Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND OTHER INFORMATION
Preparation of Interim Financial Statements
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X issued by the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, they include all normal and recurring accruals and adjustments necessary to present fairly the results of the interim periods shown.
The financial statements contained herein should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2014, as amended by the Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on June 30, 2014.
Seasonality
Due to the seasonal nature of shows at outdoor amphitheaters and festivals, which primarily occur May through September, the Company experiences higher revenue for the Concerts and Sponsorship & Advertising segments during the second and third quarters. The Artist Nation segment’s revenue is impacted, to a large degree, by the touring schedules of artists it represents and generally the Company experiences higher revenue in this segment during the second and third quarters as the period from May through September tends to be a popular time for touring events. The Ticketing segment’s sales are impacted by fluctuations in the availability of events for sale to the public, which vary depending upon scheduling by its clients. The Company’s seasonality also results in higher balances in cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, accrued expenses and deferred revenue at different times in the year. Therefore, the results to date are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Included in the June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 cash and cash equivalents balance is $577.4 million and $538.4 million, respectively, of cash received that includes the face value of tickets sold on behalf of ticketing clients and the clients’ share of convenience and order processing charges.
Acquisitions
During the first six months of 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of two artist management businesses located in California and several other smaller acquisitions. These acquisitions were accounted for as business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting and were not significant either on an individual basis or in the aggregate.
Recently Issued Pronouncements
In April 2014, the FASB issued guidance that raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires new disclosures of both discontinued operations and certain other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. The guidance is effective for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within that year. This guidance is applied prospectively and early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2015 and will apply it prospectively to disposals occurring on or after January 1, 2015.
In May 2014, the FASB issued a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The new standard provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle of the guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption of the standard is not permitted. The guidance should be applied retrospectively, either to each prior period presented in the financial statements, or only to the most current reporting period presented in the financial statements with a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2017, and is currently assessing which implementation method it will apply and the impact its adoption will have on its financial position and results of operations.
In June 2014, the FASB issued guidance that requires a performance target in a share-based payment that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be accounted for as a performance condition. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within that year, and early adoption is permitted. The guidance should be applied on a prospective basis to awards that are granted or modified on or after the effective date. The guidance may be applied on a modified retrospective basis for performance targets outstanding on or after the beginning of the first annual period presented as of the date of adoption. The Company does not expect to grant these type of awards, but will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2016 and will apply it prospectively to any awards granted on or after January 1, 2016 that include these terms.