Angel Studios—the studio empowering everyday fans to greenlight
development and distribution of movies and TV shows—today announced
it has entered into a definitive agreement to become a publicly
listed company through a business combination with Southport
Acquisition Corporation (OTC: PORT) (“Southport”), a special
purpose acquisition company. Upon the closing of the transaction,
the combined company’s Class A common stock is expected to be
listed on the NYSE or Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “AGSD”.
Angel Studios is led by co-founder and CEO Neal
Harmon, who will continue to lead the combined company following
the closing of the transaction.
In March 2023, Angel Studios released its first
theatrical film, HIS ONLY SON, grossing approximately $13.5 million
in the box office. Angel Studio’s following film, SOUND OF FREEDOM,
grossed approximately $250.0 million in the box office and became
one of the top 10 grossing films in the United States that
year.
Audiences Crave Stories that
Resonate
The problem that Angel Studios seeks to address
is that a limited number of Hollywood studio decision-makers
determine which films and television shows are made, and four out
of five box office releases fail1. Additionally, for every hit TV
show, there are a hundred misses2.
Angel Studios’ solution to this problem is to
spread that decision-making power to the Angel Guild. This growing
membership—rather than Hollywood executives—watch and select
winning films and shows prior to release.
The Angel Guild has a strong track record of
selecting winning content, with an average Rotten Tomatoes® wide
release audience score of 95%, surpassing every other major
distributor, including Paramount (84%), Disney (79%), HBO (75%),
A24 (73%), and Netflix (61%)3.
Angel Guild members are the “secret sauce”
behind the discovery of global hits like SOUND OF FREEDOM, HIS ONLY
SON, CABRINI, Tuttle Twins, Dry Bar Comedy, and other hit movies
and television shows. Angel Studios was one of the top 10 studios
in the US domestic box office in 2023, surging past Amazon’s MGM
and A244.
Angel Studios Overview
Angel Studios is a values-based distribution
company for stories that amplify light to mainstream audiences.
Through the Angel Guild, 375,000 members choose which film and
television projects the studio will market and distribute. 104,000
Angel Guild members in 155 countries have invested nearly $80.0
million in projects distributed by the studio to date.
Defining & Determining
Light
To determine whether or not a film or television
show should be released, Angel Studios screens a short promotional
version, or if available a full-length feature or episode, to a
sample of members of the Angel Guild who vote on whether the
project “amplifies light.”
The Angel Guild
The Angel Guild is a community of interested
individuals who have invested in previous Angel Studios films or
television shows, and individuals who pay a monthly or annual fee
to Angel Studios to be a member of the Angel Guild. Upon watching a
Torch, which is a concept video preview, Angel Guild members are
asked for their feedback as to whether or not the Torch “amplifies
light,” and their feedback is used to determine whether Angel
Studios will move forward with production and/or distribution of
the film or television show.
Angel Studios primarily generates revenue from
these sources:
- Angel
Guild revenue comes from monthly or annual membership
fees. Currently there are two possible tiers for membership, Basic
and Premium. Both memberships allow voting for every Angel Studios
release, give early access for streaming, and help fund Angel
Studios original films, increasing new content releases. The
primary difference between the two memberships is that Premium
includes two complimentary tickets to every Angel Studios
theatrical release and a discount for all merchandise.
-
Theatrical Distribution revenue comes from
releasing Angel Studios original films with Angel Studios’
exhibitor partners. Every time a moviegoer purchases a ticket from
the partner theaters, Angel Studios receives a percentage of the
box office revenue. For most international theaters, the percentage
of box office revenue is first paid to a distributor who then pays
Angel Studios.
- Content
Licensing from licensing Angel Studios’ films and
television shows to other distributors such as Amazon, Apple, and
Netflix. Angel Studios’ future plans include licensing the rights
to its films and television shows for other experiences such as
derivative shows, video games, theme parks and broadway-style
plays.
-
Merchandise revenue is generated from sales of
merchandise related to Angel Studios films and series, as well as
physical DVD sales. Angel Studios also offers direct online store
for Angel Studios themed products, and wholesale products to retail
partners.
Bitcoin Treasury Strategy: Seeking to
Empower the Angel Guild for Generations
- Angel Studios has held 125 Bitcoin
on the balance sheet since 2021 as a rainy day fund.
- Angel Studios plans on continuing
to acquire and hold Bitcoin as a strategic treasury asset, and
adjunct to its core film and television production and distribution
business.
- The continued implementation of
this Bitcoin reserve is intended to support Angel Studios’
mission-driven approach.
- Angel Studios Bitcoin Treasury is a
for-profit “endowment for the arts” based on the Bitcoin standard
that seeks to build a financial foundation to fund the world’s best
filmmakers to produce stories that amplify light for generations to
come.
- The Company is
pleased to report that they have an agreement in principle with Off
the Chain Capital, a leading Bitcoin asset management firm, for an
investment of approximately $10 million to help back the Angel
Studios treasury strategy. The pricing and certain other material
terms of their investment remain subject to ongoing
discussion.
Transaction Overview
The transaction values the combined company at a
$1.6 billion pro forma enterprise value. Existing Angel Studios
stockholders will roll 100% of their equity in Angel Studios into
the combined company.
The transaction will be effected through a
merger of Angel Studios with a wholly owned subsidiary of
Southport, with the surviving company becoming a wholly owned
subsidiary of Southport. At closing of the transaction, Southport
will change its name to Angel Studios, and its stock ticker to
“AGSD.”
The boards of directors of Angel Studios and
Southport have approved the transaction, the consummation of which
is subject to customary closing conditions, including the filing
and effectiveness of an S-4 registration statement with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), approval by Angel
Studios’ and Southport’s stockholders, and regulatory approvals.
The transaction is not subject to a minimum cash condition. The
transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025.
Additional information, including a copy of the
agreement and plan of merger and an investor presentation, will be
provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Southport
and Angel Studios, respectively, with the SEC and will be available
at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov/.
Advisors
Oppenheimer & Co. is serving as financial
and capital markets advisor to Southport. Mayer Brown LLP is acting
as legal advisor to Angel Studios.
About Angel Studios, Inc.
Angel Studios is a community-driven,
non-traditional, movie studio that seeks to empower audiences to
decide which stories get produced and distributed, while creating
communities around each project. Angel Studios was founded in 2013
by CEO Neal Harmon alongside his brothers Daniel, Jeffrey, and
Jordan, who, as fathers of young children, were searching for
high-quality films and TV shows that “amplify light.”
About Southport Acquisition
Corporation
Southport Acquisition Corporation (OTC: PORT) is
a blank check company formed in Delaware on April 13, 2021.
Southport was formed for the purpose of effectuating a merger,
capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase,
reorganization or other similar business combination with one or
more businesses. Southport is led by Chairman Jared Stone and Chief
Executive Officer Jeb Spencer.
About Off the Chain CapitalOff
the Chain Capital is the general partner and manager of Off the
Chain, LP. The Firm utilizes a value approach to invest in digital
assets and equity in blockchain companies with a goal of acquiring
at a discount to their intrinsic value. This strategy is designed
to provide downside protection without sacrificing upside, making
it an option for family offices, endowments, foundations, and
first-time investors in blockchain assets.
Additional Information and Where to Find
It
In connection with the proposed transaction,
Southport intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 (as
it may be amended, the “Registration Statement”) with the SEC,
which will include a preliminary prospectus and proxy statement of
Southport and Angel Studios, referred to as a joint proxy
statement/prospectus. Such documents are not currently available.
When available, a final joint proxy statement/prospectus will be
sent to all Southport and Angel Studios stockholders. Southport and
Angel Studios will also file other documents regarding the proposed
transaction with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE
ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE
JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS
FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE
PROPOSED TRANSACTION AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will
be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement, the
joint proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents
filed or that will be filed with the SEC by Southport and Angel
Studios (when available) through the website maintained by the SEC
at http://www.sec.gov. The documents filed by Southport with the
SEC also may be obtained free of charge upon written request to 8
Bolling Place, Greenwich, CT 06830. The documents filed by Angel
Studios with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge on Angel
Studios’ website at https://www.angel.com/legal/sec-filings or upon
written request to 295 W Center Street, Provo, UT 84601.
Participants in
Solicitation
Southport, Angel Studios and certain of their
respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the
proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive
officers of Southport, including a description of their direct or
indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth
in Southport’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended
December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024,
under the headings “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate
Governance,” “Executive Compensation,” “Security Ownership of
Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder
Matters” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and
Director Independence.” To the extent holdings of Southport common
stock by the directors and executive officers of Southport have
changed from the amounts of Southport common stock held by such
persons as reflected therein, such changes have been or will be
reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with
the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of
Angel Studios, including a description of their direct or indirect
interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Angel
Studios’ amended Form 10, which was filed with the SEC on May 13,
2024, under the headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial
Owners and Management,” “Directors and Executive Officers,”
“Executive Compensation,” and “Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions, and Director Independence.” To the extent holdings of
Angel Studios common stock by the directors and executive officers
of Angel Studios have changed from the amounts of Angel Studios
common stock held by such persons as reflected therein, such
changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in
Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Other information regarding
the participants in the joint proxy solicitations and a description
of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or
otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with
the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials
become available. Investors should read the joint proxy
statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before
making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free
copies of any of the documents referenced herein from Southport or
Angel Studios using the sources indicated above.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall
not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote
or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities
shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication may contain certain
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal
securities laws with respect to the proposed transaction between
Angel Studios and Southport. These forward-looking statements
generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,”
“expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,”
“opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,”
“will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other
statements about future events that are based on current
expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks
and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this
communication, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the
proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at
all, which may adversely affect the price of the combined company’s
securities, (ii) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be
completed by Southport’s business combination deadline and the
potential failure to obtain an extension of the business
combination deadline, (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions
to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including the
adoption of the merger agreement by the stockholders of Southport
and Angel Studios, (iv) the lack of a third party valuation in
determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transaction, (v)
the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that
could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, (vi)
the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on
Angel Studios’ business relationships, operating results, and
business generally, (vii) risks that the proposed transaction
disrupts current plans and operations of Angel Studios or diverts
management’s attention from Angel Studios’ ongoing business
operations and potential difficulties in Angel Studios employee
retention as a result of the announcement and consummation of the
proposed transaction, (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings
that may be instituted against Angel Studios or against Southport
related to the merger agreement or the proposed transaction, (ix)
the ability to list the combined company’s securities on a national
securities exchange in connection with the transaction, (x) the
price of Southport’s securities may be volatile due to a variety of
factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated
industries in which Southport plans to operate or Angel Studios
operates, variations in operating performance across competitors,
changes in laws and regulations affecting Southport’s or Angel
Studios’ business, and changes in the combined capital structure,
(xi) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other
expectations after the completion of the proposed transaction, and
identify and realize additional opportunities, (xii) the ability to
recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction,
which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the
ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth
profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and
retain its management and key employees, (xiii) the evolution of
the markets in which Angel Studios competes, (xiv) the costs
related to the proposed transaction, (xv) Angel Studios’
expectations regarding its market opportunities, (xvi) risks
related to domestic and international political and macroeconomic
uncertainty, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the war in
the Middle East, and (xvii) the risk of downturns and a changing
regulatory landscape in the highly competitive industry in which
Angel Studios operates. The foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and
the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors”
section of Southport’s and Angel Studios’ annual reports on Form
10-K and Form 10, respectively, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,
the Registration Statement on Form S-4 when available, including
those under “Risk Factors” therein, and other documents filed by
Southport and Angel Studios from time to time with the SEC. These
filings identify and address other important risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ
materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, and Angel Studios and Southport assume no obligation
and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events,
or otherwise. Neither Angel Studios nor Southport gives any
assurance that either Angel Studios or Southport, or the combined
company, will achieve its expectations.
Investor Relations
Contact:Shannon DevineMZ Group North
Americashannon.devine@mzgroup.us
1 NPR.org planet money podcast, May 14, 20102 Bloomberg.com
Newsletter by Lucas Shaw, Nov 5, 20233 Average Rotten Tomatoes
Popcornmeter for wide releases by Studio for 2023/20244 The
Numbers, https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2023/distributors
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