Derivative Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

The Company uses derivative financial instruments, primarily foreign currency forward exchange contracts and interest rate swaps, for the purposes of managing foreign currency exchange rate risk and interest rate risk on expected future cash flows. However, the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, accounting considerations and the prohibitive economic cost of hedging particular exposures. There can be no assurance the hedges will offset more than a portion of the financial impact resulting from movements in foreign currency exchange or interest rates.

The Company enters into foreign currency forward exchange contracts primarily to hedge the risk that unremitted or future royalties and license fees owed to its U.S. companies for the sale or licensing of U.S.-based music and merchandise abroad may be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company focuses on managing the level of exposure to the risk of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on its major currencies, which include the Euro, British pound sterling, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona, Australian dollar, Brazilian real, Korean won and Norwegian krone. The Company also may at times choose to hedge foreign currency risk associated with financing transactions such as third-party debt and other balance sheet items. The Company’s foreign currency forward exchange contracts have not been designated as hedges under the criteria prescribed in ASC 815. The Company records these contracts at fair value on its balance sheet and the related gains and losses are immediately recognized in the consolidated statement of operations where there is an offsetting entry related to the underlying exposure.

The Company has entered into, and in the future may enter into, interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk. These instruments may offset a portion of changes in income or expense, or changes in fair value of the Company’s long-term debt. The interest rate swap instruments were designated and qualify as cash flow hedges under the criteria prescribed in ASC 815 until the discontinuation of LIBOR. The Company recorded these contracts at fair value on its balance sheet and gains or losses on these contracts are deferred in equity (as a component of comprehensive income). Subsequent to the discontinuation of LIBOR, the Company dedesignated the remaining interest rate swap as a cash flow hedge given the SOFR benchmark rates for the interest rate swap and the Senior Term Loan Facility no longer perfectly match and the expiration of the swap in the first quarter of 2024. Upon dedesignation, the unrealized gains recognized in equity were fixed and reclassified into the consolidated statement of operations over the remaining term and changes in fair value of the swap from the dedesignation date being recognized within the consolidated statement of operations.

The fair value of foreign currency forward exchange contracts is determined by using observable market transactions of spot and forward rates (i.e., Level 2 inputs) which is discussed further in Note 20. Additionally, netting provisions are provided for in existing International Swap and Derivative Association Inc. agreements in situations where the Company executes multiple contracts with the same counterparty. As a result, net assets or liabilities resulting from foreign exchange derivatives subject to these netting agreements are classified within other current assets or other current liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The fair value of interest rate swaps is based on dealer quotes of market rates (i.e., Level 2 inputs) which is discussed further in Note 20. Interest income or expense related to interest rate swaps is recognized in interest income (expense), net in the same period as the related expense is recognized. The ineffective portions of interest rate swaps are recognized in other income (expense) in the period measured.

The Company monitors its positions with, and the credit quality of, the financial institutions that are party to any of its financial transactions.

As of September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, the Company had no outstanding hedge contracts and no deferred gains or losses in comprehensive income related to foreign exchange hedging.

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had outstanding $500 million in a pay-fixed receive-variable interest rate swap with $1 million unrealized deferred gains in comprehensive income related to the interest rate swaps. As of September 30, 2022, the Company had outstanding $820 million in pay-fixed receive-variable interest rate swaps with $13 million of unrealized deferred gains in comprehensive income related to the interest rate swaps.

The Company recorded realized pre-tax losses of $6 million related to its foreign currency forward exchange contracts in the consolidated statement of operations as other expense for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. The Company recorded realized pre-tax gains of $10 million related to its foreign currency forward exchange contracts in the consolidated statement of operations as other income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

The unrealized pre-tax losses of the Company’s derivative interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges recorded in other comprehensive income during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 were $16 million. The unrealized pre-tax gains of the Company’s derivative interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges recorded in other comprehensive income during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 were $40 million.

The following is a summary of amounts recorded in the consolidated balance sheets pertaining to the Company’s derivative instruments at September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022:


	September 30, 2023		September 30, 2022
	(in millions)
Other Current Assets:

Interest Rate Swap	$	2	$	2


Other Noncurrent Assets:
Interest Rate Swap	—		16