Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

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LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
LONG-TERM DEBT
Long-term debt, which includes capital leases, consisted of the following:
 
 
 
 
 
December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2013
 
2012
 
 
 
 
 
(in thousands)
Senior Secured Credit Facility:
 
 
 
 
 
Term loan A, net of unamortized discount of $2.0 million and $0.9 million
 
 
 
 
 
 
in 2013 and 2012, respectively
 
$
111,578

 
$
76,556

 
Term loan B, net of unamortized discount of $14.4 million and
 
 
 
 
 
 
$14.1 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively
 
933,226

 
863,370

 
Revolving credit facility
 

 

7% Senior Notes due 2020, plus unamortized premium of $8.6 million
 
 
 
 
 
in 2013
 
433,571

 
225,000

2.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027, net of unamortized discount of
 
 
 
 
 
$7.6 million and $20.6 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively
 
212,415

 
199,419

8.125% Senior Notes due 2018
 

 
250,000

Other long-term debt
 
118,097

 
125,660

 
 
 
 
 
1,808,887

 
1,740,005

Less: current portion
 
278,403

 
62,050

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total long-term debt, net
 
$
1,530,484

 
$
1,677,955


Future maturities of long-term debt at December 31, 2013 are as follows:
 
(in thousands)
2014
$
285,989

2015
46,344

2016
48,985

2017
47,329

2018
54,015

Thereafter
1,341,622

Total
1,824,284

Debt discount
(23,968
)
Debt premium
8,571

Total, including premium and discount
$
1,808,887

 
 

Payments due in 2014 include $7.6 million of unamortized debt discount on the Convertible Senior Notes.
All long-term debt without a stated maturity date is considered current and is reflected as maturing in the earliest period shown in the table above. See Note 6—Fair Value Measurements for discussion of fair value measurement of the Company’s long-term debt.
Senior Secured Credit Facility
In August 2013, the Company amended its senior secured credit facility and now has (i) a $115 million term loan A facility with a maturity of five years, (ii) a $950 million term loan B facility with a maturity of seven years and (iii) a $335 million revolving credit facility with a maturity of five years. In addition, subject to certain conditions, the Company has the right to increase such facilities by at least $450 million or a greater amount so long as the senior secured leverage ratio calculated on a pro-forma basis (as defined in the credit agreement) is no greater than 3.25x. The revolving credit facility provides for borrowings up to the amount of the facility with sublimits of up to (i) $150 million for the issuance of letters of credit, (ii) $50 million for swingline loans, (iii) $150 million for letters of credit in Euros or British Pounds and (iv) $50 million for letters of credit in one or more other approved currencies. The amended senior secured credit facility is secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the tangible and intangible personal property of the Company and the domestic subsidiaries that are guarantors, and by a pledge of substantially all of the shares of stock, partnership interests and limited liability company interests of the Company’s direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries and 65% of each class of capital stock of any first-tier foreign subsidiaries.
The interest rates per annum applicable to revolving credit facility loans and the term loan A under the amended senior secured credit facility are, at the Company’s option, equal to either LIBOR plus 2.25% or a base rate plus 1.25%, subject to stepdowns based on the Company’s net leverage ratio. The interest rates per annum applicable to the term loan B are, at the Company’s option, equal to either LIBOR plus 2.75% or a base rate plus 1.75%, subject to a LIBOR floor of 0.75% and a base rate floor of 1.75%. The Company is required to pay a commitment fee of 0.5% per year on the undrawn portion available under the revolving credit facility, subject to stepdowns based on the Company’s net leverage ratio, and variable fees on outstanding letters of credit.
For the term loan A, the Company is required to make quarterly payments increasing over time from $1.4 million to $13.8 million with the balance due at maturity in August 2018. For the term loan B, the Company is required to make quarterly payments of $2.4 million with the balance due at maturity in August 2020. The Company is also required to make mandatory prepayments of the loans under the credit agreement, subject to specified exceptions, from excess cash flow and with the proceeds of asset sales, debt issuances and specified other events.
Based on the Company’s outstanding letters of credit of $68.1 million, $266.9 million was available for future borrowings under the revolving credit facility at December 31, 2013.
7% Senior Notes
In August 2013, the Company issued an additional $200 million principal amount of its existing 7% senior notes due 2020 with a $9.0 million premium, which increased the total principal amount of such notes outstanding to $425 million. Interest on the notes is payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year and the notes will mature on September 1, 2020. The Company may redeem some or all of the notes at any time prior to September 1, 2016 at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption, plus a ‘make-whole’ premium using a discount rate equal to the treasury rate plus 50 basis points. The Company may also redeem up to 35% of the notes from the proceeds of certain equity offerings prior to September 1, 2015, at a price equal to 107% of the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, on or after September 1, 2016, the Company may redeem at its option some or all of the notes at redemption prices that start at 103.5% of their principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. The Company must make an offer to redeem the notes at 101% of the aggregate principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to the repurchase date, if it experiences certain defined changes of control.
2.875% Convertible Senior Notes
In July 2007, the Company issued $220 million of convertible senior notes due 2027. The notes pay interest semiannually at a rate of 2.875% per annum. Beginning with the period commencing on July 20, 2014 and ending on January 14, 2015, and for each of the interest periods commencing thereafter, the Company will pay contingent interest on the notes if the average trading price of the notes during the five consecutive trading days ending on the second trading day immediately preceding the first day of the applicable interest period equals or exceeds 120% of the principal amount of the notes. The contingent interest payable per note will equal 0.25% per year of the average trading price of such note during the applicable five trading-day reference period, payable in arrears. The notes will be convertible, under certain circumstances, at an initial conversion rate of 36.8395 shares per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which represents a 27.5% conversion premium based on the last reported sale price of $21.29 per share on July 10, 2007. Upon conversion, the notes may be settled in shares of Live Nation common stock or, at the Company’s election, cash or a combination of cash and shares of Live Nation common stock. Assuming the Company fully settled the notes in shares, the maximum number of shares that could be issued to satisfy the conversion is 8.1 million.
Holders of the 2.875% convertible senior notes may require the Company to purchase for cash all or a portion of their notes on July 15, 2014, July 15, 2017 and July 15, 2022 at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, subject to specified additional conditions. Accordingly, the notes have been classified as current at December 31, 2013. In addition, if the Company experiences a fundamental change, as defined in the indenture governing the notes, holders may require the Company to purchase for cash all or a portion of their notes, subject to specified exceptions, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.
On or after July 20, 2014, the Company may redeem all or a portion of the notes for cash at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.
As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, the carrying amount of the equity component of the notes was $73.0 million in each of the respective periods. As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, the principal amount of the liability component (face value of the notes) was $220 million in each of the respective periods. As of December 31, 2013, the remaining period over which the discount will be amortized is approximately one year. At December 31, 2013, the value of the notes, if converted and fully settled in shares, does not exceed the principal amount of the notes. For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, the effective interest rate on the liability component of the notes was 9.7%. The following table summarizes the amount of pre-tax interest cost recognized on the notes:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011
 
(in thousands)
Interest cost recognized relating to:
 
 
 
 
 
  Contractual interest coupon
$
6,325

 
$
6,325

 
$
6,325

  Amortization of debt discount
12,995

 
11,792

 
10,700

  Amortization of debt issuance costs
703

 
703

 
703

Total interest cost recognized on the notes
$
20,023

 
$
18,820

 
$
17,728


See Note 5Derivative Instruments for discussion on the accounting for derivative instruments embedded within the 2.875% convertible senior notes.
Other Long-term Debt
Other long-term debt is comprised of capital leases of $10.8 million and notes payable and other debt of $107.3 million, including debt to noncontrolling interest partners of $34.6 million, debt related to the redevelopment of The O2 Dublin of $10.2 million, $38.0 million of long-term debt for Academy Music Holdings Limited Group which consists of term loans and shareholder loan notes and $20.7 million of long-term debt for the Company’s Australian operations. Total notes payable consist primarily of eighteen notes with interest rates ranging from 0.4% to 11.0% and maturities of up to eight years.
Debt Extinguishment
In August 2013, the Company issued additional notes under the indenture governing its existing 7% senior notes due 2020 with a $9.0 million premium and amended its senior secured credit facility. The amendment to the senior secured credit facility provided the existing term loan A and term loan B lenders with an option to convert their outstanding principal amounts into the new term loans. Excluding the outstanding principal amounts for lenders who elected to convert their outstanding term loans, proceeds of $802.2 million from issuance of these borrowings were used to repay $472.5 million principal amount of the Company’s outstanding borrowings under the existing senior secured credit facility, to repay the entire $250 million principal amount of the Company’s outstanding 8.125% senior notes due 2018 and to pay the related ‘make-whole’ premium on these senior notes and total accrued interest and fees of $35.3 million along with related fees and expenses for the refinancing of $22.0 million, leaving $22.4 million in additional cash for general corporate purposes. The Company recorded $36.3 million as a loss on extinguishment of debt related to this refinancing.
In August 2012, the proceeds from the issuance of the 7% senior notes and increased term loan B borrowings were used to repay all of the Company’s outstanding 10.75% senior notes with a principal amount of $287 million, to pay related redemption premium and accrued interest of $19.5 million and to pay related fees and expenses for the refinancing of $6.1 million, leaving $12.4 million in additional cash available for general corporate purposes. The gain on extinguishment of debt resulting from these transactions was not significant.
Debt Covenants
The Company’s amended senior secured credit facility contains a number of covenants and restrictions that, among other things, require the Company to satisfy certain financial covenants and restrict the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to incur additional debt, make certain investments and acquisitions, repurchase its stock and prepay certain indebtedness, create liens, enter into agreements with affiliates, modify the nature of its business, enter into sale-leaseback transactions, transfer and sell material assets and merge or consolidate, and pay dividends and make distributions (with the exception of subsidiary dividends or distributions to the parent company or other subsidiaries on at least a pro-rata basis with any noncontrolling interest partners). Non-compliance with one or more of the covenants and restrictions could result in the full or partial principal balance of the credit facility becoming immediately due and payable. The amended senior secured credit facility agreement has a covenant, measured quarterly, that requires the Company to maintain a maximum ratio of consolidated total funded debt to consolidated EBITDA (both as defined in the credit agreement) of 5.25x over the trailing four consecutive quarters through September 30, 2014. The consolidated total leverage ratio will reduce to 5.0x on December 31, 2014, 4.75x on December 31, 2015 and 4.50x on December 31, 2016.
The indenture governing the 7% senior notes contains covenants that limit, among other things, the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to incur certain additional indebtedness and issue preferred stock, make certain distributions, investments and other restricted payments, sell certain assets, agree to any restrictions on the ability of restricted subsidiaries to make payments to the Company, merge, consolidate or sell all of the Company’s assets, create certain liens, and engage in transactions with affiliates on terms that are not arms-length. Certain covenants, including those pertaining to incurrence of indebtedness, restricted payments, asset sales, mergers and transactions with affiliates will be suspended during any period in which the notes are rated investment grade by both rating agencies and no default or event of default under the indenture has occurred and is continuing. The 7% senior notes contain two incurrence-based financial covenants, as defined, requiring a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 2.0x and a maximum secured indebtedness leverage ratio of 3.25x.
Some of the Company’s other subsidiary indebtedness includes restrictions on entering into various transactions, such as acquisitions and disposals, and prohibits payment of ordinary dividends. They also have financial covenants including minimum consolidated EBITDA to consolidated net interest payable, minimum consolidated cash flow to consolidated debt service and maximum consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA, all as defined in the applicable debt agreements.
As of December 31, 2013, the Company believes it was in compliance with all of its debt covenants. The Company expects to remain in compliance with all of these covenants throughout 2014.