Vivid Seats Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
CHICAGO, May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vivid Seats Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAT) (“Vivid Seats” or “we”), a leading marketplace that utilizes its technology platform to connect millions of buyers with thousands of ticket sellers across hundreds of thousands of events each year, today provided financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
“Our first quarter performance reflects strong execution and meaningful progress against our Fiscal 2026 priorities with results at or above the high end of our guidance,” said Lawrence Fey, Chief Executive Officer of Vivid Seats. “We delivered sequential growth in GOV and Adjusted EBITDA along with substantial cash generation in the quarter. The improvements we are seeing are important steps as we pursue a return to growth over the course of 2026 and beyond.”
First Quarter 2026 Key Financial Highlights
Key Business Metrics & Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measure
We use the following key business metrics and non-U.S. GAAP financial measure to evaluate our performance, identify trends, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions. We believe this information is useful to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our results of operations in the same manner as management.
The following table summarizes our key business metrics and non-U.S. GAAP financial measure for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):
2026 Financial Outlook
For the year ending December 31, 2026, Vivid Seats anticipates:
* We calculate forward-looking adjusted EBITDA based on internal forecasts that omit certain information that would be included in forward-looking net loss, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure. We do not attempt to provide a reconciliation of forward-looking adjusted EBITDA to forward-looking net loss because the timing and/or probable significance of certain excluded items that have not yet occurred and are outside of our control is inherently uncertain and unavailable without unreasonable efforts. Such items could have a significant and unpredictable impact on our future U.S. GAAP financial results.
Webcast Details
Vivid Seats will host a webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today to discuss the first quarter 2026 financial results, business updates, and financial outlook. Participants may access the live webcast and supplemental earnings presentation on the events page of the Vivid Seats Investor Relations website at investors.vividseats.com/events-and-presentations.
About Vivid Seats
Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats (NASDAQ: SEAT) is a leading online ticket marketplace connecting fans to the live events, artists, and teams they love. Vivid Seats is committed to delivering the most rewarding ticket-buying experience for fans through competitive everyday pricing backed by its Lowest Price Guarantee, an industry-leading rewards program, and award-winning customer service. The Chicago-based company offers one of the widest selections of live events across North America, powered by proprietary technology that makes discovering and buying tickets simple, affordable, and reliable. Learn more by downloading the Vivid Seats app or visiting vividseats.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “propose,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” and “would,” as well as similar expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends or do not relate to historical matters, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release relate to, without limitation: our future operating results and financial performance, including our expectations with respect to our return to growth and our fiscal year 2026 Marketplace GOV and adjusted EBITDA; our expectations with respect to live event industry growth, the supply of and demand for live events, and our competitive positioning; and our business strategy and objectives. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions, or results, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that can be difficult to predict and/or are outside of our control. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the supply of and demand for live events; the impact of adverse economic conditions and other factors affecting discretionary consumer and corporate spending; our ability to develop and maintain relationships with ticket buyers, sellers, and partners; the impact of changes to internet search engine algorithms and mobile app marketplace rules; the impact of artificial intelligence on how consumers search for live event tickets; our ability to attract ticket sellers and buyers to our platform in the increasingly competitive ticketing industry; our ability to continue to maintain and improve our platform; the impact of extraordinary events, including disease epidemics; our ability to identify suitable acquisition targets and to complete and realize the expected benefits of acquisitions and other strategic investments; our ability to attract, hire, motivate, and retain our senior management team and other highly skilled personnel; our ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations; the ability of ticket holders to sell their tickets on the secondary market unencumbered; the impact of unfavorable outcomes in legislation and legal proceedings; our ability to maintain the integrity of our information systems and infrastructure, and to identify, assess, and manage relevant cybersecurity risks; our ability to generate sufficient cash flows and/or obtain additional financing when necessary or desirable; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as in our press releases and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contact:
Investors
investors@vividseats.com
Media
press@vividseats.com
Adjusted EBITDA
We present adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, because it is a key measure used by analysts, investors, and others to evaluate companies in our industry. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by management to make operating decisions, including those related to analyzing operating expenses, evaluating performance, and performing strategic planning and annual budgeting.
We believe adjusted EBITDA is useful for understanding, evaluating, and highlighting trends in our operating results and for making period-to-period comparisons of our business performance because it excludes the impact of items that are outside of our control and/or not reflective of ongoing performance related directly to the operation of our business.
Adjusted EBITDA is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect all amounts associated with our operating results as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP and specifically excludes certain recurring costs such as: income tax expense (benefit); interest expense – net; depreciation and amortization; sales tax liabilities; transaction costs; equity-based compensation; litigation, settlements, and related costs; loss on asset disposals; change in fair value of derivative asset; foreign currency loss (gain) – net; severance compensation; change in fair value of the Intermediate Warrants (as defined below); and loss on extinguishment of debt. In addition, other companies may calculate adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, thereby limiting its usefulness as a comparative tool. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the U.S. GAAP amounts that are excluded from our presentation of adjusted EBITDA.
The following table presents a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):