Accounts receivable represent the amounts that the Company has an unconditional right to consideration (including billed and unbilled amount) when the Company has satisfied its performance obligation. The Company does not have any contract assets since revenue is recognized when control of the promised services is transferred and the payment from customers is not contingent on a future event. The Company maintains allowance for potential credit losses on accounts receivable. Management reviews the composition of accounts receivable and analyses historical bad debt, customer concentrations, customer credit worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment patterns to estimate the allowance. Past due accounts are generally written off against the allowance for bad debts only after all collection attempts have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote.

Produced content includes direct production costs, production overhead and acquisition costs and is stated at the lower of unamortized cost or estimated fair value. Produced content also includes cash expenditures made to enter into arrangements with third parties to co-produce certain of its productions.

The Company uses the individual-film-forecast-computation method and amortizes the produced content based on the ratio of current period actual revenue (numerator) to estimated remaining unrecognized ultimate revenue as of the beginning of the fiscal year (denominator) in accordance with ASC 926. Ultimate revenue estimates for the produced content are periodically reviewed and adjustments, if any, will result in prospective changes to amortization rates. When estimates of total revenues and other events or changes in circumstances indicate that a film or television series has a fair value that is less than its unamortized cost, a loss is recognized currently for the amount by which the unamortized cost exceeds the film or television series’ fair value. For the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, $10,617 and $11,978 were amortized to the cost of sales, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company accrued impairment of $21 and $nil against unamortized produced content.

Accounts payable represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the Company prior to the end of financial period which are unpaid. They are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less (or in the normal operating cycle of the business if longer). Otherwise, they are presented as non-current liabilities.

Accounts payable are initially recognized at fair value, and subsequently carried at amortized cost using the effective interest method.

The Company early adopted the new revenue standard Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on January 1, 2017. The core principle of this new revenue standard is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle:

The Company mainly offers and generates revenue from the copyright licensing of self-produced content, advertising and customized content production and others. Revenue recognition policies are discussed as follows:

The Company self produces or coproduces TV series featuring lifestyle, culture and fashion, and licenses the copyright of the TV series on an episode basis to the customer for broadcast over a period of time. Generally, the Company signs a contract with a customer which requires the Company to deliver a series of episodes that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the customer. Accordingly, the delivery of the series of episodes is defined as the only performance obligation in the contract.

For the TV series produced solely by the Company, the Company satisfies its performance obligation over time by measuring the progress toward the delivery of the entire series of episodes which is made available to the licensee for exhibition after the license period has begun. Therefore, the copyright revenue in a contract is recognized over time based on the progress of the number of episodes delivered.

The Company also coproduces TV series with other producers and licenses the copyright to third-party video broadcast platforms for broadcast. For TV series produced by Glory Star Group with co-producers, the Company satisfies its performance obligations over time by the delivery of the entire series of episodes to the customer, and requires the customer to pay consideration based on the number and the unit price of valid subsequent views of the TV series that occur on a broadcast platform. Therefore, the copyright revenue is recognized when the later of the valid subsequent view occurs or the performance obligation relating to the delivery of a number of episodes has been satisfied.

The Company generates revenue from sales of various forms of advertising on its TV series and streaming content by way of 1) advertisement displays, or 2) the integration of promotion activities in TV series and content to be broadcast. Advertising contracts are signed to establish the different contract prices for different advertising scenarios, consistent with the advertising period. The Company enters into advertising contracts directly with the advertisers or the third-party advertising agencies that represent advertisers.

 For the contracts that involve the third-party advertising agencies, the Company is principal as the Company is responsible for fulfilling the promise of providing advertising services and has the discretion in establishing the price for the specified advertisement. Under a framework contract, the Company receives separate purchase orders from advertising agencies before the broadcast. Accordingly, each purchase order is identified as a separate performance obligation, containing a bundle of advertisements that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the customer. Where collectability is reasonably assured, revenue is recognized monthly over the service period of the purchase order.

For contracts signed directly with the advertisers, the Company commits to display a series of advertisements which are substantially the same or similar in content and transfer pattern, and the display of the whole series of advertisements is identified as the single performance obligation under the contract. The Company satisfies its performance obligations over time by measuring the progress toward the display of the whole series of advertisements in a contract, and advertising revenue is recognized over time based on the number of advertisements displayed.

Payment terms and conditions vary by contract types, and terms typically include a requirement for payment within a period from 6 to 9 months. Both direct advertisers and third-party advertising agencies are generally billed at the end of the display period and require the Company to issue VAT invoices in order to make their payments.

The Company produces customized short streaming videos according to its customers’ requirement, and earns fixed fees based on delivery. Revenue is recognized upon the delivery of short streaming videos.

The Company through CHEERS E-mall, an online e-commerce platform, enables third-party merchants to sell their products to consumers in China. The Company charges fees for platform services to merchants for sales transactions completed on the Cheer E-Mall including but not limited to products displaying, promotion and transaction settlement services. The Company does not take control of the products provided by the merchants at any point in the time during the transactions and does not have latitude over pricing of the merchandise. Transaction services fee is determined as the difference between the platform sales price and the settlement price with the merchants. CHEERS E-mall marketplace service revenue is recognized at a point of time when the Company’s performance obligation to provide marketplace services to the merchants are determined to have been completed under each sales transaction upon the consumers confirming the receipts of goods. Payments for services are generally received before deliveries.

The Company provides coupons to consumers at our own discretion as incentives to promote CHEERS E-mall marketplace with validity usually around or less than one week, which can only be used in future purchases of eligible merchandise offered on CHEERS E-mall to reduce purchase price that are not specific to any merchant. Consumers are not customers of the Company, therefore incentives offered to consumers are not considered consideration payable to customers. As the consumers are required to make future purchases of the merchants’ merchandise to redeem these coupons, the Company does not accrue any expense for coupons when granted and recognizes the amounts of redeemed coupons as marketing expenses when future purchases are made.

Other Revenues

Other revenue primarily consists of copyrights trading of purchased and produced TV-series and the sales of products on Taobao platform. For copyright licensing of purchased and produced TV-series, the Company recognize revenue on net basis at a point of time upon the delivery of master tape and authorization of broadcasting right. For sales of product, the company recognize revenue upon the transfer of products according to the fixed price and production amount in sales orders. 

The following table identifies the disaggregation of our revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively: 

The Company applied a practical expedient to expense costs as incurred for costs to obtain a contract with a customer when the amortization period would have been one year or less. The Company does not have any significant incremental costs of obtaining contracts with customers incurred and/or costs incurred in fulfilling contracts with customers within the scope of ASC Topic 606, that shall be recognized as an asset and amortized to expenses in a pattern that matches the timing of the revenue recognition of the related contract.

Substantially all of the Company’s operating activities are transacted into RMB, which is not freely convertible into foreign currencies. All foreign exchange transactions take place either through the People’s Bank of China or other banks authorized to buy and sell foreign currencies at the exchange rates quoted by the People’s Bank of China. Approval of foreign currency payments by the People’s Bank of China or other regulatory institutions require submitting a payment application form together with suppliers’ invoices, shipping documents and signed contracts.

The Company maintains certain bank accounts in the PRC, Hong Kong and Cayman, which are not insured by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance or other insurance. As of June 30, 2023, $152,066 of the Company’s cash were on deposit at financial institutions in the PRC where there currently is no rule or regulation requiring such financial institutions to maintain insurance to cover bank deposits in the event of bank failure.

Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from customers, thereby exposed to credit risk. The risk is mitigated by the Company’s assessment of its customers’ creditworthiness and its ongoing monitoring of outstanding balances.

The Company’s sales are made to customers that are located primarily in China. The Company has a concentration of its revenues and receivables with specific customers. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, four customers accounted for 20%, 19%, 17% and 13% of the Company’s total revenue, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, four customers accounted for 22%, 20%, 18% and 18% of the Company’s total revenue, respectively.

As of June 30, 2023, four customers accounted for 22%, 19%, 16% and 13% of the net accounts receivable balance. As of December 31, 2022, four customers accounted for 27%, 19%, 11%, and 10% of the net accounts receivable balance.

The Company has a concentration of its purchases and payables with specific vendors. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, three vendors accounted for 33%, 26%, and 23% of the Company’s total purchases, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, four vendors accounted for 29%, 18%, 17% and 17% of the Company’s total purchases, respectively.

As of June 30, 2023, four vendors accounted for 37%, 22%, 13% and 10% of accounts payable, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, four vendors accounted for 30%, 22%, 17% and 10% of accounts payable, respectively.

The reporting currency of the Company is the U.S. dollar (“USD”). The functional currency of subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries located in China is the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”). For the entities whose functional currency is the RMB, result of operations and cash flows are translated at average exchange rates during the period, assets and liabilities are translated at the unified exchange rate at the end of the period, and equity is translated at historical exchange rates. As a result, amounts relating to assets and liabilities reported on the statements of cash flows may not necessarily agree with the changes in the corresponding balances on the balance sheets. Translation adjustments resulting from the process of translating the local currency financial statements into U.S. dollars are included in determining comprehensive income/loss. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing on the transaction dates. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date with any transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred.

All of the Company’s revenue and expense transactions are transacted in the functional currency of the operating subsidiaries. The Company does not enter into any material transaction in foreign currencies. Transaction gains or losses have not had, and are not expected to have, a material effect on the results of operations of the Company.

The consolidated balance sheet amounts, with the exception of equity, at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were translated at RMB 7.2513 to $1.00 and at RMB 6.9646 to $1.00, respectively. Equity accounts were stated at their historical rates. The average translation rates applied to consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 were RMB 6.9283 to $1.00 and RMB 6.4835 to $1.00, respectively. 

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2021-08), which clarifies that an acquirer of a business should recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. This guidance also requires certain disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The new guidance is required to be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after 15 December 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-01, Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements, which Offers private companies, as well as not-for-profit entities that are not conduit bond obligors, a practical expedient that gives them the option of using the written terms and conditions of a common-control arrangement when determining whether a lease exists and the subsequent accounting for the lease, including the lease’s classification and Amends the accounting for leasehold improvements in common-control arrangements for all entities. The Combined Companies continues to evaluate the impact of ASU 2023-01 on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by FASB that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption. The Company does not discuss recent pronouncements that are not anticipated to have an impact on or are unrelated to its consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or disclosures.