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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 26, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions
Related Party Transactions

Management Agreement

RCI manages all aspects of the theatre operations of UATC and its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of a management agreement, which includes all of its cash collections, cash disbursements and other cash management functions. During each of the years ended December 26, 2013, December 27, 2012 and December 29, 2011, UATC recorded management fee expenses of approximately $5.9 million, $6.1 million and $6.1 million, respectively, related to this agreement. Such fees have been recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations as a component of "General and administrative expenses."

Related-Party Receivables

The related party receivables balance of $89.1 million as of December 26, 2013 was comprised of approximately $9.8 million related to advances made to Prop I to fund additions and/or renovations to theatres leased from Prop I and approximately $79.3 million related to cash management intercompany transactions with RCI.  The related-party receivables balance of $95.6 million as of December 27, 2012 was also comprised of the $9.8 million receivable from Prop I and approximately $85.8 million related to intercompany transactions and cash management.

UATC leases three theatres from Prop I in accordance with a master lease (the "Prop I Master Lease"). The Prop 1 Master Lease commenced in 1988 with an original base term of 15 years and in 2003 UATC exercised a 10 year renewal extension of the lease. During the year ended December 26, 2013, the lease was subsequently extended through 2016. The Prop I Master Lease provides for basic monthly or quarterly rentals and may require additional rentals, based on the revenue of the underlying theatre. In order to fund the cost of additions and/or renovations to the theatres leased by UATC from Prop I, UATC made advances to Prop I prior to becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of REG in 2002.  Since 2002, UATC has not funded any additions and/or renovations for these properties and does not expect to make any advances to Prop 1 in future periods. The Prop I portion of the related-party receivable balance ($9.8 million at December 26, 2013 and December 27, 2012) will be reduced upon any sale of the three properties by Prop I, with UATC receiving the net proceeds of the sale. The fair value of each of the three locations is evaluated periodically using the expected selling price less selling costs for each property.  Management’s estimates (Level 3 inputs as described in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures) are based on recent market transactions and current real estate values within each market.  The Company has no current intention to market or sell the properties at this time, but believes that the fair market value of the three properties will be sufficient to substantially recover the current receivable from Prop I.

The decrease in the related-party receivables balance of $6.5 million during the year ended December 26, 2013 was due primarily to the timing of intercompany cash collections and disbursements particularly with respect to (1) the redemption of gift cards and discount tickets at UATC theatres that were sold by a subsidiary of RCI, Regal CineMedia ("RCM") and (2) cash received by RCI for various revenue items, such as on-line ticket sales and rebates from vendor marketing programs, for UATC’s share of the revenues for such items. RCI (or RCM) receives the cash for these items, revenue is recorded by UATC and a corresponding intercompany receivable is created, which is payable by RCI (or RCM) to UATC.  Increases in the intercompany receivable recorded by UATC could occur in future periods as long as the above described cash management activities continue as usual.  As of December 26, 2013, management believes the intercompany receivable is fully collectible.

Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, LLC Transactions

Regal maintains an investment in Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("DCIP"). DCIP is a joint venture company formed by Regal, AMC and Cinemark. Each of Regal, AMC and Cinemark has an equal voting interest in DCIP. On March 10, 2010, DCIP executed definitive agreements and related financing transactions in connection with the conversion to digital projection. Concurrent with closing, RCI entered into a master equipment lease agreement (the "Master Lease") and other related agreements (collectively, the "Digital Cinema Agreements") with Kasima, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DCIP. Subsequent to the execution of the Digital Cinema Agreements, UATC distributed its existing digital projection systems with a net book value of approximately $2.7 million to RCI.

DCIP funds the cost of conversion to digital projection principally through the collection of virtual print fees from motion picture studios and equipment lease payments from participating exhibitors, including Regal. In accordance with the Master Lease, RCI will sublease (the "Sublease") the digital projection systems to UATC under a twelve-year term with ten one-year fair value renewal options. The Master Lease also contains a fair value purchase option.  Under the Master Lease and the Sublease, UATC pays RCI annual minimum rent of $1,000 per digital projection system from the effective date of the agreement through the end of the lease term and is, upon certain conditions described below, subject to incremental annual rent of $2,000 per digital projection system beginning at six and a half years from the effective date of the agreement through the end of the lease term.  In the event that the junior capital raised by DCIP in the initial financing transactions remains outstanding at any time on or after the date that is six and a half years after the closing date of March 2010, the holders of the related notes will have the right to require Regal and other participating exhibitors to make incremental minimum rent payments of $2,000 per digital projection system per year through the earlier of the end of the lease term or until such notes are repaid.  UATC considers both the $1,000 minimum rental and the incremental minimum rental payment of $2,000 per digital projection system to be minimum rents and accordingly has recorded such rents on a straight-line basis in its consolidated financial statements. UATC is also subject to various types of other rent if such digital projection systems do not meet minimum performance requirements as outlined in the Master Lease and the Sublease. Certain of the other rent payments are subject to either a monthly or an annual maximum. UATC accounts for the Sublease as an operating lease for accounting purposes. During the years ended December 26, 2013 and December 27, 2012, the Company incurred total rent of approximately $1.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively, associated with the leased digital projection systems.

National CineMedia, LLC Transactions

Pursuant to the Company’s management agreement with RCI, RCI, through an agreement with National CineMedia, LLC ("National CineMedia"), provides all on-screen and lobby advertising and event services to UATC.

In connection with the completion of the initial public offering, or IPO, of National CineMedia Inc.’s ("NCM Inc.") common stock, RCI amended and restated its ESA with National CineMedia, whereby in exchange for its pro rata share of the IPO proceeds, RCI agreed to a modification of National CineMedia’s payment obligation under the ESA.  The modification extended the term of the ESA to 30 years, provided National CineMedia with a five-year right of first refusal beginning one year prior to the end of the term and changed the basis upon which RCI is paid by National CineMedia from a percentage of revenues associated with advertising contracts entered into by National CineMedia to a monthly theatre access fee.  Also, with respect to any on-screen advertising time provided by us to our beverage concessionaire, RCI is required to purchase such time from National CineMedia at a negotiated rate.

As a result of the ESA amendment and related modification payment, RCI recognizes various types of other revenue from National CineMedia, including per patron and per digital screen theatre access fees, net of payments for on-screen advertising time provided to the Company’s beverage concessionaire, other National CineMedia revenue and amortization of upfront ESA modification fees utilizing the units of revenue amortization method.

The Company’s portion of these revenues are presented as a component of "Other operating revenues" in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and consist of the following amounts (in millions):

 
 
Year Ended December 26, 2013
 
Year Ended December 27, 2012
 
Year Ended December 29, 2011
Theatre access fees - patrons
 
$
1.1

 
$
1.2

 
$
1.1

Theatre access fees - digital screens
 
0.5

 
0.5

 
0.4

Other NCM revenue
 
0.2

 
0.2

 
0.2

Amortization of ESA modification fees
 
0.4

 
0.4

 
0.4

Payments for beverage concessionaire advertising
 
(1.0
)
 
(1.1
)
 
(1.1
)
Total
 
$
1.2

 
$
1.2

 
$
1.0


On December 26, 2013, National CineMedia sold its "Fathom Events" business to AC JV, a newly-formed Delaware limited liability company owned, directly and indirectly, 32% by each of RCI, AMC and Cinemark and 4% by National CineMedia. The Fathom Events business focuses on the marketing and distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment programming to various theatre operators (including REG, AMC and Cinemark) to provide additional programs to augment their feature film schedule and includes events such as live and pre-recorded concerts, opera and symphony, DVD product releases and marketing events, theatrical premieres, Broadway plays, live sporting events and other special events. In addition, on December 26, 2013, RCI amended and restated its existing exhibitor service agreement with National CineMedia in connection with the sale by National CineMedia of its Fathom Events business. AMC and Cinemark also amended and restated their respective existing exhibitor service agreements with National CineMedia in connection with the sale. The existing exhibitor service agreements were modified to remove those provisions addressing the rights and obligations related to digital programing services of the Fathom Events business. Those provisions are now contained in the Amended and Restated Digital Programming Exhibitor Services Agreements that were entered into on December 26, 2013 by National CineMedia and each of RCI, AMC and Cinemark, respectively. These Amended and Restated Digital Programming Exhibitor Services Agreements were then assigned by National CineMedia to AC JV as part of the sale.