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Accounting Policies (Policy)
 6 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Principles Of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of The Madison Square Garden Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Change in Accounting Principle

Change in Accounting Principle

Effective July 1, 2011, the Company changed the date of its annual impairment test for goodwill from February 28th to August 31st. This change was made in connection with the change in the Company's fiscal year-end from December 31st to June 30th. This change in the annual impairment test date coincides with the timing of when the Company prepares its annual budget and financial plans. These financial plans are a key component in estimating the fair value of the Company's reporting units, which is the basis for performing its annual impairment test. The Company believes that the change in its annual impairment test date is preferable as it allows the Company to utilize its most current projections in the annual impairment test.
Use Of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Such estimates include the valuation of accounts receivable, goodwill, intangible assets, other long-lived assets, tax accruals and other liabilities. In addition, estimates are used in revenue recognition, revenue sharing expense (net of escrow), income tax expense, performance and share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, and the allowance for losses. Management believes its use of estimates in the consolidated financial statements to be reasonable.

Management evaluates its estimates on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the general economic environment and actions it may take in the future. The Company adjusts such estimates when facts and circumstances dictate. However, these estimates may involve significant uncertainties and judgments and cannot be determined with precision. In addition, these estimates are based on management's best judgment at a point in time and as such these estimates may ultimately differ from actual results. Changes in estimates resulting from weakness in the economic environment or other factors beyond the Company's control could be material and would be reflected in the Company's financial statements in future periods.

New CBA NBA

New NBA CBA and Revenue Sharing Arrangements

The predecessor NBA CBA expired June 30, 2011, and effective July 1, 2011, the NBA declared a lockout of NBA players. In December 2011, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association ("NBPA") entered into a new CBA and the NBA Board of Governors adopted a new revenue sharing plan. The delay in reaching an agreement with the NBPA on the terms of a new CBA delayed the start of the 2011-12 NBA regular season by approximately two months until December 25, 2011. The Company's results of operations for the three and six months ended December 31, 2011 were negatively impacted by the NBA work stoppage. Set forth below is a summary of the principal aspects of the new NBA CBA and revenue sharing plan.

NBA CBA. The new NBA CBA was entered into in December 2011 and expires after the 2020-21 season (although the NBA and NBPA each has the right to terminate the CBA following the 2016-17 season). The NBA CBA contains a "soft" salary cap (i.e., a cap on each team's aggregate player salaries but with certain exceptions that enable teams to pay more, sometimes substantially more, than the cap).
NBA Luxury Tax

NBA Luxury Tax. Amounts in this paragraph are in thousands, except for luxury tax rates. The NBA CBA provides for a luxury tax that is applicable to all teams with aggregate player salaries exceeding a threshold that is set prior to each season based upon projected league-wide revenues (as defined under the CBA). A team's luxury tax for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons will continue to be generally equal to the amount by which the team's aggregate player salaries exceed such threshold. Beginning with the 2013-14 season, the tax rates for teams with aggregate player salaries above such threshold will start at $1.50 for each $1.00 of team salary above the threshold up to $5,000 and scale up to $3.25 for each $1.00 of team salary that is from $15,000 to $20,000 over the threshold, and an additional tax rate increment of $0.50 applies for each additional $5,000 (or part thereof) of team salary in excess of $20,000 over the threshold. In addition, for teams that are taxpayers in at least four of any five seasons beginning in 2011-12, the above tax rates are increased by $1.00 for each increment. For the 2011-12 season, 100% of the aggregate luxury tax payments collected by the league will be used as a funding source for the revenue sharing plan described below; beginning with the 2012-13 season, 50% of such payments will be used as a funding source for the revenue sharing plan and the remaining 50% of such payments will be distributed in equal shares to non-taxpaying teams. As of December 31, 2011, we do not project the Knicks to be a luxury tax payer for the 2011-12 season.

NBA Escrow System Revenue Sharing

NBA Escrow System/Revenue Sharing. The NBA CBA also provides that players collectively receive a designated percentage of league-wide revenues as compensation (approximately 51% in the 2011-12 season and approximately 50% thereafter), and the teams retain the remainder. The percentage of league-wide revenues paid as compensation and retained by the teams does not apply evenly across all teams and accordingly we may pay our players a higher or lower portion of our revenues than other NBA teams. Throughout each season, NBA teams withhold 10% of each player's salary and contribute the withheld amounts to an escrow account. If the league's aggregate player compensation exceeds the designated percentage of league-wide revenues, some or all of such escrowed amounts are distributed equally to all NBA teams. In the event that the league's aggregate player compensation is below the designated percentage of league-wide revenues, the teams will remit the shortfall to the NBPA for distribution to the players.

The NBA has also instituted a revenue sharing plan that, beginning in the 2011-12 season, generally requires the distribution of a pool of funds to teams with below-average net revenues (as defined in the plan), subject to reduction or elimination based on individual team market size and profitability. The plan will be funded by a combination of disproportionate contributions from teams with above-average net revenues, subject to certain profit-based limits (each as defined in the plan); aggregate league-wide luxury tax proceeds (100% of proceeds for the 2011-12 season, 50% of proceeds for all seasons beginning with the 2012-13 season) (see above); and, beginning with the 2012-13 season, collective league sources, if necessary. Additional amounts may also be distributed on a discretionary basis, funded by assessments on playoff ticket revenues and through collective league sources. The total amount to be distributed to recipient teams will be substantially greater than the amounts paid under the NBA revenue assistance program in effect prior to the 2011-12 season, which was subject to a league-wide aggregate maximum of $54,500 in the 2010-11 season. In turn, we anticipate that the Knicks will be required to contribute a substantially greater amount than under the prior plan. Given our expectation of continued revenue growth, we expect our revenue sharing obligations to grow as well.

We record our revenue sharing expense net of the amount we expect to receive from the escrow. The most recent NBA estimate, which is based on preliminary league and team revenue and expense estimates, indicates that the Knicks will be required to contribute approximately $9,500 in revenue sharing payments for the 2011-12 season, net of estimated escrow receipts, and substantially higher net amounts in future years. The actual amounts may vary significantly from the estimate based on actual operating results for the league and the teams for the season and other factors.
NBA Gate Assessments

NBA Gate Assessments. The NBA also imposes on each team a 6% assessment on regular season ticket revenue and an assessment of 45% or 52.5% (plus an additional 5% to fund the discretionary revenue sharing payment described above) on playoff ticket revenue, depending on the number of home games played.