WW INTERNATIONAL, INC. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
Goodwill
In the Predecessor Period, goodwill primarily related to the acquisition of the Company by The Kraft Heinz Company (successor to H.J. Heinz Company) in 1978, and the Company’s acquisitions of WW.com, LLC (formerly known as WW.com, Inc. and WeightWatchers.com, Inc.) in 2005, Sequence in 2023, and the Company’s franchised territories. See Note 6 “Acquisitions” for additional information on the Company’s acquisitions. In the Successor Period, goodwill primarily relates to the application of fresh start accounting. The change in the carrying value of goodwill was as follows:
Balance at December 30, 2023 (Predecessor) |
|
$ |
243,441 |
|
Effect of exchange rate changes |
|
|
(3,858 |
) |
Balance at December 28, 2024 (Predecessor) |
|
$ |
239,583 |
|
Effect of exchange rate changes |
|
|
2,839 |
|
Balance at June 24, 2025 (Predecessor) - Prior to fresh start accounting |
|
$ |
242,422 |
|
Fresh start accounting adjustments (Note 3) |
|
|
(43,369 |
) |
Balance at June 24, 2025 (Predecessor) |
|
$ |
199,053 |
|
Balance at June 25, 2025 (Successor) |
|
$ |
199,053 |
|
Goodwill acquired during the period (Note 21) |
|
|
1,020 |
|
Effect of exchange rate changes |
|
|
62 |
|
Balance at December 31, 2025 (Successor) |
|
$ |
200,135 |
|
Accumulated goodwill impairment loss was $0 at December 31, 2025 (Successor) and $25,111 at December 28, 2024 (Predecessor).
Change in Goodwill Reporting Units
Effective the first day of fiscal 2024 (i.e., December 31, 2023) (Predecessor), as a result of the continued evolution of the Company’s centralized organizational structure in fiscal 2023, the Company’s reportable segments changed to one reportable segment for the purpose of making operational and resource decisions and assessing financial performance. In connection with the Company’s change to one reportable segment, the Company’s operating segments also changed to one operating segment. As a result of this change to the Company’s operating segments, the Company reassessed its reporting units for the evaluation of goodwill during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
In accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, the Company determines its reporting units based upon whether discrete financial information is available, if management regularly reviews the operating results of the component, the nature of the products offered to customers and the market characteristics of each reporting unit. A reporting unit is considered to be an operating segment or one level below an operating segment also known as a component. Prior to the change in operating segments, the Company’s reporting units for the evaluation of goodwill were determined by country. Component level financial information is reviewed by management across two business lines: Behavioral and Clinical. Accordingly, these were determined to be the Company's new reporting units at the first day of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
This change in reporting units qualified as a triggering event and required goodwill to be tested for impairment. As required by ASC 350, the Company tested goodwill for impairment immediately before and after the change in reporting units. As a result of these impairment analyses, it was determined that goodwill was not impaired before or after the change in reporting units.
Goodwill Impairment
The Company reviews goodwill for potential impairment on at least an annual basis or more often if events so require. The Company performed its annual fair value impairment testing for fiscal 2025, fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023 on May 4, 2025 (Predecessor), May 5, 2024 (Predecessor) and May 7, 2023 (Predecessor), respectively. In performing the annual impairment analyses as of May 4, 2025 (Predecessor), May 5, 2024 (Predecessor) and May 7, 2023 (Predecessor), the Company determined that the carrying values of its goodwill reporting units did not exceed their respective fair values and, therefore, no impairments existed.
During the quarters ended March 29, 2025 (Predecessor), September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) and March 30, 2024 (Predecessor), the Company identified various qualitative and quantitative factors which collectively indicated a triggering event had occurred. These factors included the continued decline in the Company’s stock price and market capitalization, and actual business performance. As a result of these triggering events, the Company performed an interim impairment test for all of its goodwill reporting units in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (Predecessor), the third quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor) and the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
Based on the results of the interim goodwill impairment test as of March 29, 2025 (Predecessor) performed for the Company’s Behavioral reporting unit, which held 62.7% of the Company’s goodwill at the March 29, 2025 (Predecessor) balance sheet date, the estimated fair value of this reporting unit was at least 55% higher than its carrying value and, therefore, no impairment existed. Based on the results of the interim goodwill impairment test as of March 29, 2025 (Predecessor) performed for the Company’s Clinical reporting unit, which held 37.3% of the Company’s goodwill at the March 29, 2025 (Predecessor) balance sheet date, the estimated fair value of this reporting unit was at least 60% higher than its carrying value and, therefore, no impairment existed.
Based on the results of the interim goodwill impairment test as of September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) performed for the Company’s Behavioral reporting unit, which held 63.0% of the Company’s goodwill at the September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) balance sheet date, there was significant headroom in the goodwill impairment test for this reporting unit with the difference between the fair value and the carrying value exceeding 100% and, therefore, no impairment existed. Based on the results of the interim goodwill impairment test as of September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) performed for the Company’s Clinical reporting unit, which held 37.0% of the Company’s goodwill at the September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) balance sheet date, the estimated fair value of this reporting unit was at least 20% higher than the respective reporting unit's carrying value and, therefore, no impairment existed.
Based on the results of the interim goodwill impairment test as of March 30, 2024 (Predecessor) performed for all of the Company’s reporting units, each reporting unit had an estimated fair value at least 25% higher than its respective carrying value and, therefore, no impairment existed.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 (Predecessor), the Company had a shift in future strategic priorities and as a result, a triggering event occurred which required the Company to impair the remaining goodwill balances for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland reporting units, resulting in charges of $2,383 and $1,203, respectively.
Other Intangible Assets
The components of other intangible assets, net as of December 28, 2024 (Predecessor) and December 31, 2025 (Successor) were as follows:
|
|
Predecessor |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
December 28, |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
|
|
Net |
|
|||
|
|
Useful |
|
Carrying |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Carrying |
|
|||
|
|
Life |
|
Value |
|
|
Amortization |
|
|
Value |
|
|||
Indefinite-lived intangible asset: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Franchise rights acquired |
|
Indefinite |
|
$ |
68,627 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
68,627 |
|
Finite-lived intangible assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Capitalized software and website development costs |
|
3 years |
|
|
255,822 |
|
|
|
218,103 |
|
|
|
37,719 |
|
Trademarks |
|
5 years |
|
|
12,192 |
|
|
|
12,103 |
|
|
|
89 |
|
Other |
|
20 years |
|
|
13,537 |
|
|
|
6,714 |
|
|
|
6,823 |
|
Franchise rights acquired |
|
1-17 years |
|
|
7,820 |
|
|
|
5,316 |
|
|
|
2,504 |
|
Total other intangible assets |
|
|
|
$ |
357,998 |
|
|
$ |
242,236 |
|
|
$ |
115,762 |
|
|
|
Successor |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
December 31, |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Gross |
|
|
|
|
|
Net |
|
|||
|
|
Useful |
|
Carrying |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Carrying |
|
|||
|
|
Life |
|
Value |
|
|
Amortization |
|
|
Value |
|
|||
Indefinite-lived intangible asset: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Trade name |
|
Indefinite |
|
$ |
320,000 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
320,000 |
|
Finite-lived intangible assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Database |
|
3 years |
|
|
46,000 |
|
|
|
7,982 |
|
|
|
38,018 |
|
Developed technology |
|
3-6 years |
|
|
70,000 |
|
|
|
10,151 |
|
|
|
59,849 |
|
Customers/subscribers |
|
1 year |
|
|
58,000 |
|
|
|
30,192 |
|
|
|
27,808 |
|
Customer relationships |
|
6 years |
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
3,036 |
|
|
|
31,964 |
|
Capitalized software and website development costs |
|
3 years |
|
|
13,552 |
|
|
|
527 |
|
|
|
13,025 |
|
Total other intangible assets |
|
|
|
$ |
542,552 |
|
|
$ |
51,888 |
|
|
$ |
490,664 |
|
Upon the adoption of fresh start accounting, the Company identified total other intangible assets of $529,000 that principally consisted of trade name, developed technology, database, customers/subscribers and customer relationships, which were estimated based on either the cost approach, direct cost approach, relief from royalty or multi-period excess earnings methods. Significant assumptions for identified intangibles included royalty rates, discount rates, margins, attrition rates, revenue growth rates, and economic lives. Such fair value measurement of intangible assets is considered Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
For trade names valued under the relief from royalty income approach, the royalty rate was estimated to be 6.0%. For the developed technology-based intangibles that were valued using the relief from royalty income approach, the royalty rate was estimated to be 4.0% for Behavioral developed technology and 5.0% for Clinical developed technology. For the database intangibles that were valued using the cost approach and direct cost approach, the margin was estimated to be 19.0%. For customer related intangible assets that were valued using the multi-period excess earnings method, the attrition rate was estimated to be 25.0% for Behavioral customers/subscribers and 40.0% for Clinical customers/subscribers. For business-to-business (B2B) customer-related intangible assets that were valued using the multi-period excess earnings method, the attrition rate was estimated to be 10.0%. The discount rate applied to all the above models was 17.0%.
No value was allocated to franchise rights acquired or reported by the Successor in connection with fresh start accounting because future economic benefits from franchise rights were not considered material. Refer to Note 3 “Fresh Start Accounting” for additional information.
Aggregate amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets was recorded in the amounts of $51,888, $12,405, $33,596 and $42,449 for the period from June 25, 2025 through December 31, 2025 (Successor), the period from December 29, 2024 through June 24, 2025 (Predecessor), the fiscal year ended December 28, 2024 (Predecessor) and the fiscal year ended December 30, 2023 (Predecessor), respectively.
Estimated amortization expense of existing finite-lived intangible assets for the next five fiscal years and thereafter is as follows:
Fiscal 2026 |
|
$ |
72,992 |
|
Fiscal 2027 |
|
$ |
45,184 |
|
Fiscal 2028 |
|
$ |
28,519 |
|
Fiscal 2029 |
|
$ |
9,667 |
|
Fiscal 2030 |
|
$ |
9,667 |
|
Thereafter |
|
$ |
4,635 |
|
The Company reviews other indefinite-lived intangible assets for potential impairment on at least an annual basis or more often if events so require. Impairment is assessed by examining underlying assumptions used to determine fair value including projections of future cash flows, revenue growth rates, operating income margins and discount rates. The Company also considers the trading value of both its equity and debt. If the Company determines that it is more likely than not that its indefinite-lived intangible assets may be impaired, it uses a quantitative approach to assess the asset’s fair value and the amount of the impairment, if any.
In performing the annual impairment analyses as of May 4, 2025 (Predecessor), May 5, 2024 (Predecessor) and May 7, 2023 (Predecessor), the Company determined that the carrying values of its franchise rights acquired with indefinite-lived units of account did not exceed their respective fair values and, therefore, no impairments existed.
As discussed above, based on the triggering events indicated during the quarters ended March 29, 2025 (Predecessor), September 28, 2024 (Predecessor) and March 30, 2024 (Predecessor), the Company performed an interim impairment test for all of its franchise rights acquired with indefinite-lived units of account in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (Predecessor), the third quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor) and the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
In performing the impairment analysis for indefinite-lived franchise rights acquired, the fair value for franchise rights acquired is estimated using both a relief from royalty methodology and a discounted cash flow approach referred to as the hypothetical start-up approach. The aggregate estimated fair value for these franchise rights is then compared to the carrying value of the unit of account for these rights. The Company has determined the appropriate unit of account for purposes of assessing impairment to be the rights in the Behavioral business in the country in which the applicable acquisition occurred.
In the Company’s relief from royalty approach analysis, the cash flows associated with the Behavioral business in each country were based on the expected revenue for such country and the application of a royalty rate based on current market terms. In its hypothetical start-up approach analysis, the Company assumed that the year of maturity was reached after 7 years. Subsequent to the year of maturity for the hypothetical start-up approach, the Company estimated future cash flows in each country based on assumptions regarding revenue growth and operating income margins. The cash flows were discounted utilizing rates which were calculated using the weighted average cost of capital, which included the cost of equity and the cost of debt.
In performing the interim franchise rights acquired impairment test at March 29, 2025 (Predecessor), the Company determined that the carrying value of its United States indefinite-lived franchise rights acquired unit of account, which held 100.0% of the Company’s indefinite-lived franchise rights acquired at the March 29, 2025 (Predecessor) balance sheet date, exceeded its fair value. Accordingly, the Company recorded an for its United States unit of account of $27,549 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (Predecessor).
In performing the interim franchise rights acquired impairment test as of September 28, 2024 (Predecessor), the Company determined that the carrying values of its United States and United Kingdom franchise rights acquired with indefinite-lived units of account exceeded their respective fair values. Accordingly, the Company recorded for its United States and United Kingdom units of account of $54,295 and $2,750 (which comprised the remaining balance of franchise rights acquired for the United Kingdom unit of account), respectively, in the third quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
In performing the interim franchise rights acquired impairment test as of March 30, 2024 (Predecessor), the Company determined that the carrying values of its United States, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom franchise rights acquired with indefinite-lived units of account exceeded their respective fair values. Accordingly, the Company recorded for its United States, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom units of account of $251,431, $4,074 (which comprised the remaining balance of franchise rights acquired for the Australia unit of account), $2,328 (which comprised the remaining balance of franchise rights acquired for the New Zealand unit of account) and $155, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor).
The impairment charges recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (Predecessor), the third quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor) and the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (Predecessor) were driven primarily by the weighted average cost of capital used in the interim impairment tests, reflecting market factors, including higher interest rates and the trading values of the Company’s equity and debt, and, to a lesser extent, business performance.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 (Predecessor), the Company had a shift in future strategic priorities and as a result, a triggering event occurred which required the Company to impair the remaining franchise rights acquired balance for the Northern Ireland unit of account, resulting in a franchise rights acquired charge of $47.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 16, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 28, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 28, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 1, 2022 | |
| 2021 | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 25, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 26, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 2, 2016 | |
About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures
Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.
Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.