Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGF.B)

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LIONSGATE REPORTS RESULTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 2016
4:00 PM ET 2/4/16 | PR Newswire

Revenue is $670.5 Million; Net Income Attributable to Lionsgate Shareholders is $40.7 Million or EPS of $0.27; Adjusted EBITDA is $53.6 Million

Free Cash Flow Increases to $73.9 Million

Company Pays Quarterly Cash Dividend of $0.09 per Common Share

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) today reported revenue of $670.5 million, adjusted EBITDA of $53.6 million, adjusted net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $66.8 million or adjusted EPS of $0.45, and net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $40.7 million or EPS of $0.27 for the fiscal 2016 third quarter ended December 31, 2015. Free cash flow in the quarter rose to $73.9 million.

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"While the performance of our theatrical film slate resulted in softer than anticipated results, our other businesses performed strongly in the quarter," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer. "With our television business continuing its robust topline and margin growth, a deeper and more diversified film slate with lower costs and contributions anticipated from recently launched businesses, we have a clear path to resume our strong and sustainable financial trajectory in fiscal 2017."

Adjusted net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $66.8 million or $0.45 adjusted EPS for the quarter compared to adjusted net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $110.0 million or adjusted EPS of $0.79 in the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA of $53.6 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $146.8 million in the prior year quarter.

Net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders for the quarter was $40.7 million or EPS of $0.27 on 149.5 million weighted average number of common shares outstanding compared to net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $98.2 million or EPS of $0.70 on 140.0 million weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the prior year quarter.

Free cash flow of $73.9 million in the quarter increased from negative free cash flow of $4.6 million in the prior year quarter.

Revenue of $670.5 million for the quarter compared to revenue of $751.3 million in the prior year quarter.

Revenue, adjusted EBITDA and EPS in the quarter declined from the prior year quarter due to the performance of the theatrical film slate. Although The Hunger Games: Mockingjay 2 grossed over $650 million at the global box office, ranking it among the highest-grossing films of the year, its box office performance declined from Mockingjay 1 with higher Mockingjay 2 production costs also impacting its profitability.

During the quarter, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per common share payable on February 5, 2016 to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2015.

Lionsgate's filmed entertainment backlog, or already contracted future revenue not yet recorded, was approximately $1.3 billion at December 31, 2015, increasing from $1.2 billion at September 30, 2015.

Overall Motion Picture segment revenue for the quarter was $505.8 million compared to $590.1 million in the prior year quarter. Although theatrical revenue of $183.1 million was comparable to $186.4 million in the prior year quarter, margins were lower due in part to theatrical P&A expenses associated with four wide film releases in the quarter compared to two wide film releases in the prior year quarter.

Lionsgate's home entertainment revenue from motion picture and television production for the quarter was $142.0 compared to $183.1 million in the prior year quarter, reflecting the composition and timing of the slate of wide release theatrical titles. This offset increased home entertainment revenue from television production in the quarter.

Television revenue included in the Motion Picture segment of $48.6 million in the quarter compared to $82.9 million in the prior year quarter due to timing of titles with television windows opening in the period. The Hunger Games opened in its network television window in the prior year quarter.

International Motion Picture segment revenue of $140.1 million for the quarter compared to $142.1 million in the prior year quarter.

Television production segment revenue of $164.7 million increased from $161.2 million in the prior year quarter. Margins in the Company's television business continued their growth trajectory in the quarter. Domestic television revenues were affected by timing of deliveries in the quarter. Deliveries of the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black, Nashville and The Royals are expected to drive strong growth in the fourth quarter along with the first full quarter of results from Pilgrim Studios, in which Lionsgate acquired a majority stake in November 2015.

Lionsgate senior management will hold its analyst and investor conference call to discuss its fiscal 2016 third quarter financial results at 9:00 A.M. ET/6:00 A.M. PT tomorrow, Friday, February 5. Interested parties may participate live in the conference call by calling 1-800-288-8974 (612-332-1213 outside the U.S. and Canada). A full digital replay will be available from Friday morning, February 5, through Friday, February 12, by dialing 1-800-475-6701 (320-365-3844 outside the U.S. and Canada) and using access code 383600.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms, video games and international distribution and sales. The Company currently has 80 television shows on 40 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as Orange is the New Black, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the breakout comedy The Royals and the Golden Globe-nominated dramedy Casual.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such successes as the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, the first two installments of the Divergent franchise, Sicario, John Wick, Now You See Me, CBS Films/Lionsgate's The Duff, Roadside Attractions' Love & Mercy and Mr. Holmes and Pantelion Films' Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. The Company handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.