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International Entertainment News

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Live Nation Reports Strong Third Quarter 2008 Results

Live Nation Reports Strong Third Quarter 2008 Results

- Number of live concerts produced in the third quarter of 2008 up 17% over last year -

- Total attendance at these concerts increased 6% as compared to 2007 -

- Revenue increased by 9% driving increases of 16% in adjusted operating income and 9% in operating income for the third quarter -

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Live Nation (NYSE:LYV) released financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2008 today.

   (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU096LOGO)                           Quarterly Summary Results            Unaudited; $ in millions (except per share amounts)                                        Q3 2008        Q3 2007    Revenue                            $1,588.7       $1,452.6   Adjusted Operating Income            $109.6          $94.2   Operating Income                      $75.6          $69.2   Free Cash Flow                        $75.6          $70.1   Net Income                           $139.9          $41.6   Basic EPS                             $1.84          $0.60   Diluted EPS                           $1.67          $0.55     

"We generated exceptional results during the third quarter in spite of the global economic downturn," said Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We continued to execute better and grow our core business with virtually all key metrics used to evaluate our business showing improvements. We increased the number of concerts we produced, we grew our ticket sales and improved our revenues and margins. Despite challenging times, millions of fans have continued to attend live concerts to support their favorite artists. Looking ahead, our primary goal remains centered on maximizing our global concert pipe for our client -- the artist -- and expanding into direct ticketing/online distribution, completing the world's only concert-to-fan direct platform for artists."

   Highlights:    -- Formed a multi-year strategic alliance with SMG bringing an estimated      25 million tickets to Live Nation Ticketing and increasing our total      ticket inventory by approximately 25% over the next seven years.   -- Secured a five-year exclusive distribution deal with CIE, the third      largest concert promoter in the world, and T4F, extending Live Nation's      global distribution platform into Brazil, Mexico and other top      countries across Latin America.   -- Completed the sale of our motor sports division for net proceeds of      $167.6 million which were used to repay borrowings under our revolving      credit facility, to permanently reduce a portion of our term loan and      to invest in our core music business.     Below are what we believe to be our key metrics related to our businesses:                                         METRICS   (Unaudited; $ in millions except    as noted)                                       Variance  9 months   9 months  Variance   Key Drivers    Q3 2008     Q3 2007  (Qtr.)     2008       2007    (9 mos.)                        Rights Acquisitions - Global Music Businesses   Talent Costs    and Other    Event Direct    Operating    Expenses      $1,293.7    $1,190.8  8.6%    $2,584.9    $2,217.4   16.6%   Talent and    Other Event    Expenses as    % of Total    Revenue          82.4%       83.6%             81.0%       81.2%   Number of    Live Rights    (Concerts)    (est.)           4,839       4,126 17.3%      15,218      11,513   32.2%   Number of    Ancillary    Live Rights -    as of period    end (est.)         789         n/a   n/a         789         n/a     n/a   Revenue    Recognized    for Artist    Services/    Ancillary    Live Rights      $74.9         n/a   n/a      $162.3         n/a     n/a                         Distribution Platform - Global Music Businesses   Total    Attendance    (est.)      17,491,000  16,551,000  5.7%  38,682,000  34,664,000   11.6%   International    Music    Festival    Attendance    (est.)         818,000     532,000 53.8%   1,102,000     843,000   30.7%   Ancillary    Revenue per    Attendee -    NA Music    Amps only       $18.29      $18.20  0.5%      $18.53      $18.51    0.1%   Total Revenue    per Attendee    (Fan)           $89.79      $86.08  4.3%      $82.46      $78.78    4.7%                    Sponsorship Data - Global Music and Ticketing Businesses   Number of    Sponsors -    as of period    end (est.)         770         719  7.1%         770         719    7.1%   Sponsorship    Revenue    Recognized       $74.8       $66.5 12.5%      $137.0      $134.7    1.7%   Average    Sponsorship    Revenue per    Sponsor    (rounded,    whole $)       $97,000     $92,000  5.4%    $178,000    $187,000   (4.8%)                   FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS - 3rd QUARTER (Unaudited)                      Q3 2008      Q3 2007     Variance                               $ in millions   Revenue     North American      Music           $864.0       $789.1        9.5%     International      Music            480.7        334.4       43.8%     Artist Nation     225.7        301.3      (25.1%)     Ticketing           6.7          4.8       39.6%     Other and      Eliminations      11.6         23.0      (49.6%)                    $1,588.7     $1,452.6        9.4%     Adjusted Operating                                          Margins    Income (Loss)                                        Q3 2008     Q3 2007     North American      Music            $77.2        $65.2       18.4%      8.9%        8.3%     International      Music             46.3         28.3       63.6%      9.6%        8.5%     Artist Nation      (0.8)         7.8         **        **         2.6%     Ticketing          (5.1)        (0.5)        **        **          **     Other and      Eliminations       2.7          3.0         **        **          **     Corporate         (10.7)        (9.6)     (11.5%)                      $109.6        $94.2       16.3%      6.9%        6.5%    Operating Income    (Loss)     North American      Music            $61.7        $51.1       20.7%      7.1%        6.5%     International      Music             38.1         29.9       27.4%      7.9%        8.9%     Artist Nation      (4.6)         3.0         **        **         1.0%     Ticketing          (6.5)        (1.8)        **        **          **     Other and      Eliminations       0.5         (0.2)        **        **          **     Corporate         (13.6)       (12.8)      (6.2%)                       $75.6        $69.2        9.2%      4.8%        4.8%    ** not meaningful      

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

   Revenue change - Total increase of $136.1 million, primarily driven by:   -- $75.0 million - Increase in the number of events, ancillary revenue per      attendee, attendance and average ticket prices at our owned and/or      operated amphitheaters and third-party venues, partially offset by a      decrease in arena events, in North American Music.   -- $44.2 million - Acquisitions of Heineken Music Hall (The Netherlands),      DFC (Scotland), Luger (Sweden) and the Arras France festival in      International Music.   -- $83.3 million - Increase in International Music due to stronger      promotion activity in Sweden, Norway and France driven primarily by      strong stadium events and strong arena tours, as well as an overall      increase in revenues related to our festival operations (partially due      to the timing of festivals) in the United Kingdom and Belgium.   -- $61.3 million - Acquisitions of Signatures and Anthill in Artist      Nation.   -- ($136.9) million - Decline in the volume and change in the venue mix of      global tours during the quarter impacting Artist Nation.   -- $18.4 million - Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) change - Total increase of $15.4 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $9.1 million - Acquisitions of Heineken Music Hall, DFC, Luger and the      Arras France festival in International Music and Signatures and Anthill      in Artist Nation.   -- $12.0 million - Improvement in North American Music operating results      primarily driven by strong amphitheater and third-party venue results      due to increased events and attendance, partially offset by a reduction      in arena events.   -- $10.6 million - Increase in International Music primarily due to      festival results (partially due to the timing of festivals) in the      United Kingdom and Belgium.   -- ($12.3) million - Decrease in the volume and change in the venue mix of      global tours and increased salary and consulting expenses related to      the infrastructure of Artist Nation.   -- ($5.6) million - Decline in Ticketing primarily due to higher salary      costs and other expense related to building our ticketing      infrastructure.   -- $1.9 million - Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

Operating Income (Loss) change - Total increase of $6.4 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $15.4 million - Overall increase in Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)      noted above.   -- ($5.3) million - Increase in depreciation and amortization expense      primarily due to the amortization of intangible assets related to the      AMG and DFC acquisitions, along with higher depreciation on fixed      assets.   -- ($4.9) million - Decreased gain on the sale of operating assets      primarily due to gains recorded in 2007 on the sale of seven      small-sized music venues in London.     Other Information -   -- We continue to expand our sponsorship relationships, including a new      10-year contract with Telefonica O2 for a naming rights sponsorship at      O2 Dublin arena (formerly The Point) in Dublin, Ireland.   -- We remain on track in building and launching our ticketing business and      completing our direct connection with the millions of fans we serve      annually.        FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS - NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30 (Unaudited)                     9 months     9 months                       2008         2007      Variance                              $ in millions   Revenue     North American      Music         $1,783.9     $1,503.9       18.6%     International      Music            986.8        774.2       27.5%     Artist Nation     419.1        452.7       (7.4%)     Ticketing          19.8          9.0         **     Other and      Eliminations      41.5         96.6         **                    $3,251.1     $2,836.4       14.6%                                                                Margins   Adjusted Operating                                   9 months    9 months    Income (Loss)                                          2008        2007     North American      Music           $111.1        $61.3       81.2%      6.2%        4.1%     International      Music             72.7         58.8       23.6%      7.4%        7.6%     Artist Nation     (13.4)         4.8         **        **         1.1%     Ticketing         (11.1)        (3.4)        **        **          **     Other and      Eliminations      12.7         10.5       21.0%       **          **     Corporate         (30.3)       (25.6)     (18.4%)                      $141.7       $106.4       33.2%      4.4%        3.8%    Operating Income    (Loss)     North American      Music            $64.6        $24.6         **       3.6%        1.6%     International      Music             50.8         65.1      (22.0%)     5.1%        8.4%     Artist Nation     (35.9)        (7.3)        **        **          **     Ticketing         (14.7)        (6.1)        **        **          **     Other and      Eliminations       6.5         (2.6)        **        **          **     Corporate         (38.1)       (34.4)     (10.8%)                       $33.2        $39.3         **       1.0%        1.4%    ** not meaningful     

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

   Revenue change - Total increase of $414.7 million, primarily driven by:   -- $185.0 million - Increase in North American Music primarily due to      strong results from arena tours and an increase in events, ancillary      revenue per attendee, attendance and average ticket prices at our owned      and/or operated amphitheaters and third-party venues.   -- $94.9 million - Acquisition of HOB Canada in North American Music.   -- $88.8 million - Acquisitions of AMG, Heineken Music Hall, DFC, Luger      and the Arras France festival in International Music.   -- $61.5 million - Increase in International Music due to stronger      promotion activity in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway driven      primarily by strong stadium events and strong arena tours, as well as      an overall increase in revenues related to our festival operations in      the United Kingdom, Belgium and The Netherlands.   -- ($156.5) million - Decreased volume and change in the venue mix of      global tours impacting Artist Nation.   -- $122.9 million - Acquisitions of Signatures and Anthill in Artist      Nation.   -- ($37.4) million - Decline due to the sale in 2007 of a theater      production and also due to fewer productions in our United Kingdom      theater operations in 2008.   -- $72.9 million - Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) change - Total increase of $35.3 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $19.1 million - Acquisitions of HOB Canada in North American Music,      AMG, Heineken Music Hall, DFC, Luger and the Arras France festival in      International Music and Signatures and Anthill in Artist Nation.   -- $48.1 million - Increase in North American Music operating income due      primarily to cost controls on talent buying and other variable      expenses, higher ticket sales through our internal ticketing      operations, higher average ticket prices and increased activity at our      owned and/or operated amphitheaters and strong arena tours.   -- ($22.7) million - Reduced volume and change in the venue mix in global      tours and increased salary and consulting expenses related to the      infrastructure for Artist Nation.   -- ($7.7) million - Decline in Ticketing primarily due to higher salary      costs and other expense related to building our ticketing      infrastructure.   -- ($4.7) million - Increased headcount and related costs in Corporate.   -- $3.9 million - Foreign exchange movements, primarily in International      Music.    

Operating Income (Loss) change - Total decrease of $6.1 million, primarily driven by:

   -- $35.3 million - Overall increase in Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)      noted above.   -- ($21.5) million - Increase in depreciation and amortization expense      primarily due to the amortization of intangible assets related to the      AMG, DFC and CPI acquisitions and certain artist rights agreements.   -- ($20.0) million - Decreased gain on the sale of operating assets      primarily due to gains recorded in 2007 on the sale of an amphitheater,      an office building, two mid-sized and seven small-sized music venues      and two other non-core assets.     Other information   -- For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, maintenance capital      expenditures were $21.7 million, down from $30.7 million for the same      period of the prior year.  We also incurred $116.9 million of capital      expenditures for revenue generating projects during the nine-month      period ended September 30, 2008, primarily due to the development and      renovation of various venues including O2 Dublin arena (formerly The      Point) in Ireland, House of Blues in Houston and Boston, the Hollywood      Palladium and the AMG venue expansions in Sheffield and Leeds, as well      as for our ticketing roll-out.   -- As of September 30, 2008, our cash and cash equivalents were      $205.9 million and our total long-term debt was $799.3 million,      including $40.0 million outstanding on our revolving credit facility.      Free cash as of September 30, 2008 was $50.4 million.     Conference Call:  

The company will host a teleconference today, November 6, 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 70943698. To access the call via webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of the company's website at http://www.livenation.com/investors. Please visit the website approximately ten minutes prior to start time to ensure a connection. Additional statistical and financial information to be provided on the call, if any, will be posted supplementally under that same link. For those who are not available to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call on the Live Nation website through November 13, 2008.

About Live Nation:

Live Nation's mission is to maximize the live concert experience. Our core business is producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists via our global concert pipe. Live Nation is the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing over 16,000 concerts for 1,500 artists in 57 countries. The company sells over 45 million concert tickets a year and expects to drive over 60 million unique visitors to LiveNation.com in 2008. Live Nation is transforming the concert business by expanding its concert platform into ticketing and building the industry's first artist-to-fan vertically integrated concert platform. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV". Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.livenation.com/investors.

             CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)                             Three Months Ended        Nine Months Ended                               September 30,            September 30,                             2008         2007         2008        2007                          (in thousands except share and per share data)   Revenue               $1,588,653   $1,452,578   $3,251,077   $2,836,397   Operating expenses:     Direct operating      expenses            1,295,416    1,200,071    2,589,443    2,265,952     Selling, general      and administrative      expenses              174,254      151,910      495,312      444,354     Depreciation and      amortization           31,490       26,191       98,761       77,243     Gain on sale of      operating assets       (1,158)      (6,112)        (799)     (20,806)     Corporate expenses      13,062       11,335       35,177       30,394        Operating income      75,589       69,183       33,183       39,260   Interest expense          15,285       15,018       45,646       45,194   Interest income           (2,978)      (3,704)      (8,406)     (10,631)   Equity in earnings of    nonconsolidated    affiliates               (1,979)      (3,211)        (871)      (2,571)   Minority interest    expense (income)          4,261        8,099         (284)       8,574   Other expense (income) -    net                         277         (210)        (838)        (564)    Income (loss) from    continuing operations    before income taxes      60,723       53,191       (2,064)        (742)   Income tax expense    (benefit):     Current                (57,977)       5,880      (44,761)      22,545     Deferred                   470        6,360        6,132       10,549    Income (loss) from    continuing operations   118,230       40,951       36,565      (33,836)   Income from discontinued    operations, net of tax   21,698          602       69,196       40,262    Net income               139,928       41,553      105,761        6,426   Other comprehensive    income (loss), net of    tax                     (29,731)      20,326      (17,843)      29,809    Comprehensive income    $110,197      $61,879      $87,918      $36,235    Basic income (loss)    per common share:     Income (loss) from      continuing      operations              $1.55        $0.59        $0.48       $(0.51)     Income from      discontinued      operations               0.29         0.01         0.92         0.61      Net income               $1.84        $0.60        $1.40        $0.10    Diluted income (loss)    per common share:     Income (loss) from      continuing      operations              $1.41        $0.54        $0.48       $(0.51)     Income from      discontinued      operations               0.26         0.01         0.91         0.61      Net income               $1.67        $0.55        $1.39        $0.10    Weighted average    common shares    outstanding:     Basic               76,230,900   69,398,147   75,647,661   66,820,837     Diluted             84,736,808   78,215,047   76,360,255   66,820,837                           CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS                                                  September 30,   December 31,                                                      2008            2007                                                   (unaudited)      (audited)                     ASSETS                              (in thousands)   CURRENT ASSETS   Cash and cash equivalents                         $205,916       $338,991   Accounts receivable, less allowance of $9,243    as of September 30, 2008 and $18,928 as of    December 31, 2007                                 358,621        264,316   Prepaid expenses                                   257,901        186,379   Other current assets                                37,288         44,722   Assets held for sale                                11,376              -        Total Current Assets                           871,102        834,408    PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT   Land, buildings and improvements                   934,802      1,018,079   Furniture and other equipment                      236,794        236,320   Construction in progress                           148,883         51,725                                                    1,320,479      1,306,124   Less accumulated depreciation                      406,100        391,079                                                      914,379        915,045   INTANGIBLE ASSETS   Intangible assets - net                            506,244        382,999   Goodwill                                           451,248        471,542   OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS   Notes receivable, less allowance of $565 as    of September 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007         1,440          1,703   Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates           21,347         23,443   Other long-term assets                             182,641        122,963        Total Assets                                $2,948,401     $2,752,103                LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   CURRENT LIABILITIES   Accounts payable                                   $93,966        $79,273   Accrued expenses                                   512,606        511,636   Deferred revenue                                   255,995        259,868   Current portion of long-term debt                   59,948         36,345   Other current liabilities                           50,420         18,348        Total Current Liabilities                      972,935        905,470    Long-term debt                                     739,386        786,261   Other long-term liabilities                        144,094         91,465   Minority interest liability                         67,823         61,841   Series A and Series B redeemable preferred stock    40,000         40,000   SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   Common stock                                           769            749   Additional paid-in capital                         972,907        940,848   Retained deficit                                   (25,180)      (130,941)   Cost of shares held in treasury                     (2,900)             -   Accumulated other comprehensive income              38,567         56,410        Total Shareholders' Equity                     984,163        867,066        Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity  $2,948,401     $2,752,103                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)                                                         Nine Months Ended                                                          September 30,                                                       2008           2007                                                         (in thousands)   CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES   Net income                                        $105,761         $6,426   Reconciling items:     Depreciation                                      57,981         59,250     Amortization of intangibles                       54,572         20,434     Impairment of operational assets                  16,035              -     Deferred income tax expense                        6,132         10,400     Amortization of debt issuance costs                3,368          1,337     Non-cash compensation expense                      9,588         11,609     Gain on sale of operating assets                (167,797)       (20,934)     Gain on sale of other investments                      -            (64)     Equity in losses (earnings) of nonconsolidated      affiliates                                          673         (3,377)     Minority interest expense (income)                  (123)         8,190   Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net    of effects of acquisitions and dispositions:     Increase in accounts receivable                 (126,615)      (127,855)     Increase in prepaid expenses                     (83,259)       (81,688)     Increase in other assets                         (89,552)       (34,301)     Increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses      and other liabilities                           116,788         93,703     Increase in deferred revenue                      52,885         91,232     Decrease in other - net                             (401)             -         Net cash provided by (used in) operating         activities                                   (43,964)        34,362    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES   Collection of notes receivable                         106          1,873   Advances to notes receivable                             -           (722)   Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates        4,976          8,983   Investments made to nonconsolidated affiliates        (255)        (2,967)   Proceeds from disposal of other investments              -          3,616   Purchases of property, plant and equipment        (138,550)       (66,945)   Proceeds from disposal of operating assets, net    of cash divested                                  194,286         72,007   Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired   (35,977)       (76,051)   Purchases of intangible assets                     (46,316)             -   Decrease in other - net                                308            368         Net cash used in investing activities         (21,422)       (59,838)    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES   Proceeds from long-term debt, net of debt    issuance costs                                    275,242        315,741   Payments on long-term debt                        (327,614)      (249,835)   Contributions from minority interest partners        8,847              -   Distributions to minority interest partners         (1,845)        (3,319)   Proceeds from exercise of stock options                636            424   Payments for purchases of common stock              (3,628)             -         Net cash provided by (used in) financing         activities                                   (48,362)        63,011    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash            (19,327)           (73)         Net increase in cash and cash equivalents    (133,075)        37,462    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   338,991        313,880    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period        $205,916       $351,342     

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; the company's anticipated achievement of its strategic objectives; and the company's intention to launch its ticketing operations and the anticipated benefits of its ticketing strategy. 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 and operational challenges associated with building out the company's ticketing operations.

Live Nation refers you to the documents it files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, specifically the section titled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of the company's most recent Annual Report filed on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its 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)

                 - Three and Nine Months ended September 30                                              Loss                                            (gain)                       Adjusted  Non-cash     on                      operating  compensa-  sale of  Depreciation  Operating                        income     tion    operating     and        income                        (loss)    expense   assets   amortization   (loss)                                       ($ in millions)                                 Three months ended September 30, 2008    North American Music   $77.2     $0.8     $(0.7)      $15.4      $61.7   International Music     46.3      0.2         -         8.0       38.1   Artist Nation           (0.8)     0.2         -         3.6       (4.6)   Ticketing               (5.1)     0.1         -         1.3       (6.5)   Other and Eliminations   2.7        -         -         2.2        0.5   Corporate              (10.7)     2.4      (0.5)        1.0      (13.6)     Total Live Nation   $109.6     $3.7     $(1.2)      $31.5      $75.6                                  Three months ended September 30, 2007    North American Music   $65.2     $1.5     $(0.8)      $13.4      $51.1   International Music     28.3      0.4      (5.6)        3.6       29.9   Artist Nation            7.8      1.0         -         3.8        3.0   Ticketing               (0.5)     0.2         -         1.1       (1.8)   Other and Eliminations   3.0        -       0.4         2.8       (0.2)   Corporate               (9.6)     1.8      (0.1)        1.5      (12.8)     Total Live Nation    $94.2     $4.9     $(6.1)      $26.2      $69.2                                   Nine months ended September 30, 2008    North American Music  $111.1     $2.5     $(0.7)      $44.7      $64.6   International Music     72.7      0.8         -        21.1       50.8   Artist Nation          (13.4)     2.1      (0.1)       20.5      (35.9)   Ticketing              (11.1)     0.3         -         3.3      (14.7)   Other and Eliminations  12.7      0.0      (0.2)        6.4        6.5   Corporate              (30.3)     4.8       0.2         2.8      (38.1)     Total Live Nation   $141.7    $10.5     $(0.8)      $98.8      $33.2                                   Nine months ended September 30, 2007    North American Music   $61.3     $3.2     $(6.8)      $40.3      $24.6   International Music     58.8      0.5     (18.7)       11.9       65.1   Artist Nation            4.8      1.7         -        10.4       (7.3)   Ticketing               (3.4)     0.5         -         2.2       (6.1)   Other and Eliminations  10.5        -       4.8         8.3       (2.6)   Corporate              (25.6)     4.8      (0.1)        4.1      (34.4)     Total Live Nation   $106.4    $10.7    $(20.8)      $77.2      $39.3     

Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) to Free Cash Flow - Third

                                  Quarter    ($ in millions)                                  Q3 2008        Q3 2007   Adjusted operating income                         $109.6          $94.2   Less: Interest expense - net                       (12.3)         (11.3)         Cash taxes                                   (18.9)          (5.9)         Maintenance capital expenditures              (2.6)          (9.9)         Distributions to minority interest partners   (1.4)           0.7   Distributions from (contributions to) investments    in nonconsolidated affiliates                       1.2            2.3         Free cash flow                               $75.6          $70.1     

Reconciliation of Cash and Cash Equivalents to Free Cash as of September 30,

                                    2008                                                  September 30,   ($ in millions)                                    2008   Cash and cash equivalents                         $205.9   Deferred income                                  $(222.5)   Accrued artist fees                               $(26.6)   Collections on behalf of others                   $(82.7)   Prepaids related to artist settlements/events     $176.3     Free cash                                        $50.4  

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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