General

Nature of Operations

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (“Lionsgate,” the “Company,”, “Lions Gate”, “we,” “us” or “our”) is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to our filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lionsgate and all of its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to quarterly report on Form 10-Q under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. The balance sheet at March 31, 2018 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

Certain amounts presented in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. In particular, as a result of the segment reorganization during the three months ended June 30, 2018 (see Note 15), the Company has presented prior period segment data in a manner that conforms to the current period presentation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates made by management in the preparation of the financial statements relate to ultimate revenue and costs used for the amortization of investment in films and television programs; the allocations made in connection with the amortization of program rights; estimates of sales returns and other allowances and provisions for doubtful accounts; estimates related to the recognition of sales or usage-based royalties; fair value of equity-based compensation; fair value of assets and liabilities for allocation of the purchase price of companies acquired; income taxes including the assessment of valuation allowances for deferred tax assets; accruals for contingent liabilities; and impairment assessments for investment in films and television programs, property and equipment, equity investments, goodwill and intangible assets. Actual results could differ from such estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Guidance Adopted in Fiscal 2019

Revenue Recognition: On April 1, 2018, the Company adopted, on a modified retrospective basis, accounting guidance that establishes a new revenue recognition framework in U.S. GAAP for all companies and industries. The core principle of the new revenue framework is that an entity should recognize revenue from the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive for those goods or services. The revenue framework includes a five-step model to determine the timing and amount of revenue to recognize related to contracts with customers. In addition, this revenue framework requires new or expanded disclosures related to the amounts of revenue recognized and judgments made by companies when following this framework.

The adoption of the new accounting guidance did not result in significant changes to the Company's reported operating results. The Company recorded a transition adjustment for all open contracts existing as of April 1, 2018, of $18.7 million as an increase to the opening balance of retained earnings related principally to the areas noted below:

Sales or Usage Based Royalties: The Company currently receives royalties from certain domestic and international distributors and other transactional digital distribution partners based on the sales made by these distributors after recoupment of a minimum guarantee, if applicable. Under prior guidance, the Company recorded these sales or usage based royalties after receiving statements from the licensee and/or film distributor. Under the new guidance, revenues are recorded based on best estimates available of the amounts due to the Company in the period of the customer's sales or usage. Accordingly, the timing of the revenue recognition is accelerated; however, the Company continues to have a consistent number of periods of sales or usage based royalties in each reporting period, and therefore the impact of the new guidance depends on the timing and performance of the titles released in those reporting periods. This change primarily impacts the Motion Pictures and Television Production segments.

Renewals of Licenses of Intellectual Property: Under the prior guidance, when the term of an existing license agreement was extended, without any other changes to the provisions of the license, revenue for the renewal period was recognized when the agreement was renewed or extended. Under the new guidance, revenue associated with renewals or extensions of existing license agreements is recognized as revenue when the licensed content becomes available for the customer to use and benefit from under the renewal or extension. This change impacts the timing of revenue recognition (i.e., revenue is recorded at a later time) as compared with prior revenue recognition guidance. While revenues from renewal do occur, they are not a significant portion of our revenue and thus do not have a material impact on our revenue recognition. This change primarily impacts the Motion Pictures and Television Production segments.

Also, under the new guidance, the Company presents sales returns and certain sales incentive allowances as refund liabilities instead of as contra asset allowances within accounts receivable. On April 1, 2018, the liabilities for such sales returns and incentives were $86.9 million and were recorded in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Changes to the opening balances of current assets, total assets, current liabilities and total liabilities resulting from the adoption of the new guidance were as follows:



	March 31, 2018		Impact of Adoption		April 1, 2018
	(Amounts in millions)
Current assets	$	1,773.1	$	174.4	$	1,947.5
Total assets	$	8,967.6	$	143.6	$	9,111.2
Current liabilities	$	2,412.4	$	104.1	$	2,516.5
Total liabilities	$	5,708.9	$	124.9	$	5,833.8

For further information, including the impact of adoption of the new guidance on the current period, see Note 10.

Recognition and Measurement of Financial Instruments: In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance that addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. Among other provisions, the new guidance requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. For investments without readily determinable fair values, entities have the option to either measure these investments at fair value or at cost adjusted for changes in observable prices minus impairment. The guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2018. Upon adoption of the new guidance, the Company recorded a transition adjustment of $2.6 million to reclassify the unrealized gains recorded through March 31, 2018 for the Company's available-for-sale investments with a readily determinable fair market value (i.e., Next Games) from accumulated other comprehensive loss to retained earnings. After adoption of the new guidance, changes in the fair value of the Company's available-for-sale investments with a readily determinable fair market value will be recognized in net income. The adoption of the new guidance will also impact the accounting for the Company's cost method investments, which will now be measured at cost less any impairment, adjusted for observable price changes in orderly transactions in the investees' securities that are identical or similar to the Company's investments in the investee. The impact of this change will depend on the nature and extent of changes in observable prices, if any. See Note 4.

Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments: In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance that clarifies how entities should classify certain cash receipts and payments on the statement of cash flows. The guidance primarily relates to the classification of cash flows associated with certain (i) debt transactions including debt prepayment or extinguishment costs, (ii) contingent consideration arrangements related to a business combination, (iii) insurance claims and policies, (iv) distributions from equity method investees and (v) securitization transactions. This guidance became effective for the Company as of April 1, 2018, with no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Restricted Cash: In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance to clarify how entities should present restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. As a result, entities will no longer present transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. This guidance became effective for the Company as of April 1, 2018, and has been applied on a retrospective basis. Upon adoption, in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended June 30, 2017, cash provided by operating activities was reduced by $2.8 million, and beginning cash and cash equivalents was increased by $2.8 million to include restricted cash. There was no restricted cash in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2018 or March 31, 2018.

Definition of a Business: In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance that changes the definition of a business for accounting purposes. Under the new guidance, an entity first determines whether substantially all of the fair value of a set of assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If this threshold is met, the set of assets is not deemed to be a business. If the threshold is not met, the entity then evaluates whether the set of assets meets the requirement to be deemed a business, which at a minimum, requires there to be an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. This guidance became effective for the Company as of April 1, 2018, and has been applied on a prospective basis, with no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Stock Compensation - Scope of Modification Accounting: In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies that an entity will not apply modification accounting to a share-based payment award if all of the fair value, vesting conditions, and classification of the modified award as an equity or liability instrument are the same immediately before and after the modification. This guidance became effective for the Company as of April 1, 2018, and has been applied on a prospective basis, with no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Accounting for Share-Based Payments to Nonemployees: In June 2018, the FASB issued guidance which aligns the measurement and classification guidance for share-based payments to nonemployees with the guidance for share-based payments to employees, with certain exceptions. Under the new guidance, the measurement of equity-classified nonemployee awards will be fixed at the grant date, rather than on the earlier of the performance commitment date or the date at which the nonemployees performance is complete under the previous guidance. This guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the new guidance effective April 1, 2018, with no material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

Accounting for Leases: In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance on accounting for leases which requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The new guidance also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to the nature, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and is required to be implemented using a modified retrospective approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income: In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that permits a company to reclassify the income tax effects of the Tax Act on items in accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings, eliminating the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The new guidance only applies to the tax effects resulting from the Tax Act, and does not change the underlying guidance to recognize the effect of a change in tax laws or rates in income from continuing operations. This guidance is effective for the Company's fiscal year beginning April 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.