LIONSGATE REPORTS RESULTS FOR THIRD QUARTER FISCAL 2024

Third Quarter Revenue was $975.1 Million; Operating Loss was $43.5 Million; Cash Flows Provided by Operating Activities was $71.1 Million

Net Loss Attributable to Lionsgate Shareholders was $106.6 Million or $0.45 Diluted Net Loss Per Share

Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Lionsgate Shareholders was $65.0 Million or $0.27 Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share

Adjusted OIBDA was $150.9 Million and Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $63.9 Million

STARZ Gains 700K North American (U.S. & Canada) OTT Subscribers Sequentially in the Quarter and Adds 340K Net Overall North American Subscribers While Maintaining Mid-Teens Profit Margins

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF, LGF.B))) today reported third quarter (quarter ended December 31, 2023) revenue of $975.1 million, operating loss of $43.5 million, and net loss attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $106.6 million or $0.45 diluted net loss per share on 235.1 million diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. Adjusted net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders in the quarter was $65.0 million or $0.27 adjusted diluted net earnings per share on 236.7 million diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.  Adjusted OIBDA was $150.9 million in the quarter. 

"We're pleased to report another strong financial quarter in which the performance of our diversified businesses gives us confidence that we can continue to deliver the growth our investors expect," said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. "The investments we made in the quarter to acquire eOne and expand our partnership with 3 Arts, along with our plan to launch Lionsgate Studios as an independent, publicly-traded pure play content company, will continue to enhance the strength of our businesses moving forward."

Trailing 12-month revenue from Lionsgate's film and television library was $784 million.  Though the Q3 fiscal 2023 licensing of Schitt's Creek is no longer included in trailing 12-month library revenue, library revenue grew year-over-year excluding Schitt's Creek and grew sequentially in the quarter as well.  Lionsgate ended the quarter with $283 million in unrestricted cash.  Studio backlog from the Motion Picture and Television Production segments was $1.6 billion at December 31, 2023.

Third Quarter Results

The Studio Business, comprised of the Motion Picture and Television Production segments, reported revenue of $691.6 million, a decrease of 23% from $894.2 million in the prior year quarter.  Segment profit of $108.5 million decreased by 27% from $148.0 million in the prior year quarter.  

Motion Picture segment revenue increased by 53% to $443.2 million compared to the prior year quarter, and segment profit increased by 31% to $100.4 million compared to the prior year quarter.  Motion Picture revenue growth was driven by the strong worldwide box office performance of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Saw X, and segment profit was driven by the lift the current Hunger Games release provided to the library performance of previous Hunger Games titles, the ancillary market performance of John Wick: Chapter Four and Saw X, and the continued strength of multiplatform releases.

Television Production segment revenue and segment profit decreased to $248.4 million and $8.1 million, respectively, compared to segment revenue of $605.4 million and segment profit of $71.5 million in the prior year quarter.  The revenue and segment profit decline were driven by the strikes' impact on episodic deliveries and our talent management business as well as the comparison with the fiscal third quarter 2023's licensing of Schitt's Creek.

Media Networks North American OTT subscribers grew by 700K sequentially in the quarter and overall North American net subscribers grew by 340K.  Media Networks segment revenue was up 10% year-over-year to $417.2 million compared to $380.3 million in the prior year quarter.  Segment revenue was driven by growth in domestic streaming revenue and LIONSGATE+ revenue, partially offset by lower domestic linear revenue. Segment profit grew 73% to $85.5 million compared to $49.5 million in the prior year quarter, driven by growth in domestic segment profit as well as accelerated revenue recognition associated with LIONSGATE+'s exit of Latin America.  Domestic revenue grew on a sequential basis for the second quarter in a row.

Lionsgate senior management will hold its analyst and investor conference call to discuss its fiscal 2024 third quarter results today, February 8^th, at 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT.  Interested parties may listen to the live webcast by visiting the events page on the Lionsgate Investor Relations website or via the following link.  A full replay will become available this evening by clicking the same link. 

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF, LGF.B))) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world.  The Company's film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a more than 20,000-title and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide. 

For further information, investors should contact:

Nilay Shah

310-255-3651

[email protected]

For media inquiries, please contact:

Peter D. Wilkes

310-255-3726

[email protected]

The matters discussed in this press release include forward-looking statements, including those regarding the performance of future fiscal years.  Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to: changes in our business strategy including the plan to potentially spin-off our studio business; possible delays in closing, or the inability to close, the Business Combination Agreement entered into on December 22, 2023; the substantial investment of capital required to produce and market films and television series; budget overruns; limitations imposed by our credit facilities and notes; unpredictability of the commercial success of our motion pictures and television programming; risks related to acquisition and integration of acquired businesses; the effects of dispositions of businesses or assets, including individual films or libraries; the cost of defending our intellectual property; technological changes and other trends affecting the entertainment industry; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships; the impact of global pandemics on our business; weakness in the global economy and financial markets, including a recession and past and future bank failures; wars, terrorism and multiple international conflicts that could cause significant economic disruption and political and social instability; labor disruptions and strikes; and the other risk factors set forth in Lionsgate's Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2024.  The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances.

Additional Information Available on Website

The information in this press release should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and footnotes contained in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, which has been posted on the Company's website at http://investors.lionsgate.com/financial-reports/sec-filings.  Trending schedules containing certain financial information will also be available at https://investors.lionsgate.com/financial-reports/quarterly-results/2024.

 

 

 

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP.

SEGMENT INFORMATION

The Company's reportable segments have been determined based on the distinct nature of their operations, the Company's internal management structure, and the financial information that is evaluated regularly by the Company's chief operating decision maker.

The Company has three reportable business segments: (1) Motion Picture, (2) Television Production and (3) Media Networks. We refer to our Motion Picture and Television Production segments collectively as our Studio Business.

Studio Business:

Motion Picture. Motion Picture consists of the development and production of feature films, acquisition of North American and worldwide distribution rights, North American theatrical, home entertainment and television distribution of feature films produced and acquired, and worldwide licensing of distribution rights to feature films produced and acquired.

Television Production. Television Production consists of the development, production and worldwide distribution of television productions including television series, television movies and mini-series, and non-fiction programming. Television Production includes the licensing of Starz original series productions to Starz Networks and LIONSGATE+, and the ancillary market distribution of Starz original productions and licensed product. Additionally, the Television Production segment includes the results of operations of 3 Arts Entertainment.

Media Networks Business:

Media Networks. Media Networks consists of the following product lines (i) Starz Networks, which includes the domestic distribution of STARZ branded premium subscription video services through over-the-top ("OTT") platforms, on a direct-to-consumer basis through the Starz App, and through U.S. multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs") including cable operators, satellite television providers and telecommunication companies (collectively, "Distributors") (in the aggregate, the "Starz Domestic Platform"); and (ii) LIONSGATE+, which represents revenues primarily from the OTT distribution of the Company's STARZ branded premium subscription video services outside of the U.S. The Starz Domestic Platform together with the LIONSGATE+ platforms are referred to as the "Starz Platforms".

In the ordinary course of business, the Company's reportable segments enter into transactions with one another. The most common types of intersegment transactions include licensing motion pictures or television programming (including Starz original productions) from the Motion Picture and Television Production segments to the Media Networks segment. While intersegment transactions are treated like third-party transactions to determine segment performance, the revenues (and corresponding expenses, assets, or liabilities recognized by the segment that is the counterparty to the transaction) are eliminated in consolidation and, therefore, do not affect consolidated results.

 

The Company's primary measure of segment performance is segment profit. Segment profit is defined as segment revenues, less segment direct operating and segment distribution and marketing expense, less segment general and administration expenses. Total segment profit represents the sum of segment profit for our individual segments, net of eliminations for intersegment transactions. Segment profit and total segment profit excludes, when applicable, corporate general and administrative expense, restructuring and other costs, share-based compensation, certain programming and content charges as a result of changes in management and/or programming and content strategy, certain charges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, charges resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and purchase accounting and related adjustments. Segment profit is a GAAP financial measure.

We also present above our total segment profit for all of our segments and the sum of our Motion Picture and Television Production segment profit as our "Studio Business" segment profit. Total segment profit and Studio Business segment profit, when presented outside of the segment information and reconciliations included in the notes to our consolidated financial statements, is considered a non-GAAP financial measure, and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with United States GAAP. We use this non-GAAP measure, among other measures, to evaluate the aggregate operating performance of our business.

 

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP.

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)

Subscriber Data. The number of period-end service subscribers is a key metric which management uses to evaluate a non-ad supported subscription video service.  We believe this key metric provides useful information to investors as a growing or decreasing subscriber base is a key indicator of the health of the overall business. Service subscribers may impact revenue differently depending on specific distribution agreements we have with our distributors which may include fixed fees, rates per basic video household or a rate per STARZ subscriber. The following table sets forth, for the periods presented, subscriptions to our Media Networks and STARZPLAY Arabia services, excluding LIONSGATE+ subscribers in territories exited or to be exited:

 

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP.

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This earnings release presents the following important financial measures utilized by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (the "Company," "we," "us" or "our") that are not all financial measures defined by generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, among other measures, to evaluate the operating performance of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are in addition to, not a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with United States GAAP.

Adjusted OIBDA: Adjusted OIBDA is defined as operating income (loss) before adjusted depreciation and amortization ("OIBDA"), adjusted for adjusted share-based compensation ("adjusted SBC"), purchase accounting and related adjustments, restructuring and other costs, certain charges (benefits) related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, certain programming and content charges as a result of management changes and/or changes in strategy, and unusual gains or losses (such as goodwill and intangible asset impairment and charges related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine), when applicable.

• Adjusted depreciation and amortization represents depreciation and amortization as presented on our consolidated statement of operations, less the depreciation and amortization related to the amortization of purchase accounting and related adjustments associated with recent acquisitions. Accordingly, the full impact of the purchase accounting is included in the adjustment for "purchase accounting and related adjustments", described below.
• Adjusted share-based compensation represents share-based compensation excluding the impact of the acceleration of certain vesting schedules for equity awards pursuant to certain severance arrangements, which are included in restructuring and other expenses, when applicable.
• Restructuring and other includes restructuring and severance costs, certain transaction and other costs, and certain unusual items, when applicable.
• COVID-19 related charges or benefits include incremental costs associated with the pausing and restarting of productions including paying/hiring certain cast and crew, maintaining idle facilities and equipment costs, and when applicable, certain motion picture and television impairments and development charges associated with changes in performance expectations or the feasibility of completing the project resulting from circumstances associated with the COVID-19 global pandemic, net of insurance recoveries, which are included in direct operating expense, when applicable. In addition, the costs include early or contractual marketing spends for film releases and events that have been canceled or delayed and will provide no economic benefit, which are included in distribution and marketing expense, when applicable.
• Programming and content charges include certain charges as a result of changes in management and/or changes in programming and content strategy, which are included in direct operating expenses, when applicable.
• Purchase accounting and related adjustments primarily represent the amortization of non-cash fair value adjustments to certain assets acquired in recent acquisitions. These adjustments include the accretion of the noncontrolling interest discount related to Pilgrim Media Group and 3 Arts Entertainment, the non-cash charge for the amortization of the recoupable portion of the purchase price and the expense associated with the noncontrolling equity interests in the distributable earnings related to 3 Arts Entertainment, all of which are accounted for as compensation and are included in general and administrative expense.

Adjusted OIBDA is calculated similar to how the Company defines segment profit and manages and evaluates its segment operations. Segment profit also excludes corporate general and administrative expense.

Total Segment Profit and Studio Business Segment Profit and Studio Business Adjusted OIBDA: We present the sum of our Motion Picture and Television Production segment profit as our "Studio Business" segment profit, and we define our Studio Business Adjusted OIBDA as Studio Business segment profit less corporate general and administrative expenses. Total segment profit and Studio Business segment profit and Studio Business Adjusted OIBDA, when presented outside of the segment information and reconciliations included in our consolidated financial statements, is considered a non-GAAP financial measure, and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with United States GAAP. We use this non-GAAP measure, among other measures, to evaluate the aggregate operating performance of our business.

The Company believes the presentation of total segment profit and Studio Business segment profit is relevant and useful for investors because it allows investors to view total segment performance in a manner similar to the primary method used by the Company's management and enables them to understand the fundamental performance of the Company's businesses before non-operating items. Total segment profit and Studio Business segment profit is considered an important measure of the Company's performance because it reflects the aggregate profit contribution from the Company's segments, both in total and for the Studio Business and represents a measure, consistent with our segment profit, that eliminates amounts that, in management's opinion, do not necessarily reflect the fundamental performance of the Company's businesses, are infrequent in occurrence, and in some cases are non-cash expenses. Not all companies calculate segment profit or total segment profit in the same manner, and segment profit and total segment profit as defined by the Company may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies due to differences in the methods of calculation and excluded items.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow is typically defined as net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, less capital expenditures. The Company defines Adjusted Free Cash Flow as net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, less capital expenditures, plus or minus the net increase or decrease in production and related loans (which includes our production tax credit facility), plus or minus certain unusual or non-recurring items, such as insurance recoveries on prior shareholder litigation, proceeds from the termination of interest rate swaps, and payments on impaired content in territories exited or to be exited.

The adjustment for the production and related loans, exclusive of our production tax credit facility, is made because the GAAP based cash flows from operations reflects a non-cash reduction of cash flows for the cost of films and television programs prior to the time the Company pays for the film or television program through the payment of the associated production or related loan which occurs at or near completion of the production, or in some cases, over the period revenues and cash receipts are being generated, as more fully described below.

The cost of producing films and television programs, which is reflected as a reduction of the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, is often financed through production loans. The adjustment for production and related loans is made in order to better align the timing of the cash flows associated with producing films and television programs with the timing of the repayment of the production loans, which is consistent with how management views its production cash spend and manages the Company's cash flows and working capital needs. Borrowings on production loans offset the spend on investment in films reflected in the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities and thus increase the Adjusted Free Cash Flows as compared to the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities and subsequent payments on production loans reflect the payment for the production of the film or TV program and reduce Adjusted Free Cash Flows as compared to the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities.

The adjustment for the production tax credit facility is made to better reflect the timing of the cash requirements of the production, since a portion of the amounts expended initially are later refunded through the receipt of the tax credit, as more fully described below. The production tax credit facility reduces the timing difference between the payments for production cost and the receipt of the tax credit and thus reflects the cash cost of the film or television program at or near the time the film or television program is produced and completed.

Part of the cost of a film or television program is effectively funded through obtaining government incentives, however, the incentives are not received until a future period which could be a few years after the completion of the film. The tax credit facility reflects borrowings collateralized by the tax credits to be received in the future and thus by including these borrowings in Adjusted Free Cash Flow it has the effect of better aligning the receipt of the tax credits with the timing of the production and completion of the film and television programs, which is consistent with how management views its production cash spend and manages the Company's cash flows and working capital needs. Borrowings under the tax credit facility reduce the cash spend reflected in the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities and thus increase adjusted free cash flows and payments on the tax credit facility offset the tax credit receivable collection reflected in the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities and reduce adjusted free cash flows as compared to the GAAP based cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities.

The Company believes that it is more meaningful to reflect the impact of the payment for these films and television programs when the payments are made under the production loans and the receipt of the tax credit when the film is being produced in its Adjusted Free Cash Flow.

The adjustment for the payments on impaired content represents cash payments made on impaired content in territories exited or to be exited under the LIONSGATE+ international restructuring. The adjustment is made because these cash payments relate to content in territories the Company has exited or is exiting, and therefore the cash payments are not reflective of the ongoing operations of the Company.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Shareholders: Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. shareholders is defined as net income (loss) attributable to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. shareholders, adjusted for share-based compensation, purchase accounting and related adjustments, restructuring and other items, insurance recoveries on prior shareholder litigation and net gains or losses on investments and other, gain or loss on extinguishment of debt, certain programming and content charges, COVID-19 related charges (benefit), and unusual gains or losses (such as goodwill and intangible asset impairment and charges related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine), when applicable, as described in the Adjusted OIBDA definition, net of the tax effect of the adjustments at the applicable effective tax rate for each adjustment and net of the impact of the adjustments on noncontrolling interest.

Adjusted Basic and Diluted EPS: Adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share is defined as adjusted net income (loss) attributable to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. shareholders divided by the weighted average shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but is adjusted for the effects of securities that are diluted based on the level of adjusted net income (loss), similar to GAAP. 

Overall: These measures are non-GAAP financial measures as defined in Regulation G promulgated by the SEC and are in addition to, not a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with United States GAAP.

We use these non-GAAP measures, among other measures, to evaluate the operating performance of our business. We believe these measures provide useful information to investors regarding our results of operations and cash flows before non-operating items. Adjusted OIBDA is considered an important measure of the Company's performance because this measure eliminates amounts that, in management's opinion, do not necessarily reflect the fundamental performance of the Company's businesses, are infrequent in occurrence, and in some cases are non-cash expenses. Adjusted Free Cash Flow is considered an important measure of the Company's liquidity because it provides information about the ability of the Company to reduce net corporate debt, make strategic investments, dividends and share repurchases. Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Shareholders and Adjusted EPS are considered important measures of the Company's business operations as, similar to Adjusted OIBDA, these measures eliminate amounts that, in management's opinion, do not necessarily reflect the fundamental performance of the Company's businesses.

These non-GAAP measures are commonly used in the entertainment industry and by financial analysts and others who follow the industry to measure operating performance. However, not all companies calculate these measures in the same manner and the measures as presented may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies due to differences in the methods of calculation and excluded items.

A general limitation of these non-GAAP financial measures is that they are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. These measures should be reviewed in conjunction with the relevant GAAP financial measures and are not presented as alternative measures of operating income, cash flow, net income (loss), or earnings (loss) per share as determined in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of the adjusted metrics utilized to their corresponding GAAP metrics are provided below.

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE Lionsgate