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International Entertainment News

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Live Nation Reports the Concert Business is Healthy With Robust Performance for Second Quarter 2008

Live Nation Reports the Concert Business is Healthy With Robust Performance for Second Quarter 2008

- Number of live concerts produced in the second quarter of 2008 up 42% over last year -

- Total attendance at these concerts increased 14% as compared to 2007 -

- Total revenue per fan attending our concerts increased 6% over prior year -

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Live Nation (NYSE:LYV) released financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2008 today.

   (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU096LOGO)                            Quarterly Summary Results                  $ in millions (except per share amounts)                                       Q2 2008          Q2 2007    Revenue                           $1,159.8           $986.3    Adjusted Operating Income            $58.4            $40.6    Operating Income                     $23.7            $32.2    Free Cash Flow                       $25.7             $1.5    Net Income                            $1.2             $9.9    Basic and Diluted EPS                $0.02            $0.15     

"The concert environment remains strong and the fundamentals of our core business continue to improve," said Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation. "Despite the economy, our business achieved growth during the quarter in the number of concerts, ticket sales and the per fan revenue/spend. We have two priorities in 2008 -- to continue to grow our concert business and to prepare to vertically expand into the ticketing business. Our core business is buying and producing concert rights and monetizing the live experience through our distribution pipe. We were successful in growing both. We believe we are on plan to launch our ticketing operation on January 1st, 2009, which will complete our connection to the fan and transform Live Nation into the only music company that is vertically integrated from artist to fan as a direct distributor."

   Highlights:   -- Expanded our global festival footprint to 30 after acquiring a      controlling interest in France's Main Square festival, which will serve      as a strong base from which to launch additional festivals in France,      the fifth largest music market in the world.   -- Successfully launched Pemberton festival, which drew a full capacity of      over 40,000 people in attendance and was the first festival where we      handled ticketing, website, merchandise and creative services in      addition to promoting the event.   -- Provided services through our Artist Nation segment to a total of 895      artists during the first six months of 2008. In addition, we reached      agreements to acquire long-term rights for Nickelback and Shakira.     Below are what we believe to be our key metrics related to our businesses:                                     METRICS   (Unaudited; $ in millions except as noted)                                          Variance 6 months 6 months  Variance       Key Drivers     Q2 2008   Q2 2007  (Qtr.)    2008      2007     (YTD)                          Rights Acquisitions -- Global Music Businesses   Talent Costs and    Other Event Direct    Operating Expenses $902.4     $746.2  20.9%   $1,293.1   $1,026.8  25.9%   Talent and Other    Event Expenses as    % of Total Revenue   80.4%     80.2%             79.8%      78.6%   Number of Live Rights    (Concerts) (est.)   5,848      4,134  41.5%     10,354      7,387  40.2%   Number of Ancillary    Live Rights - as of    date (est.)           895        n/a    n/a        895        n/a    n/a   Revenue Recognized    for Artists Services    /Ancillary Live    Rights              $53.4        n/a    n/a      $89.2        n/a    n/a                          Distribution Platform -- Global Music Businesses   Total Attendance    (est.)         13,655,000 12,004,000  13.8% 21,716,000 18,113,000  19.9%   International    Music Festival    Attendance (est.) 284,000    501,000 (43.3%)   284,000    501,000 (43.3%)   Ancillary Revenue    per Attendee - NA    Music Amps only    $17.46     $17.00   2.7%     $17.45     $17.18   1.6%   Total Revenue per    Attendee (Fan)     $82.18     $77.51   6.0%     $74.65     $72.11   3.5%                     Sponsorship Data -- Global Music and Ticketing Businesses   Number of Sponsors    - as of date (est.)   623        747 (16.6%)       623        747 (16.6%)   Sponsorship Revenue    Recognized          $44.7      $49.9 (10.4%)     $62.2      $68.2  (8.8%)   Average Sponsorship    Revenue per Sponsor    (rounded,    whole $)          $72,000    $67,000   7.5%   $100,000    $91,000   9.9%                       FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS -- 2nd QUARTER                                Q2 2008   Q2 2007   Growth                                      $ in millions   Revenue     North American Music       $619.7    $466.6    32.8%     International Music         377.2     335.2    12.5%     Artist Nation               125.3     128.6    (2.6%)     Ticketing                     7.3       2.9   151.7%     Other and Eliminations       30.3      53.0   (42.8%)                              $1,159.8    $986.3    17.6%     Adjusted Operating Income                                     Margins    (Loss)                                                  Q2 2008  Q2 2007     North American Music        $50.6     $14.9   239.6%     8.2%     3.2%     International Music          25.4      30.0   (15.3%)    6.7%     8.9%     Artist Nation                (3.3)      1.5     **      (2.6%)    1.2%     Ticketing                    (2.7)     (1.1)    **     (37.0%)  (37.9%)     Other and Eliminations       (1.1)      2.6     **      (3.6%)    4.9%     Corporate                   (10.5)     (7.3)  (43.8%)                                 $58.4     $40.6    43.8%     5.0%     4.1%     Operating Income (Loss)     North American Music        $35.4      $7.1   398.6%     5.7%     1.5%     International Music          19.7      39.2   (49.7%)    5.2%    11.7%     Artist Nation               (13.5)     (1.8)    **     (10.8%)   (1.4%)     Ticketing                    (4.3)     (1.8)    **     (58.9%)  (62.1%)     Other and Eliminations       (2.3)        -     **      (7.6%)    0.0%     Corporate                   (11.3)    (10.5)   (7.6%)                                 $23.7     $32.2   (26.4%)    2.0%     3.3%    ** percentages are not meaningful     

The highlights of our financial information for the second quarter of 2008 as compared to the second quarter of 2007 are as follows:

   Revenue change -- Total increase of $173.5 million, primarily driven by:   -- $95.1 million -- Strong amphitheater and arena events in North American      Music driven by increased events, attendance and higher ticket prices.   -- $58.0 million -- Acquisition of HOB Canada in North American Music.   -- $28.6 million -- Acquisitions of AMG, DF Concerts and Heineken Music      Hall in International Music.   -- ($19.2) million -- Decline in International Music due to the timing of      festivals in Belgium and the United Kingdom, reduced ticket sales for      the Download festival and The Point closure in Ireland partially offset      by stronger promotion activity in the United Kingdom and Italy.   -- $37.3 million -- Acquisitions of Signatures and Anthill in Artist      Nation (previously referred to as Global Artists).   -- ($40.5) million -- Decline in the volume of global tours during the      quarter impacted Artist Nation.   -- $37.2 million -- Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) change -- Total improvement of $17.8 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $5.7 million -- Acquisitions of HOB Canada in North American Music, AMG      and Heineken Music Hall in International Music and Signatures and      Anthill in Artist Nation.   -- $34.9 million -- Improvement in North American Music operating results      driven by strong amphitheater and arena results due to increased events      and attendance and also a $10.1 million reduction in selling, general      and administrative expenses related to legal and other cost reductions.   -- ($8.1) million -- Decline in International Music primarily due to      timing of festivals and The Point closure.   -- ($6.2) million -- Timing of global tours and increased salary and      consulting expenses related to building infrastructure for Artist      Nation.   -- ($3.7) million -- Decline in other operations primarily due to a $6.4      million reduction in our Events division driven by underperforming      non-music touring productions based on low event results and high      production costs.    

Operating Income (Loss) change -- Total decrease of $8.5 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $17.8 million -- Overall improvement in Adjusted Operating Income      (Loss) noted above.   -- ($8.9) million -- Increase in depreciation and amortization expense due      primarily to $5.1 million increase in Artist Nation for amortization of      intangible assets related to the CPI acquisition and artist rights      agreements.   -- ($18.4) million -- Decreased gain on sale of operating assets primarily      due to gains recorded in 2007 on the sale of an amphitheater in      Nashville, an office building in San Francisco and two mid-sized music      venues in London, partially offset by a loss in 2007 on a non-core      asset.     Other Information --   -- We continue to expand our sponsorship relationships with key companies      across the world such as Citi, Wrigley, MBNA, O2 and Verizon.  By      expanding into more strategic partnerships, we have eliminated      lower-value agreements, reducing our overall number of sponsors but      increasing our average sponsorship dollars per sponsor.  For the second      quarter of 2008, our average sponsorship revenue dollar per sponsor      increased by 8%.  For the full-year of 2008, we currently expect that      our total sponsorship revenue will increase over 2007.                 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS -- SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30                               6 months  6 months                                2008      2007    Growth                                    $ in millions   Revenue     North American Music      $919.8    $714.9    28.7%     International Music        506.1     439.8    15.1%     Artist Nation              195.2     151.4    28.9%     Ticketing                   13.0       4.2     **     Other and Eliminations     162.2     196.3   (17.4%)                             $1,796.3  $1,506.6    19.2%                                                                  Margins   Adjusted Operating Income                               6 months  6 months    (Loss)                                                   2008      2007     North American Music       $33.8     $(4.1)    **       3.7%     (0.6%)     International Music         26.5      30.6   (13.4%)    5.2%      7.0%     Artist Nation              (12.5)     (3.2)    **      (6.4%)    (2.1%)     Ticketing                   (6.0)     (2.9)    **     (46.2%)   (69.0%)     Other and Eliminations      34.3      33.4     2.7%    21.1%     17.0%     Corporate                  (19.7)    (15.9)  (23.9%)                                $56.4     $37.9    48.8%     3.1%      2.5%     Operating Income (Loss)     North American Music        $2.9    $(26.5)    **       0.3%     (3.7%)     International Music         12.7      35.3   (64.0%)    2.5%      8.0%     Artist Nation              (31.3)    (10.5)    **     (16.0%)    (6.9%)     Ticketing                   (8.2)     (4.3)  (90.7%)  (63.1%)      **     Other and Eliminations      33.6      22.9    46.7%    20.7%     11.7%     Corporate                  (24.5)    (21.5)  (14.0%)                               $(14.8)    $(4.6)    **      (0.8%)    (0.3%)    ** percentages are not meaningful     

The highlights of our financial information for the six-month period ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007 are as follows:

   Revenue change -- Total increase of $289.7 million, primarily driven by:   -- $94.9 million -- Acquisition of HOB Canada in North American Music.   -- $110.0 million -- Increase in North American Music primarily due to      strong results from arena tours and an increase in events, attendance      and average ticket prices at our owned and/or operated amphitheaters      and third-party venues.   -- $44.7 million -- Acquisitions of AMG, Heineken Music Hall and DF      Concerts in International Music.   -- ($21.8) million -- Decline in International Music due to the timing of      festivals in Belgium and the United Kingdom, reduced revenues for the      Download festival in the United Kingdom, closure of The Point in      Ireland for renovation and lower promotion-related revenues in Holland      and France.  These declines in revenue were partially offset by      increased promotion revenue in the United Kingdom and Italy due to      strong stadium events.   -- $61.6 million -- Acquisitions of Signatures and Anthill in Artist      Nation.   -- ($17.8) million -- Decline in the volume of global tours impacted      Artist Nation.   -- ($17.6) million -- Reduced revenue due to our sale of a non-core      production in the first quarter of 2007 and fewer productions and      touring shows in our United Kingdom theatrical operations, reported in      "other operations".   -- $54.1 million -- Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

-- Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) change -- Total improvement of $18.5 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $9.9 million -- Acquisitions of HOB Canada in North American Music, AMG      and Heineken Music Hall in International Music and Signatures and      Anthill in Artist Nation.   -- $36.2 million -- Increase in North American Music primarily due to      strong results from arena tours and an increase in events and      attendance at our owned and/or operated amphitheaters and third-party      venues, in addition to an $11.3 million reduction in selling, general      and administrative expenses related to legal and other cost reductions.   -- ($11.5) million -- Decline in International Music due to timing of      festival event days and closure of The Point in Ireland.  These      declines were partially offset by increased promotion activity in the      United Kingdom due to strong stadium events.   -- ($10.1) million -- Reduced volume in global tours and increased salary      and consulting expenses related to building infrastructure for Artist      Nation.   -- ($3.1) million -- Increased costs to build our infrastructure in      Ticketing (previously referred to as Global Digital).   -- $0.9 million -- Other operations increased slightly primarily due to      improved results in our Motor Sports division based on an increase in      events offset by an $8.5 million reduction in our Events division      driven by underperforming non-music touring productions based on low      event results and high production costs.    

Operating Income (Loss) change -- Total decrease of $10.2 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $18.5 million -- Overall improvement in Adjusted Operating Income      (Loss) noted above.   -- ($16.2) million -- Increase in depreciation and amortization expense      due primarily to increases in our Artist Nation and International Music      segments of $10.3 million and $4.8 million, respectively, due to      amortization of intangible assets for the AMG and CPI acquisitions      along with intangible assets related to artist rights agreements.   -- ($12.4) million -- Decreased gain on sale of operating assets compared      to the same period of the prior year primarily due to gains recorded in      2007 on the sale of an amphitheater in Nashville, two mid-sized music      venues in London and two non-core assets.     Other information   -- For the six months ended June 30, 2008, maintenance capital      expenditures were $19.0 million, a slight decrease as compared to last      year.  We also incurred $57.1 million of capital expenditures for      revenue generating projects during the six-month period ended June 30,      2008 due to the development and renovation of various venues including      The Point in Ireland, two House of Blues clubs and a new AMG venue in      Sheffield, England.   -- As of June 30, 2008, our cash and cash equivalents were $453.4 million      and our total long-term debt was $794.1 million with no balance      outstanding on our revolving credit facility.  Free cash as of June 30,      2008 was ($83.1) million.     About Live Nation:  

Live Nation is the future of the music business. With the most live concerts, music venues and festivals in the world and the most comprehensive concert search engine on the web, Live Nation is revolutionizing the music industry: onstage and online. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV".

Conference Call:

The company will host a teleconference today, August 7th, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which can be accessed by dialing 888-603-6873 (U.S.) or 973-321-1019 (Int'l) and referencing passcode 57200043. To access the call via webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of the company's website at http://www.livenation.com/investors. Additional statistical and financial information to be provided on the call, if any, will be posted supplementally under that same link.

             CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)                                  Three Months Ended       Six Months Ended                                      June 30,                June 30,                                  2008        2007        2008        2007                               (in thousands except share and per share data)   Revenue                    $1,159,800    $986,277  $1,796,251  $1,506,589   Operating expenses:     Direct operating expenses   920,200     776,262   1,388,882   1,149,551     Selling, general and      administrative expenses    173,098     163,442     334,714     305,909     Depreciation and      amortization                33,223      24,347      67,600      51,409     Gain on sale of operating      assets                        (916)    (19,269)     (2,291)    (14,694)     Corporate expenses           10,474       9,263      22,115      19,059        Operating income (loss)    23,721      32,232     (14,769)     (4,645)   Interest expense               14,434      15,248      30,361      30,176   Interest income                (3,266)     (4,290)     (4,841)     (6,927)   Equity in losses (earnings)    of nonconsolidated affiliates  1,136      (2,875)      1,425      (3,218)   Minority interest expense    (income)                      (2,241)      3,520      (4,483)        525   Other income -- net              (264)       (307)     (1,115)       (354)    Income (loss) from continuing    operations before income    taxes                         13,922      20,936     (36,116)    (24,847)   Income tax expense:     Current                       9,907      14,468      13,215      16,665     Deferred                      2,641         485       5,662       4,189    Income (loss) from continuing    operations                     1,374       5,983     (54,993)    (45,701)   Income (loss) from    discontinued operations,    net of tax                      (139)      3,939      20,826      10,574    Net income (loss)               1,235       9,922     (34,167)    (35,127)   Other comprehensive income,    net of tax                     1,452       9,986      11,888       9,483    Comprehensive income (loss)    $2,687     $19,908    $(22,279)   $(25,644)    Basic income (loss) per    common share:     Income (loss) from continuing      operations                   $0.02       $0.09      $(0.73)     $(0.70)     Income from discontinued      operations                      --        0.06        0.28        0.16      Net income (loss)             $0.02       $0.15      $(0.45)     $(0.54)     Diluted income (loss)    per common share:     Income (loss) from continuing      operations                   $0.02       $0.09      $(0.73)     $(0.70)     Income from discontinued      operations                      --        0.06        0.28        0.16      Net income (loss)             $0.02       $0.15      $(0.45)     $(0.54)    Weighted average common    shares outstanding:     Basic                    75,720,739  65,521,804  75,352,837  65,510,822     Diluted                  76,898,595  67,702,746  75,352,837  65,510,822                           CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS                                                        June 30,  December 31,                                                         2008       2007                                                      (unaudited) (audited)                          ASSETS                         (in thousands)   CURRENT ASSETS   Cash and cash equivalents                           $453,368    $338,991   Accounts receivable, less allowance of    $12,531 as of June 30, 2008 and $18,928 as    of December 31, 2007                                384,292     264,316   Prepaid expenses                                     377,460     186,379   Other current assets                                  58,484      44,722        Total Current Assets                           1,273,604     834,408   PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT   Land, buildings and improvements                     965,333   1,018,079   Furniture and other equipment                        243,576     236,320   Construction in progress                             102,541      51,725                                                      1,311,450   1,306,124   Less accumulated depreciation                        405,140     391,079                                                         906,310     915,045   INTANGIBLE ASSETS   Intangible assets -- net                             511,892     382,999   Goodwill                                             502,206     471,542   OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS   Notes receivable, less allowance of $745 as    of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007                1,589       1,703   Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates             22,915      23,443   Other long-term assets                               141,029     122,963        Total Assets                                  $3,359,545  $2,752,103                 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   CURRENT LIABILITIES   Accounts payable                                    $122,813     $79,273   Accrued expenses                                     471,341     511,636   Deferred revenue                                     782,300     259,868   Current portion of long-term debt                     67,184      36,345   Other current liabilities                             78,149      18,348        Total Current Liabilities                      1,521,787     905,470   Long-term debt                                       726,898     786,261   Other long-term liabilities                          139,138      91,465   Minority interest liability                           72,309      61,841   Series A and Series B redeemable preferred stock      40,000      40,000   Commitments and contingent liabilities   SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   Common stock                                             761         749   Additional paid-in capital                           959,090     940,848   Retained deficit                                    (165,108)   (130,941)   Cost of shares held in treasury                       (3,628)          -   Accumulated other comprehensive income                68,298      56,410        Total Shareholders' Equity                       859,413     867,066        Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity    $3,359,545  $2,752,103                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)                                                            Six Months Ended                                                               June 30,                                                            2008      2007                                                            (in thousands)   CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES   Net loss                                              $(34,167)  $(35,127)   Reconciling items:       Depreciation                                        37,914     39,117       Amortization of intangibles                         29,853     13,596       Deferred income tax expense                          5,662      4,121       Amortization of debt issuance costs                  1,630        618       Non-cash compensation expense                        5,864      5,799       Gain on sale of operating assets                   (21,117)   (14,806)       Gain on sale of other investments                        -        (64)       Equity in losses (earnings) of nonconsolidated        affiliates                                          1,425     (3,218)       Minority interest expense (income)                  (4,467)       427   Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of    effects of acquisitions and dispositions:       Increase in accounts receivable                   (100,290)  (152,759)       Increase in prepaid expenses                      (177,960)  (217,800)       Increase in other assets                           (55,857)   (43,698)       Increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses        and other liabilities                              33,261     90,429       Increase in deferred revenue                       530,607    528,341       Decrease in other -- net                                43          -            Net cash provided by operating activities      252,401    214,976   CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES   Collection of notes receivable                              88      1,857   Advances to notes receivable                                 -    (12,880)   Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates            3,799      5,956   Investments made to nonconsolidated affiliates            (250)   (23,890)   Proceeds from disposal of other investments                  -      3,616   Purchases of property, plant and equipment             (76,082)   (39,462)   Proceeds from disposal of operating assets, net    of cash divested                                       23,127     60,195   Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired       (65,454)   (25,316)   Purchases of intangible assets                          (5,981)         -   Decrease (increase) in other  net                           (4)       417            Net cash used in investing activities         (120,757)   (29,507)   CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES   Proceeds from long-term debt, net of debt issuance    costs                                                  52,887     87,051   Payments on long-term debt                             (81,945)  (118,765)   Contributions from minority interest partners            8,847          -   Distributions to minority interest partners               (402)    (4,020)   Proceeds from exercise of stock options                      -        424   Payments for purchases of common stock                  (3,628)         -            Net cash used in financing activities          (24,241)   (35,310)   Effect of exchange rate changes on cash                  6,974      2,622           Net increase in cash and cash equivalents      114,377    152,781   Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period       338,991    313,880   Cash and cash equivalents at end of period            $453,368   $466,661     

Forward Looking Statements, Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations:

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential health and growth of Live Nation's business and the live music industry generally in 2008; the company's anticipated achievement of its strategic objectives; the company's intention to launch its ticketing operations and the anticipated benefits of its ticketing strategy; and the company's anticipated growth in total sponsorship revenue for 2008. Live Nation wishes to caution you that there are some known and unknown factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to operational challenges in achieving strategic objectives and executing on the company's plans, the risk that the company's markets do not evolve as anticipated, the potential impact of any general economic slowdown, operational challenges associated with building out the company's ticketing operations and competition for corporate sponsors and in the live music industry generally.

Live Nation refers you to the documents it files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the section titled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of the company's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, which contain and identify other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the company's projections or forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date on which they are made. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements by or concerning Live Nation are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Live Nation does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC Regulation G. A reconciliation of each such measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, together with an explanation of why management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors, is provided below.

Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure that the company defines as operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization, loss (gain) on sale of operating assets and non-cash compensation expense. The company uses Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) to evaluate the performance of its operating segments. The company believes that information about Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) assists investors by allowing them to evaluate changes in the operating results of the company's portfolio of businesses separate from non-operational factors that affect net income, thus providing insights into both operations and the other factors that affect reported results. Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) is not calculated or presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A limitation of the use of Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) as a performance measure is that it does not reflect the periodic costs of certain capitalized tangible and intangible assets used in generating revenue in the company's business. Accordingly, Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, operating income (loss), net income (loss), and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, this measure may vary among other companies; thus, Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Free Cash Flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that the company defines as Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) less maintenance capital expenditures, less net interest expense, less cash taxes, less distributions to minority interest partners plus distributions from investments in nonconsolidated affiliates net of contributions to investments in nonconsolidated affiliates. The company uses free cash flow, among other measures, to evaluate the ability of its operations to generate cash that is available for purposes other than maintenance capital expenditures. The company believes that information about free cash flow provides investors with an important perspective on the cash available to service debt and make acquisitions. Free cash flow is not calculated or presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A limitation of the use of free cash flow as a performance measure is that it does not necessarily represent funds available for operations and it is not necessarily a measure of our ability to fund our cash needs. Accordingly, free cash flow should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, operating income (loss) and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, this measure may vary among other companies; thus, free cash flow as presented above may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Free Cash is a non-GAAP financial measure that the company defines as cash and cash equivalents less event-related deferred income, less accrued artist fees, less collections on behalf of others plus prepaids related to artist settlements/events. The company uses free cash as a proxy for how much cash it has available to, among other things, optionally repay debt balances, make acquisitions and finance new venue expenditures. Free cash is not calculated or presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A limitation of the use of free cash as a performance measure is that it does not necessarily represent funds available for operations and it is not necessarily a measure of our ability to fund our cash needs. Accordingly, free cash should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, cash and cash equivalents and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, this measure may vary among other companies; thus, free cash as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to Their Most Directly Comparable GAAP

                            Measures (Unaudited)       Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) to Operating        Income (Loss) -- Second Quarter and Six Months ended June 30                                              Loss                   Adjusted                (gain) on                   operating   Non-cash     sale of   Depreciation  Operating                    income   compensation  operating      and        income                    (loss)     expense       assets   amortization   (loss)                                        ($ in millions)                           For the three months ended June 30, 2008    North American    Music             $50.6      $0.2         $ -         $15.0       $35.4   International    Music              25.4         -           -           5.7        19.7   Artist Nation       (3.3)      2.2           -           8.0       (13.5)   Ticketing           (2.7)        -           -           1.6        (4.3)   Other and    Eliminations       (1.1)        -        (1.0)          2.2        (2.3)   Corporate          (10.5)        -         0.1           0.7       (11.3)     Total Live      Nation          $58.4      $2.4       $(0.9)        $33.2       $23.7                                 For the three months ended June 30, 2007    North American    Music             $14.9      $0.8       $(6.1)        $13.1        $7.1   International    Music              30.0       0.1       (13.0)          3.7        39.2   Artist Nation        1.5       0.4           -           2.9        (1.8)   Ticketing           (1.1)      0.2           -           0.5        (1.8)   Other and    Eliminations        2.6         -        (0.2)          2.8           -   Corporate           (7.3)      1.9           -           1.3       (10.5)     Total Live      Nation          $40.6      $3.4      $(19.3)        $24.3       $32.2                                 For the six months ended June 30, 2008    North American    Music             $33.8      $1.7         $ -         $29.2        $2.9   International    Music              26.5       0.6           -          13.2        12.7   Artist Nation      (12.5)      1.9           -          16.9       (31.3)   Ticketing           (6.0)      0.2           -           2.0        (8.2)   Other and    Eliminations       34.3      (0.9)       (2.9)          4.5        33.6   Corporate          (19.7)      2.4         0.6           1.8       (24.5)     Total Live      Nation          $56.4      $5.9       $(2.3)        $67.6      $(14.8)                                 For the six months ended June 30, 2007    North American    Music             $(4.1)     $1.6       $(6.1)        $26.9      $(26.5)   International    Music              30.6       0.1       (13.1)          8.3        35.3   Artist Nation       (3.2)      0.7           -           6.6       (10.5)   Ticketing           (2.9)      0.3           -           1.1        (4.3)   Other and    Eliminations       33.4         -         4.5           6.0        22.9   Corporate          (15.9)      3.1           -           2.5       (21.5)     Total Live      Nation          $37.9      $5.8      $(14.7)        $51.4       $(4.6)     Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) to Free Cash Flow --                               Second Quarter    ($ in millions)                                       Q2 2008     Q2 2007   Adjusted operating income                              $58.4       $40.6   Less:  Interest expense -- net                         (11.2)      (10.8)          Cash taxes                                       (9.9)      (14.9)          Maintenance capital expenditures                (12.8)      (13.9)          Distributions to minority interest partners      (0.2)       (1.2)   Distributions from (contributions to) investments    in nonconsolidated affiliates                           1.4         1.7   Free cash flow                                         $25.7        $1.5     

Reconciliation of Cash and Cash Equivalents to Free Cash as of June 30, 2008

   ($ in millions)                                           June 30, 2008   Cash and cash equivalents                                     $453.4   Deferred income                                              $(689.5)   Accrued artist fees                                           $(30.0)   Collections on behalf of others                               $(88.8)   Prepaids related to artist settlements/events                 $271.8     Free cash                                                   $(83.1)  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU096LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Live Nation

CONTACT: Media, John Vlautin of Live Nation, +1-310-867-7000; or
Investors, Brad Edwards of Brainerd Communicators, Inc., +1-212-986-6667, for
Live Nation

Web site: http://www.livenation.com/


Profile: International Entertainment

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