our annual review of our other intangible assets and determined that there were no indications of impairment for the year ended December 31, 2012. During the year ended December 31, 2011, we determined that the underlying customer base of the subscription customer intangible asset related to our asset acquisition in 2009 of substantially all of the assets of i-am TV had diminished to such a level that the future cash flow of the remaining customers did not substantially equal the remaining net book value of the asset. As a result, we accelerated the amortization expense of approximately $187,000 for those customers who terminated so that the net book value as of December 31, 2011 approximately equaled the future cash flow of the remaining i-am TV customers.

 

Purchase Accounting – We account for acquisitions pursuant to ASC No. 805, Business Combinations . We record all acquired tangible and intangible assets and all assumed liabilities based upon their estimated fair values. The purchase price allocation for the asset acquisition of Trailside Entertainment, also known as Stump! Trivia, was final as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2012, we entered into two immaterial asset acquisitions. The purchase price allocation for the asset acquisition of Interactive Hospitality and Panel Media Group were final as of December 31, 2012.

 

Assessments of Functional Currencies —The United States dollar is our functional currency, except for our operations in Canada where the functional currency is the Canadian dollar. The financial position and results of operations of our foreign subsidiaries are measured using the foreign subsidiary’s local currency as the functional currency. In accordance with ASC No. 830, Foreign Currency Matters , revenues and expenses of our subsidiaries have been translated into U.S. dollars at weighted average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities have been translated at the rates of exchange on the balance sheet date. The resulting translation gain and loss adjustments are recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity, unless there is a sale or complete liquidation of the underlying foreign investments. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, we recorded $20,000 and $41,000 in foreign currency losses, respectively, due to settlements of intercompany transactions and re-measurement of intercompany balances with our Canadian subsidiary and other non-functional currency denominated transactions, which are included in other income in the accompanying statements of operations. Fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar may affect our results of operations and period-to-period comparisons of our operating results. We do not currently engage in hedging or similar transactions to reduce these risks. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the net impact to our results of operations from the effect of exchange rate fluctuations was immaterial when compared to the exchange rates for the year ended December 31, 2011.

 

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Revenue Recognition —We recognize revenue from recurring service fees earned from our network subscribers, Stump! Trivia events, advertising revenues, leased equipment and distribution and licensing fees from our Buzztime-branded content delivered primarily through our interactive consumer platforms. To the extent these arrangements contain multiple deliverables, we evaluate the criteria in ASC No. 605, Revenue Recognition , to determine whether such deliverables represent separate units of accounting. In order to be considered a separate unit of accounting, the delivered items in an arrangement must have stand-alone value to the customer and objective and reliable evidence of fair value must exist for any undelivered elements. Arrangements for the transmission of our Buzztime network contain two deliverables: the installation of equipment and the transmission of our network content for which we receive monthly subscription fees. As the installation deliverable does not have stand-alone value to the customer, it does not represent a separate unit of accounting and, therefore, all installation fees received are deferred and recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the estimated life of the customer relationship. As a result, installation fees not recognized in revenue have been recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

In addition, the direct expenses of the installation, commissions, setup and training are being deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis and are classified as deferred costs on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The amortization period approximates the estimated life of the customer relationship for deferred direct costs that are of an amount that is less than or equal to the deferred revenue for the related contract. For costs that exceed the deferred revenue, the amortization period is the initial term of the contract, in accordance with ASC No. 605, which is generally one year.

 

We evaluate our lease transactions in accordance with ASC No. 840, Leases, to determine classification of the leases against the following criteria:

 

· The lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term;

 

· There is a bargain purchase option;

 

· The lease term is equal to or greater than 75% of the economic life of the equipment; or

 

· The present value of the minimum payments is equal to or greater than 90% of the fair market value of the equipment at the inception of the lease.

 

Because our current leasing agreement meets at least one of the criteria above and collectability of the minimum lease payments is reasonably assured and there are no important uncertainties surrounding the amount of reimbursable costs yet to be incurred under the lease, we classify the lease as a sales-type lease, and we recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, product delivery has occurred or the services have been rendered, the price is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured.

 

We recognize revenues from advertising, Stump! Trivia events, and royalties when all material services or conditions relating to the transaction have been performed or satisfied.

 

Software Development Costs —We capitalize costs related to the development of certain software products in accordance with ASC No. 350. Amortization of costs related to interactive programs is recognized on a straight-line basis over the programs’ estimated useful lives, generally two to three years. Amortization expense relating to capitalized software development costs totaled $650,000 and $578,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $156,000 and $462,000, respectively, of capitalized software costs was not subject to amortization as the development of various software projects was not complete.

 

We performed our annual review of software development projects for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, and determined to abandon various software development projects that we determined were no longer a current strategic fit or for which we determined that the marketability of the content had decreased due to obtaining additional information regarding the specific industry for which the content was intended. As a result, an impairment of $7,000 and $155,000 was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which was included in our selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

Stock Based Compensation —We estimate the fair value of our stock options using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, consistent with the provisions of ASC No. 718 , Compensation – Stock Compensation . The fair value of stock options granted is recognized to expense over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards is recognized using the straight-line single-option method. Stock-based compensation expense is reported as selling, general and administrative based upon the departments to which substantially all of the associated employees report.

 

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We used the historical stock price volatility as an input to value our stock options under ASC No. 718. The expected term of our stock options represents the period of time options are expected to be outstanding, and is based on observed historical exercise patterns for our company, which we believe are indicative of future exercise behavior. For the risk-free interest rate, we use the observed interest rates appropriate for the term of time options are expected to be outstanding. The dividend yield assumption is based on our history and expectation of dividend payouts.

 

The following weighted average assumptions were used for grants issued during 2012 and 2011 under the ASC No. 718 requirements:

 

    2012     2011  
Weighted average risk-free rate     0.53%       1.54%  
Weighted average volatility     95.21%       97.70%  
Dividend yield     0.00%       0.00%  
Expected life     5.71 years       5.22 years  

 

ASC No. 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised if necessary in subsequent periods if actual forfeiture rates differ from those estimates. Forfeitures were estimated based on historical activity for our company. Stock-based compensation expense for employees for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 was $185,000 and $332,000, respectively, and is expensed in selling, general and administrative expenses based upon the departments to which substantially all of the associated employees report and credited to additional paid-in-capital.

 

Income Taxes —Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 

ASC No. 740, Income Taxes, defines the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax return positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” criterion shall be measured at the largest amount of benefit that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We have reviewed our tax positions and determined that an adjustment to the tax provision is not considered necessary nor is a reserve for income taxes required.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income . The amendments in this update require an entity to report the effect of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income if the amount being reclassified is required under GAAP to be reclassified in its entirety to net income. For other amounts that are not required under GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period, an entity is required to cross-reference other disclosures required under GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This would be the case when a portion of the amount reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income is reclassified to a balance sheet account instead of directly to income or expense in the same reporting period. This update is effective on a prospective basis for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012, which for us is January 1, 2013. We do not expect that adopting this update will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

ITEM 7A.      Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

Under SEC rules and regulations, as a smaller reporting company we are not required to provide the information otherwise required by this item. 

 

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ITEM 8.         Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

See “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule” on page F-1 for a listing of the Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule filed with this report.

 

ITEM 9.         Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

None

 

ITEM 9A.      Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

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

 

In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, we recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and we were required to apply our judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. We have carried out an evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this report under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures.

 

Based on our evaluation and subject to the foregoing, our Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that there were no material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and that such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report in providing reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and therefore there were no corrective actions taken.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Our Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our 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.

 

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Interim Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2012. According to the guidelines established by Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, one or more material weaknesses renders a company’s internal control over financial reporting ineffective. Based on this evaluation, we have concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2012.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

ITEM 9B.      Other Information

 

Not Applicable.

 

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PART III

 

ITEM 10.       Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

Directors

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our directors:

 

     

Name

 

Age (1)

 

Director Since

 
Jeff Berg 53 2008
Mary Beth Lewis 55 2009
Steve Mitgang 51 2010
Paul Yanover 46 2012
Tony Uphoff 56 2013

 

 

(1) As of March 26, 2013.
(2) Mr. Uphoff was appointed to our board of directors effective as of March 20, 2013.

 

The following biographical information is furnished with respect to our directors:

 

Jeff Berg has served as our Interim Chief Executive Officer since June 2012. He has also served on our Board of Directors since August 2008 and as Chairman of our Board of Directors since November 2008. Mr. Berg is a private investor currently serving as the managing member of the General Partner of Matador Capital Partners, LP, an investment partnership that he founded in 2007. Since 2001, he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors and a lead investor in Surfline/Wavetrak Inc., a digital media business. He was also the lead director of Swell Commerce, Inc., a direct marketer of surf apparel and accessories, a company that he co-founded in 1999, until it was sold in December 2009 to Billabong International. From July 2000 to April 2001, Mr. Berg served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Swell. He was also founder and sole stockholder of Airborne Media LLC, a specialty media company that he founded in 2006, which operates web sites and publishes magazines and other niche-market print products, and sold the majority of its assets in 2009. Between 1995 and 2000, Mr. Berg was Chairman of the Board of Directors of AccentHealth, a provider of segmented, patient education-oriented TV programming to medical waiting rooms. Mr. Berg has over 20 years of experience as a professional investor. From 1994 to 2006, he served as the Chief Investment Officer of Matador Capital Management, and prior to that time, he worked for nine years at Raymond James Financial as a securities analyst. Mr. Berg holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Florida. Mr. Berg was chosen to serve on our Board of Directors because of his experience with out-of-home and digital media, as well as Mr. Berg being a significant shareholder of our Company.

 

Mary Beth Lewis has served on our Board of Directors since February 2009. From August 2007 to January 2009, Ms. Lewis served as Chief Financial Officer of Fresh Produce Sportswear, Inc., a women’s apparel company. Since August 2009 and also from August 2006 to May 2007, she has been an accounting instructor in the College of Business at Colorado State University. From October 2001 to April 2005, Ms. Lewis served as Chief Financial Officer of Noodles & Company, a restaurant chain. From September 1992 to July 2011, she was the Chief Financial Officer of Wild Oats Markets, Inc., a national natural foods grocery store chain. Ms. Lewis currently serves on the Board of Directors for eBags, Inc., an online retailer of bags and accessories, where she also serves as the chairman of its audit committee. Ms. Lewis holds two undergraduate degrees from West Virginia University: a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology. Ms. Lewis also holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Lewis was chosen to serve on our Board of Directors because of her financial and corporate governance expertise and her prior experience as a chief financial officer.

 

Steve Mitgang has served on our Board of Directors since August 2010. Since June 2012, Mr. Mitgang has been serving as Chief Executive Officer of SmartDrive Systems, a company that provides driving intelligence solutions that improve safety, reduce collisions and improve fuel efficiency, and he also has served on SmartDrive’s Board of Directors since June 2012. Since February 2011, he also has been serving on the Board of Directors of MapMyFitness, Inc., an online business featuring fitness-oriented social networks and training applications. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Mitgang was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Veoh Networks, an internet television company. Prior to his tenure at Veoh Networks, Mr. Mitgang worked at Yahoo! from 2003 to 2007. Mr. Mitgang joined Yahoo! after its acquisition of Overture Services, where he was the head of the Performance Marketing group. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Mitgang was President and Chief Executive Officer of Keylime Software, a web analytics company that was acquired by Overture Services during Mr. Mitgang’s leadership. Mr. Mitgang holds a degree in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Mitgang was chosen to serve on our Board of Directors because of his extensive experience in business development, marketing and advertising within the digital media and technology industries.

 

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Paul Yanover has served on our Board of Directors since July 2012. Mr. Yanover currently serves as President of Fandango, LLC. From February 2011 to September 2012 he served as President of Lookout Interactive Media, a consulting practice focused on strategy, product development, marketing and monetization for digital media, technology and entertainment companies. From June 2006 to January 2011, Mr. Yanover served as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Disney Online. From December 2001 to June 2006 he was Senior Vice President in charge of Disney’s Parks and Resorts Online and was a founding executive of the Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio, a startup within Disney. From July 1999 to December 2001, Mr. Yanover was co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ceiva Logic, a consumer electronics company. Since June 2011, Mr. Yanover has served on the board of Clarity Media Group, LLC, a media company. Mr. Yanover holds a double honors Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and economics from the University of Western Ontario, and a Master of Computer Science from the University of Southern California. Mr. Yanover was chosen to serve on our Board of Directors because of his extensive experience in developing and monetizing digital media, marketing and game environments.

 

Tony Uphoff was appointed to our Board of Directors in March 2013. Since January 2013, Mr. Uphoff has been serving as Chief Executive Officer of Business.com Media, Inc., a leading online B2B solutions company. From September 2006 until June 2012, Mr. Uphoff served as Chief Executive officer of UBM TechWeb, a provider of digital media, live event and marketing services. Prior to UBM TechWeb, Mr. Uphoff was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Beliefnet.com, President of VNU Media's Entertainment Group and Publisher of The Hollywood Reporter and InformationWeek. Mr. Yanover was chosen to serve on our Board of Directors because of his extensive business, marketing and media industry experience.

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers:

 

     

Name

 

Age (1)

 

Position(s) Held

 
Jeff Berg 53 Interim Chief Executive Officer
Kendra Berger 46 Chief Financial Officer
Vladimir Khuchua-Edelman 39 Chief Content Officer
Barry Chandler 34 Chief Marketing Officer

 

 

(1) As of March 26, 2013.

 

The following biographical information is furnished with respect to our executive officers other than Mr. Berg. For biographical information related to Mr. Berg, please see “Directors” above.

 

Kendra Berger was appointed our Chief Financial Officer and Secretary in August 2006. Ms. Berger served on our Board of Directors and as Chairperson of our Audit Committee from July 2005 until August 2006. From May 2005 until August 2006, Ms. Berger was the Executive Director of Finance and Controller of Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation. Prior to that, from April 2001 until May 2005, she was the Vice President, Finance and Controller of Discovery Partners International, Inc. Both Nventa Biopharmaceuticals and Discovery Partners International were publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Discovery Partners International in 2001, Ms. Berger was the Chief Financial Officer of our company. She is a licensed CPA and a graduate of Ohio University.

 

Vladimir Khuchua-Edelman was appointed our as Chief Product Officer in July 2012. From February 2011 until July 2012, Mr. Edelman was our Chief Content Officer. Prior to becoming our Chief Content Officer, Mr. Edelman was Chief Marketing Officer from October 2009 to January 2011 at envIO Networks, a start-up focused on real-time behavioral targeting using social content-consumption data. From February 2006 to March 2008, Mr. Edelman held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Ansible, Interpublic Group's mobile marketing agency, a company he founded, and from September 2005 to September 2006, he was Chief Executive Officer of technology platforms provider Soapbox. Prior to Soapbox, Mr. Edelman was Vice President and General Manager for Mobile Worldwide at ESPN and Executive Producer and General Manager at CBS.com. Mr. Edelman holds an M.S. in Financial Journalism from Boston University.

 

24
 

 

Barry Chandler was appointed as our Chief Marketing Officer in January 2013. Mr. Chandler founded Interactive Hospitality in 2010, a digital marketing agency for the hospitality industry, and served as its Chief Executive Officer until he joined us in Janaury 2013. From August 2004 until February 2010, Mr. Chandler was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Barkeeper Limited, a hospitality consulting firm with offices in Ireland and the US. Prior to this time, Mr. Chandler served as Food and Beverage Controller with Cunard Cruise Line & The Yachts of Seabourn. Mr. Chandler holds an advanced diploma in International Food and Beverage Management from Salzburg, Austria.

 

Additional information responsive to Part III, Item 10 will be included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2013 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the close of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 (the “Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 11.       Executive Compensation

 

Information responsive to this Item will be included in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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

 

Information responsive to this Item will be included in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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

 

Information concerning certain relationships and related transactions will be included in the Proxy Statement under the captions entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “Company Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions” and is incorporated herein by reference. Information concerning director independence will be included in the Proxy Statement under the heading “Election of Directors” and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 14.       Principal Accounting Fees and Services

 

Information responsive to this Item will be included in the Proxy and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

25
 

PART IV

 

ITEM 15.       Exhibits, Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a) The following documents are filed as a part of this report:

 

Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule. The consolidated financial statements and schedule of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries are set forth in the “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedule” on page F-1.

 

Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed or furnished as a part of this report:

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit   Description   Incorporation By Reference
2.1   Asset Purchase Agreement dated October 5, 2011 between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Trailside Entertainment Corporation   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s on Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2012.
2.2   Asset Purchase Agreement dated May 11, 2009 between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Instant Access Media, LLC   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 8-K filed on May 15, 2009 and incorporated by reference.
2.3   Asset Purchase Agreement dated April 24, 2009 between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and iSports Inc.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 11, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.2   Certificate of Designations, Rights and Preferences of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 8-K filed on November 7, 1997 and incorporated herein by reference.
3.3   Bylaws of the Company, as amended   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 26, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference.
4.1   Specimen Common Stock Certificate   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s registration statement on Form 8-A, File No. 0-19383, and incorporated by reference.
4.2   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued on April 24, 2009 by and between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and iSports Inc.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference.
4.3   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued on May 11, 2009 by and between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Instant Access Media, LLC   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference.
4.4   Registration Rights Agreement dated as of May 11, 2009 by and between the Company and Instant Access Media, LLC et al.   Previously filed as an exhibit to the NTN’s report on Form 8-K filed on May 15, 2009 and incorporated by reference.
10.1(a)*   2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as Appendix A to the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by NTN on September 3, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1(b)*   Form of Executive Employee Incentive Stock Option Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

26
 

 

Exhibit   Description   Incorporation By Reference
10.1(c)*   Form of Non-Executive Employee Incentive Stock Option Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1(d)*   Form of Stock Unit Award Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1(e)*   Form of Initial Director Stock Option Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1(f)*   Form of Annual Director Stock Option Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.1(g)*   Form of Stock Unit Award Agreement under the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on March 24, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.2(a)*   2010 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by NTN on April 29, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.2(b)*   Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement under the 2010 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.2(c)*   Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement under the 2010 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.2(d)*   Form of Stock Unit Agreement under the 2010 Performance Incentive Plan   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.2(e)*   Form of Restricted Stock Grant Agreement under the 2010 Performance Incentive Plan   Filed herewith.
10.3*   Confidential Separation Agreement and General Release of all Claims, dated June 4, 2012, by and between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Michael Bush   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 8-K filed on June 5, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.4(a)   Office Lease, dated February 24, 2011, by and between Beckman/Carlsbad I, LLC and the Company Filed herewith.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 25, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.4(b)   Confirmation of Lease Term, dated June 24, 2011, by and between Beckman/Carlsbad I, LLC and the Company   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 12, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.5   Master Equipment Lease dated as of September 29, 2009, by and between the Company and Data Sales Co.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-K filed on March 25, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.6*   NTN Buzztime, Inc. Corporate Incentive Plan for Eligible Employees of NTN Buzztime, Inc. Fiscal Year 2011   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on May 13, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

27
 

 

Exhibit   Description   Incorporation By Reference
10.7   Investment Agreement, dated December 20, 2011, between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Matador Capital Partners, L.P.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 8-K filed on December 20, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.8(a)*   Consulting Agreement, dated July 2, 2012, between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and JABAM, Inc.   Previously filed as an exhibit to NTN’s report on Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference.
10.8(b)*   First Amendment to Consulting Agreement, dated July 2, 2012, between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and JABAM, Inc.   Filed herewith
10.9*   Employment Agreement, dated December 31, 2012, by and between NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Barry Chandler   Filed herewith
14.1   Company Code of Ethics   Filed herewith.
21.1   Subsidiaries of Registrant   Filed herewith.
23.1   Consent of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.   Filed herewith.
31.1   Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002   Filed herewith.
31.2   Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002   Filed herewith.
32.1#   Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002   Furnished herewith.
32.2#   Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002   Furnished herewith.
101.INS**   XBRL Instance Document    
101.SCH**   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document    
101.CAL**   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document    
101.DEF**   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document    
101.LAB**   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document    

 

 

* Management Contract or Compensatory Plan
** Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files on Exhibit 101 hereto are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections.
# This certification is being furnished solely to accompany this report pursuant to U.S.C. § 1350, and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is not to be incorporated herein by reference into any filing of the Company whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.
28
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

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. 

 

     
  NTN BUZZTIME, INC.
     
  By: /s/    KENDRA BERGER        
   

Kendra Berger

Chief Financial Officer

(As Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

Dated: March 29, 2013

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jeff Berg and Kendra Berger, and each of them acting individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power to act alone, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this annual report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

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.

 

Signature     Title     Date  
         

/s/ Jeff Berg  

  Interim Chief Executive Officer, Director and   March 29, 2013
Jeff Berg   Chairman of the Board (Principal Executive Officer)    
         

/s/ Kendra Berger

  Chief Financial Officer and Accounting Officer   March 29, 2013
Kendra Berger        
         

/s/ Mary Beth Lewis

  Director   March 29, 2013

 

Mary Beth Lewis

       
         

/s/ Steve Mitgang

  Director   March 29, 2013

 

Steve Mitgang

       
         

/s/ Tony Uphoff

  Director   March 29, 2013
Tony Uphoff        
         

/s/ Paul Yanover

  Director   March 29, 2013

 

Paul Yanover

       

 

29
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Formerly NTN Communications, Inc. and Subsidiaries)

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULE

 

  Page
   
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-2
   
Consolidated Financial Statements:  
   
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 F-3
   
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 F-4
   
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 F-5
   
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 F-6
   
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 F-7
   
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements F-8
   

 

 

F- 1
 

 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Carlsbad, California

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“the Company”) as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2012.  Our audit also included the financial statement schedule for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2012, listed in the Index at Item 15.  NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Subsidiaries’ management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements and the financial statement schedule. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2012 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule referred to above, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

 

/s/ Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

 

San Diego, CA

March 29, 2013

 

F- 2
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except par value amount)

 

    December 31,  
    2012     2011  
ASSETS                
Current Assets:                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 2,721     $ 1,374  
Restricted cash           50  
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $226 and $180, respectively     610       750  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     898       624  
Total current assets     4,229       2,798  
Broadcast equipment and fixed assets, net (Note 4)     3,783       4,255  
Software development costs, net of accumulated amortization of $1,774 and $1,584, respectively     1,980       1,320  
Deferred costs     600       1,132  
Goodwill (Note 5)     1,265       1,236  
Intangible assets, net (Note 5)     579       845  
Other assets     220       61  
Total assets   $ 12,656     $ 11,647  
                 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY                
Current Liabilities:                
Accounts payable   $ 549     $ 528  
Accrued compensation (Note 7)     598       757  
Accrued expenses     538       801  
Sales taxes payable     197       764  
Income taxes payable     79       77  
Obligations under capital lease - current portion (Note 12)     100       286  
Deferred revenue     919       463  
Other current liabilities     408       192  
Total current liabilities     3,388       3,868  
Obligations under capital leases, excluding current portion     67       164  
Deferred revenue, excluding current portion     188       186  
Deferred rent     949       756  
Other liabilities     170       323  
Total liabilities     4,762       5,297  
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 12 and 13)                
                 
Shareholders' Equity:                
Series A 10% cumulative convertible preferred stock, $.005 par value, $156 liquidation preference, 5,000 shares authorized; 156 and 161 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively     1       1  
Common stock, $.005 par value, 84,000 shares authorized; 71,123 and 60,927 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively     355       305  
Treasury stock, at cost, 503 shares at December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively     (456 )     (456 )
Additional paid-in capital     118,956       116,497  
Accumulated deficit     (111,730 )     (110,719 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income (Note 14)     768       722  
Total shareholders' equity     7,894       6,350  
Total shareholders' equity and liabilities   $ 12,656     $ 11,647  

  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

 

F- 3
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

 

    Years Ended December 31,  
    2012     2011  
             
Revenues   $ 24,064     $ 23,870  
Operating expenses:                
Direct operating costs (includes depreciation and amortization of $2,158 and $2,369, respectively)     6,157       5,807  
Selling, general and administrative     18,248       20,448  
Depreciation and amortization (excluding depreciation and amortization included in direct operating costs)     721       891  
Total operating expenses     25,126       27,146  
Operating loss     (1,062 )     (3,276 )
Other income (expense):                
Interest income     3       3  
Interest expense     (44 )     (52 )
Other income     25       69  
Total other (expense) income, net     (16 )     20  
Loss before income taxes     (1,078 )     (3,256 )
Benefit (provision) for income taxes     83       (163 )
Net loss   $ (995 )   $ (3,419 )
                 
Net loss per common share - basic and diluted   $ (0.01 )   $ (0.06 )
                 
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted     69,040       60,402  

  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

 

F- 4
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(In thousands)

  

    Years Ended December 31,  
    2012     2011  
             
Net loss   $ (995 )   $ (3,419 )
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:                
Foreign currency translation adjustments (Note 14)     46       (40 )
Reclassification adjustment for gain on investment available-for-sale included in net income           (20 )
Other comprehensive income (loss)     46       (60 )
Comprehensive loss   $ (949 )   $ (3,479 )

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

 

F- 5
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011

(in thousands)

 

    Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock      Common Stock     Additional Paid-in     Treasury     Accumulated     Accumulated Other Comprehensive        
     Shares      Amount      Shares      Amount     Capital     Stock     Deficit     Income     Total  
                                                                         
Balances at December 31, 2010     161     $ 1       60,751     $ 304     $ 116,114     $ (456 )   $ (107,284 )   $ 782     $ 9,461  
                                                                         
Foreign currency translation adjustment                                               (40 )     (40 )
Reclassification adjustment for gain on investment available-for-sale included in net income                                               (20 )     (20 )
Net loss                                         (3,419 )           (3,419 )
Issuance of stock in lieu of dividends                 37             16             (16 )            
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock option                 139       1       35                         36  
Non-cash stock based compensation                             332                         332  
                                                                         
Balances at December 31, 2011     161     $ 1       60,927     $ 305     $ 116,497     $ (456 )   $ (110,719 )   $ 722     $ 6,350  
                                                                         
Foreign currency translation adjustment                                               46       46  
Net loss                                         (995 )           (995 )
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock related to rights offering                 10,071       50       2,260                         2,310  
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units                 37             (2 )                       (2 )
Issuance of stock in lieu of dividends                 73             16             (16 )            
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock     (5 )           15                                      
Non-cash stock based compensation                             185                         185  
                                                                         
Balances at December 31, 2012     156     $ 1       71,123     $ 355     $ 118,956     $ (456 )   $ (111,730 )   $ 768     $ 7,894  

  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

 

F- 6
 

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

  

    For the years ended December 31,  
    2012     2011  
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities:                
Net loss   $ (995 )   $ (3,419 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:                
Depreciation and amortization     2,879       3,260  
Provision for doubtful accounts     119       5  
Stock-based compensation     185       332  
Loss on sales of securities available-for-sale           30  
Loss from disposition of equipment and capitalized software     15       166  
Changes in assets and liabilities:                
Accounts receivable     21       (204 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets     (432 )     (58 )
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities     (821 )     494  
Income taxes payable     2       70  
Deferred costs     532       (293 )
Deferred revenue     458       4  
Deferred rent     193       187  
Net cash provided by operating activities     2,156       574  
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities:                
Capital expenditures     (1,226 )     (1,594 )
Software development expenditures     (1,441 )     (1,080 )
Proceeds from sale of securities available-for-sale           134  
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired     (160 )     (200 )
Changes in restricted cash     50       (50 )
Net cash used in investing activities     (2,777 )     (2,790 )
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities:                
Principal payments on capital lease     (318 )     (446 )
Proceeds from note payable           123  
Payments on note payable     (39 )     (13 )
Proceeds from exercise of stock options           36  
Proceeds from rights offering, net     2,310        
Tax withholding related to net-share settlements of restricted stock units     (1 )      
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities     1,952       (300 )
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     1,331       (2,516 )
Effect of exchange rate on cash     16       (16 )
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year     1,374       3,906  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year   $ 2,721     $ 1,374  
                 
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:                
Cash paid during the period for:                
Interest   $ 40     $ 49  
Income taxes   $ 45     $ 57  
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:                
Equipment acquired under capital lease   $ 36     $ 414  
Issuance of common stock in lieu of payment of dividends   $ 15     $ 16  
Reclassification adjustment for gain on investment available-for-sale included in net income   $     $ (20 )
Earn-out liability in connection with the acquisition of of intangible assets   $     $ 185  
Lease incentive paid by landlord   $     $ 569  

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

 

F- 7
 

  

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the Years Ended December 31, 2011 and 2010

 

1. Organization of Company

 

Description of Business

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware in 1984 as Alroy Industries and changed its corporate name to NTN Communications, Inc. in 1985. The Company changed its name to NTN Buzztime, Inc. in 2005 to better reflect the growing role of the Buzztime consumer brand.

 

The Company provides marketing services through interactive game content for hospitality venues that offer the games free to their customers. The Company has evolved from a developer and distributor of content to an interactive entertainment network provider that helps its network subscribers to acquire, engage and retain their patrons. The Company generates revenues by charging subscription fees for its service to its network subscribers and from the sale of advertising aired on in-venue screens as well as in conjunction with customized games. Its games are currently available in over 3,600 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

 

Basis of Accounting Presentation

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: IWN, Inc., IWN, L.P., Buzztime Entertainment, Inc., NTN Wireless Communications, Inc., NTN Software Solutions, Inc., NTN Canada, Inc., and NTN Buzztime, Ltd., all of which, other than NTN Canada, Inc., are dormant subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “NTN,” “we”, “us” and “our” include the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Consolidation —The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Use of Estimates —Preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires it to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to deferred costs and revenues; depreciation of broadcast equipment; allowance for doubtful accounts; investments; stock-based compensation assumptions; impairment of software development costs, intangible assets and goodwill, and broadcast equipment; contingencies, including the reserve for sales tax inquiries; the provision for income taxes, including the valuation allowance; and purchase price allocations related to acquisitions. The Company bases its estimates on a combination of historical experience and various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about significant carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents —ASC No. 230, Statement of Cash Flows , defines “cash and cash equivalents” as any short-term, highly liquid investment that is both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. For the purpose of financial statement presentation, the Company has applied the provisions of ASC No. 230, as it considers all highly liquid investment instruments with original maturities of three months or less, or any investment redeemable without penalty or loss of interest to be cash equivalents.

 

Capital Resources —The Company is dependent upon cash on hand and cash flow from operations to meet its liquidity needs. The Company believes existing cash and cash equivalents, together with funds generated from operations and the proceeds of the rights offering received in February 2012 (see Note 10), will be sufficient to meet its operating cash requirements for at least the next 12 months. The Company currently has no debt obligations other than capital leases. It is the Company’s intention to continue entering into capital lease facilities for certain equipment requirements when economically advantageous. In the event that net cash provided by operating activities and cash on hand are not sufficient to meet future cash requirements, the Company may be required to reduce planned capital expenses, reduce operational cash uses, sell assets and/or seek financing. Any actions the Company may undertake to reduce planned capital purchases, further reduce expenses or generate proceeds from the sale of assets may be insufficient to cover shortfalls in available funds. If the Company requires additional capital, it may be unable to secure additional financing on terms that are acceptable to the Company, or at all.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts —The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from nonpayment by its customers. The Company reserves for all accounts that have been suspended or terminated from its Buzztime network services and for customers with balances that are greater than a predetermined number of days past due. The Company analyzes historical collection trends, customer concentrations and creditworthiness, economic trends and anticipated changes in customer payment patterns when evaluating the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts for specific and general risks. Additional reserves may also be established if specific customers’ balances are identified as potentially uncollectible. If the financial condition of its customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

 

F- 8
 

 

Broadcast Equipment and Fixed Assets —Broadcast equipment and fixed assets are recorded at cost. Equipment under capital leases is recorded at the present value of future minimum lease payments. Depreciation of broadcast equipment and fixed assets is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Depreciation of leasehold improvements and fixed assets under capital leases is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the lease period.

 

The Company incurs a relatively significant level of depreciation expense in relation to its operating income. The amount of depreciation expense in any fiscal year is largely related to the estimated life of handheld wireless Playmaker devices and associated electronics and the computers located at our network subscribers’ sites. The Playmakers are depreciated over a five-year life and the associated electronics and computers are depreciated over two to four years. The depreciable life of these assets was determined based on the shorter of the contractual capital lease period or their estimated useful life, which considers anticipated technology changes. The Company determined that the useful life of its Playmakers purchased after September 2011 decreased from seven to five years, and any existing Playmaker prior to October 2011 was deemed to have a remaining useful life of five years as of December 31, 2011. The Company based this determination on its expectation of the current version Playmakers’ usefulness in the marketplace. As a result, the Company recognized approximately $21,000 in accelerated depreciation expense associated with reducing the remaining useful lives of the existing Playmakers to five years as of December 31, 2011. If the Playmakers and associated electronics and the computers turn out to have longer lives, on average, than estimated, then depreciation expense would be significantly reduced in those future periods. Conversely, if the Playmakers and associated electronics and the computers turn out to have shorter lives, on average, than estimated, then depreciation expense would be significantly increased in those future periods.

 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets —Goodwill represents the excess of costs over fair value of assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase combination determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but instead are assessed quarterly for impairment based on qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying amount. Such qualitative factors include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance and other relevant events. If after assessing the totality of events or circumstances we determine it is not more likely than not that the goodwill is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test outlined in ASC No. 350 is unnecessary. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company performed the annual qualitative assessment of its goodwill related to NTN Canada, Inc., and determined that there were no indications of impairment.

 

ASC No. 350 also requires that intangible assets with estimable useful lives be amortized over their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values, and reviewed for impairment in accordance with ASC No. 360, Property, Plant and Equipment . In accordance with ASC No. 360, the Company assesses potential impairments of its long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be recognized when the carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable and exceeds its fair value. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or asset group. The Company performed its annual review of its other intangible assets and determined that there were no indications of impairment for the year ended December 31, 2012. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company determined that the underlying customer base of the subscription customer intangible asset related to our asset acquisition in 2009 of substantially all of the assets of i-am TV had diminished to such a level that the future cash flow of the remaining customers did not substantially equal the remaining net book value of the asset. As a result, the Company accelerated the amortization expense of approximately $187,000 for those customers who terminated so that the net book value as of December 31, 2011 approximately equaled the future cash flow of the remaining i-am TV customers.

 

Assessments of Functional Currencies —The United States dollar is the Company’s functional currency, except for its operations in Canada where the functional currency is the Canadian dollar. The financial position and results of operations of the Canadian subsidiary is measured using the foreign subsidiary’s local currency as the functional currency. In accordance with ASC No. 830, Foreign Currency Matters , revenues and expenses of its foreign subsidiary have been translated into U.S. dollars at weighted average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities have been translated at the rates of exchange on the balance sheet date. The resulting translation gain and loss adjustments are recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity, unless there is a sale or complete liquidation of the underlying foreign investments. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company recorded $20,000 and $41,000 in foreign currency transaction losses, respectively, due to settlements of intercompany transactions, re-measurement of intercompany balances with its Canadian subsidiary and other non-functional currency denominated transactions, which are included in other income in the accompanying statements of operations. Fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar may affect the Company’s results of operations and period-to-period comparisons of its operating results. The Company does not currently engage in hedging or similar transactions to reduce these risks. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the net impact to the Company’s results of operations from the effect of exchange rate fluctuations was immaterial when compared to the exchange rates for the year ended December 31, 2011.

 

F- 9
 

 

Purchase Accounting – The Company accounts for acquisitions pursuant to ASC No. 805, Business Combinations . The Company records all acquired tangible and intangible assets and all assumed liabilities based upon their estimated fair values. The purchase price allocation for the asset acquisition of Trailside Entertainment Corporation, also known as Stump! Trivia, was final as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company entered into two immaterial asset acquisitions. The purchase price allocation for the asset acquisition of Interactive Hospitality and Panel Media Group were final as of December 31, 2012.

 

Revenue Recognition —The Company recognizes revenue from recurring service fees earned from its network subscribers, Stump! Trivia events, advertising revenues, leased equipment and distribution and licensing fees from its Buzztime-branded content delivered primarily through its interactive consumer platforms. To the extent its arrangements contain multiple deliverables the Company evaluates the criteria in ASC No. 605, Revenue Recognition , to determine whether such deliverables represent separate units of accounting. In order to be considered a separate unit of accounting, the delivered items in an arrangement must have stand-alone value to the customer and objective and reliable evidence of fair value must exist for any undelivered elements. The Company’s arrangements for the transmission of the Buzztime network contain two deliverables: the installation of its equipment and the transmission of its network content for which the Company receives monthly subscription fees. As the installation deliverable does not have stand-alone value to the customer, it does not represent a separate unit of accounting and, therefore, all installation fees received are deferred and recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the estimated life of the customer relationship. As a result, installation fees not recognized in revenue have been recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

In addition, the direct expenses of the installation, commissions, setup and training are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis and are classified as deferred costs on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The amortization period approximates the estimated life of the customer relationship for deferred direct costs that are of an amount that is less than or equal to the deferred revenue for the related contract. For costs that exceed the deferred revenue, the amortization period is the initial term of the contract, in accordance with ASC No. 605, which is generally one year.

 

The Company evaluated its lease transactions in accordance with ASC No. 840, Leases, to determine classification of the leases against the following criteria:

 

· The lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term;
· There is a bargain purchase option;
· The lease term is equal to or greater than 75% of the economic life of the equipment; or
· The present value of the minimum payments is equal to or greater than 90% of the fair market value of the equipment at the inception of the lease.

 

Because the Company’s current leasing agreement meets at least one of the criteria above and collectability of the minimum lease payments is reasonably assured and there are no important uncertainties surrounding the amount of reimbursable costs yet to be incurred under the lease, the Company classifies the lease as a sales-type lease, and it recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, product delivery has occurred or the services have been rendered, the price is fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured.

 

Revenues from advertising, Stump! Trivia events and royalties are recognized when all material services or conditions relating to the transaction have been performed or satisfied.

 

Software Development Costs —The Company capitalizes costs related to developing certain software products in accordance with ASC No. 350. Amortization expense relating to capitalized software development costs totaled $650,000 and $578,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $156,000 and $462,000, respectively, of capitalized software costs were not subject to amortization as the development of various software projects was not complete.

 

The Company performed its annual review of software development projects for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, and determined to abandon various software development projects that it determined were no longer a current strategic fit or for which the Company determined that the marketability of the content had decreased due to obtaining additional information regarding the specific industry for which the content was intended. As a result, an impairment loss of $7,000 and $155,000 was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

Advertising Costs – Marketing-related advertising costs are expensed as incurred and amounted to $15,000 and $96,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

 

F- 10
 

 

Shipping and Handling Costs —Shipping and handling costs are included in direct operating costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and are expensed as incurred.

 

Stock-Based Compensation — The Company estimates the fair value of its stock options using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, consistent with the provisions of ASC No. 718 , Compensation – Stock Compensation . The fair value of stock options granted is recognized to expense over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards is recognized using the straight-line single-option method. Stock-based compensation expense is reported in selling, general and administrative expenses based upon the departments to which substantially all of the associated employees report and credited to additional paid-in-capital.

 

Income Taxes —Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 

ASC No. 740, Income Taxes, defines the threshold for recognizing the benefits of tax return positions in the financial statements as “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority. A tax position that meets the “more-likely-than-not” criterion shall be measured at the largest amount of benefit that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company reviewed its tax positions and determined that an adjustment to the tax provision is not considered necessary nor is a reserve for income taxes required.

 

Earnings Per Share —Basic and diluted loss per common share have been computed by dividing the losses applicable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. The Company’s basic and fully diluted EPS calculation are the same since the increased number of shares that would be included in the diluted calculation from assumed exercise of common stock equivalents would be anti-dilutive to the net loss in each of the years shown in the consolidated financial statements.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income . The amendments in this update require an entity to report the effect of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income if the amount being reclassified is required under GAAP to be reclassified in its entirety to net income. For other amounts that are not required under GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period, an entity is required to cross-reference other disclosures required under GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This would be the case when a portion of the amount reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income is reclassified to a balance sheet account instead of directly to income or expense in the same reporting period. This update is effective on a prospective basis for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012, which for the Company is January 1, 2013. The Company does not expect that adopting this update will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

3. Asset Acquisitions

 

Trailside Entertainment Corporation

 

On October 5, 2011, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Trailside Entertainment Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation (“Trailside Entertainment” or “Stump! Trivia”), in connection with the Company’s purchase of certain Trailside Entertainment assets used in the conduct of Trailside Entertainment’s business of providing live hosted trivia events at hospitality venues (the “Acquired Assets”). The asset purchase was also consummated on October 5, 2011.

 

In consideration for the Acquired Assets, the Company paid to Trailside Entertainment the sum of $250,000 in cash, $200,000 of which was paid on the closing date of the acquisition.  The Company held back $50,000 (the “Holdback Amount”) of the purchase price for a period of six months to secure payment of the Company’s right to indemnification under the Asset Purchase Agreement. In April 2012, the Company delivered to Trailside Entertainment the $50,000 Holdback Amount in full.

 

In addition to the $250,000 cash payment, the Company agreed to pay additional consideration to Trailside Entertainment upon achieving certain gross profit objectives relating to the acquired business (as set forth in the Asset Purchase Agreement) for fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014.  The Asset Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants.

 

In connection with this transaction, the Company entered into employment agreements (the “Employment Agreements”) with two principal executives of Trailside Entertainment, Robert D. Carney and George Groccia, each of whom serve as a Vice President of the Company.  The Company will use the acquired assets to complement its existing social entertainment offerings.

 

F- 11
 

  

The Company accounted for the acquisition pursuant to ASC No. 805, Business Combinations .  Accordingly, it recorded net assets and liabilities acquired at their fair values.  As of December 31, 2011, the final purchase price allocation was as follows:

 

Intangible assets - customer relationships   $ 435,000  
Total assets   435,000
Earnout liability   (185,000 )
Total liabilities     (185,000 )
Purchase price allocated to assets and liabilities acquired   $ 250,000  

  

The purchase price may be increased or decreased if certain gross profit objectives relating to the acquired business deviate from the Company’s estimates in fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014. In that event, the earnout liability will be adjusted and the change will be reflected in current earnings in the period that the adjustment becomes necessary.

 

The Company incurred approximately $51,000 in acquisition-related expenses, which were recorded in selling, general and administrative expense during the third and fourth quarters of 2011.

 

The following unaudited pro forma information assumes that the October 5, 2011 asset acquisition occurred on January 1, 2011.  These unaudited pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and are not indicative of the results of operations that would have actually resulted had the acquisition been in effect as of the period indicated above, or of future results of operations. The unaudited pro forma results for the year ended December 31, 2011 as compared to the results for the year ended December 31, 2012 are as follows:

 

    Twelve months ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
            (proforma)  
Revenue   $ 24,064,000     $ 24,496,000  
Net loss   $ (995,000 )   $ (3,514,000 )
Loss per share - basic and diluted   $ (0.01 )   $ (0.06 )
Weighted average shares - basic and diluted     69,040,000       60,402,000  

  

The unaudited pro forma information presented above has been adjusted for material, nonrecurring items directly related to the asset acquisition such as recording amortization expense on the acquired intangible asset and increasing the salary expense for the two principal executives of Trailside Entertainment who became employees of the Company effective upon the acquisition date.

 

As a result of the acquisition, the Company recognized approximately $1,712,000 in additional revenue and $68,000 in net loss for year ended December 31, 2012.

 

Other Asset Acquisitions

 

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company entered into an asset acquisition with Interactive Hospitality and an asset acquisition with Panel Media Group. These asset acquisitions have been deemed to be immaterial both individually and in aggregate. The purchase price allocation for these asset acquisitions were final as of December 31, 2012.

 

F- 12
 

 

4. Broadcast Equipment and Fixed Assets

 

Broadcast equipment and fixed assets are recorded at cost and consist of the following at December 31, 2012 and 2011:

 

    December 31,  
    2012     2011  
Broadcast equipment   $ 18,148,000     $ 17,676,000  
Machinery and equipment     2,175,000       3,828,000  
Furniture and fixtures     641,000       635,000  
Leasehold improvements     610,000       606,000  
Other equipment     24,000       24,000  
      21,598,000       22,769,000  
                 
Accumulated depreciation     (17,815,000 )     (18,514,000 )
                 
Total   $ 3,783,000     $ 4,255,000  

  

Depreciation expense totaled $1,851,000 and $2,068,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

5. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

 

The Company’s goodwill balance relates to the purchase of NTN Canada. The Company performed its annual qualitative assessment of goodwill impairment for NTN Canada as of December 31, 2012, and it was determined that there were no indications of impairment.

 

The Company also has other intangible assets comprised predominantly of developed technology, trivia databases, trademarks, and acquired customer relationships. As of December 31, 2011, the Company determined that the underlying customer base of the subscription customer intangible asset related to its acquisition in 2009 of substantially all of the assets of i-am TV had diminished to such a level that the future cash flow of the remaining customers did not substantially equal the remaining net book value of the asset. As a result, the Company accelerated the amortization expense of approximately $187,000 for those customers who terminated so that the net book value as of December 31, 2011 approximately equaled the future cash flow of the remaining i-am TV customers. As of December 31, 2012, there were no indications of impairment on the Company’s intangible assets.

 

The weighted average remaining useful life for all intangible assets is 1.5 years as of December 31, 2012. Amortization expense relating to all intangible assets totaled $378,000 and $614,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, intangible assets with estimable lives were comprised of the following:

 

    December 31, 2012     December 31, 2011  
    Gross Carrying
Value
    Accumulated
Amortization
    Net Book
Value
    Gross Carrying
Value
    Accumulated
Amortization
    Net Book
Value
 
Acquired customer lists   $ 545,000     $ (174,000 )   $ 371,000     $ 435,000     $ (24,000 )   $ 411,000  
Acquired technology     599,000       (440,000 )     159,000       599,000       (322,000 )     277,000  
Trivia database     448,000       (405,000 )     43,000       438,000       (352,000 )     86,000  
Acquired subscription customers     874,000       (868,000 )     6,000       874,000       (803,000 )     71,000  
Trademarks and trademark licenses     67,000       (67,000 )           67,000       (67,000 )      
Acquired advertising customers     302,000       (302,000 )           302,000       (302,000 )      
Total   $ 2,835,000     $ (2,256,000 )   $ 579,000     $ 2,715,000     $ (1,870,000 )   $ 845,000  

  

The estimated aggregate amortization expense relating to the Company’s intangible assets for the five succeeding years is as follows:

 

Year Ending     Estimated Aggregate
Amortization Expense
 
2013     $ 419,000  
2014       160,000  
Thereafter        
  Total     $ 579,000  

 

F- 13
 

 

6. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments.

 

Available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value and unrealized holding gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a separate component of comprehensive income until realized. Realized gains and losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are determined on a specific-identification basis. A decline in the market value of any available-for-sale security below cost that is deemed to be other-than-temporary, results in a reduction in the carrying amount to fair value. Any resulting impairment is charged to other income (expense) and a new cost basis for the security is established.

 

The Company held one investment available-for-sale asset, which was comprised of 2,518,260 shares of eBet Limited, an Australian gaming technology corporation. The Company’s holding in eBet represented less than 1% of eBet’s current outstanding shares. During 2011, the Company sold its shares of eBet, and as of December 31, 2011, the Company no longer holds any shares in this investment. The Company recognized a loss on the sale of these shares of approximately $30,000 for the year ended December 31, 2011, which is included in other income (expense), net. An unrealized gain in the investment of $20,000 was reclassified to earnings during 2011. There were no remaining unrealized gains or losses relating to this investment as of December 31, 2011.

 

ASC No. 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, applies to certain assets and liabilities that are being measured and reported on a fair value basis. Broadly, the ASC No. 820 framework requires fair value to be determined based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. ASC No. 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy for ranking the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. This hierarchy is as follows:

 

Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

 

Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis:

 

The fair value of the Company’s investment in eBet Limited was determined based on quoted market prices, which is a Level 1 classification. The Company recorded the investment on the balance sheet at fair value with changes in fair value recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheet (see Note 14).

 

Assets and Liabilities that are Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis:

 

Certain assets are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis and are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances. Included in this category are goodwill written down to fair value when determined to be impaired, acquired assets and long-lived assets including capitalized software that are written down to fair value when they are held for sale or determined to be impaired. The valuation methods for goodwill, assets and liabilities resulting from acquisitions, and long-lived assets involve assumptions concerning interest and discount rates, growth projections, and/or other assumptions of future business conditions. As all of the assumptions employed to measure these assets and liabilities on a nonrecurring basis are based on management’s judgment using internal and external data, these fair value determinations are classified in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy.

 

There were no transfers between fair value measurement levels during the year ended December 31, 2012.

 

7. Accrued Compensation

 

Accrued compensation consisted of the following at December 31, 2012 and 2011:

 

    2012     2011  
Accrued vacation   $ 423,000     $ 429,000  
Accrued salaries     111,000       59,000  
Accrued bonuses     33,000       55,000  
Accrued commissions     31,000       214,000  
Total accrued compensation   $ 598,000     $ 757,000  

 

 

8. Concentrations of Risk

 

Credit Risk

 

At times, the Company’s cash balances held in financial institutions are in excess of federally insured limits. The Company performs periodic evaluations of the relative credit standing of financial institutions and seeks to limit the amount of risk by selecting financial institutions with a strong credit standing. The Company believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk with respect to its cash and cash equivalents.

 

F- 14
 

 

The Buzztime network provides services to group viewing locations, generally restaurants, sports bars and lounges throughout North America. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is limited due to the large number of customers comprising the Company’s customer base, and their dispersion across many different geographic locations. The Company performs credit evaluations of new customers and generally requires no collateral. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts to provide for credit losses.

 

Significant Customer

 

For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company generated approximately 23% and 21%, respectively, of total revenue from a national chain, Buffalo Wild Wings together with its franchisees. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $123,000 and $95,000, respectively, was included in accounts receivable from this customer.

 

Single Source Suppliers

 

The Company currently purchases its Classic playmakers from an unaffiliated Taiwanese manufacturer subject to the terms of a supply agreement dated April 23, 2007 with a term that automatically renews for one year periods. The Company purchases certain Next-Gen playmaker tablet equipment from another unaffiliated manufacturer located in China, and it purchases its Next-Gen playmaker tablets from a single unaffiliated manufacturer. In preparation for the Next-Gen pilot in 32 of a large customer’s locations, the Company made a verbal commitment with the tablet manufacturer to purchase approximately $320,000 of tablets. As of December 31, 2012, the Company has purchased approximately $101,000 of tablets and is expected to purchase the remaining tablets during the first quarter of 2013. The Company currently does not have alternative sources for its playmaker equipment. Management believes other manufacturers could be identified to produce the equipment on comparable terms. A change in manufacturers, however, could cause delays in supply and may have an adverse effect on the Company’s operations. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, approximately $15,000 and $70,000, respectively, were included in accounts payable or accrued expenses for these suppliers.

 

9. Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Common Share

 

Basic earnings per share excludes the dilutive effects of options, warrants and other convertible securities. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilutions of securities that could share in the Company’s earnings. Options, warrants, convertible preferred stock and deferred stock units representing approximately 7,030,000 and 9,024,000 shares were excluded from the computations of diluted net loss per common share for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, as their effect was anti-dilutive.

 

10. Stockholders’ Equity

 

Rights Offering

 

In February 2012, the Company completed a rights offering to its stockholders of record as of February 2, 2012. The Company issued a total of 2,070,719 shares of its common stock at a subscription price of $0.25 per share. In connection with the rights offering, the Company entered into an investment agreement with Matador Capital Partners, LP, or Matador. Mr. Jeffrey A. Berg, one of the Company’s directors and its Interim Chief Executive Officer, is the managing member of the general partner of Matador. Under the terms of the investment agreement, upon expiration of the rights offering, Matador purchased for $0.25 per share 8,000,000 shares of our common stock not subscribed for and purchased by holders upon exercise of their subscription rights. The Company received gross proceeds of $2.5 million from the rights offering and under the investment agreement.

 

Equity Incentive Plans

 

2004 Performance Incentive Plan

 

In September 2004 at a Special Meeting of Stockholders, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2004 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2004 Plan”). The 2004 Plan provided for the issuance of up to 2,500,000 shares of NTN common stock. In addition, all shares that remained unissued under the 1995 Employee Stock Option Plan (the “1995 Plan”) on the effective date of the 2004 Plan, and all shares issuable upon exercise of options granted pursuant to the 1995 Plan that expire or become unexercisable for any reason without having been exercised in full, were available for issuance under the 2004 Plan. On the effective date, the 1995 Plan had approximately 77,000 options available for grant. Options under both the 1995 Plan and the 2004 Plan have a term of up to ten years, and are exercisable at a price per share not less than the fair market value on the date of grant. In September 2009, the 2004 Plan expired. All awards that were granted under the 2004 Plan will continue to be governed by the 2004 Plan until they are exercised or expire in accordance with that plan’s terms. As of December 31, 2012, there were approximately 850,000 options outstanding under the 2004 Plan.

 

2010 Performance Incentive Plan

 

In June 2010, the Company’s shareholders approved the 2010 Performance Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”). The 2010 Plan provides for the issuance of up to 6,000,000 shares of NTN common stock. Under the 2010 Plan, options for the purchase of NTN common stock or other instruments such as restricted stock units may be granted to officers, directors, employees and consultants. The Board of Directors designated its Nominating and Corporate Governance/Compensation Committee as the 2010 Plan Committee. Stock options granted under the 2010 Plan may either be incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options. A stock option granted under the 2010 Plan generally cannot be exercised until it becomes vested. The 2010 Plan Committee establishes the vesting schedule of each stock option at the time of grant. At its discretion, the 2010 Plan Committee can accelerate the vesting, extend the post-termination exercise term or waive restrictions of any stock options or other awards under the 2010 Plan. Options under the 2010 Plan have a term of up to ten years, and are exercisable at a price per share not less than the fair market value on the date of grant. As of December 31, 2012, there were approximately 964,000 options outstanding under the 2010 Plan.

 

F- 15
 

 

Stock-Based Compensation Valuation Assumptions

 

The Company records stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC No. 718 , Compensation – Stock Compensation . The Company estimates the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of stock options granted is recognized as expense over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards is recognized using the straight-line single-option method.

 

The Company uses the historical stock price volatility as an input to value its stock options under ASC No. 718. The expected term of stock options represents the period of time options are expected to be outstanding and is based on observed historical exercise patterns of the Company, which the Company believes are indicative of future exercise behavior. For the risk-free interest rate, the Company uses the observed interest rates appropriate for the term of time options are expected to be outstanding. The dividend yield assumption is based on the Company’s history and expectation of dividend payouts.

 

The following weighted-average assumptions were used for grants issued during 2012 and 2011 under the ASC No. 718 requirements:

 

            2012   2011
Weighted average risk-free rate 0.53%   1.54%
Weighted average volatility 95.21%   97.70%
Dividend yield 0.00%   0.00%
Expected life 5.71 years   5.22 years

  

ASC No. 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised if necessary in subsequent periods if actual forfeiture rates differ from those estimates. Forfeitures were estimated based on historical activity for the Company. Stock-based compensation expense for employees in 2012 and 2011 was $185,000 and $332,000, respectively, and is expensed in selling, general and administrative expenses and credited to the additional paid-in-capital account.

 

Stock Option Activity

 

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2012:

 

    Outstanding
Options
    Weighted
Average Exercise
Price per Share
    Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in years)
    Aggregate Intrinsic
Value
 
Outstanding December 31, 2011     4,314,000     $ 0.59       7.74     $ 2,000  
Granted     452,000       0.15              
Cancelled     (1,351,000 )     0.51              
Forfeited     (1,596,000 )     0.45                  
Expired     (5,000 )     0.98              
Outstanding December 31, 2012     1,814,000     $ 0.66       6.37     $ 25,000  
                                 
Options vested and exercisable at December 31, 2012     1,330,000     $ 0.82       5.39     $ 2,000  

  

The aggregate intrinsic value of options at December 31, 2012 is based on the company’s closing stock price on that date of $0.21 per share as reported by the NYSE MKT. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2011 was $26,000, and the total cash received as a result of stock option exercises was approximately $36,000. There were no stock options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2012.

 

The per share weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options granted during 2012 and 2011 was $0.15 and $0.32, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2012, the unamortized compensation expense related to outstanding unvested options was approximately $46,000 with a weighted average remaining requisite service period of 2.25 years. The Company expects to amortize this expense over the remaining requisite service period of these stock options. A deferred tax asset generally would be recorded related to the expected future tax benefit from the exercise of the non-qualified stock options. However, due to a history of net operating losses, a full valuation allowance has been recorded related to the tax benefit for non-qualified stock options.

 

F- 16
 

 

Restricted Stock Unit Activity

 

Grants of restricted stock units are paid in an equal number of shares of common stock on the vesting date of the award, subject to any deferred payment date that the holder may elect. A stock unit award is paid only to the extent vested. Vesting generally requires the continued employment by the award recipient through the respective vesting date. Restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2012 are not subject to accelerated vesting provisions. Since the restricted stock units are paid in an equal number of shares of common stock without any kind of offsetting payment by the employee, the measurement of cost is based on the quoted market price of the stock at the measurement date which is the date of grant.

 

The following table summarizes restricted stock unit activity during 2012:

 

        Outstanding Restricted Stock Units     Weighted Average Fair Value per Share  
December 31, 2011       49,000     $ 0.31  
  Granted       620,000        
  Released       (44,000 )      
  Cancelled       (65,000 )      
December 31, 2012       560,000     $ 0.14  
                     
Balance exercisable at December 31, 2012              

  

Warrant Activity

 

The following summarizes warrant activity during 2012:

 

      Outstanding
Warrants
    Weighted
Average Exercise
Price per Share
    Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in years)
 
Outstanding December 31, 2011       4,500,000     $ 0.79       5.35  
  Granted                    
  Exercised                    
  Forfeited                    
Outstanding December 31, 2012       4,500,000     $ 0.79       4.35  
                             
Balance exercisable at December 31, 2012       4,500,000     $ 0.79       4.35  

  

The 4,500,000 warrants outstanding were issued during 2009 in connection with asset acquisitions of iSports and i-am TV. The fair values of the warrants were approximately $908,000 in aggregate and were determined using the Black-Scholes model using the following weighted-average assumptions: risk-free interest rates of 2.79%; dividend yield of 0%; expected volatility of 78.1%; and a term of 8 years.

 

Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock

 

The Company has authorized 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The preferred stock may be issued in one or more series. The only series currently designated is a series of 5,000,000 shares of Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (Series A Preferred Stock).

 

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, there were 156,000 and 161,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. The Series A Preferred Stock provides for a cumulative annual dividend of 10 cents per share, payable in semi-annual installments in June and December. Dividends may be paid in cash or with shares of common stock. During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company issued approximately 73,000 and 37,000 common shares, respectively, for payment of dividends.

 

The Series A Preferred Stock has no voting rights and has a $1.00 per share liquidation preference over common stock. The registered holder has the right at any time to convert shares of Series A Preferred Stock into that number of shares of common stock that equals the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock that are surrendered for conversion divided by the conversion rate. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in certain events and is established at the time of each conversion. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 5,000 shares of cumulative convertible preferred stock were converted into approximately 15,000 shares of common stock at a conversion rate of 0.3276. There were no conversions for year ended December 31, 2011. There is no mandatory conversion term, date or any redemption features associated with the Series A Preferred Stock.

 

F- 17
 

 

11. Income Taxes

 

For each of the years 2012 and 2011, current tax (benefit) provisions and current deferred tax (benefit) provision were recorded as follows:

 

    2012     2011  
Current Tax (Benefit) Provision                
Federal   $     $  
State     (8,000 )     76,000  
Foreign     (27,000 )     47,000  
      (35,000 )     123,000  
Deferred Tax (Benefit) Provision                
Federal            
State     (77,000 )      
Foreign     29,000       40,000  
      (48,000 )     40,000  
Total Tax (Benefit) Provison                
Federal            
State     (85,000 )     76,000  
Foreign     2,000       87,000  
    $ (83,000 )   $ 163,000  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F- 18
 

 

The net deferred tax assets and liabilities have been reported in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2012 and 2011 as follows:

 

    2012     2011  
    Current     Noncurrent     Current     Noncurrent  
                                 
Deferred Tax Assets:                                
NOL carryforwards   $     $ 19,743,000     $     $ 19,193,000  
UK NOL carryforwards           756,000             724,000  
Capital loss           450,000             446,000  
Compensation and vacation accrual     154,000             152,000        
Operating accruals     60,000       380,000       568,000        
Research and experimentation, AMT and foreign tax credits           156,000             156,000  
State Margin Tax Credit           140,000                  
Fixed assets and intangibles           844,000             868,000  
Foreign     3,000                    
Other     162,000       138,000       127,000       123,000  
Total gross deferred tax assets     379,000       22,607,000       847,000       21,510,000  
Valuation allowance     (360,000 )     (21,715,000 )     (566,000 )     (21,222,000 )
Net deferred tax assets     19,000       892,000       281,000       288,000  
                                 
Deferred Tax Liabilities:                                
Capitalized software           730,000             341,000  
Foreign           55,000             19,000  
Deferred revenue     23,000             228,000        
Other     74,000                    
Total gross deferred liabilities     97,000       785,000       228,000       360,000  
Net deferred taxes   $ (78,000 )   $ 107,000     $ 53,000     $ (72,000 )

  

The reconciliation of computed expected income taxes to effective income taxes by applying the federal statutory rate of 34% is as follows:

 

    For the year ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
Tax at federal income tax rate   $ (367,000 )   $ (1,107,000 )
State (benefit)     (85,000 )     76,000  
Foreign tax differential     1,000       (9,000 )
Change in valuation allowance     139,000       1,108,000  
Permanent items     256,000       60,000  
Other     (27,000 )     35,000  
Total (Benefit) Provision   $ (83,000 )   $ 163,000  

    

The net change in the total valuation allowance for the year ended December 31, 2012 was a decrease of $139,000. The net change in the total valuation allowance for the year ended December 31, 2011 was an increase of $1,108,000. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and planning strategies in making this assessment. Based on the level of historical operating results and projections for the taxable income for the future, management has determined that it is more likely than not that the portion of deferred taxes not utilized through the reversal of deferred tax liabilities will not be realized. Accordingly, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. 

 

At December 31, 2012, the Company has available net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of approximately $54,371,000 for federal income tax purposes, which will begin to expire in 2017.  The NOL carryforwards for state purposes, which will continue expiring in 2012, are approximately $20,708,000.  There can be no assurance that the Company will ever be able to realize the benefit of some or all of the federal and state loss carryforwards due to continued operating losses.  Further, Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) imposes limits on the ability to use NOL carryforwards that existed prior to a change in control to offset future taxable income. The Company has not yet performed an analysis through December 31, 2012 due to the complexity and cost associated with the study, and the fact that there may be additional ownership changes in the future.  Such limitations would reduce, potentially significantly, the gross deferred tax assets disclosed in the table above related to the net operation loss carryforwards.  The Company continues to disclose the net operating loss carryforwards at their original amount in the table above as no potential limitation has been quantified.  The Company has also established a full valuation allowance for substantially all deferred tax assets, including the NOL carryforwards, since the Company could not conclude that it was more likely than not able to generate future taxable income to realize these assets. In addition, the Company has approximately $207,000 of state tax credit tax carryforwards that expire in the years 2012 through 2026.

 

F- 19
 

 

The deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2012 include a deferred tax asset of $1,294,000 representing NOLs arising from the exercise of stock options by Company employees.  To the extent the Company realizes any tax benefit for the NOLs attributable to the stock option exercises, such amount would be credited directly to stockholders' equity.

 

United States income taxes were not provided on unremitted earnings from non-United States subsidiaries. Such unremitted earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested and determination of the amount of taxes that might be paid on these undistributed earnings is not practicable.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to federal income tax as well as income tax of multiple state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to income tax examination by tax authorities in major jurisdictions for years prior to 2008. However, to the extent allowed by law, the taxing authorities may have the right to examine prior periods where NOLs were generated and carried forward, and make adjustments up to the amount of the carryforwards. The Company is not currently under examination by the IRS or state taxing authorities.

 

12. Commitments

 

Operating Leases

 

The Company leases office and production facilities and equipment under agreements that expire at various dates through 2018. Certain leases contain renewal provisions and escalating rental clauses and generally require us to pay utilities, insurance, taxes and other operating expenses. Lease expense under operating leases totaled $579,000 and $647,000 in 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

The estimated aggregate lease payments under operating leases for each of the five succeeding years is as follows:

  

Years Ending December 31,     Lease
Payment
 
2013     $ 686,000  
2014       693,000  
2015       710,000  
2016       687,000  
2017       624,000  
Thereafter       581,000  
  Total     $ 3,981,000  

  

Capital Leases

 

The Company has capital lease obligations, one of which is a $1,000,000 equipment lease facility entered into with an equipment leasing company in October 2009. The terms of this agreement allow for use of the facility for 24 months and for use of the facility in multiple tranches with each individual tranche having a 24 month term. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had utilized $743,000 of this facility, which has been accounted for as a capital lease. As of December 31, 2012, $67,000 remained outstanding for those tranches that have not yet expired under this facility. Pursuant to the terms of the agreements related to this facility, the Company has given the equipment leasing company notice of its intent to terminate each individual lease that was reaching the 24 month term as well as its intent to purchase the equipment under the expiring lease at fair market value.

 

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, property held under current capital leases was as follows:

  

    For the Years Ended  
    December 31,  
    2012     2011  
Broadcast equipment   $ 277,000     $ 711,000  
Other equipment     69,000       148,000  
      346,000       859,000  
Accumulated depreciation     (217,000 )     (439,000 )
                 
Total   $ 129,000     $ 420,000  

  

Total depreciation expense under capital leases was $271,000 and $441,000 for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

F- 20
 

 

As of December 31, 2012, future minimum payments under all capital leases are as follows:

 

Years Ending December 31,     Lease
Payment
 
2013     $ 111,000  
2014       26,000  
2015       26,000  
2016       20,000  
2017       6,000  
Thereafter        
Total minimum payments       189,000  
Less amounts representing interest       (22,000 )
Present value of net minimum payments       167,000  
Less current portion       (100,000 )
Long-term capital lease obligations     $ 67,000  
             

  Note Payable

 

In July 2011, the Company entered into an equipment financing agreement with a bank in the amount of $123,000, which is recorded in other current liabilities and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The proceeds of the note payable were used to finance certain equipment purchases and other services related to the relocation of the Company’s Carlsbad, California office. The note payable bears interest at 5.85% and is collateralized by a first priority security interest in the equipment purchased with the proceeds. The Company will make 36 equal monthly payments in the amount of $3,705, which includes interest, until fully paid in August 2014. As of December 31, 2012, $70,000 remained outstanding under this financing agreement.

 

13. Contingencies

 

The Company is subject to litigation from time to time in the ordinary course of its business. There can be no assurance that any or all of the following claims will be decided in the Company’s favor and the Company is not insured against all claims made. During the pendency of such claims, the Company will continue to incur the costs of its legal defense. Other than set forth below, there is no material litigation pending or threatened against the Company.

 

Sales and Use Tax

 

From time to time, state tax authorities will make inquiries as to whether or not a portion of the Company’s services require the collection of sales and use taxes from customers in those states. Many states have expanded their interpretation of their sales and use tax statutes to derive additional revenue. The Company evaluates such inquiries on a case-by-case basis and has favorably resolved the majority of these tax issues in the past without any material adverse consequences.

 

The Company is involved in ongoing sales tax inquiries with certain states and provinces. As a result of those inquiries, the Company recorded a total net liability of $70,000 and $604,000 as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which is included in the sales taxes payable balance in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Based on the guidance set forth by ASC No. 450, Contingencies, management has deemed the likelihood as reasonably possible that it will be required to pay all or part of these assessments. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company prevailed in one such inquiry, resulting in a reversal of the liability of approximately $425,000.

 

14. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income is the combination of accumulated net unrealized gains or losses on investments available-for-sale and the accumulated gains or losses from foreign currency translation adjustments. The Company translated the assets and liabilities of its Canadian statement of financial position into U.S. dollars using the period end exchange rate. Revenue and expenses were translated using the weighted average exchange rates for the reporting period.

 

F- 21
 

 

The carrying value of the Company’s Australian investment, eBet, has fluctuated and the respective unrealized gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income. As of December 31, 2011, the Company no longer held its investment in eBet, and therefore, there are no unrealized gains or losses remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income (see Note 6). As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, the components of accumulated other comprehensive income were as follows:

 

    As of December 31,  
    2012     2011  
Foreign currency translation adjustment     768,000       722,000  
Ending balance   $ 768,000     $ 722,000  

  

15. Geographical Information

 

Geographic breakdown of the Company’s revenue for the last two fiscal years were as follows:

 

    For the years ended
December 31,
 
    2012     2011  
United States   $ 22,551,000     $ 21,933,000  
Canada     1,513,000       1,937,000  
Total revenue   $ 24,064,000     $ 23,870,000  

  

Geographic breakdown of the Company’s long-term tangible assets for the last two fiscal years were as follows:

 

    As of December 31,  
    2012     2011  
United States   $ 3,767,000     $ 4,226,000  
Canada     16,000       29,000  
Total assets   $ 3,783,000     $ 4,255,000  

  

16. Retirement Savings Plan

 

In 1994, the Company established a defined contribution plan, organized under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows employees who have completed at least one month of service and have reached age 18 to defer up to 50% of their pay on a pre-tax basis. Effective April 1, 2007, the Company began matching 50% of the first 6% of employee contributions up to a maximum of $2,000 per employee. As of April 1, 2010, the Company discontinued the employer contribution.

 

17. Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) (amounts in thousands, except per share data)

 

The following table presents selected unaudited financial results for each of the eight quarters during the two year period ended December 31, 2012. In the opinion of management, this unaudited information has been prepared on the same basis as the audited information and includes all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair statement of the financial information for the periods presented.

 

    For the three months ended        
    Mar 31,
2012
    Jun 30,
2012
    Sep 30,
2012
    Dec 31,
2012
    Total
2012 (1)
 
Total revenue   $ 6,066     $ 6,015     $ 6,050     $ 5,933     $ 24,064  
Operating (loss) income     (997 )     (643 )     99       479       (1,062 )
(Loss) income before income taxes     (1,029 )     (645 )     76       520       (1,078 )
Net (loss) income     (1,045 )     (633 )     54       629       (995 )
                                         
Per share amounts:                                        
Net (loss) income per common share - basic   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.01 )   $ 0.00     $ 0.01     $ (0.01 )
Net (loss) income per common share - diluted   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.01 )   $ 0.00     $ 0.01     $ (0.01 )
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic     64,519       70,506       70,876       70,594       69,040  
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted     64,519       70,506       71,373       71,338       69,040  

 

F- 22
 

 

    For the three months ended        
    Mar 31,
2011
    Jun 30,
2011
    Sep 30,
2011
    Dec 31,
2011
    Total
2011 (1)
 
Total revenue   $ 6,001     $ 5,893     $ 5,872     $ 6,104     $ 23,870  
Operating loss     (520 )     (1,053 )     (795 )     (908 )     (3,276 )
Loss before income taxes     (548 )     (984 )     (800 )     (924 )     (3,256 )
Net loss     (559 )     (984 )     (837 )     (1,039 )     (3,419 )
                                         
Per share amounts:                                        
Net loss income per common share - basic and diluted   $ (0.01 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.01 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.06 )
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted     60,372       60,388       60,404       60,424       60,402  

  

 

(1) The sum of the four quarters may not necessarily agree to the year total due to rounding within a quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F- 23
 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011

 

 

Allowance for
Doubtful Accounts
    Balance at
Beginning
of Period
    Additions
Charged to
Expense
    Deductions (a)     Balance
at End of
Period
 
2012     $ 180,000       119,000       (73,000 )   $ 226,000  
2011     $ 220,000       5,000       (45,000 )   $ 180,000  
                                     

 

 

(a)     Reflects trade accounts receivable written off during the year, net of amounts recovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

See accompanying report of independent registered public accounting firm.

 

 

 

 

 

II-1

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC.

2010 PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE PLAN

 

RESTRICTED STOCK GRANT AGREEMENT

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company”), hereby awards a Restricted Stock Grant (the “Restricted Stock”) to the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of the Stock Award are set forth in this cover sheet and the attached Restricted Stock Grant Agreement and in the NTN Buzztime, Inc. 2010 Performance Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

Date of Award:      [               ]

 

Name of Participant:      [               ]

 

Number of Shares of Restricted Stock Awarded: [               ]

 

Amount Paid by Participant for the Shares of Restricted Stock Awarded:      [               ]

 

Aggregate Fair Market Value of Restricted Stock on Date of Award:      [               ]

Vesting Calculation Date:      [               ]

 

Vesting Schedule:

 

Subject to all the terms of the Agreement, as long as you render continuous Service, you will become vested as to ____% of the total number of Shares awarded, as shown above, on the date that is _____ months after the Date of Award (the “Initial Vesting Date”).  Thereafter, subject to your continuous Service, on each monthly anniversary of the Initial Vesting Date for the ________ months following the month of the Initial Vesting Date, _________ of the total number of Shares covered by this Award shall become incrementally vested.  In all cases, the resulting aggregate number of vested Shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole number.  Upon termination of your Service at any time and for any reason or no reason, all of your then unvested Shares shall be forfeited to the Company without consideration as of your Termination Date.  No partial vesting credit will be provided no matter when your Termination Date occurs.

 

By signing this cover sheet, you agree to all terms and conditions described in the attached Restricted Stock Grant Agreement and in the Plan. You specifically acknowledge that you have carefully read the section entitled "Code Section 83(b) Election" and the attachment entitled "Section 83(b) Elections" and you further acknowledge that you are solely responsible for filing any Code Section 83(b) election, and that such election must be filed within thirty (30) days after the Date of Award in order to be effective. You are also acknowledging receipt of this Agreement and a copy of the Plan and the Plan’s prospectus.

 

Company: Participant:
   
By:       ____________________ ____________________
Its:       ____________________  

 

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Attachments

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC.

2010 PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK GRANT AGREEMENT

 

The Plan and Other Agreements

The text of the Plan is incorporated in this Agreement by this reference. You and the Company agree to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement. Unless otherwise defined in this Agreement, certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in the Plan.

 

This Agreement, the attached Exhibits and the Plan constitute the entire understanding between you and the Company regarding this Award of Restricted Stock. Any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations are superseded.

 

Award of Restricted Stock

The Company awards you the number of shares of Restricted Stock shown on the cover sheet of this Agreement. The Award is subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan. This Award is not intended to constitute a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of section 409A of the Code and will be interpreted accordingly.

 

Vesting

This Award will vest according to the Vesting Schedule on the attached cover sheet.

 

Escrow

The Company shall issue the Shares of Restricted Stock either (i) in certificate form or (ii) in book entry form, registered in the name of Participant, with legends, or notations, as applicable, referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Award.   Any certificate(s) for the Restricted Stock shall be deposited in escrow with the Secretary of the Company (or his/her designee) to be held in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph.  Each deposited certificate shall be accompanied by a duly executed Assignment Separate from Certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A .  The deposited certificates shall remain in escrow until such time as the certificates are to be released or otherwise surrendered for cancellation as discussed below.

 

 

All dividends whether in cash or in stock, if any, on the Restricted Stock shall also be held in escrow and subject to the same vesting terms and conditions as the Restricted Stock and such dividends shall only be paid to Participant upon vesting of the underlying Shares of Restricted Stock.

 

The Restricted Stock held in escrow hereunder shall be subject to the following terms and conditions relating to their release from escrow or their surrender to the Company, provided, however, that the minimum number of Shares released to you in any individual release of Share certificates must be at least twenty-five (25) Shares (unless the release represents your final release of Share certificates from escrow):

 

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   • When your interest in the Restricted Stock vests, the Company shall, as applicable, either remove the notations on any such Shares of Restricted Stock issued in book entry form or deliver to Participant a stock certificate representing a number of Shares of Common Stock, equal to the number of Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which have become vested.

 

 

Non Transferability Restricted Stock shall not be sold, anticipated, assigned, attached, garnished, optioned, transferred or made subject to any creditor’s process, whether voluntarily, involuntarily or by operation of law.  If you attempt to do any of these things, this Award will immediately become invalid.  
   
Code Section 83(b) Election

You represent and warrant that you understand the Federal, state and local income tax consequences of the granting of this Restricted Stock. Under Section 83 of the Code, the Fair Market Value of the Restricted Stock on the date any forfeiture restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock lapse will be reportable as ordinary income at that time. For this purpose, “forfeiture restrictions” include surrender to the Company of unvested Restricted Stock as described above. You may voluntarily elect to be taxed at the time the Restricted Stock is acquired to the extent that the Fair Market Value of the Restricted Stock exceeds the amount of consideration paid by you (if any) for such Restricted Stock at that time rather than when such Restricted Stock ceases to be subject to such forfeiture restrictions, by filing an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with the Internal Revenue Service within thirty (30) days after the Date of Award. A form for making this election is attached as Exhibit B hereto. Failure to make this filing within the thirty (30) day period will result in the recognition of ordinary income by you as the forfeiture restrictions lapse. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY, AND NOT THE COMPANY’S, TO FILE A TIMELY ELECTION UNDER CODE SECTION 83(b), EVEN IF YOU REQUEST THE COMPANY OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE THIS FILING ON YOUR BEHALF. MOREOVER, YOU ARE RELYING SOLELY ON YOUR OWN ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO FILE A CODE SECTION 83(b) ELECTION.

 

Leaves of Absence

For purposes of this Agreement, while you are a common-law employee, your Service does not terminate when you go on a bona fide leave of absence that was approved by the Company (or its Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate) in writing, if the terms of the leave provide for continued Service crediting, or when continued Service crediting is required by applicable law. Your Service terminates in any event when the approved leave ends, unless you immediately return to active work.

 

The Company determines which leaves count for this purpose (along with determining the effect of a leave of absence on vesting of the Award), and when your Service terminates for all purposes under the Plan.

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Voting and Other Rights Subject to the terms of this Agreement, you shall have all the rights and privileges of a stockholder of the Company while the Restricted Stock is held in escrow, including the right to vote and to receive dividends (if any).  
   
Restrictions on
Issuance
The Company will not issue any Restricted Stock or Shares if the issuance of such Restricted Stock or Shares at that time would violate any law or regulation.
   
Taxes and Withholding

You will be solely responsible for payment of any and all applicable taxes, including without limitation any penalties or interest based upon such tax obligations, associated with this Award.

 

The delivery to you of any Shares will not be permitted unless and until you have satisfied any withholding or other taxes that may be due. The delivery to you of any vested Shares will not be permitted unless and until you have satisfied any withholding or other taxes that may be due. Any such tax withholding obligations may be settled in the Company's discretion by the Company withholding and retaining a portion of the Shares from the Shares that would otherwise be deliverable to you under the vesting Restricted Stock as provided in the next two sentences. Such withheld Shares will be applied to pay the withholding obligation by using the aggregate fair market value of the withheld Shares as of the date of vesting. You will be delivered the net amount of vested Shares after the Share withholding has been effected and you will not receive the withheld Shares.

   
Restrictions on Resale

By signing this Agreement, you agree not to sell, transfer, dispose of, pledge, hypothecate, make any short sale of, or otherwise effect a similar transaction of any Shares acquired under this Award (each a “Sale Prohibition”) at a time when applicable laws, regulations or Company or underwriter trading policies prohibit the disposition of Shares.

 

The Company shall have the right to designate one or more periods of time, each of which generally will not exceed one hundred eighty (180) days in length (provided however, that such period may be extended in connection with the Company’s release (or announcement of release) of earnings results or other material news or events), and to impose a Sale Prohibition, if the Company determines (in its sole discretion) that such limitation(s) is needed in connection with a public offering of Shares or to comply with an underwriter’s request or trading policy, or could in any way facilitate a lessening of any restriction on transfer pursuant to the Securities Act or any state securities laws with respect to any issuance of securities by the Company, facilitate the registration or qualification of any securities by the Company under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, or facilitate the perfection of any exemption from the registration or qualification requirements of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws for the issuance or transfer of any securities. The Company may issue stop/transfer instructions and/or appropriately legend any stock certificates issued pursuant to this Award in order to ensure compliance with the foregoing. Any such Sale Prohibition shall not alter the vesting schedule set forth in this Agreement.

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If the sale of Shares under the Plan is not registered under the Securities Act, but an exemption is available which requires an investment or other representation, you shall represent and agree at the time of grant of the Restricted Stock that the Shares being acquired under this Award are being acquired for investment, and not with a view to the sale or distribution thereof, and shall make such other representations as are deemed necessary or appropriate by the Company and its counsel.

 

You may also be required, as a condition of this Award, to enter into any Company stockholder agreement or other agreements that are applicable to stockholders.

   
No Retention Rights Your Award or this Agreement does not give you the right to be retained by the Company (or any Parent or any Subsidiaries or Affiliates) in any capacity.  The Company (or any Parent and any Subsidiaries or Affiliates) reserves the right to terminate your Service at any time and for any reason.
   
Extraordinary Compensation This Award and the Shares subject to the Award are not intended to constitute or replace any pension rights or compensation and are not to be considered compensation of a continuing or recurring nature, or part of your normal or expected compensation, and in no way represent any portion of your salary, compensation or other remuneration for any purpose, including but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.
   
Adjustments In the event of a stock split, a stock dividend or a similar change in the Company stock, the number of outstanding Shares of Restricted Stock covered by this Award may be adjusted (and rounded down to the nearest whole number) pursuant to the Plan.   Your Restricted Stock shall be subject to the terms of the agreement of merger, liquidation or reorganization in the event the Company is subject to such corporate activity.
   
Legends

All certificates or book entries representing the Common Stock issued under this Award may, where applicable, have endorsed thereon the following notations or legends and any other notation or legend the Company determines appropriate.

 

“THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER AND OPTIONS TO PURCHASE SUCH SHARES SET FORTH IN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER, OR HIS OR HER PREDECESSOR IN INTEREST. A COPY OF SUCH AGREEMENT IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF THE COMPANY AND WILL BE FURNISHED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY BY THE HOLDER OF RECORD OF THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE.”

   
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  “THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, PLEDGED, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION THEREOF UNDER SUCH ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL, THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.”
   
Notice Any notice to be given or delivered to the Company relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Company at its principal corporate offices.  Any notice to be given or delivered to you relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to you at such address of which you advise the Company in writing.  All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the party to be notified.
   

Voluntary Participant

 

You acknowledge that you are voluntarily participating in the Plan.
   
No Rights to Future Awards Your rights, if any, in respect of or in connection with any future Awards are derived solely from the discretionary decision of the Company to permit you to participate in the Plan and to benefit from a discretionary future Award.  By accepting this Award, you expressly acknowledge that there is no obligation on the part of the Company to continue the Plan and/or grant any additional Awards to you or benefits in lieu of any other Awards even if Awards have been granted repeatedly in the past.  All decisions with respect to future Awards, if any, will be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Committee.
   
Future Value The future value of the underlying Shares is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty.  If the underlying Shares do not increase in value after the Date of Award, the Award will have less value (or even no value) than it may have on the Date of Award.  
   
No Advice Regarding Award The Company has not provided any tax, legal or financial advice, nor has the Company made any recommendations regarding your participation in the Plan, or your acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares.  You are hereby advised to consult with your own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding your participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.
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Other Information You agree to receive stockholder information, including copies of any annual report, proxy statement and periodic report, from the SEC Filings section in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.ntnbuzztime.com.  You acknowledge that copies of the Plan, Plan prospectus, Plan information and stockholder information are also available upon written or telephonic request to the Company's Plan administrator.
   
Applicable Law This Agreement will be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the State of Delaware.

__________________

In consideration of the Company granting you this Restricted Stock, please acknowledge your agreement to fully comply with all of the terms and provisions contained herein by signing this Agreement in the space provided above and returning it promptly to:

 

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

Attention: [               ], Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

 

ASSIGNMENT SEPARATE FROM CERTIFICATE

 

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED and pursuant to that certain Restricted Stock Grant Agreement dated as of [                     ], the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto [              ] shares of the Common Stock of NTN Buzztime, Inc., a Delaware corporation, standing in the undersigned’s name on the books of said corporation represented by certificate No. ____________ , herewith, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _____________ attorney-in-fact to transfer the said stock on the books of the said corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

 

Dated: [Month] [Day], 20__

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

 

ELECTION UNDER SECTION 83(b) OF
THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

 

The undersigned taxpayer hereby elects, pursuant to § 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to include in gross income as compensation for services the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the shares described below over the amount paid for those shares.

 

1. The name, taxpayer identification number, address of the undersigned, and the taxable year for which this election is being made are:

 

TAXPAYER’S NAME: _____________________________________________

 

TAXPAYER’S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: __________________________

 

ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________

 

TAXABLE YEAR: Calendar Year 20__

 

2. The property which is the subject of this election is __________ shares of common stock of NTN Buzztime, Inc.

 

3. The property was transferred to the undersigned on [ DATE ].

 

4. The property is subject to the following restrictions: [ Describe applicable restrictions here.]

 

5. The fair market value of the property at the time of transfer (determined without regard to any restriction other than a nonlapse restriction as defined in § 1.83-3(h) of the Income Tax Regulations) is: $_______ per share x ________ shares = $___________.

 

6. For the property transferred, the undersigned paid $______ per share x _________ shares = $______________.

 

7. The amount to include in gross income is $______________. [ The result of the amount reported in Item 5 minus the amount reported in Item 6.]

 

The undersigned taxpayer will file this election with the Internal Revenue Service office with which taxpayer files his or her annual income tax return not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the property. A copy of the election also will be furnished to the person for whom the services were performed. Additionally, the undersigned will include a copy of the election with his or her income tax return for the taxable year in which the property is transferred. The undersigned is the person performing the services in connection with which the property was transferred.

 

Dated:______________________ _______________________________________
                              Taxpayer

 

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SECTION 83(b) ELECTIONS

 

This memorandum briefly describes certain aspects of Internal Revenue Code section 83 and section 83(b) elections as they exist under current law. A form of election is attached. The effect of making the election is that it permits the employee or consultant to include in his or her gross income, in his or her taxable year in which unvested shares are transferred, the excess, if any, of (i) the Fair Market Value of such shares at the time of transfer (determined without regard to restrictions other than those which will never lapse), over (ii) the amount (if any) paid for such shares.

 

By making the section 83(b) election, subsequent appreciation in the value of the shares generally will be taxed as a capital gain, rather than as compensation. Also, appreciation that occurs after the transfer but prior to vesting will not be taxed until the shares are sold. Finally, such subsequent appreciation may be deferred if transfer occurs in a tax-free reorganization or may go untaxed altogether if a stepped-up basis results from transfer by reason of death. However, if the shares are forfeited the employees or consultants who made the election can only deduct a loss to the extent the amount received (if any) on forfeiture is less than the amount paid (if any) for such shares. Thus, such employees or consultants are precluded from recovering the tax paid with respect to any reported compensation income. Moreover, any loss recognized will generally be a capital loss which can only offset capital gains plus $3,000 of ordinary income ($1,500 in the case of married individuals filing a separate return).

 

In the absence of an election, the employee or consultant who receives unvested shares does not recognize any income until such shares vest. In the taxable year in which any shares vest such employee or consultant will recognize compensation income equal to the excess, if any, of (i) the Fair Market Value of the vested shares on the vesting date, over (ii) the amount (if any) paid for such shares. If the shares are forfeited the employee or consultant will recognize ordinary loss to the extent the amount received on forfeiture is less than the amount paid for such shares.

 

The election must be made not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the shares to the employee or consultant. The election is to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center with which the employee or consultant files his or her return. In general, the election is irrevocable.

 

Each filing should be made by certified mail with the sender’s receipt postmarked at the time of mailing to establish proof of filing. Also, one copy of the election should be filed with the company. Finally, one copy of the election must be submitted with the employee’s federal income tax returns for the taxable year in which the shares are transferred. Although the election must be made within 30 days of the date of transfer of the shares, the tax, if any, arising out of the election need not be paid until the employee or consultant files his or her tax return for the tax year of transfer (subject to the withholding rules discussed below).

 

The company should be entitled to a tax deduction for federal income tax purposes equal to the amount, if any, included in the gross income of the employees or consultants receiving the shares. Any deduction is allowed for the taxable year of the company in which or with which ends the taxable year in which the amount was included in the gross income of the employee or consultant.

 

While it may be desirable from a tax standpoint for employees and consultants to make an 83(b) election at the time unvested shares are acquired, the matter should be reviewed by each employee or consultant with his or her tax adviser.

 

The foregoing is intended only as a general summary of the tax consequences of section 83(b) elections.

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 10.8

  

FIRST AMENDMENT TO

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

DATED AS OF JULY 2, 2012 BETWEEN

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. AND JABAM, INC.

  

 

The following amendments to the above-referenced Agreement between NTN BUZZTIME, INC. and JABAM INC. are made and effective as of December 31, 2012.

  

A. Section 2.1 is amended to read, in its entirety, as follows:

  

The term of this Agreement shall commence on July 2, 2012 (the "Effective Date") and, unless earlier terminated in accordance with Section ‎7 shall expire on March 31, 2013.

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC.   JABAM, INC.  
       
       
By: /s/ Kendra Berger   By: /s/ Jeffrey A. Berg  
Authorized Signature   Authorized Signature  
       
Kendra Berger   Jeffery A. Berg  
Print Name   Print Name  
       
CFO   President  
Title   Title  
       
1/11/2013   1/11/2013  
Date   Date  

 

EXHIBIT 10.9

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into this 31st day of December 2012, by and between NTN Buzztime, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and Barry Chandler, an individual (the “ Executive ”).

 

RECITALS

 

THE PARTIES ENTER THIS AGREEMENT on the basis of the following facts, understandings and intentions:

 

A. Executive manages and runs a digital marketing business serving the hospitality industry (the “Agency”).

 

B. The Company and Executive desire that the Executive be employed by the Company to carry out the duties and responsibilities described below and that Executive’s digital marketing business be transitioned over to Company, all on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, effective as of January 2, 2013 (the “ Effective Date ”).

 

C. The Executive desires to accept such employment on such terms and conditions.

 

D. This Agreement shall govern the employment relationship between the Executive and the Company from and after the Effective Date and supersedes and negates all previous agreements with respect to such relationship, including the project contract dated August 1, 2012 between the Company and Interactive Hospitality.

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the above recitals incorporated herein and the mutual covenants and promises contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby expressly acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Retention and Duties .

 

1.1 Retention; Authorization to Work in the United States . Subject to the terms and conditions expressly set forth in this Agreement, the Company does hereby hire, engage and employ the Executive and the Executive does hereby accept and agree to such hiring, engagement and employment. Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will” and either the Company or Executive may terminate his employment with the Company at any time for any or no reason, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The period of time during which Executive remains employed by the Company is referred to as the “Period of Employment.” Notwithstanding anything else set forth in this Agreement, the Company's hiring of Executive is conditioned upon, prior to the Effective Date, Executive passing a background check, negative alcohol/drug screen result and compliance with federal I-9 requirements.

 

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1.2 Duties . During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall serve the Company as its Chief Marketing Officer (the “CMO”) and shall have the powers, duties and obligations of management typically vested in the office of the CMO of a corporation, subject to the directives of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and the corporate policies of the Company as they are in effect and as amended from time to time throughout the Period of Employment (including, without limitation, the Company’s business conduct and ethics policies). Specifically, the Executive shall be responsible for transitioning clients, customers and accounts of the Agency to Buzztime as soon as practical, but in no event later than 15 days after the Effective Date and overseeing the marketing function including lead generation, field marketing, brand strategy, digital marketing and social media strategies. The Executive shall translate the overall marketing strategy into tactical plans to achieve the Company’s goals and objectives. The Executive shall work closely with senior management on brand management and product marketing. The Executive shall initially report to the CEO, it being understood that the Company’s management structure is fluid and reporting obligations may change.

 

1.3 No Other Employment. During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall both (i) devote substantially all of the Executive’s business time, energy and skill to the performance of the Executive’s duties for the Company, and (ii) hold no other employment. The Company shall have the right to request the Executive to resign from any board or similar body on which he may then serve, or to cease from engaging in any activity, if the CEO reasonably determines that the Executive’s business related to such service is then in competition or conflicts with any actual or planned business of the Company or of any of its affiliates, successors or assigns. Nothing in this Section 1.3 shall be construed as preventing Executive from engaging in the investment of his personal assets.

 

1.4 No Breach of Contract . The Executive hereby represents to the Company that: (i) the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Executive and the Company and the performance by the Executive of the Executive’s duties hereunder shall not constitute a breach of, or otherwise contravene, the terms of any other agreement or policy to which the Executive is a party or otherwise bound; (ii) the Executive has no information (including, without limitation, confidential information and trade secrets) relating to any other person or entity which would prevent, or be violated by, the Executive entering into this Agreement or carrying out his duties hereunder; and (iii) except as set forth on Exhibit A hereto, the Executive is not bound by any confidentiality, trade secret or similar agreement (other than this Agreement and the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “ Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement ”) with any other person or entity.

 

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1.5 Location . The Executive acknowledges that the Company’s principal executive offices are currently located in Carlsbad, California. The Executive agrees that he will work from the Company’s principal executive offices. The Executive acknowledges that he may be required to travel from time to time in the course of performing his duties for the Company.

 

2. Compensation .

 

2.1 Base Salary . The Executive’s base salary (the “ Base Salary ”) shall be paid in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices in effect from time to time, but not less frequently than in monthly installments. The Executive’s initial Base Salary shall be at an annualized rate of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000).

 

2.2 Incentive Bonus . During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus (“ Incentive Bonus ”) based on the achievement of performance objectives established by the CEO for that particular period. The Executive’s target potential Incentive Bonus amount for the 2013 calendar year shall be set at 40% of the Executive’s Base Salary. For calendar year 2013 the Executive’s Incentive Bonus shall be based on and subject to the requirements set forth in Exhibit C .

 

The Incentive Bonus, if any, will be paid to the Executive within thirty (30) days after receipt of the independent auditor’s report on the Company’s annual financial statements for the year in question. Payment of the Incentive Bonus, if any, will be subject to withholdings in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll procedures.

 

2.3 Additional Incentive Bonuses. During the first three years of Employment, the Executive shall also be eligible to receive additional incentive bonuses (“ Additional Incentive Bonuses ”) based on the achievement of corporate and individual performance objectives set forth in Exhibit D .

 

The Additional Incentive Bonuses, if any, will be paid to the Executive within thirty (30) days after receipt of the independent auditor’s report on the Company’s annual financial statements for the year in question. Payment of the Incentive Bonus, if any, will be subject to withholdings in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll procedures.

 

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2.4 Moving and Housing. The Company shall pay for the actual and reasonable transportation of Executive’s household goods and one automobile from Columbus, Ohio to the San Diego, California area based on the actual costs incurred not to exceed Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000). In addition, the Company shall pay for temporary housing in the San Diego area within the four month period following the Effective Date up to a maximum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). Moving and housing expenses will be paid directly to the vendor up to the maximum as indicated above.

 

2.5 Restricted Stock and Stock Option Grant . Upon the completion by January 31, 2013 of the assignment of the accounts for substantially all of the subscribers and clients set forth on Exhibit E pursuant to the procedure identified on such exhibit, the Company will grant to the Executive a Restricted Stock Grant (the “Stock Grant”) for 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.005 par value per share (“ Common Stock ”). The Stock Grant will vest on the six month anniversary of the Stock Grant date. Additionally on the Effective Date, the Company will grant to the Executive an option (the “ Option ”) to purchase 300,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. The exercise price per share for the Option will be equal to the fair market value of a share of the Common Stock on the date the Option is granted.

 

The Option is intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”), to the maximum extent possible within the limitations of the Code. The Option shall become vested as to 25% of the total number of shares of Common Stock on the first anniversary of the grant date. The remaining 75% of the total number of shares of Common Stock shall become vested in substantially equal monthly installments on the same day in each of the 36 months following the anniversary date. The vesting of each installment of the Option will occur only if such vesting date occurs during the Executive’s continued employment by the Company through the respective vesting date. The maximum term of the Option will be ten (10) years from the date of grant thereof, subject to earlier termination upon the termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company, a change in control of the Company and similar events. The Stock Grant and the Option shall be granted under the NTN Buzztime, Inc. 2010 Performance Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”), a copy of which has been provided to the Executive. The Stock Grant shall be subject to such further terms and conditions as may be required by law and the Option shall be subject to such further terms and conditions as set forth in a written stock option agreement to be entered into by the Company and the Executive to evidence the Option (the “ Option Agreement ”). The Option Agreement shall be in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F .

 

2.6 Legal Expenses . The Company shall pay up to $2,500 for the actual and reasonable legal and accounting expenses incurred by Executive in connection with this Employment Agreement and the ancillary agreements entered into between the Executive and the Company.

 

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3. Benefits .

 

3.1 Retirement, Welfare and Fringe Benefits . During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee pension and welfare benefit plans and programs, and fringe benefit plans and programs, made available by the Company to the Company’s employees generally, in accordance with the eligibility and participation provisions of such plans and as such plans or programs may be in effect from time to time.

 

3.2 Reimbursement of Business Expenses . The Company will reimburse Executive for all reasonable business expenses the Executive incurs during the Period of Employment in the course and scope of the Executive’s duties, subject to the Company’s expense reimbursement policies in effect from time to time. Executive will be required to provide substantiation of all of such expenses on Company approved expense report forms in accordance with Company policies. These payments may be made as direct payments of the Executive’s invoices or bills or by reimbursement to the Executive of costs that are incurred. The Executive will be responsible for all income and employment taxes due on such payments; the Company will not provide a gross-up payment to cover such tax liabilities.

 

3.3 Paid Time Off . During the Period of Employment, the Executive shall accrue paid time off (“PTO”) and shall be permitted time off in accordance with the Company’s PTO policies in effect from time to time. Executive shall accrue no less than 16 days of PTO per year. The Executive shall also be entitled to all other holiday and leave pay generally available to other executives of the Company.

 

4. Termination .

 

4.1 Termination of Employment . The Executive’s employment by the Company may be terminated either by the Company or by Executive at any time for any or no reason and with or without Cause and with or without Good Reason (in any case, the date that the Executive’s employment by the Company terminates and which constitutes a "separation from service" within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code is referred to as the “ Separation Date ”).

 

4.2 Benefits Upon Termination . If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason by the Company or by the Executive, the Company shall have no further obligation to make or provide to the Executive, and the Executive shall have no further right to receive or obtain from the Company, any payments or benefits except as follows:

 

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(a) The Company shall pay the Executive any Accrued Obligations (as defined in Section 4.4(a) below) within 10 days following the Separation Date;

 

(b) In the event that the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without Cause, or by the Executive for Good Reason, then the Company shall pay the Executive, any Incentive Bonus and any Additional Incentive Bonus that the Executive has earned (as the term “earned” is defined for each bonus plan) prior to the Separation Date (it being understood that the termination shall not accelerate the timing of any payment);

 

(c) If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated either by the Company without Cause (as defined in Section 4.4) or by the Executive for Good Reason (as defined in Section 4.4) the Company shall pay (in addition to the Accrued Obligations), subject to tax withholding and other authorized deductions and subject to the requirements of Section 4.3, an amount equal to the following:

 

(i) The sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) if the termination occurs within 12 months of the Effective Date, payable in substantially equal installments on a bi-weekly basis over a period of 12 months.

 

(ii) The sum of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000) if the termination occurs during the 13 th month after the Effective Date, payable in substantially equal installments on a bi-weekly basis over a period of 9 months.

 

(iii) The sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) if the termination occurs during the 14 th month after the Effective Date, payable in substantially equal installments on a bi-weekly basis over a period of 6 months.

 

(iv) The sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) if the termination occurs from the 15 th to 24 th month after the Effective Date, payable in substantially equal installments on a bi-weekly basis over a period of 3 months.

 

(v) For any termination that occurs 25 months or more after the Effective Date, no payment under this section 4.2(b) shall be due to Executive.

 

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The first installment of any severance pay payable under this Section 4.2(b) shall commence within 15 days following the 45-day period in which Executive is required to execute and not revoke the general release agreement in accordance with Section 4.3. The Company shall have no obligation to make, or continue to make, any payment to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2(b) in the event of the death of the Executive.

 

(d) In the event of any termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, including any termination by the Company without Cause or any termination by the Executive for Good Reason, the Executive’s outstanding stock options, restricted stock and other equity-based awards, including the Option shall continue to be governed in accordance with their terms (including, without limitation, the terms applicable to a termination of the Executive’s employment).

 

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.2, if the Executive breaches his obligations under the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement and/or Section 6, 7 or 8 of this Agreement at any time, from and after the date of such breach, the Executive will no longer be entitled to, and the Company will no longer be obligated to pay, any remaining unpaid portion of any benefits provided in Section 4.2(b).

 

The foregoing provisions of this Section 4.2 shall not affect: (i) the Executive’s receipt of benefits otherwise due terminated employees under group insurance coverage consistent with the terms of the applicable Company welfare benefit plan; (ii) the Executive’s rights under COBRA to continue participation in medical, dental, hospitalization and life insurance coverage; or (iii) the Executive’s receipt of benefits otherwise due in accordance with the terms of the Company’s 401(k) plan (if any). In no event shall the Company’s obligations to the Executive exceed the sum of the Accrued Obligations, the benefits provided in Section 4.2(b), if applicable, and the benefits contemplated by this paragraph, regardless of the manner of the Executive’s termination.

 

4.3 Release; Exclusive Remedy .

 

(a) This Section 4.3 shall apply notwithstanding anything else contained in this Agreement or any stock option, restricted stock or other equity-based award agreement to the contrary. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, as a condition precedent to any Company obligation to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2(b) or any agreement or obligation to accelerate vesting of any equity-based award in connection with the termination of the Executive’s employment, the Executive shall, upon or promptly following his Separation Date, sign and not revoke a general release agreement in a form prescribed by the Company, and provided further that such general release agreement is executed and becomes effective no later than forty-five (45) days following the Executive's Separation Date. The Company shall have no obligation to make any payment to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2(b) (or to accelerate the vesting of any equity-based award in the circumstances as may otherwise be contemplated by the applicable award agreement) unless and until the general release agreement contemplated by this Section 4.3 becomes irrevocable by the Executive in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.

 

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(b) The Executive agrees that the general release agreement described in Section 4.3(a) will include a complete release of all known and unknown claims pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1542 and will require that the Executive acknowledge, as a condition to the payment of any benefits under Section 4.2(b), as applicable, that the payments contemplated by Section 4.2 (and any applicable acceleration of vesting of an equity-based award in accordance with the terms of such award in connection with the termination of the Executive’s employment) shall constitute the exclusive and sole remedy for any termination of his employment, and the Executive will be required to covenant, as a condition to receiving any such payment (and any such accelerated vesting), not to assert or pursue any other remedies, at law or in equity, with respect to any termination of employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that there is no duty of the Executive to mitigate damages under this Agreement. All amounts paid to the Executive pursuant to Section 4.2 shall be paid without regard to whether the Executive has taken or takes actions to mitigate damages.

 

4.4 Certain Defined Terms .

 

(a) As used herein, “ Accrued Obligations ” means:

 

(i) any Base Salary that had accrued but had not been paid (including accrued and unpaid personal time off) on or before the Separation Date;

 

(ii) any reimbursement due to the Executive pursuant to Section 3.2 for expenses incurred by the Executive on or before the Separation Date.

 

(b) As used herein, “ Cause ” shall mean, as reasonably determined by the Board, (i) any act of personal dishonesty taken by the Executive in connection with his responsibilities as an employee of the Company which is intended to result in substantial personal enrichment of the Executive or is reasonably likely to result in material harm to the Company, (ii) the Executive’s conviction of a felony which the Board reasonably believes has had or will have a material detrimental effect on the Company’s reputation or business, (iii) a willful act by the Executive which constitutes misconduct and is materially injurious to the Company, (iv) continued willful violations by the Executive of the Executive’s obligations to the Company after there has been delivered to the Executive a written demand for performance from the Company which describes the basis for the Company’s belief that the Executive has willfully violated his obligations to the Company.

 

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(c) As used herein, “ Good Reason ” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events, without Executive’s consent:

 

(i) Resignation by the Executive within 30 days of a material diminution in Executive’s responsibilities and duties (Good Reason shall not include a change in title or in reporting lines or the reassignment following a change of control to a position substantially similar to the position held prior to the change of control ); and

 

(ii) A material reduction in your then-current base salary, other than as part of reductions in compensation of other similarly situated employees.

  

4.5 Limitation on Benefits .

 

(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement and benefits provided to, or for the benefit of, the Executive under any other Company plan or agreement (such payments or benefits are collectively referred to as the “ Benefits ”) would be subject to the excise tax (the “ Excise Tax ”) imposed under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”), the Benefits shall be reduced (but not below zero) if and to the extent that a reduction in the Benefits would result in the Executive retaining a larger amount, on an after-tax basis (taking into account federal, state and local income taxes and the Excise Tax), than if the Executive received all of the Benefits (such reduced amount if referred to hereinafter as the “ Limited Benefit Amount ”). Unless the Executive shall have given prior written notice specifying a different order to the Company to effectuate the Limited Benefit Amount, the Company shall reduce or eliminate the Benefits by first reducing or eliminating those payments or benefits which are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from the Determination (as hereinafter defined). Any notice given by the Executive pursuant to the preceding sentence shall take precedence over the provisions of any other plan, arrangement or agreement governing the Executive’s rights and entitlements to any benefits or compensation.

 

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(b) A determination as to whether the Benefits shall be reduced to the Limited Benefit Amount pursuant to this Agreement and the amount of such Limited Benefit Amount shall be made by the Company’s independent public accountants or another certified public accounting firm of national reputation designated by the Company (the “ Accounting Firm ”) at the Company’s expense. The Accounting Firm shall provide its determination (the “ Determination ”), together with detailed supporting calculations and documentation to the Company and the Executive within five (5) days of the date of termination of the Executive’s employment, if applicable, or such other time as requested by the Company or the Executive (provided the Executive reasonably believes that any of the Benefits may be subject to the Excise Tax), and if the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable by the Executive with respect to any Benefits, it shall furnish the Executive with an opinion reasonably acceptable to the Executive that no Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to any such Benefits. Unless the Executive provides written notice to the Company within ten (10) days of the delivery of the Determination to the Executive that he disputes such Determination, the Determination shall be binding, final and conclusive upon the Company and the Executive.

 

5. Proprietary Information; Inventions and Developments . Concurrently with entering into this Agreement, the Executive will execute the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement.

 

6. Confidentiality . The Executive hereby agrees that the Executive shall not at any time (whether during or after the Executive’s employment with the Company), directly or indirectly, other than in the course of the Executive’s duties hereunder, disclose or make available to any person, firm, corporation, association or other entity for any reason or purpose whatsoever, any Confidential Information (as defined below); provided, however, that this Section 6 shall not apply when (i) disclosure is required by law or by any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative or legislative body (including any committee thereof) with apparent jurisdiction to order the Executive to disclose or make available such information (provided, however, that the Executive shall promptly notify the Company in writing upon receiving a request for such information), or (ii) with respect to any other litigation, arbitration or mediation involving this Agreement, including but not limited to enforcement of this Agreement. The Executive agrees that, upon termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company, all Confidential Information in the Executive’s possession that is in written, digital or other tangible form (together with all copies or duplicates thereof, including computer files) shall be returned to the Company and shall not be retained by the Executive or furnished to any third party, in any form except as provided herein; provided, however, that the Executive shall not be obligated to treat as confidential, or return to the Company copies of any Confidential Information that (a) was publicly known at the time of disclosure to the Executive, (b) becomes publicly known or available thereafter other than by any means in violation of this Agreement or any other duty owed to the Company by any person or entity, or (c) is lawfully disclosed to the Executive by a third party. As used in this Agreement, the term “ Confidential Information ” means: information disclosed to the Executive or known by the Executive as a consequence of or through the Executive’s relationship with the Company, about the customers, employees, business methods, public relations methods, organization, procedures or finances, including, without limitation, information of or relating to customer lists, of the customers, vendors, suppliers, joint venturers, associates, consultants, agents, or partners of the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively the “Company Group”).

 

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7. Protective Covenant . The Executive acknowledges that a position with any business or organization that is active in the fields of electronically simulated trivia and sports games, interactive television efforts, or marketing or entertainment for the hospitality industry, is competitive with the Company (a “ Covered Position ”) and that such a position would inevitably lead to a disclosure of Confidential Information in contravention of Section 6 and the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement. Accordingly and without limiting the provisions of Section 6, the Executive agrees that during the Period of Employment, the Executive shall not accept employment in a Covered Position. The Executive expressly acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing restriction is reasonable and necessary in order to protect the Confidential Information of the Company.

 

8. Anti-Solicitation.

 

8.1 Business Relationships . The Executive promises and agrees that during the Period of Employment, the Executive will not, directly or indirectly, individually or as a consultant to, or as an employee, officer, stockholder, director or other owner or participant in any business, influence or attempt to influence the Company Group, either directly or indirectly, to divert their business away from the Company Group, to any individual, partnership, firm, corporation or other entity then in competition with the business of any entity within the Company Group, and he will not otherwise materially interfere with any business relationship of any entity within the Company Group.

 

8.2 Executives . The Executive promises and agrees that during the Period of Employment and for a period of one (1) year thereafter, the Executive will not, directly or indirectly, individually or as a consultant to, or as an employee, officer, stockholder, director or other owner of or participant in any business, solicit (or assist in soliciting) any person who is then, or at any time within six (6) months prior thereto was, an employee of an entity within the Company Group.

 

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9. Withholding Taxes . Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Company may withhold (or cause there to be withheld, as the case may be) from any amounts otherwise due or payable under or pursuant to this Agreement such federal, state and local income, employment, or other taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

 

10. Assignment . This Agreement is personal in its nature and neither of the parties hereto shall, without the consent of the other, assign or transfer this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder; provided , however , that in the event of a merger, consolidation, or transfer or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company with or to any other individual(s) or entity, this Agreement shall, subject to the provisions hereof, be binding upon and inure to the benefit of such successor and such successor shall discharge and perform all the promises, covenants, duties, and obligations of the Company hereunder.

 

11. Number and Gender . Where the context requires, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and any gender shall include all other genders.

 

12. Section Headings . The section headings of, and titles of paragraphs and subparagraphs contained in, this Agreement are for the purpose of convenience only, and they neither form a part of this Agreement nor are they to be used in the construction or interpretation thereof.

 

13. Governing Law . This Agreement, and all questions relating to its validity, interpretation, performance and enforcement, as well as the legal relations hereby created between the parties hereto, shall be governed by and construed under, and interpreted and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, notwithstanding any California or other conflict of law provision to the contrary.

 

14. Severability . If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Agreement which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications and to this end the provisions of this Agreement are declared to be severable.

 

15. Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with the Restricted Stock Grant Agreement, Option Agreement and the Exhibits contemplated hereby, including the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement and Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate , embodies the entire agreement of the parties hereto respecting the matters within its scope. This Agreement supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements of the parties hereto that directly or indirectly bears upon the subject matter hereof. Any prior negotiations, correspondence, agreements, proposals or understandings relating to the subject matter hereof shall be deemed to have been merged into this Agreement, and to the extent inconsistent herewith, such negotiations, correspondence, agreements, proposals, or understandings shall be deemed to be of no force or effect. There are no representations, warranties, or agreements, whether express or implied, or oral or written, with respect to the subject matter hereof, except as expressly set forth herein.

 

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16. Modifications . This Agreement may not be amended, modified or changed (in whole or in part), except by a formal, definitive written agreement expressly referring to this Agreement, which agreement is executed by both of the parties hereto. Without limiting the foregoing, the at-will nature of Executive's employment by the Company may only be modified in a writing approved by the Company's Board of Directors and executed by both the Company and the Executive.

 

17. Waiver . Neither the failure nor any delay on the part of a party to exercise any right, remedy, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise of the same or of any right, remedy, power or privilege, nor shall any waiver of any right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to any occurrence be construed as a waiver of such right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to any other occurrence. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and is signed by the party asserted to have granted such waiver.

 

18. Arbitration . Any controversy arising out of or relating to the Executive’s employment (whether or not before or after the expiration of the Period of Employment), any termination of the Executive’s employment, this Agreement, the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement referred to in Section 5, the Option Agreement or any other agreements relating to the grant to Executive of equity-based awards the enforcement or interpretation of any of such agreements, or because of an alleged breach, default, or misrepresentation in connection with any of the provisions of any such agreement, including (without limitation) any state or federal statutory claims, shall be submitted to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate set forth on Exhibit G hereto.

 

Nothing in this Agreement or the attached Exhibit G shall prohibit or limit the parties from seeking provisional remedies under California Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.8, including, but not limited to, injunctive relief from a California court of competent jurisdiction. Without limiting the foregoing, the Executive and the Company acknowledge that any breach of any of the covenants or provisions contained in Section 6, 7 or 8 of this Agreement or in the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement could result in irreparable injury to either of the parties hereto for which there might be no adequate remedy at law, and that, in the event of such a breach or threat thereof, the non-breaching party shall be entitled to obtain a temporary restraining order and/or a preliminary injunction and a permanent injunction restraining the other party hereto from engaging in any activities prohibited by any covenant or provision in Section 6, 7 or 8 of this Agreement or in the Confidentiality and Work for Hire Agreement or such other equitable relief as may be required to enforce specifically any of such covenants or provisions.

 

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19. Insurance . The Company shall have the right at its own cost and expense to apply for and to secure in its own name, or otherwise, life, health or accident insurance or any or all of them covering the Executive, and the Executive agrees to submit to any usual and customary medical examination and otherwise cooperate with the Company in connection with the procurement of any such insurance and any claims thereunder.

 

20. Notices .

 

(a) All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given and made if (i) delivered by hand, (ii) otherwise delivered against receipt therefor, or (iii) sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested. Any notice shall be duly addressed to the parties as follows:

 

(i) if to the Company:

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

2231 Rutherford Road, Suite 200

Carlsbad, CA 92008

Attn: Board of Directors

 

(ii) if to the Executive, then to address most recently on file in the payroll records of the Company.

 

(b) Any party may alter the address to which communications or copies are to be sent by giving notice of such change of address in conformity with the provisions of this Section 20 for the giving of notice. Any communication shall be effective when delivered by hand, when otherwise delivered against receipt therefor, or five (5) business days after being mailed in accordance with the foregoing.

 

21. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original as against any party whose signature appears thereon, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement shall become binding when one or more counterparts hereof, individually or taken together, shall bear the signatures of all of the parties reflected hereon as the signatories. Photographic copies of such signed counterparts may be used in lieu of the originals for any purpose.

 

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22. Legal Counsel; Mutual Drafting . Each party recognizes that this is a legally binding contract and acknowledges and agrees that they have had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel of their choice. Each party has cooperated in the drafting, negotiation and preparation of this Agreement. Hence, in any construction to be made of this Agreement, the same shall not be construed against either party on the basis of that party being the drafter of such language. The Executive agrees and acknowledges that he has read and understands this Agreement, is entering into it freely and voluntarily, and has been advised to seek counsel prior to entering into this Agreement and has had ample opportunity to do so.

 

23. Code Section 409A .

 

(a) It is intended that any amounts payable under this Agreement and the Company’s exercise of authority or discretion hereunder shall comply with Section 409A of the Code (including the Treasury regulations and other published guidance relating thereto) (“ Code Section 409A ”) so as not to subject the Executive to any interest or additional tax imposed under Code Section 409A. To the extent that any amount payable under this Agreement would trigger the additional tax imposed by Code Section 409A, the Agreement shall be modified to avoid such additional tax yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to the Executive.

 

(b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any payments made from the date of the Executive's termination of employment through March 15th of the calendar year following such termination, are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations and thus payable pursuant to the "short-term deferral" rule set forth in Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations; to the extent such payments are made following said March 15th, they are intended to constitute separate payments for purposes of Section 1.409A-2(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations made upon an involuntary separation from service and payable pursuant to Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) of the Treasury Regulations, to the maximum extent permitted by said provision, with any excess amount being regarded as subject to the distribution requirements of Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code, including, without limitation, the requirement of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code. For purposes of the foregoing, if upon Executive's separation from service he is then a "specified employee" (within the meaning of Code Section 409A), then to the extent necessary to comply with Code Section 409A and avoid the imposition of taxes under Code Section 409A, the Company shall defer payment of "nonqualified deferred compensation" subject to Code Section 409A payable as a result of and within six (6) months following such separation from service under this Agreement until the earlier of (i) the first business day of the seventh month following Executive's separation from service, or (ii) ten (10) days after the Company receives notification of Executive's death. If the Company determines that any other payments hereunder fail to satisfy the distribution requirement of Section 409A(a)(2)(A) of the Code, then the payment of such benefit shall be delayed to the minimum extent necessary so that such payments are not subject to the provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code. Any payments that are delayed as a result of this Section 23(b) shall be paid without interest.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Company and the Executive have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

“COMPANY”

 

NTN Buzztime, Inc.,

a Delaware corporation

 

By: /s/ Kendra Berger

Name: Kendra Berger

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

“EXECUTIVE”

 

/s/ Barry Chandler

Barry Chandler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 14.1

 

Code of Ethics

 

I. Introduction

 

NTN BUZZTIME, INC. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company" or “Buzztime”) conduct business in accordance with uncompromising ethical standards (this “Code”). Adherence to these standards will not be compromised in favor of financial or other business objectives. High ethical standards are vital to maintain competitive advantage, the pride and confidence of our team members and to provide quality products and services to customers and clients. Integrity, honesty, forthrightness, respect and fairness are of primary importance in all business relationships within the Company and in outside transactions involving the Company.

 

The Company expects every director, officer and employee (hereinafter, each a “team member”) to adhere to high ethical standards and to promote ethical behavior.  Every action should be assessed by considering whether it is legal, fair to all concerned and whether it would withstand the scrutiny of outsiders. Every team member is expected to follow the letter, as well as the spirit, of this Code. Team members whose behavior is found to violate this Code will be subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to, termination.

 

This Code is not intended to be all encompassing. Situations may arise that are not expressly covered here or where the proper course of action is unclear. Team members are to consult with their supervisors if any questions arise as to a course of conduct. Additionally, team members may raise issues with regard to this Code to the attention of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or Vice President of Human Resources; the Company maintains an “open door” policy in that regard.

 

The Company may modify or supplement this Code from time to time, to comply with evolving corporate governance standards, applicable corporate governance or other requirements adopted by law, the SEC or the NYSE MKT and otherwise as it deems appropriate.

 

Any team member having information or knowledge regarding a possible violation or potential violation of this Code should immediately report it to his or her supervisor or alternatively, to the CFO, or V.P. of Human Resources. All such communications will be treated as confidential to the extent practical. However, proper investigation may require disclosure at the appropriate time to persons affected or to government officials. Retaliation or reprisal of any kind against a team member who in good faith reports a violation or potential violation of this Code is strictly prohibited and will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. “Good faith” does not mean that a reported concern must be correct, but it does require that you provide complete and truthful information and that you reasonably and sincerely believe that what you are reporting is a violation.

  

The purpose of this Code is to promote:

 

· Compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;

 

· Honest and ethical conduct including, the ethical handling of actual or potential conflicts of interest;

 

· The safeguarding of the Company’s assets;

 

· Complete, accurate and timely reporting of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations including disclosures made in documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC and in other public communications and complete and accurate recordkeeping;

 

· A healthy work environment that promotes work force diversity and is free of harassment and discrimination; and

 

· The prompt internal reporting and investigation of violations of this Code.

 

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II. When to Seek Guidance

 

Compliance with ethical and legal standards is everyone’s responsibility. At times, the best course of action is not always clear. If you are not sure of the correct way to handle a particular situation, start by asking yourself the following questions:

 

· Is it legal?
· Does it comply with our policies?
· How would it look if reported by an informed and critical reporter in the newspaper?
· Is it the right thing to do?
· How would I feel if my family, friends and neighbors knew what I was doing?

 

If you are unsure of the answer to any of these questions, or if you have further questions, do not hesitate to seek help or guidance. Remember, do not make a difficult decision alone. There are resources available to assist you in resolving any issue that you encounter.

 

III. Available Resources to Assist You

 

Should you face a situation that you are uncertain about, ask your supervisor or another leader for guidance or you may contact the following other resources:

 

· Toll Free Hotline 866-233-4090
· Intranet http://intranet/default.aspx
· Email ntn@openboard.info
· Kendra Berger, Chief Financial Officer
· Jenna Zdanowski, Vice President, Human Resources

 

Should you have a concern about accounting practices, internal controls or auditing matters you can contact the Audit Committee directly by calling the Toll Free Hotline or submitting your concern in writing to: NTN Buzztime, Inc., Chairman of the Audit Committee c/o Mary Beth Lewis, 2231 Rutherford, Suite 200, Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

Acts of hostility or imminent danger should be reported immediately to the local law enforcement or a 911 operator and then followed up with a call to Human Resources.

   

IV. Company Response to Reports of Misconduct

 

Reports of suspected violations are promptly investigated, and if appropriate, corrective action taken and, if legally required, reported to the proper government authority. If you are asked to cooperate in an investigation, you will be subject to disciplinary action if you fail to do so. In addition, you may never disclose or discuss an investigation with unauthorized persons. Buzztime has a policy of protecting the confidentiality of those making reports of possible misconduct to the maximum extent possible, consistent with the requirements necessary to conduct an effective investigation and the law.


V. Code Enforcement

 

Buzztime strives to enforce this code on a uniform and consistent basis without regard to an employee’s position. If you violate this Code, you will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of your employment. Supervisors and managers of a disciplined team member may also be subject to disciplinary action for their failure to properly oversee a team member’s conduct, or for retaliation against a team member who reports a violation in good faith. In addition, failure by any team member to report wrongdoing will be considered in retention decisions, job appraisals, pay increases, incentive pay, equity compensation and other rewards and recognition programs.

 

Buzztime’s response to misconduct will depend upon a number of factors, including whether the improper conduct involved is illegal. You should be aware that certain actions and omissions prohibited by the Code might be crimes that could lead to individual criminal prosecution and, upon conviction, fines and imprisonment.

 

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If the alleged misconduct involves an executive officer or director, the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors is charged with determining whether there is a Code violation and, if so, what discipline is appropriate.

 

This Code is in addition to, and not intended to alter or interpret, other Company policies, some of which are referred to below, including the Employee Handbook. Employees must be familiar with and comply with all Company policies, handbooks and codes.

 

VI. Waivers

 

Buzztime expects all team members, officers, and directors to comply with the provisions and spirit of the Code.  Any waivers or exceptions to the Code may be granted from time to time under appropriate circumstances. If you feel an exception is appropriate, you must speak with your supervisor or manager and obtain the Chief Financial Officers approval. A waiver of this Code for an executive officer or director may be made only by our Board of Directors and will be promptly disclosed to the public as required by law and any applicable stock exchange requirements. When necessary, a waiver will be accompanied by appropriate controls designed to protect the Company.

 

THIS CODE DOES NOT IN ANY WAY CREATE, IMPLICITLY OR EXPLICITLY, AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, OR A GUARANTEE OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT . NOTHING SHALL MODIFY YOUR STATUS AS AN AT-WILL EMPLOYEE. YOUR EMPLOYMENT MAY BE TERMINATED OR YOU MAY VOLUNTARILY TERMINATE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AT ANY TIME. BUZZTIME MAY MODIFY OR REPEAL THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CODE OR ADOPT A NEW CODE AT ANY TIME IT DEEMS APPROPRIATE, WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE.

 

VII. Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations

 

Every team member shall obey all applicable laws including, but not limited to, laws that apply to securities, taxes, gaming, alcoholic beverages, civil rights, copyright and patent rights, environmental protection, campaign finance and corrupt practices. While the Company does not expect team members to be experts in legal matters, it holds each team member responsible for being familiar with the laws governing his or her areas of responsibility. Team members should seek advice from the Legal or Human Resources Department whenever they have a question concerning the application of the law. Buzztime will not condone and will not tolerate any activity that violates applicable law.

 

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is of particular importance in this area. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act generally forbids giving anything of value to foreign government officials or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is therefore important to discuss these types of payments, including any gifts of the type discussed in the Gifts and Entertainment section below, in advance with your supervisor to make sure the Company's ethical standards are maintained and the law is followed.

 

VIII. Honest and Ethical Conduct

 

Each team member will deal honestly and fairly with clients, customers, suppliers, financial and other partners, as well as competitors. The long term success of the Company depends upon establishing mutually beneficial relationships built on integrity. It is important not only to act honestly and ethically, but also to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. If in doubt, consider the questions listed in Section II above, and discuss the situation with your supervisor or another manager such as the CFO or VP of Human Resources.

 

IX. Conflicts of Interest

 

Team members have a duty to avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest situations and to avoid the appearance of impropriety.  An actual conflict of interest need not be present for a problem to arise. Its mere appearance must be avoided. Conflicts of interest can arise innocently because of circumstances alone, without deliberate action on the part of an individual. For example, if a Buzztime manager's brother owns a recruiting agency and that company does recruiting for Buzztime, it may appear that the Buzztime manager is favoring his brother's firm over its competitors. The best course of action here would be for Buzztime to switch to a different recruiting agency to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Some areas in which conflicts of interest can arise include:

 

3
 

 

· personal investments in Buzztime’s business partners or competitors
· outside employment, advisory and board roles, and your own business
· business opportunities found through work
· intellectual property; inventions
· friends and relatives; co-worker relationships
· gifts and entertainment
· improper use of our assets, products or services for yourself or others

 

Many of these areas are more specifically addressed throughout this Code.

 

With regard to personal and family financial interests, a team member having any personal, family or other non-Buzztime interest, direct or indirect (other than an ownership interest of 5% or less in a publicly-held company), in any Company business, transaction, supplier, customer or competitor is to make prompt disclosure to the Company and obtain written approval from the CFO and VP Human Resources to continue the relationship or participate in related projects or tasks. Team members are not to offer their skills or services to competitors or engage in outside businesses that compete with or sell goods or services to the Company. Employing family members in direct supervisory-subordinate relationships is to be avoided unless the family and employment relationships are indirect and authorization is obtained in advance. See also Section XVI below.

 

X. Gifts and Entertainment

 

The exchange of customary gifts of nominal value with customers and suppliers is a normal and acceptable business practice. However, giving or receiving gifts of significant value could compromise the objectivity of a team member as well as create the appearance of impropriety. Accordingly, gifts given or received by a team member in excess of $200 (retail value) must be disclosed to his or her supervisor. The supervisor will determine whether the gift may be accepted, relinquished to the Company, or returned. Gifts of perishable items (e.g., flowers and fruit baskets) or commemorative items (e.g., plaques and framed photographs) are not subject to this $200 limit. They should, however, have little or no intrinsic or resale value. Entertainment, whether provided or received by Company employees, is to be lawful, appropriate, modest, within acceptable boundaries of good taste and incidental to a legitimate business interaction where the Company employee is in attendance. The Company does not permit or condone the use or receipt of bribes, kickbacks, or any other illegal or improper payment or transfer in the course of its business. In any non-US business interaction, care should be taken to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, regardless of this gift and entertainment policy.

 

XI. Protection and Proper Use of Company and Third-Party Assets

 

Every team member is expected to preserve and protect our assets and resources, and the assets of third parties, and to promote efficient use for only legitimate and approved business purposes. Your obligation to protect company assets includes our proprietary information and intellectual property, such as trade secrets, copyrights, business marketing plans and unpublished databases and records, as well as physical assets including computers and information systems.

  

Improper or unauthorized use, personal use, or use for third parties (including charities), of supplies, equipment, premises or other assets, whether tangible or intangible, belonging to the Company or its clients or other business partners is prohibited unless prior written permission is received from a supervisor and adequate compensation is arranged if appropriate.

 

In particular we do not use, without proper authorization, the intellectual property of other persons or companies, be they business partners or otherwise. This includes not copying, downloading, misappropriating or otherwise misusing software, images, video or other property of third parties. The Company has a separate Software Code of Ethics and you are required to be familiar with and to comply with that Code.

 

4
 

 

 To better protect Company and third-party assets, provide excellent service and ensure a safe workplace, it may be necessary to monitor team member activities and company systems. As permitted by law, Buzztime reserves the right to inspect, monitor, and record the use of all company property including vehicles, systems and facilities, with or without notice, and to search any and all company property at any time. This includes such items as Company-supplied computers, email and phones. Buzztime has a Workplace Searches and Security Measures Policyyou are required to familiarize yourself and comply with in addition to this Code.  

 

Please also refer to our Employee Handbook for additional policies in these areas.

 

XII. Complete, Accurate and Timely Financial Reporting and Recordkeeping

 

The Company's books and records will be kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and according to established finance and accounting policies. All team members will cooperate fully with internal and outside auditors during their examinations of the Company's books, records and operations.  The Company’s CEO, CFO and Controller are ultimately responsible for taking all steps necessary to ensure that all financial reports and disclosures filed with, or furnished to, the SEC and the Company’s shareholders are complete, accurate and timely.  All team members will take appropriate steps within their area of responsibility to ensure the same. The integrity of the Company’s accounting, technical, personnel, financial and other records is based on their validity, accuracy and completeness.

 

This integrity depends in large part on complete and accurate recordkeeping and document retention. Employees must maintain Company books and records of all kinds in a manner which is both accurate and auditable. It is against this Code to make entries that intentionally conceal or disguise the true nature of any transaction. We only destroy or discard documents in accordance with the law and Company policy. Among other things, this means that relevant documents may not be altered, destroyed or discarded when we have reason to believe they will be requested by a court, administrative agency or other government authority or when we are aware that they are relevant to a government investigation.

 

We maintain a separate Document Retention Policy which you must be familiar with and follow.

 

XIII. Healthy and Professional Work Environment; Political Activity

 

Team members will treat others fairly, with dignity and with respect. All team members are entitled to a work environment free of verbal or physical abuse and/or sexual or other improper harassment. The Company will not tolerate such harassment at any level.

 

It is the Company’s policy to investigate thoroughly and to remedy any alleged acts of harassment. In order to accomplish this, acts of harassment must be brought to the attention of the Company. Team members who feel aggrieved because of an alleged act of harassment are under a duty to notify their supervisor or V.P. of Human Resources. All complaints will be treated as confidential to the extent practical as discussed above, and all investigations will be conducted as expeditiously as possible. Retaliation or reprisal of any kind against a team member who in good faith reports harassment or other violation (or a potential violation) of this Code is strictly prohibited.

 

Any team member who is found to have harassed another team member, customer or vendor will be subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to, termination.

 

Buzztime is committed to a safe and drug-free workplace. The misuse of alcohol or legal drugs and the use of illegal drugs are prohibited. This policy applies when you are on Company premises or when conducting business outside the office; for example, at any Company function, at client meetings or dinners, or at conventions or trade shows. You must promptly report all unsafe conditions or work-related injuries, illnesses and accidents.

 

The Company maintains a strong policy of equal employment opportunity for all team members and applicants for employment. The Company hires, trains, promotes and compensates team members on the basis of individual competence and potential and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status or non-job related disability, as well as all other classifications protected by applicable laws. The Company believes promotion of work force diversity is an important objective in its own right, is a source of competitive advantage; it is also a requirement of Equal Employment Opportunity laws.

 

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The Company’s equal employment opportunity philosophy applies to all aspects of employment with the Company including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, benefits and compensation, termination, and leaves of absence.

 

Please see the Employee Handbook for more specific policies in the above areas.

 

Team members who become involved with a political group must make it clear that his or her activities are being conducted purely in a personal capacity and not on behalf of or in connection with the Company or the team member’s position, and must maintain his/her personal political activities separate from the Company's business. The Company encourages personal participation by team members in the political process outside of work hours and responsibilities. This includes service on government bodies and participation in partisan political activities. However, such activities should not be conducted in a way that interferes with the team member's job responsibilities. Team members are not to make political contributions using Company funds or take public positions on behalf of the Company, nor use the Company name, Company information or any other Company assets for political purposes.

 

XIV. Confidential Information

 

Team members must maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted to you not only by the Company, but also by suppliers, customers and other entities in connection with our business. Confidential information includes all non-public information (whether or not considered proprietary) that you learn, create or develop in the course of your employment with, or service as an employee of Buzztime, whether it belongs to Buzztime or some other party.

 

As part of your employment, you entered into a Confidentiality and Inventions Agreement which more specifically defines your obligations with respect to confidential information and intellectual property.

 

XV. Insider Trading

 

Federal and State law prohibits the use of “material non-public information” when trading in or recommending securities, e.g. giving a stock “tip” to someone else. Generally, you must not engage in transactions in Buzztime’s securities while in possession of material non-public information. In addition, if you are in possession of material non-public information, you may not communicate such information to or tip third parties who could use such information in the decision to purchase or sell Buzztime’s securities. These restrictions also apply to securities of other companies if you learn of material inside information about them in the course of your duties.

 

Buzztime has an Insider Trading Policy you are required to familiarize yourself and comply with.

 

XVI. Outside Employment, Affiliations or Activities

 

Full-time regular team members’ primary employment and professional obligation is to NTN Buzztime, Inc. Team members may not use Buzztime’s customers, suppliers, title, name, influence, assets, facilities, materials or services of other team members for outside activities unless specifically authorized.

 

Team members may not conduct Buzztime business with a firm owned or controlled by themselves or a member of their family, or directly supervise, review or influence the job evaluation, pay or benefits of any member of their family who is an employee of Buzztime. Additionally, if your family member works for a business that is itself in competition with Buzztime, this circumstance must be disclosed to the CFO and the VP, Human Resources.

 

XVII. Prompt Internal Reporting of Code Violations

 

The integrity of the Company is diminished whenever this Code is violated.   If you believe that a violation of this Code is imminent or has occurred, you are to consider the following options:

 

· Discuss your concerns with your supervisor;

 

· Contact the CFO or V.P. of Human Resources, named above.

 

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· Call the hotline 1-866-233-4090, where you may anonymously report known or suspected violations of this Code.

 

· Alternatively, you may access the Company’s intranet site home page and click on the “Integrity” link to anonymously submit an email or web form to report known or suspected violations of this Code. While the Company prefers that team members who wish to file a complaint, express a concern or report a possible violation of this Code identify themselves so that matters may be more effectively and efficiently addressed, team members may use this option.  In either case, retaliation or reprisal of any kind against a team member who reports a violation (or, in good faith, a potential violation) of this Code is strictly prohibited.

 

Prompt reporting is vital to a thorough and timely resolution of any alleged violation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7
 

 

Acknowledgement of Receipt and Commitment to Compliance

 

I have received my copy of the NTN Buzztime, Inc. Code of Ethics. I understand and agree that it is my responsibility to read and familiarize myself with the standards of conduct contained in the Code of Ethics, to report any possible violation as soon as practicable and understand it is a requirement of my employment.

 

I understand and agree that the Code of Ethics is a statement of Company policy and nothing in it creates or is intended to create a contract or promise, nor any representation of continued employment and that employment by the Company is employment at-will.

 

Please sign and return this page to Human Resources. Thank you!

 

 

_____________________________________   __________________      
Signature   Date
     
_____________________________________    
Print Name    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 21.1

 

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT

 

   

Subsidiary

 

State Or Country Of Organization

 

Buzztime Entertainment, Inc. Delaware
   
NTN Wireless Communications, Inc. Delaware
   
Software Solutions, Inc. Delaware
   
NTN Canada, Inc. Canada
   
NTN Buzztime Limited United Kingdom

 

*Pursuant to Item 601(b)(21)(ii) of Regulation S-K, the names of other subsidiaries of the registrant are omitted because, considered in the aggregate, they would not constitute a significant subsidiary as of the end of the year covered by this report.

 

 

EXHIBIT 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-167352, 333-122024, 333-60814, 333-17247, 333-12777, and 033-95776 on Form S-8, and in Registration Statement Nos. 333-178641, 333-111538, 333-105429, 333-51650, 333-80143, 333-69383, 333-40625, and 333-14129 on form S-3 of our report dated March 29, 2013, relating to the consolidated financial statements and the financial statement schedule of NTN Buzztime, Inc. and Subsidiaries, appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

 

/s/ Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

 

 

San Diego, California

March 29, 2013

 

EXHIBIT 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15(d)-14(a), AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Jeff Berg, Interim Chief Executive Officer of NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Company”) certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of the Company;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, 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;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

     
Dated: March 29, 2013   /s/  Jeff Berg
   

Jeff Berg,

Interim Chief Executive Officer

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

 

EXHIBIT 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15(d)-14(a), AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Kendra Berger, Chief Financial Officer of NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Company”) certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K of the Company;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, 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;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

Dated: March 29, 2013   /s/ KENDRA BERGER
   

Kendra Berger,

Chief Financial Officer

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

 

EXHIBIT 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report of NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Registrant”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (the “Report”), I, Jeff Berg, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant, do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to §906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

(1) the Report, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

 

     
Dated: March 29, 2013   /s/  Jeff Berg
   

Jeff Berg,

Interim Chief Executive Officer

NTN Buzztime, Inc.

 

EXHIBIT 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report of NTN Buzztime, Inc. (the “Registrant”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (the “Report”), I, Kendra Berger, Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to §906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

 

(1) the Report, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

 

Dated: March 29, 2013   /s/ KENDRA BERGER
   

Kendra Berger,

Chief Financial Officer

NTN Buzztime, Inc.