Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. Annual Report 2019
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Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. Annual Report 2019 Form 10-K (NASDAQ:FOXA) Published: August 9th, 2019 PDF generated by stocklight.com UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20549 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (Mark One) ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-38776 FOX CORPORATION (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) Delaware 83-1825597 (State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Incorporation or Organization) Identification No.) 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (212) 852-7000 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of Each Class Trading Symbols Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share FOXA The Nasdaq Global Select Market Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share FOX The Nasdaq Global Select Market Rights to Purchase Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock N/A The Nasdaq Global Select Market Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933. Yes ☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒ The registrant’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock were not publicly traded as of December 30, 2018, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. As of August 6, 2019, 354,434,371 shares of Class A Common Stock and 266,173,651 shares of Class B Common Stock were outstanding. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Certain information required for Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference to the Fox Corporation definitive Proxy Statement for its 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which is intended to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, within 120 days of Fox Corporation’s fiscal year end. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART I ITEM 1. BUSINESS 1 ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS 14 ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 25 ITEM 2. PROPERTIES 25 ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 25 ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 26 PART II ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 27 ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 27 ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 29 ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 47 ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 48 ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 96 ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 96 ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION 96 PART III ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 97 ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 97 ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 97 ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE 97 ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES 97 PART IV ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES 98 ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY 99 SIGNATURES 100 PART I ITEM 1. BUSINESS Background Fox Corporation, a Delaware corporation, is a news, sports and entertainment company, which manages and reports its businesses in the following segments: • Cable Network Programming, which principally consists of the production and licensing of news and sports content distributed primarily through traditional cable television systems, direct broadcast satellite operators and telecommunication companies (“traditional MVPDs”) and online multi-channel video programming distributors (“digital MVPDs”), primarily in the U.S. • Television, which principally consists of the acquisition, marketing and distribution of broadcast network programming nationally under the FOX brand and the operation of 28 full power broadcast television stations, including 11 duopolies, in the U.S. Of these stations, 17 are affiliated with the FOX Network, 10 are affiliated with MyNetworkTV, and one is an independent station. • Other, Corporate and Eliminations, which principally consists of corporate overhead costs, intracompany eliminations and the FOX Studios lot. The FOX Studios lot, located in Los Angeles, California, provides television and film production services along with office space, studio operation services and includes all operations of the facility. Unless otherwise indicated, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 (“fiscal 2019”) to “FOX”, the “Company”, “we” or “us” mean Fox Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. FOX became a standalone publicly traded company on March 19, 2019, when Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (now known as TFCF Corporation) (“21CF”) distributed, on a pro rata basis, all the issued and outstanding common stock of the Company to 21CF stockholders. Following the distribution, the Company’s class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “class A common stock”) and class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “class B common stock” and, together with the class A common stock, the “common stock”) began trading independently on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. We refer to the foregoing as the “Transaction”. In connection with the Transaction, the Company was formed with a focused portfolio of domestic media assets in live news and sports and original entertainment programming, including leading brands FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment and FOX Television Stations. The remaining 21CF assets were acquired by The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) through a series of transactions contemplated by the amended and restated merger agreement (the “21CF Disney Merger Agreement”) among 21CF, Disney and certain Disney subsidiaries, pursuant to which 21CF became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney (the “Disney Merger”). The Company is party to several agreements that govern certain aspects of the Company’s relationship with 21CF and Disney following the Transaction, including a separation and distribution agreement, a tax matters agreement, a transition services agreement, as well as agreements relating to intellectual property licenses, employee matters, commercial arrangements and a studio lot lease. See Note 1, “Description of Business and Basis of Presentation”, to the consolidated and combined financial statements included in this Annual Report for further information about these agreements. The Company’s fiscal year ends on June 30 of each year. The Company was incorporated in 2018 under the laws of the State of Delaware. At June 30, 2019, the Company had approximately 7,700 full-time employees. The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 and its telephone number is (212) 852-7000. The Company’s website is www.foxcorporation.com. The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are available, free of charge, through the Company’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after the material is electronically filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This Annual Report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical or current fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws.