HUYA Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Unaudited Financial Results and Announces Special Cash Dividend

GUANGZHOU, China, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — HUYA Inc. ("Huya" or the "Company") (NYSE: HUYA), a leading game live streaming platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Fourth Quarter 2023 Highlights^[1]

• Total net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2023 were RMB1,529.8 million (US$215.5 million), compared with RMB2,119.4 million for the same period of 2022.
• Net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. was RMB275.0 million (US$38.7 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB562.7 million for the same period of 2022.
• Non-GAAP net loss attributable to HUYA Inc.^[2] was RMB189.7 million (US$26.7 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB438.7 million for the same period of 2022.
• Average mobile MAUs^[3] of Huya Live for the fourth quarter of 2023 remained flat at 85.5 million, compared with 85.5 million for the same period of 2022.

Fiscal Year 2023 Highlights

• Total net revenues for fiscal year 2023 were RMB6,994.3 million (US$985.1 million), compared with RMB9,264.4 million for 2022.
• Net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. for fiscal year 2023 was RMB204.5 million (US$28.8 million), compared with RMB547.7 million for 2022.
• Non-GAAP net income attributable to HUYA Inc. for fiscal year 2023 was RMB119.1 million (US$16.8 million), compared with a non-GAAP net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. of RMB290.7 million for 2022.
• Average mobile MAUs of Huya Live for fiscal year 2023 was 84.1 million, compared with 84.3 million for 2022.

Mr. Junhong Huang, Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of Huya, commented, "In the fourth quarter of 2023, we continued to attract and engage a broad audience with rich game and e-sports content while upgrading interactive features to enhance the viewing experience. Meanwhile, we made good progress in revamping our technology, products, and operational strategies to provide more innovative game-related services. As a result, Huya Live’s user base remained stable during the quarter, with average mobile MAUs of 85.5 million. Paying users^[4] on Huya Live increased sequentially for the fourth quarter, rising marginally to 4.3 million thanks to more users paying for our platform’s new game-related service offerings. As we enter 2024, despite the rapidly changing market conditions, we will continue to solidify our core live streaming business while propelling the development of game-related services to expand our business horizons and unlock new revenue streams. We remain confident in our future business prospects as we steadily implement our strategic transformation."

"Given the soft industry environment along with our proactive business adjustments, our live streaming revenues contracted in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, we were encouraged to see that advertising and other revenues increased by 40.5% quarter-over-quarter and by 29.2% year-over-year, mainly due to the growth of game advertising and distribution revenues as we deepened cooperation with game companies," said Ms. Ashley Xin Wu, Huya’s Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Finance. "For the full year of 2023, we recorded total net revenues of approximately RMB7 billion. However, we drove a meaningful year-over-year margin expansion across the board through continuous, comprehensive efforts to improve cost efficiency and operational performance. Also, we’re committed to enhancing shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation. As of the end of 2023, we had repurchased US$28.8 million of Huya shares. In addition, we’re pleased to declare a special cash dividend totaling approximately US$150 million for our shareholders. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our operational and financial capabilities to drive sustainable development."

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Total net revenues for the fourth quarter of 2023 were RMB1,529.8 million (US$215.5 million), compared with RMB2,119.4 million for the same period of 2022.

Live streaming revenues were RMB1,343.5 million (US$189.2 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB1,975.2 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to the soft macro and industry environment and the Company’s proactive business adjustments in support of its strategic transformation and prudent operations.

Advertising and other revenues were RMB186.3 million (US$26.2 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB144.2 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to increased revenues from game advertising and distribution services.

Cost of revenues decreased by 36.6% to RMB1,514.6 million (US$213.3 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB2,387.1 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to decreased revenue sharing fees and content costs, as well as bandwidth costs.

Revenue sharing fees and content costs decreased by 39.4% to RMB1,316.4 million (US$185.4 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB2,170.6 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to the decrease in revenue sharing fees associated with the decline in live streaming revenues, as well as lower costs related to e-sports content and content creators.

Bandwidth costs decreased by 18.6% to RMB81.5 million (US$11.5 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB100.1 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to improved bandwidth cost management, favorable pricing terms and continued technology enhancement efforts.

Gross profit was RMB15.2 million (US$2.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with a gross loss of RMB267.7 million for the same period of 2022. Gross margin was 1.0% for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with negative 12.6% for the same period of 2022, primarily due to decreased revenue sharing fees and content costs as a percentage of total net revenues.

Research and development expenses decreased by 5.6% to RMB137.0 million (US$19.3 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB145.1 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to decreased share-based compensation expenses.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 10.8% to RMB113.3 million (US$16.0 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB127.0 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to decreased personnel-related expenses.

General and administrative expenses increased by 17.8% to RMB100.2 million (US$14.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023 from RMB85.1 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to provisions and increased professional services fees, partially offset by decreased share-based compensation expenses.

Other income was RMB13.1 million (US$1.8 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB43.8 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to lower indirect tax refunds and government subsidies.

Operating loss was RMB322.3 million (US$45.4 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB581.2 million for the same period of 2022.

Interest and short-term investments income was RMB129.5 million (US$18.2 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB101.7 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to increased interest rates and improved management of deposit products.

Impairment loss of investments was RMB79.9 million (US$11.3 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB55.2 million for the same period of 2022, primarily due to the recognition of increased impairment charges on the Company’s investments.

Net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. was RMB275.0 million (US$38.7 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB562.7 million for the same period of 2022.

Non-GAAP net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. was RMB189.7 million (US$26.7 million) for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with RMB438.7 million for the same period of 2022.

Basic and diluted net loss per American depositary share ("ADS") were each RMB1.14 (US$0.16) for the fourth quarter of 2023. Basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB2.32 for the fourth quarter of 2022. Each ADS represents one Class A ordinary share of the Company.

Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB0.79 (US$0.11) for the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB1.81 for the fourth quarter of 2022.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, short-term deposits and long-term deposits of RMB9,916.4 million (US$1,396.7 million), compared with RMB10,676.8 million as of September 30, 2023.

Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Results

Total net revenues were RMB6,994.3 million (US$985.1 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB9,264.4 million for the prior year.

Live streaming revenues were RMB6,450.8 million (US$908.6 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB8,195.9 million for the prior year, primarily due to the soft macro and industry environment and the Company’s proactive business adjustments in support of its strategic transformation and prudent operations.

Advertising and other revenues were RMB543.5 million (US$76.6 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB1,068.4 million for the prior year, primarily due to a significant decrease in content sub-licensing revenues.

Cost of revenues decreased by 28.2% to RMB6,179.1 million (US$870.3 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB8,610.7 million for the prior year, primarily due to decreased revenue sharing fees and content costs, as well as bandwidth costs.

Revenue sharing fees and content costs decreased by 28.6% to RMB5,378.4 million (US$757.5 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB7,535.7 million for the prior year, primarily due to the decrease in revenue sharing fees associated with the decline in live streaming revenues, as well as lower costs related to e-sports content and content creators.

Bandwidth costs decreased by 33.0% to RMB360.7 million (US$50.8 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB537.9 million for the prior year, primarily due to improved bandwidth cost management, favorable pricing terms and continued technology enhancement efforts.

Gross profit increased by 24.7% to RMB815.2 million (US$114.8 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB653.6 million for the prior year, primarily due to decreased cost of revenues driven by lower revenue sharing fees and content costs. Gross margin was 11.7% for fiscal year 2023, compared with 7.1% for fiscal year 2022, primarily due to decreased revenue sharing fees and content costs as a percentage of total net revenues.

Research and development expenses decreased by 15.5% to RMB578.6 million (US$81.5 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB684.4 million for the prior year, primarily due to decreased personnel-related expenses and share-based compensation expenses.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 16.9% to RMB440.6 million (US$62.1 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB530.5 million for the prior year, primarily due to decreased marketing and promotion fees, as well as personnel-related expenses.

General and administrative expenses decreased by 6.0% to RMB320.8 million (US$45.2 million) for fiscal year 2023 from RMB341.2 million for the prior year, primarily due to decreased personnel-related expenses and share-based compensation expenses.

Other income was RMB81.3 million (US$11.4 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB166.3 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower indirect tax refunds and government subsidies.

Operating loss was RMB443.6 million (US$62.5 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB736.2 million for the prior year.

Interest and short-term investments income were RMB479.7 million (US$67.6 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB298.2 million for the prior year, primarily due to increased interest rates and improved management of deposit products.

Impairment loss of investments was RMB225.8 million (US$31.8 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB55.2 million for the prior year, primarily due to the recognition of increased impairment charges on the Company’s investments.

Net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. was RMB204.5 million (US$28.8 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with RMB547.7 million for the prior year.

Non-GAAP net income attributable to HUYA Inc. was RMB119.1 million (US$16.8 million) for fiscal year 2023, compared with a non-GAAP net loss attributable to HUYA Inc. of RMB290.7 million for the prior year.

Basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB0.84 (US$0.12) for fiscal year 2023. Basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB2.27 for fiscal year 2022.

Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS were RMB0.49 (US$0.07) and RMB0.48 (US$0.07), respectively, for fiscal year 2023. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS were each RMB1.20 for fiscal year 2022.

Share Repurchase Program

On August 15, 2023, the board of directors of the Company authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$100 million of its ADSs or ordinary shares over a 12-month period. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had repurchased 9.2 million ADSs with a total aggregate consideration of US$28.8 million under this program.

Declaration of Special Cash Dividend

The board of directors of the Company has declared a special cash dividend of US$0.66 per ordinary share, or US$0.66 per ADS, to holders of ordinary shares and holders of ADSs of record as of the close of business on May 10, 2024, payable in U.S. dollars. The ex-dividend date will be May 9, 2024. The total amount of cash to be distributed for the dividend is expected to be approximately US$150 million, which will be funded by surplus cash on the Company’s balance sheet. The payment date for holders of ordinary shares and holders of ADSs is expected to be on or around May 24, 2024. The dividend to be paid to the Company’s ADS holders through the depositary bank will be subject to the terms of the deposit agreement.

Director Appointment

Mr. Junhong Huang, Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of the Company, has recently been appointed as a director of the Company, effective March 13, 2024.

Earnings Webinar

The Company’s management will host a Tencent Meeting Webinar at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 19, 2024 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on March 19, 2024), to review and discuss the Company’s business and financial performance.

For participants who wish to join the webinar, please complete the online registration in advance using the links provided below. Upon registration, participants will receive an email with webinar access information, including meeting ID, meeting link, dial-in numbers, and a unique attendee ID to join the webinar.

Participant Online Registration:

A live webcast of the webinar will be accessible at https://ir.huya.com, and a replay of the webcast will be available following the session.

About HUYA Inc.

HUYA Inc. is a leading game live streaming platform in China. As a technology-driven company, Huya offers rich and dynamic content across games, e-sports, and other entertainment genres where it has cultivated a large, highly engaged, interactive, immersive community of game enthusiasts. Building on its success in game live streaming and through close collaboration with game companies, e-sports tournament organizers, broadcasters and talent agencies, Huya is expanding its presence in the game industry, both domestically and internationally. By providing more innovative game-related services, the Company is committed to meeting the evolving needs of game enthusiasts, content creators, and industry partners.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"), except that the consolidated statement of changes in shareholders’ equity, consolidated statements of cash flows, and the detailed notes have not been presented. Huya uses non-GAAP gross (loss) profit, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP net (loss) income attributable to HUYA Inc., non-GAAP net (loss) income attributable to ordinary shareholders, non-GAAP basic and diluted net (loss) income per ordinary shares, and non-GAAP basic and diluted net (loss) income per ADS, which are non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP gross (loss) profit is gross (loss) profit excluding share-based compensation expenses allocated in cost of revenues. Non-GAAP operating loss is operating loss excluding share-based compensation expenses and amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions. Non-GAAP net (loss) income attributable to HUYA Inc. is net (loss) income attributable to HUYA Inc. excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain on fair value change of investments and disposal of equity investments, net of income taxes, impairment of goodwill and investments, loss on equity method investment, net of income taxes, and amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, net of income taxes, to the extent applicable. Non-GAAP net (loss) income attributable to ordinary shareholders is net (loss) income attributable to ordinary shareholders excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain on fair value change of investments and disposal of equity investments, net of income taxes, impairment of goodwill and investments, loss on equity method investment, net of income taxes, and amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions, net of income taxes, to the extent applicable. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net (loss) income per ADS is non-GAAP net (loss) income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ADS used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net (loss) income per ADS. The Company believes that separate analysis and exclusion of the impact of (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) gain on fair value change of investments and disposal of equity investments, net of income taxes, (iii) impairment of goodwill and investments, (iv) loss on equity method investment, net of income taxes, and (v) amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions (net of income taxes), add clarity to the constituent parts of its performance. The Company reviews these non-GAAP financial measures together with GAAP financial measures to obtain a better understanding of its operating performance. It uses the non-GAAP financial measures for planning, forecasting and measuring results against the forecast. The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures represent useful supplemental information for investors and analysts to assess its operating performance without the effect of (i) share-based compensation expenses, and (ii) amortization of intangible assets from business acquisitions (net of income taxes), which have been and will continue to be significant recurring expenses in its business, and (iii) gain on fair value change of investments and disposal of equity investments, net of income taxes, (iv) impairment of goodwill and investments, and (v) loss on equity method investment, net of income taxes, which may recur when there is observable price change in the future. However, the use of non-GAAP financial measures has material limitations as an analytical tool. One of the limitations of using non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not include all items that impact the Company’s net income for the period. In addition, because non-GAAP financial measures are not measured in the same manner by all companies, they may not be comparable to other similar titled measures used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations, you should not consider a non-GAAP financial measure in isolation from or as an alternative to the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "HUYA Inc. Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" at the end of this announcement.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB7.0999 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on December 29, 2023, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollars amounts referred to in this announcement could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Huya’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Huya may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Huya’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Huya’s goals and strategies; Huya’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the game live streaming market; the expectation regarding the rate at which to gain active users, especially paying users; Huya’s ability to monetize the user base; Huya’s efforts in complying with applicable data privacy and security regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; the economy in China and elsewhere generally; any regulatory developments in laws, regulations, rules, policies or guidelines applicable to Huya; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Huya’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Huya does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact: 

In China:

HUYA Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86-20-2290-7829
E-mail: ir@huya.com 

Piacente Financial Communications
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: huya@tpg-ir.com 

In the United States:

Piacente Financial Communications  
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: huya@tpg-ir.com