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Relationship between News Corp and 21st Century Fox
6 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Relationship between News Corp and 21st Century Fox

NOTE 9. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEWS CORP AND 21ST CENTURY FOX

The Separation and Distribution

On June 28, 2013 (the “Distribution Date”), the Company completed the separation of its businesses (the “Separation”) from 21st Century Fox. As of the effective time of the Separation, all of the outstanding shares of the Company were distributed to 21st Century Fox stockholders based on a distribution ratio of one share of Company Class A or Class B Common Stock for every four shares of 21st Century Fox Class A or Class B Common Stock, respectively, held of record as of June 21, 2013. Following the Separation, the Company’s Class A and Class B Common Stock began trading independently on The NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”), and CHESS Depository Interests representing the Company’s Class A and Class B Common Stock began trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”).

In conjunction with the Separation, the Company entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), Transition Services Agreement (“TSA”), Tax Sharing and Indemnification Agreement (the “Tax Sharing and Indemnification Agreement”) and other related agreements with 21st Century Fox to effect the Separation and to provide a framework for the Company’s relationship with 21st Century Fox subsequent to the Separation.

The Separation and Distribution Agreement between the Company and 21st Century Fox contains the key provisions relating to the separation of the Company’s business from 21st Century Fox and the distribution of the Company’s common stock to 21st Century Fox stockholders. The Separation and Distribution Agreement identifies the assets that were transferred and liabilities that were assumed by the Company from 21st Century Fox in the Separation and describes how these transfers and assumptions occurred. In accordance with the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Company’s aggregate cash and cash equivalents balance at the Distribution Date was to approximate $2.6 billion. As of June 30, 2013, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $2.4 billion. The remaining $0.2 billion was received from 21st Century Fox during the first quarter of fiscal 2014 as part of a cash true-up mechanism in accordance with the aforementioned agreement.

Also, as part of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, 21st Century Fox will indemnify the Company for payments, on an after-tax basis, made after the Distribution Date arising out of civil claims and investigations relating to voicemail interception, illegal data access, inappropriate payments to public officials and obstruction of justice at the Company’s former publication, The News of the World, and at The Sun, and related matters (the “U.K. Newspaper Matters”), as well as legal and professional fees and expenses paid in connection with the criminal matters, other than fees, expenses and costs relating to employees (i) who are not directors, officers or certain designated employees or (ii) with respect to civil matters, who are not co-defendants with the Company or 21st Century Fox. (See Note 10—Commitments and Contingencies).

Amounts due from 21st Century Fox as of December 31, 2014 and June 30, 2014 included $55 million and $66 million, respectively, for amounts to be received relating to the indemnification of the U.K. Newspaper Matters. (See Note 10—Commitments and Contingencies for further information).

Under the TSA, the Company and 21st Century Fox provide each other with certain specified services on a transitional basis, including, among others, payroll, employee benefits and pension administration, information systems, insurance, legal and other corporate services, as well as procurement and sourcing support. The charges for the transition services are generally intended to allow the providing company to fully recover the allocated direct costs of providing the services, plus all out-of-pocket costs and expenses, generally without profit. The Company anticipates that it will generally be in a position to complete the transition of most services (excluding certain insurance, sourcing and other services) on or before 24 months following the Distribution Date. Services under the TSA began on July 1, 2013. Costs associated with these services were not material in the six months ended December 31, 2014.

The Tax Sharing and Indemnification Agreement governs the Company’s and 21st Century Fox’s respective rights, responsibilities and obligations with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other matters regarding income taxes, non-income taxes and related tax returns. Under the Tax Sharing and Indemnification Agreement, the Company will generally indemnify 21st Century Fox against taxes attributable to the Company’s assets or operations for all tax periods or portions thereof after the Separation. For taxable periods or portions thereof prior to the Separation, 21st Century Fox will generally indemnify the Company against U.S. consolidated taxes attributable to such periods, and the Company will indemnify 21st Century Fox against the Company’s separately filed U.S. state and foreign taxes and foreign consolidated taxes for such periods. The Tax Sharing and Indemnification Agreement also provides that the proceeds from the refund of certain foreign income taxes (plus interest) of a subsidiary of the Company that were claimed prior to the Separation be paid to 21st Century Fox, net of certain taxes. (See Note 12—Income Taxes).