JAKK JAKKS Pacific Inc

As of June 30, 2024 and 2023, there was $4.3 million and $4.7 million, respectively, of property and equipment purchases included in accounts payable.

See Notes 5, 6 and 9 for additional supplemental information to the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

Note 1 — Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to prevent the information presented from being misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which contains audited financial information for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023.

The information provided in this report reflects all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring items) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the financial position and the results of operations for the periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily, especially given seasonality, indicative of results to be expected for a full year.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, “the Company”). The condensed consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of JAKKS Pacific Trading Limited, a joint venture with Meisheng Cultural & Creative Corp., Ltd., and JAKKS Meisheng Animation (HK) Limited, a joint venture with Hong Kong Meisheng Cultural Company Limited.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope.” The ASUs provide temporary optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions, for a limited period of time, to ease the potential burden of recognizing the effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments in ASU 2020-04 apply to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to the global transition away from LIBOR and certain other interbank offered rates. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06 which extended the effective date of the new standard to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. In Q1 2023, the Company entered into amendments to its 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement and its JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement, which transitioned the interest reference rate on its term loan and revolving line of credit from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) (See Note 5 – Debt and Note 6 – Credit Facilities). The adoption of this new accounting standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, “Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity.” The new guidance eliminates two of the three models in ASC 470-20, which required entities to account for beneficial conversion features and cash conversion features in equity, separately from the host convertible debt or preferred stock. As a result, only conversion features accounted for under the substantial premium model in ASC 470-20 and those that require bifurcation in accordance with ASC 815-15 will be accounted for separately. In addition, the amendments in ASU 2020-06 eliminate some of the requirements in ASC 815-40 related to equity classification. The amendments in ASU 2020-06 further revised the guidance in ASC 260, Earnings Per Share (“EPS”), to address how convertible instruments are accounted for in calculating diluted EPS and require enhanced disclosures about the terms of convertible instruments and contracts in an entity’s own equity. The new standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within these fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2024. The adoption of this new accounting standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures.” The amendments in this Update improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The new standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company will adopt ASU 2023-07 in its fourth quarter of 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the updated disclosure will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” This ASU provides standardization of tax disclosures, primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. The new standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the updated disclosure will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Note 2 — Business Segments, Geographic Data and Sales by Major Customers

The Company is a worldwide producer and marketer of children’s toys and other consumer products, principally engaged in the design, development, production, marketing and distribution of its diverse portfolio of products. The Company’s segments are (i) Toys/Consumer Products and (ii) Costumes.

The Toys/Consumer Products segment includes action figures, vehicles, play sets, plush products, dolls, electronic products, construction toys, infant and pre-school toys, child-sized and hand-held role play toys and everyday costume play, foot-to-floor ride-on vehicles, wagons, novelty toys, seasonal and outdoor products, kids’ indoor and outdoor furniture, and related products.

The Costumes segment, under its Disguise branding, designs, develops, markets and sells a wide range of every-day and special occasion dress-up costumes and related accessories in support of Halloween, Carnival, Children’s Day, Book Day/Week, and every-day/any-day costume play.

Segment performance is measured at the operating income (loss) level. All sales are made to external customers and general corporate expenses have been attributed to the segments based upon relative sales volumes. Segment assets are primarily comprised of accounts receivable and inventories, net of applicable reserves and allowances, goodwill and other assets. Certain assets which are not tracked by operating segment and/or that benefit multiple operating segments have been allocated on the same basis.

Results are not necessarily those which would be achieved if each segment was an unaffiliated business enterprise. Information by segment and a reconciliation to reported amounts for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 and as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are as follows (in thousands):

Note 3 — Inventory

Inventory, which includes the ex-factory cost of goods, capitalized warehouse costs, and in-bound freight and duty, is valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, net of inventory obsolescence reserve, and consists of the following (in thousands):

The inventory obsolescence reserve was $8.3 million and $7.7 million as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Note 4 — Revenue Recognition and Reserve for Sales Returns and Allowances

The Company’s contracts with customers only include one performance obligation (i.e., sale of the Company’s products). Revenue is recognized in the gross amount at a point in time when delivery is completed and control of the promised goods is transferred to the customers. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods. The Company’s contracts do not involve financing elements as payment terms with customers and are less than one year. Further, because revenue is recognized at the point in time goods are sold to customers, there are no contract assets or contract liability balances.

The Company disaggregates its revenues from contracts with customers by reporting segment: Toys/Consumer Products and Costumes. The Company further disaggregates revenues by major geographic regions (See Note 2 - Business Segments, Geographic Data and Sales by Major Customers, for further information).

The Company offers various discounts, pricing concessions, and other allowances to customers, all of which are considered in determining the transaction price. Certain discounts and allowances are fixed and determinable at the time of sale and are recorded at the time of sale as a reduction to revenue. Other discounts and allowances can vary and are determined at management’s discretion (variable consideration). Specifically, the Company occasionally grants discretionary credits to facilitate markdowns and sales of slow-moving merchandise, and consequently accrues an allowance based on historic credits and management estimates. The Company also participates in cooperative advertising arrangements with some customers, whereby it allows a discount from invoiced product amounts in exchange for customer purchased advertising that features the Company’s products. Generally, these allowances range from 1% to 20% of gross sales, and are generally based upon product purchases or specific advertising campaigns. Such allowances are accrued when the related revenue is recognized. To the extent these cooperative advertising arrangements provide a distinct benefit at fair value, they are accounted for as direct selling expenses, otherwise they are recorded as a reduction to revenue. Further, while the Company generally does not allow product returns, the Company does make occasional exceptions to this policy and consequently records a sales return allowance based upon historic return amounts and management estimates. These allowances (variable consideration) are estimated using the expected value method and are recorded at the time of sale as a reduction to revenue. The Company adjusts its estimate of variable consideration at least quarterly or when facts and circumstances used in the estimation process may change. The variable consideration is not constrained as the Company has sufficient history on the related estimates and does not believe there is a risk of significant revenue reversal.

Sales commissions are expensed when incurred as the related revenue is recognized at a point in time and therefore the amortization period is less than one year. As a result, these costs are recorded as direct selling expenses, as incurred. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 sales commissions were $0.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 sales commissions were $0.6 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

Shipping and handling activities are considered part of the Company’s obligation to transfer the products and therefore are recorded as direct selling expenses, as incurred. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, shipping and handling costs were $1.4 million and $3.0 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, shipping and handling costs were $1.7 million and $3.6 million, respectively.

The Company’s reserve for sales returns and allowances amounted to $29.5 million as of June 30, 2024, compared to $38.5 million as of December 31, 2023.

The Company’s net accounts receivable as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were $140.0 million and $123.8 million, respectively.

Note 5 — Debt

Term Loan

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries, as borrowers, had entered into a First Lien Term Loan Facility Credit Agreement on June 2, 2021, (the “2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement”) with Benefit Street Partners L.L.C., as Sole Lead Arranger, and BSP Agency, LLC, as agent, for a $99.0 million first-lien secured term loan (the “Initial Term Loan”) and a $19.0 million delayed draw term loan (the “Delayed Draw Term Loan” and collectively, the “2021 BSP Term Loan”). Net proceeds from the issuance of the 2021 BSP Term Loan, after deduction of $2.2 million in closing fees and $0.5 million of other administrative fees paid directly to the lenders, totaled $96.3 million. These fees are amortized over the life of the 2021 BSP Term Loan on a straight-line basis which approximates the effective interest method. Proceeds from the Initial Term Loan, together with available cash from the Company, were used to repay the Company’s former term loan (the “2019 Recap Term Loan” formerly known as the “New Term Loan” in prior filings) under the agreement dated as of August 9, 2019 with Cortland Capital Market Services LLC, as agent for certain investor parties. The Delayed Draw Term Loan provision was designed to provide necessary capital to redeem any of the Company’s outstanding 3.25% convertible senior notes due 2023, upon their maturity, which, upon repayment of the 2019 Recap Term Loan, accelerated to no later than 91 days from the repayment of the 2019 Recap Term Loan, or September 1, 2021. On July 29, 2021, the Company terminated its Delayed Draw Term Loan option as it determined it had sufficient liquidity to fund any outstanding convertible senior notes that remained upon maturity.

On June 5, 2023, the Company paid in full the 2021 BSP Term Loan and terminated the 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement by making a $30.2 million prepayment towards the outstanding principal amount. Additionally, the Company made a $0.4 million payment towards the outstanding accrued interest, and a $0.3 million payment for the prepayment penalty and other related fees. In connection with this transaction, the Company recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $1.0 million on its condensed consolidated statements of operations.

On January 3, 2023, as permitted by the terms within the 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement, the Company had made a voluntary $15.0 million prepayment towards the outstanding principal amount of the 2021 BSP Term Loan and incurred a $0.2 million prepayment penalty and on March 3, 2023, as required by the terms within the 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement under the Excess Cash Flow (“ECF”) Sweep provision, the Company had made a mandatory $23.1 million payment towards the outstanding principal amount of the 2021 BSP Term Loan.

Amounts outstanding under the 2021 BSP Term Loan bore interest at either (i) LIBOR plus 6.50% - 7.00% (determined by reference to a net leverage pricing grid), subject to a 1.00% LIBOR floor, or (ii) base rate plus 5.50% - 6.00% (determined by reference to a net leverage pricing grid), subject to a 2.00% base rate floor. The 2021 BSP Term Loan was termed to mature in June 2027.

In January 2023, the Company entered into a second amendment for its 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement, which transitioned the interest reference rate on its 2021 BSP Term Loan from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The new interest reference rate for the 2021 BSP Term Loan was effective on April 1, 2023. In addition to the transition to SOFR, the amendment also included a constant 0.10% spread adjustment until the maturity of the 2021 BSP Term Loan.

The 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement contained negative covenants that, subject to certain exceptions, limited the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, make restricted payments, pledge its assets as security, make investments, loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions, undergo fundamental changes and enter into transactions with affiliates. Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2021, the Company was required to maintain a Net Leverage Ratio of 4:00x, with step-downs occurring each fiscal year starting with the quarter ending March 31, 2022 through the quarter ending September 30, 2024 in which the Company was required to maintain a Net Leverage Ratio of 3:00x. On April 26, 2022, the Company entered into a First Amendment to the 2021 BSP Term Loan Agreement, to provide, among other things, that the Company must maintain Qualified Cash of at least: (a) at all times after the Closing Date and prior to the First Amendment Effective Date, April 26, 2022, $20.0 million; (b) at all times during the period commencing on the First Amendment Effective Date through and including June 30, 2022, $15.0 million; and (c) at all times on and after July 1, 2022, through September 30, 2022, $17.5 million; provided, however, that if the Total Net Leverage Ratio exceeded 1.75:1.00 as of the last day of the most recently ended month for which financial statements were required to have been delivered, then the amount set forth in this clause was to be increased to $20.0 million. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Applicable Minimum Cash Amount was to be reduced by $1.0 million for every $5.0 million principal prepayment or repayment of the Term Loans following the First Amendment Effective Date; provided however, that, the Applicable Minimum Cash Amount was in no event to be reduced below $15.0 million.

Note 6 — Credit Facilities

JPMorgan Chase

On June 2, 2021, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, as borrowers, entered into a Credit Agreement (the “JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as agent and lender for a $67,500,000 senior secured revolving credit facility (the “JPMorgan ABL Facility”). The JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement replaced the Company’s existing asset-based revolving credit agreement, dated as of March 27, 2014 (the “Wells Fargo ABL Facility,” formerly known as the “Amended ABL Facility” in prior filings), with General Electric Capital Corporation, since assigned to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. The Company pays a commitment fee (0.25% - 0.375%) based on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. Any amounts borrowed under the JPMorgan ABL Facility bore interest at either (i) LIBOR plus 1.50% - 2.00% (determined by reference to an excess availability pricing grid) or (ii) Alternate Base Rate plus 0.50% - 1.00% (determined by reference to an excess availability pricing grid and base rate subject to a 1.00% floor). The JPMorgan ABL Facility matures in June 2026. As of June 30, 2024 the weighted average interest rate on the credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank was 6.92%.

In March 2023, the Company entered into a first amendment for its JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement, which transitioned the interest reference rate on its JPMorgan ABL Facility from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The new interest reference rate for the ABL Facility became effective on March 16, 2023. Any amounts borrowed under the JPMorgan ABL Facility will bear interest at either (i) SOFR plus 1.50% - 2.00% (determined by reference to an excess availability pricing grid) plus a constant 0.10% spread adjustment or (ii) Alternate Base Rate plus 0.50% - 1.00% (determined by reference to an excess availability pricing grid and base rate subject to a 1.00% floor).

The JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement contains negative covenants that, subject to certain exceptions, limit the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, make restricted payments, pledge their assets as security, make investments, loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions, undergo fundamental changes and enter into transactions with affiliates. Under certain circumstances the Company is also subject to a springing fixed charge coverage ratio covenant of not less than 1.1 to 1.0, as described in more detail in the JPMorgan ABL Credit Agreement.

Note 7 — Income Taxes

The Company’s income tax expense of $2.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, reflects an effective tax rate of 30.2%. The Company’s income tax expense of $1.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, reflects an effective tax rate of 19.3%. The increase in tax expense during the three months ended June 30, 2024 compared to the corresponding period in 2023 was primarily due to an increase in the forecasted annual effective tax rate which increased primarily due to non-deductible compensation and foreign inclusions.

The Company’s income tax benefit of $4.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024 reflects an effective tax (benefit) rate of 33.2%. The Company’s income tax expense of $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 reflects an effective tax rate of 9.9%. The increase in tax benefit during the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to the corresponding period in 2023 was primarily due to a decrease in income before taxes and an increase in benefits from discrete items.

From time to time, in the normal course of business, the Company may be audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. At this time, the Company has at least one audit underway. The Company currently cannot assess the impact of the outcome on its financial statements.

Note 8 — Earnings (Loss) Per Share

The following table is a reconciliation of the weighted average shares used in the computation of earnings (loss) per share for the periods presented (in thousands, except per share data):

Basic loss per share is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding during the period (which consist of restricted stock units to the extent they are dilutive). Potentially dilutive restricted stock units of 514,687 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share since they would have been anti-dilutive.

Note 9 — Common Stock and Preferred Stock

Common Stock

All issuances of common stock, including those issued pursuant to restricted stock or unit grants, are issued from the Company’s authorized but not issued and outstanding shares.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, certain employees, including three executive officers, surrendered an aggregate of 157,019 shares of restricted stock units for $3.1 million to cover income taxes due for the vesting of restricted shares. Additionally, an aggregate of 34,588 shares of restricted stock granted in 2021 and 2022 with a value of approximately $0.6 million was forfeited during 2023.

During the six months ended June 30, 2024, certain employees, including three executive officers, surrendered an aggregate of 147,612 shares of restricted stock units for $5.1 million to cover income taxes due for the vesting of restricted shares. Additionally, an aggregate of 17,471 shares of restricted stock granted in 2022 and 2023 with a value of approximately $0.3 million was forfeited during 2024.

No dividend was declared or paid in the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.

Note 10 — Joint Ventures

In November 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with Meisheng Culture & Creative Corp. Ltd., (“MC&C”), for the purpose of providing certain JAKKS licensed and non-licensed toys and consumer products to agreed-upon territories of the People’s Republic of China. On May 10, 2023, the Company dissolved the joint venture with MC&C. Prior to the dissolution, the Company owned fifty-one percent of the joint venture. The results of operations of the joint venture are consolidated with the Company's results. The non-controlling interests incurred a gain of nil and $0.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively. The non-controlling interests incurred a loss of $0.3 million each for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.

Note 11 — Goodwill

The Company applies a fair value-based impairment test to the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets on an annual basis and, on an interim basis, if certain events or circumstances indicate that an impairment loss may have been incurred. Goodwill impairment exists when the estimated fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, there were no events or circumstances that indicated that an impairment loss may have been incurred.

Based on the Company’s April 1 annual assessment, it determined that the fair values of its reporting units were not less than the carrying amounts. No goodwill impairment was determined to have occurred for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2023.

Note 12 — Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The table below presents the components of the Company’s comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

Note 13 — Litigation and Contingencies

The Company is a party to, and certain of its property is the subject of, various pending claims and legal proceedings that routinely arise in the ordinary course of its business. The Company accrues for losses when the loss is deemed probable and the liability can reasonably be estimated. Where a liability is probable and there is a range of estimated loss with no best estimate in the range, the Company records the minimum estimated liability related to the claim. As additional information becomes available, the Company assesses the potential liability related to its pending litigation and revises its estimates.

In the normal course of business, the Company may provide certain indemnifications and/or other commitments of varying scope to a) its licensors, customers and certain other parties, including against third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, and b) its officers, directors and employees, including against third-party claims regarding the periods in which they serve in such capacities with the Company. The duration and amount of such obligations is, in certain cases, indefinite. The Company's director’s and officer’s liability insurance policy may, however, enable it to recover a portion of any future payments related to its officer, director or employee indemnifications. For the past five years, costs related to director and officer indemnifications have not been significant. Other than certain liabilities recorded in the normal course of business related to royalty payments due to the Company's licensors, no liabilities have been recorded for indemnifications and/or other commitments.

Note 14 — Share-Based Payments

The Company’s 2002 Stock Award and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as amended, provides for the awarding of stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units to certain key employees, executive officers and non-employee directors. Current awards under the Plan include grants to executive officers and certain key employees of restricted stock units, with vesting contingent upon the completion of specified service periods ranging from one to four years and/or (b) meeting certain financial performance and/or market-based metrics. Shares for the restricted stock units are not issued until they vest.

The following table summarizes the total share-based compensation expense recognized for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands)

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock unit activity (including those with performance-based vesting criteria) for the six months ended June 30, 2024 is summarized as follows:

As of June 30, 2024, there was $14.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years.

As of June 30, 2024, the fair market value of non-vested restricted stock units was $20.3 million.

Note 15 — Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining fair value, the Company uses various methods including market, income and cost approaches. Based upon these approaches, the Company often utilizes certain assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and/or the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market-corroborated, or unobservable inputs. The Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Based upon observable inputs used in the valuation techniques, the Company is required to provide information according to the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values into three broad levels as follows:

In instances where the determination of the fair value measurement is based upon inputs from different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the entire fair value measurement falls is based upon the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.

The following tables summarize the Company's financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 (in thousands):

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) (in thousands):

Note 16 — Related Party Transactions

In November 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with MC&C for the purpose of providing certain JAKKS licensed and non-licensed toys and consumer products to agreed-upon territories of the People’s Republic of China (see Note 10 – Joint Ventures).

In October 2016, the Company entered into a joint venture with Hong Kong Meisheng Cultural Company Limited, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Meisheng Culture & Creative Corp, for the purpose of creating and developing original, multiplatform content for children including new short-form series and original shows. On December 1, 2023, the Company dissolved the joint venture with Meisheng. Prior to the dissolution, JAKKS and Meisheng each owned fifty percent of the joint venture.

In March 2017, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement with Meisheng which provided, among other things, that as long as Meisheng and its affiliates hold 10% or more of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, Meisheng shall have the right from time to time to designate a nominee (who currently is Mr. Xiaoqiang Zhao) for election to the Company’s board of directors.

Meisheng also serves as a significant manufacturer of the Company. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 the Company made inventory-related payments to Meisheng of approximately $13.9 million and $28.8 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company made inventory-related payments to Meisheng of approximately $19.1 million and $28.4 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, amounts due to Meisheng for inventory received by the Company, but not paid totaled $19.1 million and $12.3 million, respectively.

Note 17 — Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets

Prepaid expenses and other assets as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):