Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION (Basis of Presentation and Other Information) (Policies)

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION (Basis of Presentation and Other Information) (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity, Policy
Variable Interest Entities
In the normal course of business, we enter into joint ventures or make investments in companies that will allow us to expand our core business and enter new markets. In certain instances, such ventures or investments may be considered a VIE because the equity owners or the equity holders, as a group, lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. In determining whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we assess whether we have the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the entity and have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The activities we believe most significantly impact the economic performance of our VIEs include the unilateral ability to approve the annual budget, to terminate key management and to approve entering into agreements with artists, among others. We have certain rights and obligations related to our involvement in the VIEs, including the requirement to provide operational cash flow funding. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, excluding intercompany balances and allocated goodwill and intangible assets, there were approximately $920 million and $514 million of assets and $570 million and $427 million of liabilities, respectively, related to VIEs included in our balance sheets. None of our VIEs are significant on an individual basis.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Included in the September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 cash and cash equivalents balance is $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, of cash received that includes the face value of tickets sold on behalf of our ticketing clients and their share of service charges (“client cash”), which amounts are to be remitted to these clients. We generally do not utilize client cash for our own financing or investing activities as the amounts are payable to our clients on a regular basis. These amounts due to our clients are included in accounts payable, client accounts.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
Each reporting period, we evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets in each tax jurisdiction. As of September 30, 2023, we continued to maintain a full valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets in certain jurisdictions due to cumulative pre-tax losses. As a result of the valuation allowances, no tax benefits have been recognized for losses incurred, if any, in those tax jurisdictions for the first nine months of 2023.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was enacted in the United States, which includes health care, clean energy, and income tax provisions. The income tax provisions amend the Internal Revenue Code to include among other things a corporate alternative minimum tax starting in the 2023 tax year. The Company is still assessing the impact due to a lack of United States Treasury regulations on this matter; however, the IRA is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements due to net operating losses and full valuation allowances for the United States, which is our most significant jurisdiction. We will continue to monitor to ensure our financial results and related tax disclosures are in compliance with the IRA tax legislation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Accounting Pronouncements - Adopted
In October 2021, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers, which requires contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination to be recognized and measured by the acquirer on the acquisition date in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This ASU should be applied prospectively to acquisitions occurring on or after the effective date of December 15, 2022, and early adoption is permitted. We adopted this guidance on January 1, 2023. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.