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Commitment and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies

Off-Balance Sheet Commitments

Our off-balance sheet commitments primarily consist of operating lease arrangements and guaranteed minimum franchise payments. These arrangements result from our normal course of business and represent obligations that are payable over several years.

We have long-term operating leases for office space, billboard sites and equipment, which expire at various dates. Certain leases contain renewal and escalation clauses.

We have agreements with municipalities and transit operators which entitle us to operate advertising displays within their transit systems, including on the interior and exterior of rail and subway cars and buses, as well as on benches, transit shelters, street kiosks, and transit platforms. Under most of these franchise agreements, the franchisor is entitled to receive the greater of a percentage of the relevant revenues, net of agency fees, or a specified guaranteed minimum annual payment.

On July 22, 2015, we entered into an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (the “MTA”) to extend our existing transit contract for providing advertising services throughout the New York City subway system from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2016, unless earlier terminated by the MTA on or after July 1, 2016. On July 22, 2015, we also entered into an agreement with the MTA to modify our existing bus and commuter rail advertising contract to change the MTA’s right to terminate the contract at any time, to a right to terminate at any time on or after July 1, 2016, and the right to exclude billboards on the MTA’s properties from any termination. The December 31, 2016, expiration date of the bus and commuter rail advertising contract remains unchanged.

Letters of Credit

We have indemnification obligations with respect to letters of credit and surety bonds primarily used as security against non-performance in the normal course of business. The outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds approximated $115.7 million as of June 30, 2015, and were not recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

Legal Matters

On an ongoing basis, we are engaged in lawsuits and governmental proceedings and respond to various investigations, inquiries, notices and claims from national, state and local governmental and other authorities (collectively, “litigation”). Litigation is inherently uncertain and always difficult to predict. Although it is not possible to predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any litigation, in our opinion, none of our current litigation is expected to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.