Revenue Recognition

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

Note 3. Revenue Recognition

Performance Obligations

We generate all of our revenue through contracts with customers. Revenue is either recognized over time as the service is provided, or at a point in time when the product is transferred to the customer, depending on the contract type. Our performance obligations typically have an original duration of one year or less.

Our software licensing revenue stream generates revenue through the on-premises licensing of our codec technologies and integrated RealTimes platform. We recognize revenue upfront at the point in time when the software is made available to the customer. In cases where a sale or usage-based royalty is promised in exchange for a license of our codec technologies, revenue is recognized as the subsequent usage occurs for the contractual amount owed by the customer for that usage, as is allowed under the licensing of intellectual property section of Topic 606. Software licensing in our Mobile Services segment is invoiced on a monthly basis either based on usage of the respective product, or on a fixed fee basis. Our Consumer Media licensing is invoiced either quarterly or annually based on the usage of the respective product, or on a fixed fee basis. For each of these, the timing of payment generally does not vary significantly from the timing of invoice, however, certain of our long-term Consumer Media licensing contracts have extended payment schedules which may exceed one year.

Our subscription services revenue stream allows customers to use hosted software over the respective contract period without taking possession of the technology. The stream is primarily comprised of our intercarrier messaging service, ringback tones, PC-based and mobile games subscriptions, and our RealPlayer and SuperPass services. Revenues related to subscription service products are recognized ratably over the contract period, or as we have the right to invoice as a practical expedient when that amount corresponds directly with the value to the customer of our performance completed to date. Consumer subscription products are paid in advance, typically on a monthly or quarterly basis. Subscription services offered to businesses are invoiced on a monthly basis, generally based upon the amount of usage for the previous month, and the timing of payment generally does not vary significantly from the timing of invoice.

Our product sales revenue stream includes purchases of in-game virtual goods, mobile and wholesale games, as well as our RealPlayer product. Proceeds from sales of in-game virtual goods are initially recorded in deferred revenue and are recognized as revenues over 30 days, our estimate of the time period that end users benefit from these purchases and our related performance obligation is satisfied. Retail purchases are recognized and paid for at the point in time the product is made available to the end user. For games which are sold through third-party application storefronts, we evaluate the transaction for gross or net revenue recognition. As we typically are the primary obligor in our third-party transactions, we recognize revenues gross of any app store fees. We then receive monthly payments from the respective app store for all purchases within the respective month.

Other revenues consist primarily of advertising and the distribution of third-party products, which are recognized and paid on a cost per impression or cost per download basis.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table presents our disaggregated revenue by source and segment (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31, 2020
	Consumer Media		Mobile Services		Games
Business Line
Software License	$	5,957	$	5,110	$	—
Subscription Services	3,586		21,779		10,794
Product Sales	1,301		—		13,879
Advertising and Other	1,737		—		3,919
Total	$	12,581	$	26,889	$	28,592

	Year ended December 31, 2019
	Consumer Media		Mobile Services		Games
Business Line
Software License	$	6,522	$	3,101	$	—
Subscription Services	4,148		24,042		12,121
Product Sales	825		—		9,823
Advertising and Other	1,675		—		3,545
Total	$	13,170	$	27,143	$	25,489

The following table presents our disaggregated revenue by sales channel (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31, 2020
	Consumer Media		Mobile Services		Games
Sales Channel
Business to Business	$	7,693	$	26,495	$	4,664
Direct to Consumer	4,888		394		23,928
Total	$	12,581	$	26,889	$	28,592

	Year ended December 31, 2019
	Consumer Media		Mobile Services		Games
Sales Channel
Business to Business	$	8,199	$	26,691	$	4,710
Direct to Consumer	4,971		452		20,779
Total	$	13,170	$	27,143	$	25,489

Contract Balances

The timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to our customers. We record accounts receivable when the right to consideration becomes unconditional, except for the passage of time. For certain contracts, payment schedules may exceed one year; for those contracts we recognize a long-term receivable. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 our balance of long-term accounts receivable was $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively, and is included in other long-term assets on our consolidated balance sheets. The increase in this balance from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 is primarily due to a contract renewal in 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded no impairments to our contract assets.

We record deferred revenue when cash payments are received in advance of our completion of the underlying performance obligation. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had deferred revenue balances of $2.2 million and $2.1 million, respectively, primarily due to deferred revenue associated with monthly subscriptions.

Judgments and Estimates

Our contracts with customers can include obligations to provide multiple services to a customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together can require significant judgment. For example, certain contracts include the sale of software licenses or subscriptions as well as services to be delivered over time. Judgment is also required to determine the standalone selling price ("SSP") for each distinct performance obligation in these arrangements. We allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on the relative SSP. We determine SSP for performance obligations based on overall pricing objectives, which take into consideration observable prices and market conditions.

For certain of our contracts, we recognize revenues using the sales- and usage-based exception as defined in the licensing guidance of Topic 606. For these contracts, we typically receive reporting of actual usage a quarter in arrears, and as such, we are required to estimate the current quarter's usage. To make these estimates, we utilize historical reporting information, as well as industry trends and interim reporting to quantify total quarterly usage. As actual usage information is received, we record a true-up in the following quarter to reflect any variance from our estimate. In the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we did not record any material true-ups to our consolidated financial statements.

Practical Expedients

For those contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for service performed, we do not disclose the value of any unsatisfied performance obligations. We also do not disclose the remaining unsatisfied performance obligations which have an original duration of one year or less. Additionally, we immediately expense sales commissions when incurred as the amortization period would have been less than one year. These costs are recorded within sales and marketing expense.