Summary of Significant Revenue Recognition Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 29, 2019

Revenue Recognition [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition, Policy

Summary of Significant Revenue Recognition Accounting Policies

The Company generates revenue from the sale of both services and products. Revenue is recognized when control of the services or products is transferred to the customer. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for the services or products.

The Company has three broad categories of service revenues: licenses of rights to use our intellectual property, sales to guests at our Parks and Experiences businesses and sales of ad time/space. The Company’s primary product revenues include the sale of food, beverage and merchandise at our parks, resorts and retail stores and the sale of film and television productions in physical formats (DVD and Blu-ray).

The new revenue guidance defines two types of licenses of intellectual property (“IP”): IP that has “standalone functionality,” which is called functional IP, and all other IP, which is called symbolic IP. Revenue related to the license of functional IP is generally recognized upon delivery (availability) of the IP to the customer. The substantial majority of the Company’s film and television content distribution activities at the Media Networks, Studio Entertainment and DTCI segments is considered licensing of functional IP. Revenue related to the license of symbolic IP is generally recognized over the term of the license. The Company’s primary revenue stream derived from symbolic IP is the licensing of trade names, characters, visual and literary properties at the Parks, Experiences and Products segment.

More detailed information about the revenue recognition policies for our key revenues is as follows:

• Affiliate fees - Fees charged to affiliates (i.e., MVPDs or television stations) for the right to deliver our television network programming on a continuous basis to their customers are recognized as the programming is provided based on contractually specified per subscriber rates and the actual number of the affiliate’s customers receiving the programming.

For affiliate contracts with fixed license fees, the fees are recognized ratably over the contract term.

If an affiliate contract includes a minimum guaranteed license fee, the guaranteed license fee is recognized ratably over the guaranteed period and any fees earned in excess of the guarantee are recognized as earned once the minimum guarantee has been exceeded.

Affiliate agreements may also include a license to use the network programming for on demand viewing. As the fees charged under these contracts are generally based on a contractually specified per subscriber rate for the number of underlying subscribers of the affiliate, revenues are recognized as earned.

• Subscription fees - Fees charged to customers/subscribers for our streaming services are recognized ratably over the term of the subscription.

• Advertising - Sales of advertising time/space on our television networks, digital platforms and television stations are recognized as revenue, net of agency commissions, when commercials are aired. For contracts that contain a guaranteed number of impressions, revenues are recognized based on impressions delivered. When the guaranteed number of impressions is not met (“ratings shortfall”), revenues are not recognized for the ratings shortfall until the additional impressions are delivered.

• Theme park admissions - Sales of theme park tickets are recognized when the tickets are used. Sales of annual passes are recognized ratably over the period for which the pass is available for use.

• Resorts and vacations - Sales of hotel room nights and cruise vacations and rentals of vacation club properties are recognized as the services are provided to the guest. Sales of vacation club properties are recognized when title to the property transfers to the customer.

• Merchandise, food and beverage - Sales of merchandise, food and beverages at our theme parks and resorts, cruise ships and Disney Stores are recognized at the time of sale. Sales from our branded internet shopping sites and to wholesalers are recognized upon delivery. We estimate returns and customer incentives based upon historical return experience, current economic trends and projections of consumer demand for our products.

• TV/SVOD distribution licensing - Fixed license fees charged for the right to use our television and motion picture productions are recognized as revenue when the content is available for use by the licensee. License fees based on the underlying sales of the licensee are recognized as revenue as earned based on the contractual royalty rate applied to the licensee sales.

For TV/SVOD licenses that include multiple titles with a fixed license fee across all titles, each title is considered a separate performance obligation. The fixed license fee is allocated to each title at contract inception and the allocated license fee is recognized as revenue when the title is available for use by the licensee.

When the license contains a minimum guaranteed license fee across all titles, the license fees earned by titles in excess of their allocated amount are deferred until the minimum guaranteed license fee across all titles is exceeded. Once the minimum guaranteed license fee is exceeded, revenue is recognized as earned based on the licensee’s underlying sales.

TV/SVOD distribution contracts may limit the licensee’s use of a title to certain defined periods of time during the contract term. In these instances, each period of availability is generally considered a separate performance obligation. For these contracts, the fixed license fee is allocated to each period of availability at contract inception based on relative standalone selling price using management’s best estimate. Revenue is recognized at the start of each availability period when the content is made available for use by the licensee.

When the term of an existing agreement is renewed or extended, revenues are recognized when the licensed content becomes available under the renewal or extension.

• Theatrical distribution licensing - Fees charged for licensing of our motion pictures to theatrical distributors are recognized as revenue based on the contractual royalty rate applied to the distributor’s underlying sales from exhibition of the film.

• Merchandise licensing - Fees charged for the use of our trade names and characters in connection with the sale of a licensee’s products are recognized as revenue as earned based on the contractual royalty rate applied to the licensee’s underlying product sales. For licenses with minimum guaranteed license fees, the excess of the minimum guaranteed amount over actual royalties earned (“shortfall”) is recognized straight-line over the remaining license period once an expected shortfall is probable.

• Home entertainment - Sales of our motion pictures to retailers and distributors in physical formats (DVD and Blu-ray) are recognized as revenue on the later of the delivery date or the date that the product can be sold by retailers. We reduce home entertainment revenues for estimated future returns of merchandise and sales incentives based upon historical return experience, current economic trends and projections of consumer demand for our products. Sales of our motion pictures in electronic formats are recognized as revenue when the product is available for use by the consumer.

• Taxes - Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from revenue.

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Shipping and handling - Fees collected from customers for shipping and handling are recorded as revenue and the related shipping expenses are recorded in cost of products upon delivery of the product to the consumer.