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RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
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12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2011
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| RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
NOTE 9-RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Relationship with Clear Channel
For purposes of governing certain of the ongoing relationships between Clear Channel and Live Nation at and after the Separation, Clear Channel and Live Nation entered into a tax matters agreement, among other agreements.
Tax Matters Agreement
The tax matters agreement governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of Clear Channel and the Company with respect to tax liabilities and benefits, tax attributes, tax contests and other matters regarding income taxes, non-income taxes and preparing and filing tax returns, as well as with respect to any additional taxes incurred by the Company attributable to actions, events or transactions relating to the Company's stock, assets or business following the Separation, including taxes imposed if the Separation fails to qualify for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or if Clear Channel is not able to recognize certain losses.
Transactions with Clear Channel
The Company has a non-employee director as of December 31, 2011 on its board of directors that is also a director and executive officer of Clear Channel. This director receives directors' fees, stock options and restricted stock awards as do other non-employee members of the Company's board of directors. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has an employee director that is also a director of Clear Channel.
From time to time, the Company purchases advertising from Clear Channel and its subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business. For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded $4.4 million, $5.1 million and $8.3 million, respectively, as components of direct operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses for these advertisements.
Transactions with IAC
For purposes of governing certain of the ongoing relationships between IAC and Ticketmaster at and after the spin-off of the Spincos from IAC, and to provide for an orderly transition, IAC, Ticketmaster and the other Spincos entered into a separation agreement and a tax sharing agreement, among other agreements.
The tax sharing agreement governs the respective rights, responsibilities and obligations of IAC and Ticketmaster after the spin-off with respect to taxes for the periods ended on or before the spin-off. Generally, IAC agreed to pay taxes with respect to Ticketmaster's income included on its consolidated, unitary or combined federal or state tax returns, including audit adjustments with respect thereto, but other pre-distribution taxes that are attributable to Ticketmaster, including taxes reported on separately-filed returns and all foreign returns and audit adjustments with respect thereto were agreed to be borne solely by Ticketmaster. The tax sharing agreement contains certain customary restrictive covenants that generally prohibit Ticketmaster (absent a supplemental IRS ruling or an unqualified opinion of counsel to the contrary, in each case, in a form and substance satisfactory to IAC in its sole discretion) from taking actions that could jeopardize the tax free nature of the spin-off. Ticketmaster agreed to indemnify IAC for any taxes and related losses resulting from its non-compliance with these restrictive covenants, as well as for the breach of certain representations in the spin-off agreements and other documentation relating to the tax-free nature of the spin-off.
The Company occupied office space in a building in Los Angeles that is owned by IAC through December 2011. Since the Company had a non-employee director until January 2011 who was also a director and executive officer of IAC, this rental arrangement was considered a related party transaction for 2010. Rental expense for this office space charged to the Company by IAC for from the Merger date through December 31, 2010 was $1.8 million. These charges were recorded as selling, general and administrative expenses.
Agreements with Liberty Media
In connection with the Merger Agreement, in February 2009 the Company entered into a stockholder agreement with Liberty Media and Liberty USA Holdings, LLC (the “Liberty Stockholder Agreement”) regarding certain corporate governance rights, designation rights and registration rights with respect to the Company's common stock to be received by Liberty Media in the Merger. The Liberty Stockholder Agreement became effective upon consummation of the Merger. Among other things, subject to certain restrictions and limitations set forth in the Liberty Stockholder Agreement, Liberty Media has exercised its right to nominate two directors to serve on the Company's board of directors. The Liberty Stockholder Agreement also contains provisions relating to limitations on the ownership of the Company's equity securities by Liberty Media and its affiliates following the Merger and on transfers of the Company's equity securities and rights and obligations under the Liberty Stockholder Agreement following the Merger.
In February 2011, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with Liberty Media. Pursuant to the subscription agreement, in February and June 2011, the Company sold to Liberty Media 1.8 million and 5.5 million shares, respectively, of the Company's common stock for aggregate cash consideration of $18.8 million and $57.7 million, respectively.
Transactions Involving Executives
ATC Aviation, Inc. (“ATC”), which is owned by Irving Azoff, owns an aircraft. An aircraft management and charter company, unrelated to either the Company or ATC, manages and operates the aircraft on ATC's behalf and charges market rates for the use of the aircraft when used by Mr. Azoff or other executives on Company business, a portion of which is paid to ATC. For the year ended December 31, 2011 and from the Merger date through December 31, 2010, the Company made payments to ATC and the outside aircraft management and charter company totaling $1.7 million and $0.7 million, respectively, pursuant to the foregoing arrangements.
The Azoff Trust was a party to the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders' Agreement of Front Line dated as of June 9, 2008, as amended (the “Front Line Stockholders' Agreement”). The Front Line Stockholders' Agreement governed certain matters related to Front Line and the ownership of securities of Front Line, including board designation rights, transaction approval requirements, share transfer provisions, and put and call rights. The Front Line Stockholders' Agreement also provided for the annual pro rata dividend to be paid to the stockholders as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of each fiscal year. The Front Line Stockholders' Agreement was terminated in connection with the first quarter 2011 acquisition of the remaining equity interests in Front Line. See Note 3-Acquisitions for further discussion of this 2011 transaction.
In March 2010, the board of directors of Front Line declared a dividend payable in cash to the holders of record of Front Line common stock. This dividend was paid in March 2010 and totaled $20.6 million of which the Company received $15.0 million. The Azoff Trust received a pro rata portion of this dividend totaling $3.0 million with respect to the 25,918.276 shares of Front Line common stock held by the trust. Mr. Azoff received a gross-up payment of $0.7 million related to the difference between ordinary income and capital gains tax treatment for the portion of the dividend relating to his unvested shares, which gross-up was pursuant to his restricted stock grant agreement. Prior to the payment of the dividend, FLMG made a loan to Front Line principally to fund the dividend, evidenced by a promissory note from Front Line to FLMG with a principal amount of $21.3 million and bearing interest at a rate of 4.5%, payable no later than November 30, 2010. This loan was paid off in the fourth quarter of 2010.
In January 2011, the board of directors of Front Line declared a dividend payable in cash to the holders of record of Front Line common stock. This dividend was paid in January 2011 and totaled $20.1 million of which the Company received $15.0 million. The Azoff Trust received a pro rata portion of this dividend totaling $3.0 million. In connection with the January 2011 dividend, Mr. Azoff received a gross-up payment of $0.6 million. Prior to the payment of the dividend, FLMG made a loan to Front Line principally to fund the dividend, evidenced by a promissory note from Front Line to FLMG with a principal amount of $20.7 million and bearing interest at a rate of 4.5%, payable no later than December 31, 2011. As of December 31, 2011, the outstanding principal balance on this promissory note was $1.0 million. The remaining outstanding principal balance was paid in full in January 2012.
Transactions Involving Equity Method Investees
The Company conducts business with certain of its equity method investees in the ordinary course of business. Transactions relate to venue rentals, management fees, sponsorship revenue, and reimbursement of certain costs. Revenue of $1.3 million, $1.2 million and $4.6 million were earned in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, and expenses of $4.8 million, $5.0 million and $7.4 million were incurred in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, from these equity investees for services rendered or provided in relation to these business ventures.
Other Related Parties
During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company paid $6.8 million, $6.9 million and $8.3 million, respectively, for deferred consideration due in connection with acquisitions of companies owned by various members of management of one of the Company's subsidiaries. One of these companies holds the lease of a venue and the other company promotes a festival.
In January 2011, the Company sold a 49.9% noncontrolling interest in its clubs and theaters venue promotion business in Boston to a company partially owned by two employees of one of the Company's subsidiaries in exchange for assets and cash valued at $12.6 million. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company received $16.6 million in connection with the sale of a theater business in Sweden to an entity owned by employees of one of the Company's subsidiaries, one of which is an executive officer of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company received $21.3 million in connection with the sale of interests in three venues to an entity partially owned by employees of one of the Company's subsidiaries.
The Company conducts certain transactions in the ordinary course of business with companies that are owned, in part or in total, by various members of management of the Company's subsidiaries or companies over which it has significant influence. These transactions primarily relate to venue rentals, concession services, equipment rentals, ticketing, marketing and other services and reimbursement of certain costs. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company has a receivable balance of $13.3 million and $22.4 million, respectively, from certain of these companies. The following table sets forth expenses incurred and revenue earned from these companies for services rendered or provided in relation to these business ventures. None of these transactions were with directors or executive officers of the Company.
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