New Strategic Partnerships with The Hockey News and Expansion of Elite Journalist Network to 150+ Former Sports Illustrated Media Professionals

SAN DIEGO, CA, Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) (“RYVYL” or the “Company”) today highlighted recent developments achieved by its planned merger partner, Roundtable, including a long-term strategic partnership with The Hockey News and the onboarding of 50 additional Sports Illustrated journalists, expanding its platform to more than 150 former Sports Illustrated media professionals.

The Hockey News Partnership & Board Appointment

Roundtable recently executed a 10-year strategic partnership agreement with The Hockey News, a major sports media brand, encompassing all commerce, media, and platform operations with a $15 million title sponsorship commitment.

Graeme Roustan, founder and CEO of The Hockey News and former Chairman of Bauer Hockey, has agreed to join Roundtable's board of directors, with his position surviving the anticipated merger with RYVYL.

Leading Journalist Network Expansion

Subsequent to its initial September 2025 announcement of over 100 journalists joining Roundtable's Web3 platform, Roundtable has onboarded an additional 50 former Sports Illustrated journalists, bringing the total to more than 150 elite journalists now operating on their platform. The expansion includes Mike Fisher, a Dallas Cowboys NFL insider reporter who was the top revenue producer for Sports Illustrated, generating over $4 million in annualized revenue, and whose content reached millions of users.

Management Commentary

“Our recent momentum has expanded the reach of our platform and validates our thesis that professional media organizations and leading journalists recognize the value of owning their audience relationships and controlling their distribution,” said James Heckman, Founder and CEO of Roundtable. “The Hockey News partnership and the additional journalists joining our platform demonstrate that independent, high-quality sports content creators are choosing our Web3-native solution to maximize audience engagement and revenue ownership. We are excited to onboard these additional content providers as we continue to execute on the growth of our differentiated, scalable media infrastructure platform.”

About the Planned Transaction

RYVYL anticipates completing its merger with Roundtable in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.

About RYVYL

RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) operates a digital payment processing business enabling transactions around the globe and provides payment solutions for underserved markets. RYVYL has developed applications enabling an end-to-end suite of turnkey financial products, with enhanced security and data privacy, world-class identity theft protection, and rapid speed to settlement. www.ryvyl.com

About Roundtable (RTB Digital, Inc.)

Roundtable is a Web3, digital media SaaS platform company, providing white-label, full stack distribution, community, publishing and monetization for professional media brands and journalists - fortified and powered by a digital liquidity pool integrated into the platform. Visit RTB.io.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements that are characterized by future or conditional words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," “believe," "estimate" and "continue" or similar words. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss future expectations and plans, which contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition or state other forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the timing and effects of the Reverse Stock Split. By their nature, forward-looking statements address matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements, including the risk that the Reverse Stock Split will not guarantee that the Company regains compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements or will remain in compliance with all other requirements for continued listing on Nasdaq. Other risk factors affecting the Company are discussed in detail in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.

RYVYL IR Contact:

Richard Land, Alliance Advisors Investor Relations
973-873-7686, ryvylinvestor@allianceadvisors.com

Roundtable PR Contact:

Mehab Qureshi, RTB Digital Inc.
+91 90289 77198, mehab@roundtable.io