CURI 8-K
CuriosityStream Inc. (CURI)
8-K
2026-08-26
For: 2026-08-26
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Added on
August 26, 2026
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
_________________________________________
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 26, 2026
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(Exact Name of Issuer as Specified in Charter)
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip code)
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d- 2(b)) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e- 4(c)) | |||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(b) Departure of Chief Financial Officer
On August 26, 2026, CuriosityStream, Inc. (the "Company") announced that Brady Hayden will step down from his position as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective September 1, 2026. Mr. Hayden’s departure is not the result of any disagreement with the Company, its management, the Board of Directors (the "Board"), or any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies, or practices.
(c) Appointment of Chief Financial Officer
On August 26, 2026, the Company announced that the Board has appointed Sean Piche, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective September 1, 2026. Mr. Piche succeeds Mr. Hayden and will report directly to Clint Stinchcomb, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. As Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Piche will oversee the Company’s finance organization, direct financial strategy, manage capital allocation, and align the finance function with the Company's growth objectives.
Mr. Piche, age 52, brings 30 years of finance and accounting experience across media, entertainment, technology, and telecommunications. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Piche provided CFO services to growth companies. Previously, he served as a Partner and Global Media & Entertainment Co-Leader at CFGI, and spent nearly a decade as a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY), advising leading media and technology companies on financial strategy, reporting, and transactions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Piche held senior finance roles at NBCUniversal and Viacom. Mr. Piche is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a B.S. in Accounting from Binghamton University.
(d) Compensatory Arrangements
In connection with his appointment, the Company entered into an employment offer letter with Mr. Piche (the "Offer Letter"). Pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Piche will receive:
•Base Salary: An annualized base salary of $120,000 for the remainder of 2026, increasing to $180,000 effective January 1, 2027.
•Annual Bonus: Annual performance bonus equal to 100% of base salary, calculated based on the Company’s business plan and performance against approved budgets and goals and prorated for a partial year of service during start year
•Equity Incentive: 150,000 restricted stock units under the Company's Inducement Equity Incentive Plan, one half (75,000) vesting on the one-year anniversary of the award date and the remainder vesting in increments of 25,000 units on each of the second, third and fourth anniversaries of the award date.
There are no family relationships between Mr. Piche and any director or executive officer of the Company, and there are no transactions between Mr. Piche and the Company reportable under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The foregoing description of the Offer Letter does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Offer Letter, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
A copy of the press release announcing Mr. Piche's appointment is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited to, CuriosityStream’s expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance or conditions, plans to pay regular dividends, consumers’ valuation of factual content, and the Company’s continued success. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “predicts” or “intends” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those
indicated by such statements. Certain of these risks are identified and discussed under “Risk Factors” in CuriosityStream’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, that the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 25, 2025, and in CuriosityStream’s other SEC filings. These risk factors are important to consider in determining future results and should be reviewed in their entirety.
Forward-looking statements are based on the current belief of the management of CuriosityStream, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events, and involve factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from such statements. However, there can be no assurance that the events, results or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and CuriosityStream is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports that CuriosityStream has filed or will file from time to time with the SEC.
In addition to factors previously disclosed in CuriosityStream’s reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (i) risks related to CuriosityStream’s ability to maintain and develop new and existing revenue-generating relationships and partnerships or to significantly increase CuriosityStream’s subscriber base and retain customers; (ii) the effects of pending and future legislation; (iii) credit risk and counterparty concentration risk; (iv) the highly competitive nature of the internet, online commerce and media industry and CuriosityStream’s ability to compete therein; (v) litigation, complaints, and/or adverse publicity; (vi) the ability to meet Nasdaq’s listing standards; and (vii) privacy and data protection laws, privacy or data breaches, or the loss of data.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d)Exhibits
Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 10.1 | ||||||||
| 99.1 | ||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File | |||||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Current Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| CURIOSITYSTREAM INC. | |||||
| Date:August [26], 2026 | |||||
| /s/ P. Brady Hayden | |||||
| P. Brady Hayden | |||||
| Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | |||||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||||
August 24, 2026
Sean Piche
29 Stoneham Dr.
Livingston, NJ 07039
Dear Sean:
We are delighted to make this offer for you to join Curiosity Inc. (d/b/a Curiosity Stream) as a full-time employee. This letter summarizes the terms and conditions of the offer of employment.
1.Job Title: You would fill the position of Chief Financial Officer, currently reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer, Clint Stinchcomb.
2.Start Date: Your effective start date would be September 1, 2026 (Start Date). For the avoidance of doubt, the July 21, 2026 Services Agreement between Curiosity Stream and Piche Financial Advisory Services LLC will terminate effective August 31, 2026.
3.Salary; Performance Bonus: Your annual base salary will be $120,000 for the remainder of 2026 (i.e., $10,000 per month), increasing to $180,000 effective January 1, 2027 (i.e., $15,000 per month). You will also be eligible for an annual performance bonus in the amount of 100% of your annual base salary, calculated based on the company’s business plan and performance against approved budgets and goals and prorated for a partial year of service during start year (i.e., $40,000 in respect of your service in 2026 if the company’s 2026 annual bonus plan pays out at 100%). No bonus is guaranteed and a bonus should not be relied upon. Any bonus would normally be paid during March or April of the year subsequent to the year in which performance was measured, and participants must be employed by Curiosity Stream through the payment date to be eligible to receive any bonus. Paydays are semi-monthly with pay periods ending on the 15th and on the last day of each month.
4.Long-Term Incentive Plan: Subject to Curiosity Stream’s Board of Directors Compensation
Committee approval, other terms and conditions of Curiosity Stream’s Inducement Equity Incentive
Plan, an award agreement on or about your Start Date, and applicable law, we will award you 150,000 restricted stock units, one half (75,000) vesting on the one-year anniversary of the award date and the remainder vesting in increments of 25,000 units on each of the second, third and fourth anniversaries of the award date.
5.Benefits: You would be eligible for Curiosity Stream’s benefits, including medical and dental coverage, starting the first day of the first month following your Start Date (i.e., October 1). For
information about the company’s vacation and other paid leave policies, please consult the company Employee Handbook, of which you will receive a copy and which is posted on the company intranet. After the three-month anniversary of your Start Date, you will be eligible to enroll in the company- sponsored 401K savings plan at the next scheduled enrollment date (i.e., January 1, 2027).
We understand that you intend to perform the majority of your duties remotely but will be in the company’s offices (and available for other travel) as needed or as reasonably requested. We also understand that Piche Advisory Services LLC is currently under engagement by Men In Blazers and you have the company’s permission to continue such work for Men in Blazers on an ongoing basis provided there continues to be no interference or conflict with your work for Curiosity Stream.
This offer is contingent on completion of a satisfactory background check, satisfactory reference checks and your having the right to work for Curiosity Stream in the United States and valid, up-to-date documentation of the same. In onboarding, you would be required to sign and acknowledge company policies such as confidentiality and code of conduct.
It should be understood that compensation and advancement are based on your performance and the needs of Curiosity Stream at a given time. It is important to note that any oral statements on the part of managers, owners or other employees of Curiosity Stream concerning conditions of employment are superseded by the terms of this letter and other written policies of the company.
The employment relationship between you and Curiosity Stream is based on the mutual consent of you and
Curiosity Stream. Your employment with Curiosity Stream is not for a specified period of time, but rather is “at will”. Accordingly, while we have every hope that the employment relationship will be mutually beneficial and rewarding, you and the company each retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, and Curiosity Stream retains the right to modify your position or compensation at any time, with or without cause or notice. In addition, you will be expected to become familiar with and to abide by the policies contained in the company Employee Handbook, including as it may be modified from time to time.
Further, upon termination of your employment, you will not be eligible to receive any bonus, commission, equity award or any other benefit, except to the extent that, on or before the termination date, your right to receive a benefit has vested in accordance with the express terms and conditions of any employee benefit plan or program in which you participate.
I trust you will find this letter comprehensive and consistent with your discussions with us.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please call me. This offer letter is valid for three days from the date at the top of the letter. Please sign the letter where it indicates your acceptance and return it to my attention.
Sean, we would be proud to have you on our team and look forward to a mutually rewarding association.
Sincerely,
Tia Cudahy
Chief Operating Officer
Accepted: ___________________________________Date: ______8/24/26__________CuriosityStream Appoints Veteran Media Finance Executive
Sean Piche as Chief Financial Officer
Appointment comes as Curi enters next phase of growth following record financial performance
Silver Spring, Md. – CuriosityStream Inc. (Nasdaq: CURI), a leading global factual entertainment media company, today announced the appointment of Sean Piche, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 1, 2026. Piche will report directly to CuriosityStream President and CEO Clint Stinchcomb.
Piche joins CuriosityStream at a pivotal stage in the company’s growth, following record second-quarter financial results and increased full-year guidance for both revenue and adjusted EBITDA. In the second quarter, CuriosityStream reported revenue of $23.2 million, up 22% year over year; record net income of $8.9 million; and record adjusted EBITDA of $11.4 million, up 276% year over year.
With a mission to satisfy the world’s curiosity through premium video and audio that inspires, informs and entertains, CuriosityStream has built a durable and increasingly profitable business generating more than $80 million in annualized revenue and more than $20 million in annualized adjusted EBITDA. From its foundation as a direct-to-consumer subscription service, CuriosityStream has expanded into a diversified media and content business spanning global streaming, distribution and traditional content licensing, while rapidly growing the licensing of premium video, audio and other proprietary content and data for AI training and related applications.
Piche will oversee CuriosityStream’s global finance organization and play a central role in shaping the financial strategy for the company’s next phase of growth, including capital allocation, strategic partnerships and initiatives designed to drive sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value.
“CuriosityStream has entered an important new phase,” said Clint Stinchcomb, President and CEO of CuriosityStream. “We have built a durable, profitable business, delivered the strongest quarterly financial performance in our history and raised our full-year outlook for both revenue and adjusted EBITDA. Sean’s experience is exceptionally well suited to where CuriosityStream is today and where we intend to go. He brings deep media and public-company expertise, an operator’s mindset and significant transactional experience. As we scale our core businesses, capitalize on the rapidly expanding opportunities in AI and traditional licensing and evaluate the full range of opportunities to create shareholder value, Sean is the right financial leader to help drive CuriosityStream’s next stage of growth.”
Piche brings 30 years of finance and accounting experience across media, entertainment, technology and telecommunications, spanning emerging-growth businesses and some of the world’s largest public media and entertainment companies. His career combines senior operating leadership with extensive public-company finance, capital markets and transaction expertise.
Most recently, Piche provided CFO services to growth-stage companies, where he led finance operations, supported the development of new revenue streams and arranged financing to support strategic growth initiatives. Previously, he was a Partner and Global Media & Entertainment Co-Leader at CFGI and spent a decade as a Partner in Ernst & Young’s Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice. During his tenure at EY, he advised leading media and entertainment companies on complex accounting matters, transactions, financial reporting and finance transformation, including Comcast NBCUniversal, Paramount Skydance, SiriusXM, Warner Bros. Discovery and Warner Music Group.
Earlier in his career, Piche held senior finance roles at NBCUniversal and Viacom, with responsibility for financial reporting, technical accounting and accounting operations. He began his career at EY in its Audit and Transaction Advisory Services practices, providing financial due diligence and transaction-structuring support to private equity firms and corporate acquirers. Piche is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Binghamton University.
“CuriosityStream has built a distinctive portfolio of premium intellectual property and demonstrated the ability to create value from those assets across an expanding range of businesses and technologies,” said Piche. “Joining the company at a time of record financial performance, growing profitability and expanding opportunities in AI and traditional licensing is especially exciting. I look forward to working with Clint and the leadership team to build on that momentum, maintain disciplined capital allocation and financial execution, and help drive sustained profitable growth and long-term shareholder value.”
Piche succeeds Brady Hayden, who is departing the company.
“I also want to thank Brady for his many contributions to CuriosityStream,” Stinchcomb said. “His leadership helped put the company in the strong financial position we are in today, and we are grateful for everything he has done for CuriosityStream.”
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited to, CuriosityStream’s expectations regarding future financial performance, capital allocation, growth opportunities, and execution of its strategy. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts—including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events, or results of operations—are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by, or include the words “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “predicts,” “intends,” or similar expressions.
Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, or performance to differ materially from those indicated. Certain of these risks are identified and discussed under “Risk Factors” in CuriosityStream’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2026, and in CuriosityStream’s other SEC filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and CuriosityStream expressly disclaims any obligation to update, alter, or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release includes references to a financial measure, Adjusted EBITDA, that is not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Our use of non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA, has limitations as an analytical tool, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of financial results as reported under GAAP.
We use non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP for planning purposes, including in the preparation of our annual operating budget, as a measure of our core operating results and the effectiveness of our business strategy, and in evaluating our financial performance. These measures provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of core operating results, and also facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA is widely used by investors and securities analysts to measure a company’s operating
performance. We exclude the following items from net income to calculate Adjusted EBITDA: interest and other income (expense), provision for income taxes, depreciation and non-content amortization, loss/(gain) on the change in fair value of our warrants, equity interests loss (gain), impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and content assets, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation.
Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool.
For a reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, see Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on August 12, 2026.
About CuriosityStream Inc.
CuriosityStream Inc. (Nasdaq:CURI) is the entertainment brand for people who want to know more. The global media company is home to award-winning original and curated factual films, shows, and series covering science, nature, history, technology, society, and lifestyle. CuriosityStream is also a leading provider of AI model training datasets, leveraging one of the world's largest and most valuable rights cleared media corpora. The company's portfolio spans millions of hours of premium video and audio, 880 billion tokens of production-grade code rich with developer context, and dozens of bespoke datasets created with proprietary content intelligence tools. CuriosityStream's data licensing partnerships enable leading technology companies to train and fine-tune generative, agentic, and physical AI systems that will power the next era of infrastructure and enterprise capabilities.
CuriosityStream also reaches millions of subscribers worldwide, operating the flagship Curiosity Stream SVOD service; Curiosity Channel, the linear television channel available via global distribution partners; Curiosity University, featuring talks from the best professors at the world's most renowned universities as well as courses, short and long-form videos, and podcasts; Curiosity Now, Curiosity History, Curiosity Animals, Curiosity Explora, and other free, ad-supported channels; Curiosity Audio Network, with original content and podcasts; and Curiosity Studios, which oversees original programming. For more information, visit CuriosityStream.com.
Contacts:
Media
Vanessa Gillon
Investor Relations
Brett Maas