DouYu Reports Unaudited Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021

WUHAN,China,March 16,2022 --DouYu International Holdings Limited ("DouYu" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: DOYU),a leading game-centric live streaming platform inChinaand a pioneer in the eSports value chain,today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year endedDecember 31,2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial and Operational Highlights

Total net revenues in the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 2.6% to RMB2,327.9 million (US$365.3million) from RMB2,269.2million in the same period of 2020.

Gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 34.3% to RMB244.7 million (US$38.4million),from RMB182.2 million in the same period of 2020.

Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB193.2 million (US$30.3 million),compared with RMB228.7million in the same period of 2020.

Adjusted net loss[1]in the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB112.0million (US$17.6million),compared with RMB176.9 million in the same period of 2020.

Average mobile MAUs[2] in the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 7.2% to 62.4 million from 58.2million in the same period of 2020.

Quarterly average paying user[3] count in the fourth quarter of 2021 was 7.3million,compared with 7.6million in the same period of 2020.

Full Year 2021 Financial Highlights

Total net revenues for the full year of 2021 wereRMB9,165.3 million(US$1,438.2 million),compared withRMB9,601.9millionin the same period of 2020.

Gross profit for the full year of 2021 wasRMB1,089.9 million(US$171.0 million),compared withRMB1,560.3millionin the same period of 2020.

Net loss for the full year of 2021 wasRMB620.2 million(US$97.3 million),compared with net income ofRMB404.7millionin the same period of 2020.

Adjusted net loss for the full year of 2021 wasRMB400.6 million(US$62.9 million),compared with adjusted net income ofRMB541.6millionin the same period of 2020.

Mr. Shaojie Chen,Chief Executive Officer of DouYu,commented,"2021 was a year full of challenges. Facing a complex macro environment,we continued to implement our core strategy to further develop our game-centric content ecosystem for a wide array of game genres,invest in our premium quality content,and further refine our game operations. During the fourth quarter,we continued to grow our core operating metrics,as mobile MAU increased by 7.2% year over year to 62.4 million. Going forward,we will leverage our innovative interactive operations,as well as rich content across various formats including livestreaming,videos,graphics,and communities,to continue exploring new growth initiatives as we build on our leading position in the gaming livestreaming industry."

Mr. Hao Cao,Vice President of DouYu,"In the fourth quarter of 2021,our total revenues were RMB2.33 billion and our gross profit was RMB244.7 million. During the quarter,we continued to develop synergies across our various content formats including livestreaming,video,text,and social communities. We maintained our investment in research and development as well as our production capabilities to continue generating high-quality content. Looking ahead,we will remain proactive in exploring additional avenues for growth and monetization to deliver greater long-term returns for our shareholders."

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Total net revenuesin the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 2.6% to RMB2,269.2million in the same period of 2020.

Livestreaming revenuesin the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 6.7% to RMB2,209.4million (US$346.7million) from RMB2,070.7 million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to organic growth in average revenues per paying user which benefited from the Company's implementation of more effective operational strategies.

Advertising and other revenuesin the fourth quarter of 2021 were RMB118.5million (US$18.6 million),compared with RMB198.5million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the continued exploration of new commercialization models by using a portion of advertising traffic that could have been directly monetized,as well as the challenging macro environment.

Cost of revenuesin the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB2,083.2 million (US$326.9million),compared with RMB2,087.0million in the same period of 2020.

Revenue sharing fees and content costsin the fourth quarter of 2021 decreased to RMB1,846.9million (US$289.8million) from RMB1,850.2million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the decreased cost of broadcasting rights. Such decrease was partially offset by the increase in revenue sharing fees which is in line with the Company's increased livestreaming revenues.

Bandwidth costsin the fourth quarter of 2021 decreased by 1.7% to RMB167.9million (US$26.3million) from RMB170.7million in the same period of 2020. The decrease was mainly due to lower bandwidth costs per unit as a result of improved procurement efficiency.

Gross profitin the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 34.3% to RMB244.7million (US$38.4million) from RMB182.2million in the same period of 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher revenues generated during the quarter.

Sales and marketing expensesin the fourth quarter of 2021increased 34.3% to RMB229.2million (US$36.0million) from RMB170.7million in the same period of 2020. The increase was mainly attributable to the increased cost of promotional channels for user acquisition.

Research and development expensesin the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 11.5% to RMB132.6million (US$20.8million) from RMB118.9million in the same period of 2020.The increase was primarily attributable to increased technical staff costs as the Company continues to invest in product upgrades to support its game-centric content strategy.

General and administrative expensesin the fourth quarter of 2021 decreased 16.1% to RMB98.8million (US$15.5million) from RMB117.7million in the same period of 2020,mainly due to decreased professional service fees.

Other operatingincome,net in the fourth quarter of 2021was RMB13.9 million (US$2.2million),compared with other operating loss of RMB7.3 million in the same period of 2020.

Loss from operationsin the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB201.9million (US$31.7million),compared with RMB232.4million in the same period of 2020.

Adjusted loss from operations in the fourth quarter of 2021,which adds back share-based compensation expenses,was RMB168.7 million (US$26.5million),compared with RMB199.1million in the same period of 2020.

Income tax expenses in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 2020 were nildue to the Company's cumulative net losses and the resulting tax loss carry forward.

Net lossin the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB193.2million (US$30.3million),compared with RMB228.7 million in the same period of 2020.

Adjusted net lossin the fourth quarter of 2021,which excludes share-based compensation expenses,share of income in equity method investments,impairment loss of investments,and expenses in connection with settlement of class action lawsuits,was RMB112.0million (US$17.6million),compared with RMB176.9million in the same period of 2020.

Basic and diluted net loss per ADS[4]in the fourth quarter of 2021 were RMB0.53(US$0.08) and RMB0.53(US$0.08),respectively. Adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADS in the fourth quarter of 2021 were RMB0.29(US$0.05) and RMB0.29(US$0.05),respectively.

Full Year 2021 Financial Results

Total net revenuesfor the full year of 2021 wereRMB9,601.9millionin the same period of 2020. The decrease was primarily driven by the year-over-year decrease in livestreaming revenues and advertising and other revenues.

Gross profitfor the full year of 2021 wasRMB1,560.3millionin the same period of 2020.

Loss from operationsforthe full year of 2021 wasRMB648.7 million(US$101.8million),compared withincome from operations of RMB262.1 millionin the same period of 2020.

Adjusted operating lossforthe full year of 2021,wasRMB516.5 million(US$81.1 million),compared with adjusted operating income of RMB404.2 millionin the same period of 2020.

Net lossfor the full year of 2021 wasRMB620.2 million(US$97.3 million),compared with net income ofRMB404.7 millionin the same period of 2020.

Adjusted net lossfor the full year of 2021,share of loss (income) in equity method investments,and settlement of class action lawsuits,wasRMB400.6 million(US$62.9 million),compared with adjusted net income ofRMB541.6 million in the same period of 2020.

Basic and diluted net loss per ADSfor the full year of 2021 wereRMB1.55(US$0.24) andRMB1.55(US$0.24),respectively.Adjusted basic and diluted net loss per ADSin the full year of 2021 were RMB0.88 (US$0.14) and RMB0.88 (US$0.14),respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents,restricted cash and bank deposits

As of December 31,2021,the Company had cash and cash equivalents,restricted cash,short-term and long-term bank deposits of RMB6,643 million (US$1,043 million),compared with RMB7,622 million as of December 31,2020.

Share Repurchase Program

On August 30,the Company announced that its board of directors had authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$100 million of its ordinary shares in the form of ADSs during a period of up to 12 months commencing on August 30,2021. The Company expects to utilize existing funds to make repurchases under this program. As of December 31,the Company had repurchased an aggregate of US$16.7 million (RMB107 million) worth of its ADSs under this program.

Conference Call Information

The Company will hold a conference call on Wednesday,2022,at 7:00 amEastern Time (or 7:00 pmBeijing Time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. Listenersmay access the call by dialing the following numbers:

International: 1-412-317-6061

United States Toll Free: 1-888-317-6003

Mainland China Toll Free: 4001-206115

Hong Kong Toll Free:800-963976

Singapore Toll Free: 800-120-5863

Conference ID: 0616391

The replay will be accessible through March23,by dialing the following numbers:

International: 1-412-317-0088

United States Toll Free: 1-877-344-7529

Conference ID: 6855969

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.douyu.com/.

[1]"Adjusted net loss" is calculated as net loss before share-based compensation expenses,and share of loss in equity method investments,gain on disposal of investment or subsidiaries,impairment loss on investments and expenses in connection with settlement of class action lawsuits. For more information,please refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" at the end of this press release.

[2]Refers to the number of mobile devices that launched our mobile apps in a given period. Average mobile MAUs for a given period is calculated by dividing (i) the sum of active mobile users for each month of such period,by (ii) the number of months in such period.

[3]"Quarterly average paying users" refers to the average paying users for each quarter during a given period of time calculated by dividing (i) the sum of paying users for each quarter of such period,by (ii) the number of quarters in such period. "Paying user" refers to a registered user that has purchased virtual gifts on our platform at least once during the relevant period.

[4]Every ten ADSs represent one ordinary share.

About DouYu International Holdings Limited

Headquartered in Wuhan,DouYu International Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: DOYU) is a leading game-centric live streaming platform in China and a pioneer in the eSports value chain. DouYu operates its platform on both PC and mobile apps,through which users can enjoy immersive and interactive games and entertainment live streaming. DouYu's platform brings together a deep pool of top live streamers. By providing a sustainable streamer development system built on advanced technology infrastructure and capabilities,DouYu helps ensure a consistent supply of quality content. Through collaborations with a variety of participants across the eSports value chain,the Company has gained coveted access to a wide variety of premium eSports content,which further attracts viewers and enhances user experience. For more information,please see http://ir.douyu.com/.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted operating income (loss) is calculated as operating income (loss) adjusted for share-based compensation expenses. Adjusted net income (loss) is calculated as net income (loss) adjusted for share-based compensation expenses,share of income (loss) in equity method investments,gain on disposal of investment or subsidiaries and impairment loss on investments and expenses in connection with settlement of class action lawsuits. Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to DouYu is calculated as net income (loss) attributable to DouYu adjusted for share-based compensation expenses,impairment loss of investments and expenses in connection with settlement of class action lawsuits. Adjusted basic and diluted net income per ordinary share is non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share. The Company adjusted the impact of (i) share-based compensation expenses,(ii) share of income (loss) in equity method investments,(iii) gain on disposal of investment or subsidiaries,(iv) impairment loss of investments to understand and evaluate the Company's core operating performance and (v) expenses in connection with settlement of class action lawsuits. The non-GAAP financial measures are presented to enhance investors' overall understanding of the Company's financial performance and should not be considered a substitute for,or superior to,the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. As non-GAAP financial measures have material limitations as analytical metrics and may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies,they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. In light of the foregoing limitations,you should not consider non-GAAP financial measures as a substitute for,such metrics in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures,please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Results" near the end of this release.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted,all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.3726to US$1.00,the noon buying rate in effect on December 31,in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB amounts could have been,or could be,converted,realized or settled in U.S. dollars at that rate on December 31,or at any other rate.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor"provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts,including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations,are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties,and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement,including but not limited to the following: the Company's results of operations and financial condition; the Company's business strategies; general market conditions,in particular the game live streaming market; the ability of the Company to retain and grow active and paying users; changes in general economic and business conditions in China; the impact of the COVID-19 to the Company's business operations and the economy in China and globally; any adverse changes in laws,regulations,rules,policies or guidelines applicable to the Company; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. In some cases,forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may,""will,""expect,""anticipate,""target,""aim,""estimate,""intend,""plan,""believe,""potential,""continue,""is/are likely to"or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks,uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission.The announced results of the fourth quarter and full year 2021 are preliminary and subject to audit adjustments. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release,and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information,except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact

Lingling Kong

DouYu International Holdings Limited

Email: ir@douyu.tv

Phone: +1 (646) 224-6934

Robin Yang

ICR,LLC

Email: DouYu.IR@icrinc.com

Phone: +1 (646) 224-6934

Media Relations Contact

Lingling Kong

DouYu International Holdings Limited

Email: pr_douyu@douyu.tv

Phone: +1 (646) 308-1475

Edmond Lococo

ICR,LLC

Email: DouYu.PR@icrinc.com

Phone: +1 (646) 308-1475

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands,except share,ADS,per share and per ADS data)

As of December 31

As of December 31

2020

2021

2021

ASSETS

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

5,279,902

4,456,406

699,307

Restricted cash

11,875

10,703

1,680

Short-term bank deposits

2,230,229

2,076,355

325,825

Accounts receivable,net

199,744

191,389

30,033

Prepayments

66,257

80,717

12,666

Amounts due from related parties

9,045

37,159

5,831

Other current assets

236,704

376,367

59,060

Total current assets

8,033,756

7,229,096

1,134,402

Property and equipment,net

37,792

25,111

3,940

Intangible assets,net

141,672

161,540

25,349

Long-term bank deposits

100,000

100,000

15,692

Investments

500,659

491,425

77,115

Goodwill

12,933

12,637

1,983

Right-of-use assets,net

62,141

72,309

11,347

Other non-current assets

19,004

64,785

10,166

Total non-current assets

874,201

927,807

145,592

TOTAL ASSETS

8,907,957

8,156,903

1,994

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

LIABILITIES

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

986,073

824,128

129,324

Advances from customers

10,911

7,476

1,173

Deferred revenue

242,013

235,134

36,898

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

384,041

458,328

71,922

Amounts due to related parties

223,525

293,508

46,058

Lease liabilities due within one year

36,281

30,417

4,773

Total current liabilities

1,882,844

1,848,991

290,148

Lease liabilities

16,952

31,278

4,908

Deferred revenue

30,779

18,045

2,832

Total non-current liabilities

47,731

49,323

7,740

TOTAL LIABILITIES

1,930,575

1,898,314

297,888

(1)Translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate are solely for the convenience of the reader.

Unless otherwise noted,all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.3726 to US$1.00,the noon

buying rate in effect on December31,in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands,per share and per ADS data)

As of December 31

As of December 31

2020

2021

2021

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

Ordinary shares

23

23

4

Treasury shares

(695,098)

(802,250)

(125,891)

Additional paid-in capital

10,486,398

10,618,538

1,666,280

Accumulated deficit

(2,863,219)

(3,368,132)

(528,533)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

10,911

(114,335)

(17,945)

Total DouYu Shareholders' Equity

6,939,015

6,333,844

993,915

Noncontrolling interests

38,367

(75,255)

(11,809)

Total Shareholders' Equity

6,977,382

6,258,589

982,106

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

8,994

(1)Translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate are solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted,the noon buying rate in effect on December31,in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)

(All amounts in thousands,per share and per ADS data)

Three Months Ended

Year Ended

Dec 31,

2020

Sep 30,

2021

Dec 31,

2020

Dec 31,

2021

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

Net revenues

2,269,197

2,347,955

2,327,917

365,301

9,601,874

9,165,331

1,438,240

Cost of revenues

(2,087,022)

(2,069,476)

(2,083,223)

(326,903)

(8,041,529)

(8,075,421)

(1,267,210)

Gross profit

182,175

278,479

244,694

38,398

1,560,345

1,089,910

171,030

Operating income (expenses)(2)

Sales and marketing expenses

(170,708)

(218,859)

(229,214)

(35,969)

(580,374)

(952,902)

(149,531)

General and administrative expenses

(117,699)

(86,521)

(98,756)

(15,497)

(375,936)

(375,976)

(58,999)

Research and development expenses

(118,879)

(123,165)

(132,574)

(20,804)

(416,273)

(490,019)

(76,895)

Other operating (expenses) income,net

(7,272)

25,811

13,909

2,183

74,299

80,325

12,605

Total operating expenses

(414,558)

(402,734)

(446,635)

(70,087)

(1,298,284)

(1,738,572)

(272,820)

(Loss) income from operations

(232,383)

(124,255)

(201,941)

(31,689)

262,061

(648,662)

(101,790)

Other expenses,net

(3,403)

(32,921)

(1,237)

(194)

(27,394)

(33,852)

(5,312)

Interest income,net

23,104

18,806

17,889

2,235

77,393

12,145

Gain on disposal of subsidiary

-

-

-

-

23,526

-

-

(Loss) income before income taxes and share of

(loss) income in equity method investments

(212,682)

(138,370)

(185,289)

(29,076)

403,428

(605,121)

(94,957)

Income tax expense

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Share of (loss) income in equity method investments

(15,982)

(5,161)

(7,937)

(1,245)

1,306

(15,128)

(2,374)

Net (loss) income

(228,664)

(143,531)

(193,226)

(30,321)

404,734

(620,249)

(97,331)

Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest

(31,807)

(22,115)

(18,756)

(2,943)

(80,763)

(115,336)

(18,099)

Net (loss) income attributable to ordinary

shareholders of the Company

(196,857)

(121,416)

(174,470)

(27,378)

485,497

(504,913)

(79,232)

Net (loss) income per ordinary share

Basic

(6.12)

(3.71)

(5.35)

(0.84)

15.19

(15.51)

(2.43)

Diluted

(5.95)

(3.71)

(5.35)

(0.84)

14.71

(15.51)

(2.43)

Net (loss) income per ADS(3)

Basic

(0.61)

(0.37)

(0.53)

(0.08)

1.52

(1.55)

(0.24)

Diluted

(0.59)

(0.37)

(0.53)

(0.08)

1.47

(1.55)

(0.24)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in calculating net (loss) income per ordinary share

Basic

32,175,361

32,692,871

32,636,774

32,774

31,963,526

32,544,878

32,878

Diluted

33,110,583

32,774

33,012,682

32,878

Weighted average number of ADS used in calculating net (loss) income per ADS(3)

Basic

321,753,609

326,928,712

326,367,743

326,743

319,635,264

325,448,779

325,779

Diluted

331,105,828

326,743

330,126,823

325,779

(1)Translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate are solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted,all translations

from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.3726 to US$1.00,in the H.10 statistical release

of the Federal Reserve Board.

(2) Share-based compensation expenses were allocated in cost of revenues and operating expenses as follows:

Three Months Ended

Year Ended

Dec 31,

2021

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

Research and development expenses

5,504

5,449

5,444

854

22,157

21,661

3,399

Sales and marketing expenses

1,232

1,214

1,214

191

4,788

4,823

757

General and administrative expenses

26,506

26,610

26,604

4,175

115,210

105,655

16,580

(3)Every ten ADSs represent one ordinary share.

RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS

(All amounts in thousands,

2021

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

RMB

RMB

US$ (1)

(Loss) income from operations

(232,790)

Add:

Share-based compensation expenses

33,242

33,273

33,262

5,220

142,155

132,139

20,736

Adjusted (loss) income from operations

(199,141)

(90,982)

(168,679)

(26,469)

404,216

(516,523)

(81,054)

Net (loss) income

(228,331)

Add:

Share-based compensation expenses

33,736

Share of (loss) income in equity method investments

15,982

5,161

7,937

1,245

(1,306)

15,128

2,374

Gain on disposal of subsidiary

-

-

-

-

(23,526)

-

-

Impairment loss of investment

2,500

32,357

1,297

204

19,517

33,654

5,281

Settlement of class action lawsuits

-

-

38,709

6,074

-

38,074

Adjusted net (loss) income (2)

(176,940)

(72,740)

(112,021)

(17,578)

541,574

(400,619)

(62,866)

Net (loss) income attributable to DouYu

(196,232)

Add:

Share-based compensation expenses

33,736

Share of loss (income) in equity method investments

15,374

Gain on disposal of subsidiary

-

-

-

-

(23,074

Adjusted net (loss) income attributable to DouYu

(145,133)

(50,625)

(93,265)

(14,635)

622,337

(285,283)

(44,767)

Adjusted Net (loss) income per ordinary share

Basic

(4.51)

(1.55)

(2.86)

(0.45)

19.47

(8.77)

(1.38)

Diluted

(4.51)

(1.55)

(2.86)

(0.45)

19.47

(8.77)

(1.38)

Adjusted net (loss) income per ADS (3)

Basic

(0.45)

(0.16)

(0.29)

(0.05)

1.95

(0.88)

(0.14)

Diluted

(0.45)

(0.16)

(0.29)

(0.05)

1.95

(0.88)

(0.14)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in calculating Adjusted net (loss) incomeper ordinary share

Basic

32,878

Diluted

32,878

Weighted average number of ADS used in calculating net (loss) incomeper ADS (2)

Basic

321,779

Diluted

321,in the H.10 statistical release

of the Federal Reserve Board.

(2) The net tax impact to the non-GAAP adjustments is zero.

(3)Every ten ADSs represent one ordinary share.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/douyu-reports-unaudited-financial-results-for-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2021-301503863.html