Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2026 | |
| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Consolidation | Basis of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MarketWise, Inc. and its subsidiary, MarketWise, LLC, a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which MarketWise, Inc. is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. MarketWise, Inc. is a holding company that owns a minority economic interest in MarketWise, LLC but, through its role as the managing member of MarketWise, LLC, controls all of the business and operations of MarketWise, LLC. Therefore, MarketWise, LLC and its subsidiaries are included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements (“financial statements”). As of June 30, 2026 and as of December 31, 2025, MarketWise, Inc. had a 17.0% and 15.2% ownership interest in MarketWise, LLC, respectively. The Company determined that MarketWise, LLC is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, and therefore, the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of that VIE are included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
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| Unaudited Interim Financial Information | Unaudited Interim Financial Information The accompanying unaudited financial statements and the related footnote disclosures have been prepared by us in accordance with GAAP for interim financial reporting and as required by Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the unaudited financial statements may not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for audited financial statements. The year-end December 31, 2025 consolidated balance sheet data included herein was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of items of a normal and recurring nature, necessary to present fairly our financial position as of June 30, 2026, the results of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The information contained herein should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the SEC. Management considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of issuance of these condensed financial statements.
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| Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying financial statements include, but are not limited to, the fair value of common units, estimates of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability, useful lives of intangible assets with definite lives, benefit period of deferred contract acquisition costs, determination of standalone selling prices, estimated life of lifetime customers, recoverability of goodwill and long-lived assets, valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, the incremental borrowing rates to calculate lease liabilities and right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and certain accruals. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjust those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
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| Reverse Stock Split | Reverse Stock Split Effective as of April 2, 2025, the Company effected a reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”) of the Company’s shares of Class A and Class B common stock at a ratio of 1-for-20 as approved by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and stockholders. The Reverse Stock Split proportionately decreased the number of shares of common stock authorized under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation. The number of shares of authorized Class A common stock was reduced from 950,000,000 shares to 47,500,000 shares and the number of shares of authorized Class B common stock was reduced from 300,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares. The number of authorized shares of preferred stock remained unchanged. Proportional adjustments were made to (i) the per share exercise price and number of shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding equity awards, including Sponsor Earnout Shares and Management Earnout Shares (as defined and discussed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 28, 2021); and (ii) the number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan and employee stock purchase plan. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Holders of fractional shares as a result of the Reverse Stock Split were paid in cash, with reference to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on April 2, 2025 (adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split), without interest. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements give retroactive effect to the Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented, unless otherwise specified.
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| Noncontrolling Interest | Noncontrolling Interest Noncontrolling interest represents the Company’s noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries which are not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the controlling Class A common stock ownership of the Company. Net income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 was attributable to consolidated MarketWise, Inc. and its respective noncontrolling interests. As of June 30, 2026, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 17.0% and the noncontrolling interest was 83.0%. For the three months ended June 30, 2026, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $156 thousand tax benefit, and for six months ended June 30, 2026, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $94 thousand tax benefit, both of which were 100% attributable to the controlling interest. As of June 30, 2025, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 14.8% and the noncontrolling interest was 85.2%. For the three months ended June 30, 2025, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $613 thousand tax provision, and for the six months ended June 30, 2025, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $1.7 million tax provision, both of which were 100% attributable to the controlling interest.
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| Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted | Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-11 to amend the guidance in Interim Reporting (Topic 270). The update provides clarifications intended to improve the consistency and usability of interim disclosure requirements, including a comprehensive listing of required interim disclosures and a new disclosure principle for reporting material events occurring after the most recent annual period. The amendments do not change the underlying objectives of interim reporting but are designed to enhance clarity in application. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027, including interim periods within those fiscal years. In September 2025, FASB issued ASU 2025-06, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software. The amendments revise the capitalization criteria for internal-use software costs and eliminate stage-based development guidance. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024‑03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosure (Subtopic 220‑40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The ASU requires public business entities to provide enhanced disclosures disaggregating certain income statement expense captions by natural expense category. The amendments do not change the recognition, measurement, or presentation of expenses on the face of the income statement, but instead require additional tabular disclosures in the notes to the financial statements. The required disclosures include, as applicable, disaggregation of relevant expense captions into prescribed categories such as employee compensation, depreciation, and amortization. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting these standards on its disclosures and related processes and controls. Adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company plans to adopt these standards when they become effective, and have no plans for early adoption.
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| Reclassifications | Reclassifications Certain prior period amounts presented within financing activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. Specifically, the Company began separately presenting “tax distributions to noncontrolling interests” and “other distributions to noncontrolling interests” during the nine months ended September 30, 2025, which were previously combined as “distributions to noncontrolling interests”.
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