Health and Science

Peloton reveals IPO documents showing widening losses of $245.7 million on sales of $915 million

Key Points
  • Peloton revealed Tuesday the documents it has filed with securities regulators ahead of its initial public offering.
  • The fitness company previously said it had filed the paperwork confidentially.
  • Peloton makes cycles and treadmills with screens for users to join live and recorded fitness classes from their homes, hotel rooms or office.
Peloton files for IPO under ticker PTON
VIDEO4:3404:34
Peloton files for IPO under ticker PTON

Peloton, best known for at-home fitness equipment and accompanying streaming fitness services, revealed Tuesday growing sales but widening losses ahead of its IPO, in documents filed with regulators.

In the fiscal year ended June 30, Peloton reported sales grew 110% to $915 million from $435 million in fiscal 2018. Meanwhile, its 2019 net loss widened to $245.7 million, from a net loss of $47.9 million in the prior year.

The fitness company expects to raise $500 million in its offering. It said in the registration documents it plans to further expand its international foothold, which it cautioned will bring with it new costs.

Previous estimates have pegged Peloton's valuation at roughly $8 billion. The company disclosed it will sell Class B stock that grants 20 votes per share.

Peloton, which was founded in 2012, previously announced it had filed the paperwork confidentially. It was the first company to make cycles and treadmills equipped with screens for users to join live and recorded fitness classes from their homes, hotel rooms or offices. Its goal, according to the registration documents is to make the at-home fitness experience "as physically rewarding and addictive as attending a live, in-studio class."

Its connected fitness subscriber base — or users with a paid subscription or one that has been paused for up to three months — rose to 511,202 in 2019 from 245,667 a year ago. The company boasts 1.4 million members, which it defines as any individual with a Peloton account.

The company said it has "consistently seen workouts increase over time," as evidence of the engagement of its subscribers. On average, its connected fitness subscribers completed 7.5, 8.4, and 11.5 workouts per month in fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. It said the weighted average retention rate of its connected fitness subscribers has been 95% since fiscal 2016.

Peloton sold its first cycle in 2014. It has since since expanded beyond its $2,000 bicycles into and treadmills that sell for $3,995. Subscriptions to access classes cost $39 per month.

To cater to people who may not want to invest in its pricey equipment, Peloton started selling digital memberships last year for $19.49 per month. It has roughly 102,000 of these digital subscribers, who can stream yoga, meditation, bootcamp, running and walking classes.

The company warned it is part of music license agreements that "are complex and impose numerous obligations" on it, which could make it difficult to operate its business.

A group of music publishers in March sued Peloton, alleging it used more than 1,000 songs from Lady Gaga, Drake, Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake and others without permission. There has also been litigation with competitor Flywheel, which launched its own take-home bicycle that Peloton claimed infringed upon its patents.

"Our use of third-party content, including music content, software, and other intellectual property rights may be subject to claims of infringement or misappropriation," the company warned. "We cannot guarantee that our internally developed or acquired technologies and content do not or will not infringe the intellectual property rights of others."

Meantime, the company also said it has "identified material weaknesses" in its internal control over financial reporting, which it had not fully addressed as of June 30. To address the problem, it is adding more qualified personnel.

Peloton, which will list under the ticker PTON, expects to trade its shares on Nasdaq. It is working with underwriters including Goldman Sachs & Co and J.P. Morgan.

Peloton made it onto CNBC's "Disruptor 50" list the past two years.

Disclosure: CNBC parent Comcast-NBCUniversal is an investor in Peloton.

Correction: Peloton expects to raise $500 million in the offering. An earlier version incorrectly said the amount wasn't disclosed.

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