REVENUE RECOGNITION REVENUE RECOGNITION |
3 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar. 31, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| REVENUE RECOGNITION |
REVENUE RECOGNITION
Concerts
Concerts revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:
The Concerts segment generates revenue from the promotion or production of live music events and festivals in the Company’s owned or operated venues and in rented third-party venues, artist management commissions and selling merchandise for music artists at events. As a promoter and venue operator, the Company earns revenue primarily from the sale of tickets, concessions, merchandise, parking, venue sponsorship, ticket rebates or service charges on tickets sold by Ticketmaster or third-party ticketing agreements and rental of the Company’s owned or operated venues. As an artist manager, the Company earns commissions on the earnings of the artists and other clients the Company represents, primarily derived from clients’ earnings for concert tours. Over 95% of Concerts’ revenue, whether related to promotion, venue operations, artist management or artist event merchandising, is recognized on the day of the related event. The majority of consideration for the Concerts segment is collected in advance of the event and on the day of the event. Consideration received in advance of the event is recorded as deferred revenue. Any consideration not collected by the day of the event is typically received within three months of the event date.
Sponsorship & Advertising
Sponsorship & Advertising revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:
The Sponsorship & Advertising segment generates revenue from sponsorship and marketing programs that provide its sponsors with strategic, international, national and local opportunities to reach customers through the Company’s venue, artist relationship and ticketing assets, including advertising on its websites. These programs can also include custom events or programs for the sponsors’ specific brands which are typically experienced exclusively by the sponsors’ customers. Sponsorship agreements may contain multiple elements, which provide several distinct benefits to the sponsor over the term of the agreement which can be for a single or multi-year term. The Company also earns revenue from exclusive access rights provided to sponsors in various categories such as ticket pre-sales, beverage pouring rights and venue naming rights, media campaigns, signage within the Company’s venues, and advertising on its websites. Revenue from sponsorship agreements is allocated to the multiple elements based on the relative stand-alone selling price of each separate element which are determined using vendor specific evidence, third-party evidence or the Company’s best estimate of the fair value. Revenue is recognized over the term of the agreement or operating season as the benefits are provided to the sponsor unless the revenue is associated with a specific event, in which case it is recognized when the event occurs. Revenue is collected in installment payments during the year, typically in advance of providing the benefit or the event. Revenue received in advance of the event or the sponsor receiving the benefit is recorded as deferred revenue.
At March 31, 2018, the Company had contracted sponsorship agreements with terms greater than one year that had approximately $808.0 million of revenue related to future benefits to be provided by the Company. The Company expects to recognize 29%, 24%, 16% and 31% of this revenue in the remainder of 2018, 2019, 2020 and thereafter, respectively.
Ticketing
Ticketing revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:
Ticket fee revenue is generated from convenience and order processing fees, or service charges, charged at the time a ticket for an event is sold in either the primary or secondary markets. The Ticketing segment is primarily an agency business that sells tickets for events on behalf of its clients which include venues, concert promoters, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, theatre producers and museums. Ticket fee revenue is recognized when the ticket is sold for third-party clients and secondary market sales as the Company has no further obligation to its client’s customers following the sale of the ticket. For the Company’s concert events, where its concert promoters control ticketing, ticket fee revenue is recognized when the event occurs because the Company also has the obligation to deliver the event to the fan. The delivery of the ticket to the fan is not considered a distinct performance obligation for the Company’s concert events because the fan cannot receive the benefits of the ticket unless the Company also fulfills its obligation to deliver the event. The majority of ticket fee revenue is collected within the month of the ticket sale. Revenue received from the sale of tickets in advance of the Company’s concert events is recorded as deferred revenue.
Ticketing contract advances, which can be either recoupable or non-recoupable, represent amounts paid in advance to the Company’s clients pursuant to ticketing agreements and are reflected in prepaid expenses or in other long-term assets if the amount is expected to be recouped or recognized over a period of more than 12 months. Recoupable ticketing contract advances are generally recoupable against future royalties earned by the clients, based on the contract terms, over the life of the contract. Royalties are typically earned by the client when tickets are sold. Royalties paid to clients are recorded as a reduction to revenue when the tickets are sold and the corresponding service charge revenue is recognized. Non-recoupable ticketing contract advances, excluding those amounts paid to support clients’ advertising costs, are fixed additional incentives occasionally paid by the Company to secure the contract with certain clients and are normally amortized over the life of the contract on a straight-line basis as a reduction to revenue. At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had ticketing contract advances of $66.8 million and $76.0 million, respectively, in prepaid expenses and $78.1 million and $78.6 million, respectively, in other long-term assets. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company amortized $42.2 million and $40.1 million, respectively, related to ticketing contract advances.
Deferred Revenue
The majority of the Company’s deferred revenue is classified as current and is shown as a separate line item on the consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenue that is not expected to be recognized within the next twelve months is classified as long-term and reflected in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company had current deferred revenue of $925.2 million and $805.0 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The table below summarizes the amount of deferred revenue recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||