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Principles of Consolidation
9 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2023
Principles of Consolidation Principles of Consolidation
These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and the instructions to Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. We believe that we have included all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim period. Operating results for the nine months ended July 1, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending September 30, 2023.
The terms “Company,” “Disney,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are used in this report to refer collectively to the parent company, The Walt Disney Company, as well as the subsidiaries through which its various businesses are actually conducted.
These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Variable Interest Entities
The Company enters into relationships with or makes investments in other entities that may be variable interest entities (VIE). A VIE is consolidated in the financial statements if the Company has the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant (as defined by ASC 810-10-25-38) to the VIE. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort (together the Asia Theme Parks) are VIEs in which the Company has less than 50% equity ownership. Company subsidiaries (the Management Companies) have management agreements with the Asia Theme Parks, which provide the Management Companies, subject to certain protective rights of joint venture partners, with the ability to direct the day-to-day operating activities and the development of business strategies that we believe most significantly impact the economic performance of the Asia Theme Parks. In addition, the Management Companies receive management fees under these arrangements that we believe could be significant to the Asia Theme Parks. Therefore, the Company has consolidated the Asia Theme Parks in its financial statements.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests and Contributions from Noncontrolling Interest Holders
Hulu LLC
The Company consolidates the results of Hulu LLC (Hulu), a direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service provider, which is owned 67% by the Company and 33% by NBC Universal (NBCU). In May 2019, the Company entered into a put/call agreement with NBCU that provided the Company with full operational control of Hulu. Under the agreement, beginning in January 2024, NBCU has the option to require the Company to purchase NBCU’s interest in Hulu and the Company has the option to require NBCU to sell its interest in Hulu to the Company, in either case at a redemption value based on NBCU’s equity ownership percentage of the greater of Hulu’s then equity fair value or a guaranteed floor value of $27.5 billion.
NBCU’s interest will generally not be allocated its portion of Hulu’s losses, if any, as the redeemable noncontrolling interest is required to be carried at a minimum value. The minimum value is equal to the fair value as of the May 2019 agreement date accreted to the January 2024 estimated redemption value. At July 1, 2023, NBCU’s interest in Hulu is recorded in the Company’s financial statements at $8.9 billion, which is reported as “Redeemable noncontrolling interest” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Company and NBCU have been conducting a confidential arbitration concerning the parties’ rights and responsibilities under the Hulu limited liability company agreement. The Company expects a decision in that arbitration within the next quarter. The outcome of the arbitration is uncertain and we cannot reasonably estimate the amount of any potential loss or the impact on the determination of the value of Hulu’s equity pursuant to the Hulu limited liability company agreement and thus the amount we may be required to pay to acquire NBCU’s interest in Hulu.
We are accreting NBCU’s interest in Hulu to its guaranteed floor value. In determining the redemption value, our estimate of Hulu’s equity fair value in January 2024 requires management to make significant judgments. If our estimate of the future fair value of Hulu’s equity increased above the guaranteed floor value, we would change our rate of accretion, which would generally increase the amount recorded in “Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests” and thus reduce “Net income attributable to Disney” in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
BAMTech LLC
In November 2022, the Company purchased Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 15% redeemable noncontrolling interest in BAMTech LLC (BAMTech), which holds the Company’s domestic DTC sports business, for $900 million (MLB buy-out). MLB’s interest was recorded in the Company’s financial statements at $828 million prior to the MLB buy-out. The $72 million difference was recorded as an increase in “Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests” in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
During the nine months ended July 1, 2023, Hearst Corporation (Hearst) contributed $710 million to the domestic DTC sports business, in part to fund its 20% share of the MLB buy-out and in part to fund its share of the domestic DTC sports business’s operating cash requirements, which had been funded by the Company through intercompany loans.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and footnotes thereto. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made in the fiscal 2022 financial statements and notes to conform to the fiscal 2023 presentation.