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Other Investments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Other Investments
7. Other Investments

The Company had the following other investments at September 30, 2016:

 

Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (“DCIP”), equity method investment

   $ 88,108   

AC JV, LLC, equity method investment

     7,389   

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (“DCDC”), equity method investment

     3,373   

Other

     1,751   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 100,621   
  

 

 

 

Below is a summary of activity for each of the investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:

 

     DCIP     RealD     AC JV,
LLC
     DCDC      Other      Total  

Balance at January 1, 2016

   $ 71,579      $ 12,900     $ 7,269       $ 2,562      $ 663      $ 94,973   

Cash contributions

     706        —          —           —           1,000         1,706   

Equity in income

     16,006        —          120         811         —           16,937   

Equity in comprehensive loss

     (183     —          —           —           —           (183

Sale of investment (1)

     —          (12,900     —           —           —           (12,900

Other

     —          —          —           —           88         88   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance at September 30, 2016

   $ 88,108      $ —        $ 7,389       $ 3,373       $ 1,751       $ 100,621   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1) See further discussion of the sale of the investment held by the Company under RealD, Inc. below.

Digital Cinema Implementation Partners LLC

On February 12, 2007, the Company, AMC and Regal entered into a joint venture known as DCIP to facilitate the implementation of digital cinema in the Company’s theatres and to establish agreements with major motion picture studios for the financing of digital cinema. On March 10, 2010, the Company signed a master equipment lease agreement and other related agreements (collectively the “Agreements”) with Kasima LLC (“Kasima”), which is an indirect subsidiary of DCIP and a related party to the Company. Upon signing the Agreements, the Company contributed the majority of its U.S. digital projection systems to DCIP, which DCIP then contributed to Kasima. The Company has a variable interest in Kasima through the terms of its master equipment lease agreement; however, the Company has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of Kasima, as the Company does not have the ability to direct the activities of Kasima that most significantly impact Kasima’s economic performance. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had a 33% voting interest in DCIP and a 24.3% economic interest in DCIP. The Company accounts for its investment in DCIP and its subsidiaries under the equity method of accounting.

 

Below is summary financial information for DCIP for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015.

 

     Three Months Ended      Nine Months Ended  
     September 30, 2016      September 30, 2015      September 30, 2016      September 30, 2015  

Revenues

   $ 48,274       $ 43,129       $ 133,675       $ 123,731   

Operating income

   $ 31,180       $ 26,178       $ 82,369       $ 72,945   

Net income

   $ 26,949       $ 20,189       $ 67,728       $ 54,153   

As of September 30, 2016, the Company had 3,788 digital projection systems being leased under the master equipment lease agreement with Kasima. The Company had the following transactions, recorded in utilities and other on the condensed consolidated statements of income, with DCIP during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015:

 

     Three Months Ended
September 30,
     Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
     2016      2015      2016      2015  

Equipment lease payments

   $ 1,333       $ 1,084       $ 3,864       $ 3,133   

Warranty reimbursements from DCIP

   $ (1,608    $ (1,137    $ (4,367    $ (3,124

Management services fees

   $ 207       $ 205       $ 619       $ 619   

RealD, Inc.

The Company licenses 3-D systems from RealD. Under its license agreement with RealD, the Company earned options to purchase shares of RealD common stock as it installed a certain number of 3-D systems as outlined in the license agreement. During 2010 and 2011, the Company vested in a total of 1,222,780 RealD options. Upon vesting in these options, the Company recorded an investment in RealD and a deferred lease incentive liability using the estimated fair value of the RealD options at the time of vesting. During March 2011, the Company exercised all of its options to purchase shares of common stock in RealD for $0.00667 per share.

On March 22, 2016, an affiliate of Rizvi Traverse Management, LLC acquired RealD for $11.00 per share. As a result of the transaction, the Company sold its shares for approximately $13,451 and recognized a gain of $3,742, which included the recognition of a cumulative unrealized holding gain of $3,191 previously recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The gain is reflected as gain on sale of assets and other on the condensed consolidated statement of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The Company used the proceeds to make a pre-payment on its term loan in accordance with the terms of its senior secured credit facility (see Note 4).

AC JV, LLC

During December 2013, the Company, Regal, AMC (the “AC Founding Members”) and NCM entered into a series of agreements that resulted in the formation of AC JV, LLC (“AC”), a new joint venture that now owns “Fathom Events” (consisting of Fathom Events and Fathom Consumer Events) formerly operated by NCM. The Fathom Events business focuses on the marketing and distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment programming to various theatre operators to provide additional programs to augment their feature film schedule. The Fathom Consumer Events business includes live and pre-recorded concerts featuring contemporary music, opera and symphony, DVD product releases and marketing events, theatrical premieres, Broadway plays, live sporting events and other special events. The Company paid event fees of $7,808 and $9,031 for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are included in film rentals and advertising costs on the condensed consolidated statements of income.

AC was formed by the AC Founding Members and NCM. NCM, under a contribution agreement, contributed the assets associated with its Fathom Events division to AC in exchange for 97% ownership of the Class A Units of AC. Under a separate contribution agreement, the Founding Members each contributed cash of approximately $268 to AC in exchange for 1% of the Class A Units of AC. Subsequently, NCM and the Founding Members entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, under which NCM sold each of the Founding Members 31% of its Class A Units in AC, the aggregate value of which was determined to be $25,000, in exchange for a six-year Promissory Note. Each of the Founding Members’ Promissory Notes were originally for $8,333, bear interest at 5% per annum and require annual principal and interest payments, with the first of such payments made during December 2014. The remaining outstanding balance of the note payable from the Company to AC as of September 30, 2016 was $5,555.

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (“DCDC”) is a joint venture among the Company, Universal, Warner Bros., AMC and Regal. DCDC operates a satellite distribution network that distributes all digital content to U.S. theatres via satellite. The Company has an approximate 14.6% ownership in DCDC. The Company paid approximately $707 and $542 during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, related to content delivery services provided by DCDC. These fees are included in film rentals and advertising costs on the condensed consolidated statements of income.