October 26, 2016—IMAX Corporation has reported third-quarter 2016 revenues of $86.6 million and net income attributable to common shareholders of $2.5 million, or $0.04 per share. Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders was $7.9 million, or $0.12 per diluted share. EBITDA as calculated in accordance with the Company's credit facility was $24.5 million. For reconciliations of adjusted net income to reported net income, adjusted net income per diluted share to reported net income per diluted share, and for the definition and reconciliation of EBITDA as calculated in accordance with the Company's credit facility, please see the end of this press release.
“The third quarter was strategic on several fronts that we believe will support the continued long-term growth and health of our business—including record signings and installation activity, the repurchase of 500,000 common shares under our buy-back program and reaching key milestones in the coming launch of our pilot location-based virtual reality offering,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “In just the first nine months of the year, we signed a record 293 theatre agreements, the majority of which came from existing partners looking to expand their IMAX footprint. As importantly, our accelerated install pace continued into the third quarter as well, with a record 48 new theatre installs–signaling continued demand from exhibitors to open their IMAX® theatres ahead of the highly anticipated upcoming film slate.”
Network Update:
During the quarter, the Company installed 50 theatres, of which 48 were for new theatre locations and 2 were upgrades. The Company also signed contracts for 162 theatres in the third quarter of 2016. The total IMAX theatre network consisted of 1,145 systems as of Sept. 30, 2016, of which 1,037 were in commercial multiplexes. There were 547 theatres in backlog as of Sept. 30, 2016, up 23.8% from the 442 in backlog as of June 30, 2016. For a breakdown of theatre system signings, installations, network and backlog by type, please see the end of this press release.
Box Office Update:
Gross box office from IMAX DMR® titles was $186.3 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared with$189.8 million in the prior-year period. The average global DMR box office per-screen average in the third quarter of 2016 was $184,700.
“From a box office perspective, we were encouraged by a number of key markets—including the domestic market—which saw IMAX per screen averages rise 8% in the third quarter. While global box office overall was flat versus the third quarter of last year, box office is cyclical and we can expect periods that are stronger than others—such as the first five months of 2016. We anticipate box office will pick up again in the fourth quarter with titles such as Marvel's Doctor Strange, which includes more than an hour of footage specially formatted exclusively for IMAX, the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and of course Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. With the anticipated strength of the tentpole-heavy film slate over the next 24 months coupled with the heightened demand from filmmakers to differentiate their movies using IMAX® cameras and the ideal content spacing, we believe we are well-positioned to take advantage of the years ahead.”
Third-Quarter Segment Results
Revenue from sales and sales-type leases was $21.8 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared with $26.6 million in the third quarter of 2015. The Company installed 15 full theatre systems under sales and sales-type lease arrangements in the most recent quarter, compared with the 12 full sales-type theatres installed in the third quarter of 2015. The Company also recognized 2 upgrades under sales and sales-type lease arrangements in the most recent quarter, compared to 8 in the same period last year.
Revenue from joint revenue-sharing arrangements was $19.7 million in the quarter, compared with $19.8 million in the prior-year period. During the quarter, the Company installed 33 new theatres under joint revenue-sharing arrangements, compared with 22 in the third quarter of 2015. The Company had 592 theatres operating under joint revenue-sharing arrangements as of Sept. 30, 2016, as compared to 498 joint revenue-sharing theatres one year prior.
Production and DMR revenues were $21.5 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared with$20.9 million in the third quarter of 2015. As mentioned above, gross box office from DMR titles was $186.3 million in the third quarter of 2016, compared with $189.8 million in the prior-year period. The global DMR per screen average in the third quarter of 2016 was $184,700, compared with $220,500 in same period last year.
Gross margin across all segments in the third quarter of 2016 was 51.9%, compared to 49.8% in the third quarter of 2015.
Operating expenses (which include SG&A and R&D, and excludes stock-based compensation) were $27.5 million in the quarter, compared with $23.4 million in the third quarter of 2015.
“While we remain focused on our core business, in the third quarter we expanded our efforts to deliver differentiated entertainment experiences with the coming launch of our premium location-based VR offering, IMAX VR™,” Gelfond said. “I am pleased to report that we have already made significant progress on this initiative and have received strong interest for centre partnerships, content deals and many other opportunities that we hope to begin announcing over the coming months. While we are still in the early test phase of this effort, we are optimistic about VR and the potential sizeable opportunity that it presents our business.”
Share Buybacks
The Company repurchased 500,000 shares in the third quarter of 2016. The Company purchased the shares at an average price of $29.32, for a total value of $14.7 million. The Company did not repurchase any shares in connection with the administration of the Company's long-term incentive plan in the third quarter of 2016.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo,Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sep. 30, 2016, there were 1,145 IMAX theatres (1,037 commercial multiplexes, 16 commercial destinations and 92 institutions) in 74 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “HK.1970.”
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience®, IMAX Is Believing® and IMAX nXos® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
Source: IMAX Corporation
