v3.20.4
INVESTMENTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
INVESTMENTS  
INVESTMENTS

NOTE 6—INVESTMENTS

Investments in non-consolidated affiliates and certain other investments accounted for under the equity method generally include all entities in which the Company or its subsidiaries have significant influence, but not more than 50% voting control, and are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets in other long-term assets. Investments in non-consolidated affiliates as of December 31, 2020, include interests in DCIP of 29.0%, DCDC of 14.6%, AC JV, owner of Fathom Events, of 32.0%, SV Holdco, owner of Screenvision, 18.3%, DCM of 50.0%, and SCC of 10.0%. The Company also has partnership interests in three U.S. motion picture theatres and approximately 50.0% interest in 54 theatres in Europe. Indebtedness held by equity method investees is non-recourse to the Company.

NCM Transactions

Pursuant to the Company’s Common Unit Adjustment Agreement, from time to time common units of NCM held by the Founding Members will be adjusted up or down through a formula (“Common Unit Adjustment”), primarily based on increases or decreases in the number of theatre screens operated and theatre attendance generated by each Founding Member. The common unit adjustment is computed annually, except that an earlier common unit adjustment will occur for a Founding Member if its acquisition or disposition of theatres, in a single transaction or cumulatively since the most recent common unit adjustment, will cause a change of 2% or more in the total annual attendance of all of the Founding Members. In the event that a common unit adjustment is determined to be a negative number, the Founding Member shall cause, at its election, either (a) the transfer and surrender to NCM of a number of common units equal to all or part of such Founding Member’s common unit adjustment or (b) pay to NCM an amount equal to such Founding Member’s common unit adjustment calculated in accordance with the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement.

In March 2018, the NCM Common Unit Adjustment ("CUA") resulted in a negative adjustment of 915,150 common units for the Company. The Company elected to return the units and recorded the surrendered common units as a reduction to deferred revenues for the ESA at fair value of $5.2 million, based upon a price per share of NCM, Inc. of $5.64 on March 15, 2018. The Company’s investment in NCM was reduced by the carrying value of the common units of $6.3 million resulting in a loss from the surrender of the NCM common units of $1.1 million, which was recorded to equity in earnings (loss) of Non-Consolidated Entities in March 2018.

In June 18, 2018, the Company entered into two Unit Purchase Agreements (the “Agreements”) with each of Regal Cinemas, Inc. (“Regal”) and Cinemark USA, Inc. (“Cinemark”) pursuant to which Regal and Cinemark each separately agreed to purchase 10,738,740 common units of NCM at a sales price of $7.30 per unit and aggregate consideration of approximately $156.8 million (the “Sales”). The Sales closed on July 5, 2018. Following the closing of the Sales, it reduced the Company’s then ownership of common stock shares in NCM, Inc. or common units in NCM to zero. NCM consented to the Sales and waived its rights under the memorandum of understanding that provided the Company would not reduce its combined ownership of NCM and NCM, Inc. below 4.5%. The Company recorded a $28.9 million gain on the sale of its NCM investment during the year ended December 31, 2018.

In March 2019, the NCM CUA resulted in a positive adjustment of 197,118 common units for the Company. The Company received the units and recorded the common units as an addition to deferred revenues for the ESA at fair value of $1.4 million, based upon a price per share of National CineMedia, Inc. (“NCM, Inc.”) of $7.24 on March 14, 2019. In March 2020, the NCM CUA resulted in a positive adjustment of 1,390,566 common units for the Company. The Company received the units and recorded the common units as an addition to deferred revenues for the ESA at fair value of $4.8 million, based upon a price per share of National CineMedia, Inc. (“NCM, Inc.”) of $3.46 on March 12, 2020. The Company does not have significant influence over this entity and the investment is recorded at fair value each period.

DCIP Transactions

The Company received distributions from DCIP in in the fourth quarter of 2020 of digital projectors it had been leasing with an estimated fair value of $125.2 million, which the Company recorded as a reduction to its investment in DCIP. The distribution reduced the Company’s recorded investment below $0 and therefore the Company recorded equity in earnings of $5.1 million to increase its investment to $0 as the Company has not guaranteed any of the liabilities of DCIP. The Company will not record its share of any equity in earnings of DCIP until such time as the excess distribution amount recorded to earnings has been satisfied with prospective earnings from DCIP.

AC JV Transactions

On December 26, 2013, the Company amended and restated its existing ESA with NCM in connection with the spin-off by NCM of its Fathom Events business to AC JV, a newly-formed company owned 32% by each of the Founding Members and 4% by NCM. In consideration for the spin-off, NCM received a total of $25.0 million in promissory notes from its Founding Members (approximately $8.3 million from each Founding Member). Interest on the promissory note is at a fixed rate of 5% per annum, compounded annually. Interest and principal payments were due annually in six equal installments commencing on the first anniversary of the closing. The Company paid the sixth and final annual installment related to the promissory note in December 2019. As of December 31, 2019, Cinemark and Regal also amended and restated their respective ESAs with NCM in connection with the spin-off. The ESAs 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 (the “Digital ESAs”) that were entered into on December 26, 2013 by NCM and each of the Founding Members. These Digital ESAs were then assigned by NCM to AC JV as part of the Fathom spin-off.

SV Holdco. (“Screenvision”)

The Company acquired its investment in SV Holdco on December 21, 2016, in connection with the acquisition of Carmike. SV Holdco is a holding company that owns and operates the Screenvision advertising business through a subsidiary entity. SV Holdco has elected to be taxed as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

On May 30, 2018, Screenvision entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger which resulted in a change of control in Screenvision. The Company received distributions and merger consideration of $45.8 million on July 2, 2018 upon consummation of the Screenvision merger and retains a 18.2% common membership interest. The Company

reduced the carrying value of its investment in Screenvision to $0 and recorded equity in earnings for the excess distribution of $30.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Summary Financial Information

Investments in non-consolidated affiliates accounted for under the equity method as of December 31, 2020, include interests in SV Holdco, DCM, DCIP, AC JV, DCDC, SCC, 54 theatres in Europe, three U.S. motion picture theatres, and other immaterial investments.

Condensed financial information of the Company’s significant non-consolidated equity method investments is shown below with amounts presented under U.S. GAAP:

(In millions)

    

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

Current assets

$

267.6

$

339.3

Noncurrent assets

347.4

 

843.3

Total assets

615.0

 

1,182.6

Current liabilities

181.0

 

222.4

Noncurrent liabilities

213.5

 

260.5

Total liabilities

394.5

 

482.9

Stockholders’ equity

220.5

 

699.7

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

615.0

 

1,182.6

The Company’s recorded investment (1)

80.9

239.1

(1)Certain differences in the Company’s recorded investments, and its proportional ownership share resulting from the acquisition of Holdings by Wanda on August 30, 2012, where the investments were recorded at fair value, are amortized to equity in (earnings) losses of non-consolidated entities over the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets and liabilities. Other non-amortizing differences are considered to represent goodwill and are evaluated for impairment annually.

Condensed financial information of the Company’s significant non-consolidated equity method investments is shown below and amounts are presented under U.S. GAAP for the periods of ownership by the Company:

Year Ended

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

(In millions)

    

2020

    

2019

2018

Revenues

$

162.7

$

694.5

$

902.8

Operating costs and expenses

347.9

583.7

743.0

Net earnings (loss)

$

(185.2)

$

110.8

$

159.8

The components of the Company’s recorded equity in earnings (loss) of non-consolidated entities are as follows:

Year Ended

(In millions)

    

December 31, 2020

    

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018

The Company’s recorded equity in earnings (loss)

$

(30.9)

$

30.6

$

86.7

The Company recorded the following changes in the carrying amount of its investment in NCM LLC and equity in earnings of NCM LLC during the years ended December 31, 2020, December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018:

Accumulated

G&A:

    

    

Exhibitor

    

Other

    

    

Equity in

Mergers and

    

Investment

Services

Comprehensive

Cash

(Earnings)

Acquisitions

Advertising

(In millions)

in NCM

Agreement(1)

(Income)/Loss

Received

Losses

Expense

(Revenue)

Ending balance at December 31, 2017

$

161.1

$

(530.9)

$

(2.5)

ASC 606 revenue recognition change in amortization method

(52.9)

Surrender of common units for common unit adjustment

(6.3)

5.2

1.1

Receipt of excess cash distributions

(15.3)

15.3

Impairment loss - held for sale

(14.4)

14.4

Expenses on sale of NCM common units

(1.4)

1.4

Sale of NCM common units

(128.3)

2.4

156.8

(30.9)

Equity in earnings

3.2

0.1

(3.3)

Amortization of ESA

14.6

(14.6)

Ending balance at December 31, 2018

$

$

(564.0)

$

$

170.7

$

(17.3)

$

$

(14.6)

Receipt of NCM shares

(1.4)

Amortization of ESA

15.7

(15.7)

Ending balance at December 31, 2019

$

$

(549.7)

$

$

$

$

$

(15.7)

Receipt of NCM shares

(4.8)

Amortization of ESA

16.9

(16.9)

Ending balance at December 31, 2020

$

$

(537.6)

$

$

$

$

$

(16.9)

(1)Represents the unamortized portion of the ESA with NCM. Such amounts are being amortized to other theatre revenues over the remainder of the 30-year term of the ESA ending in 2037.

Related Party Transactions

The Company recorded the following related party transactions with equity method investees:

As of

    

As of

(In millions)

December 31, 2020

    

December 31, 2019

Due from DCM for on-screen advertising revenue

$

$

4.2

Loan receivable from DCM

0.7

0.7

Due from DCIP for warranty expenditures

5.7

3.5

Due to AC JV for Fathom Events programming

(0.9)

(0.8)

Due from Screenvision for on-screen advertising revenue

0.4

3.4

Due from Nordic JVs

1.2

2.5

Due to Nordic JVs for management services

(0.5)

(1.6)

Due from SCC related to the joint venture

0.7

8.3

Due to U.S. theatre partnerships

(0.4)

(1.0)

Year Ended

(In millions)

Consolidated Statements of Operations

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018

DCM screen advertising revenues

Other revenues

$

3.8

$

22.4

$

20.1

DCIP equipment rental expense

Operating expense

1.0

3.6

6.5

Gross exhibition cost on AC JV Fathom Events programming

Film exhibition costs

3.9

13.6

12.9

Screenvision screen advertising revenues

Other revenues

2.6

15.6

15.1