Fox 10-K 2024-06-30
Filed 2024-08-08. 19 sections, 487K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
| x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024
or
| o | 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 incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 1211 Avenue of the Americas | ||||||||||||||
| New York, | New York | 10036 | ||||||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices and 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 |
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. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x
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 x No o
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 x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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 | x | Accelerated filer | o | |||||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | o | Smaller reporting company | o | |||||||||||
| Emerging growth company | o |
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. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. x
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. o
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No x
As of December 29, 2023, which was the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, held by non-affiliates was approximately $7.1 billion, based upon the closing price of $29.67 per share as quoted on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on that date, and the aggregate market value of the registrant’s Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, held by non-affiliates was approximately $3.6 billion, based upon the closing price of $27.65 per share as quoted on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on that date.
As of August 5, 2024, 224,646,403 shares of Class A Common Stock and 235,581,025 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 2023 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
PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
Background
The Company is a news, sports and entertainment company, which manages and reports its businesses in four operating segments: Cable Network Programming, Television, Credible and the FOX Studio Lot with the following two reportable segments:
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Cable Network Programming**, which produces and licenses news and sports content distributed through traditional cable television systems, direct broadcast satellite operators and telecommunication companies (“traditional MVPDs”), virtual multi-channel video programming distributors (“virtual MVPDs”) and other digital platforms, primarily in the U.S.
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Television**, which produces, acquires, markets and distributes programming through the FOX broadcast network, advertising supported video-on-demand (“AVOD”) service Tubi, 29 full power broadcast television stations, including 11 duopolies, and other digital platforms, primarily in the U.S. Eighteen of the broadcast television stations are affiliated with the FOX Network, 10 are affiliated with MyNetworkTV and one is an independent station. The segment also includes various production companies that produce content for the Company and third parties.
Credible is a U.S. consumer finance marketplace. The FOX Studio 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, 2024 (“fiscal 2024”) to “FOX,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” mean Fox Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. We use the term “MVPDs” to refer collectively to traditional MVPDs and virtual MVPDs.
FOX became a standalone publicly traded company on March 19, 2019, when Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21CF”) spun off the Company to 21CF stockholders and FOX’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (collectively, the “Common Stock”) began trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “Transaction”). The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) acquired the remaining 21CF assets and 21CF became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney. The Company is party to a separation and distribution agreement and a tax matters agreement that govern certain aspects of the Company’s relationship with 21CF and Disney following the Transaction.
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. 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. We are providing our website address solely for the information of investors. We do not intend the address to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate the contents of the website, including any reports that are noted in this Annual Report as being posted on the website, into this Annual Report.
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. Forward-looking statements may include, among others, the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “outlook” or any other similar words. Although the Company’s management believes that the expectations reflected in any of the Company’s forward-looking
statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any forward-looking statements. The Company’s future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and to inherent risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those estimates or projections contained in the Company’s forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, government regulation, economic, strategic, political and social conditions. For more detailed information about these factors, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.”
Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement made herein or to report any events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law.
Business Overview
FOX produces and delivers compelling news, sports and entertainment content through its iconic brands, including FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, FOX Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. The Company differentiates itself in a crowded media and entertainment marketplace through its simple structure, the leadership positions of its brands and premium programming that focus on live and “appointment-based” content, a significant presence in major markets, and broad distribution of its content across traditional and digital platforms.
Our Competitive Strengths
Premium brands that resonate deeply with viewers.
Under the FOX banner, we produce and distribute content through some of the world’s leading and most valued brands. Our long track record of challenging the status quo emboldens us to continue making innovative decisions, disrupting norms and forming deeper relationships with audiences. FOX News Media is among the most influential and recognized news brands in the world. FOX Sports has earned a reputation for bold sports programming and, with its availability in virtually every U.S. market, is a leading destination for live sports events and sports commentary. FOX Entertainment is renowned for its engaging primetime entertainment, including scripted dramas, leading unscripted programming and its longstanding Sunday animation block. Tubi, our leading AVOD service, attracts a young, diverse and highly engaged audience to its content library of over 260,000 movies and television episodes. These brands and others in our portfolio, such as our 29 owned and operated local television stations, including 18 broadcasting under the FOX brand, hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The quality of our programming and the strength of our brands maximize the value of our content through a combination of affiliate fees and advertising sales.
Leadership positions across strategically significant programming platforms.
FOX enjoys leadership positions across its core news, sports and entertainment businesses. As linear television viewership declines across the industry, “appointment-based” programming that is the FOX hallmark remains resilient. For over 20 consecutive year
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Prospective investors should consider carefully the risk factors set forth below before making an investment in the Company’s securities.
Risks Related to Macroeconomic Conditions, Our Business and Our Industry
Changes in consumer behavior and evolving technologies and distribution platforms continue to challenge existing business models and may adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.
The ways in which consumers view content and technology and business models in our industry continue to rapidly evolve. New distribution platforms and increased competition from new entrants and emerging technologies have added to the complexity of maintaining predictable revenue streams. Technological advancements have driven changes in consumer behavior as consumers now have more control over when, where and how they consume content and have increased advertisers' options for reaching their target audiences. Consumer preferences have evolved toward SVOD, AVOD and FAST services and other direct-to-consumer offerings. An increasing number of FAST services and SVOD services that have introduced advertising-supported tiers has intensified competition for digital advertising and may continue to do so in the future. In addition, the increasing use of time-shifting and advertising-skipping technologies that enable viewers to fast-forward or circumvent advertisements impacts the attractiveness of the Company's programming to advertisers and may adversely affect its advertising revenues. Other new technological developments, including the development and use of generative AI in our industry, are rapidly evolving, and the advantages and risks associated with its use are largely uncertain.
Changes in consumer behavior and technology have also had an adverse impact on MVPDs that deliver the Company's broadcast and cable networks to consumers. Consumers are increasingly turning to direct-to-consumer offerings, which has contributed to industry-wide declines in subscribers to MVPD services over the last several years. These declines are expected to continue and possibly accelerate in the future. If consumers increasingly favor alternative offerings over MVPD subscriptions, the Company may continue to experience a decline in viewership and demand for the programming on its networks. The Company’s affiliate fee and advertising revenues have been negatively impacted by these trends, and these negative effects could continue and accelerate in the future. Changing distribution models may also negatively impact the Company's ability to negotiate affiliation agreements on favorable terms, which could have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations. Our affiliate fee and advertising revenues also may be adversely affected by consumers' use of antennas (and their integration with set-top boxes or other consumer devices) to access broadcast signals to avoid subscriptions.
To remain competitive in this evolving environment, the Company must effectively anticipate and adapt to new market changes. The Company continues to focus on investing in and expanding its digital distribution offerings and direct engagement with consumers, including through Tubi, FOX Nation, FOX Weather and other offerings such as the Venu Sports streaming service expected to launch in the fall of 2024. However, if the Company fails to effectively protect and exploit the value of its content while responding to, and developing new technologies and business models to take advantage of, technological developments and consumer preferences, it could have a significant adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.
The Company derives substantial revenues from the sale of advertising, and declines in advertising expenditures have caused, and could continue to cause, the Company’s revenues and operating results to decline significantly in any given period or in specific markets.
FOX’s advertising revenues have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by factors such as advertising market conditions, changes in consumer behavior, and deficiencies in audience measurement, and they vary substantially due to cyclical sports events and elections.
The strength of the advertising market can fluctuate in response to the economic prospects of specific advertisers or industries, advertisers' spending priorities and the economy in general or the economy of an individual geographic market. In addition, pandemics and other widespread health emergencies, natural and other disasters, acts of terrorism, wars, and political uncertainties and hostilities can also lead to a reduction in
advertising expenditures as a result of economic uncertainty, disruptions in programming (in particular live event programming) or reduced advertising spots due to pre-emptions.
Major sports events, such as the NFL’s Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup and the state, congressional and presidential election cycles also may cause the Company's advertising revenues to vary substantially from year to year. Political advertising expenditures are impacted by the ability and willingness of candidates and political action campaigns to raise and spend funds on advertising and the competitive nature of the elections affecting viewers in markets featuring our programming.
As described above, technological changes and the evolution of consumer preferences toward direct-to-consumer offerings has intensified audience fragmentation and reduced viewership through traditional linear distribution models, which has caused ratings and viewership declines for television networks, including ours. These changes have also given rise to new ways of purchasing advertising, as well as a general shift in advertising expenditures toward digital and mobile offerings, some of which may not be as beneficial to us as traditional advertising methods. In addition, a number of SVOD services with large subscriber bases and household penetration have introduced advertising supported tiers and there is an increasing number of AVOD services and FAST products available to consumers. The resulting increase in the amount of digital advertising available in the marketplace has intensified, and may continue to intensify, competition for viewers and advertising. There can be no assurance that we can successfully navigate the evolving digital advertising market or that the digital advertising revenues we generate will offset the declines in advertising revenues generated by our traditional linear networks.
Advertising sales also largely depend on audience measurement and could be negatively affected if measurement methodologies do not accurately reflect actual viewership levels. Although Nielsen’s statistical sampling method is the primary measurement methodology used for our linear television advertising sales, we measure and monetize our digital platforms based on a combination of internal and third-party data, including demographic composite estimates. The industry is transitioning to a multiplatform measurement environment in an effort to more completely measure viewership and advertising across linear and digital platforms, but has not yet established a consistent, broadly accepted measure of multiplatform audiences. Although we expect multiplatform measurement innovation and standards to benefit us as the advertising market continues to evolve, we are still partially dependent on third parties to provide these solutions. Declines in advertising revenues may also be caused by regulatory intervention or other third-party action that impacts where and when advertising may be placed. If negative impacts on advertising revenues continue or accelerate, they could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.
**Because the Company derives a significant portion of its revenues from a limited numb
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Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
The Company maintains a cybersecurity program that is designed to identify, detect, assess and manage cybersecurity risks. The Company’s senior management and its Board are actively involved in the oversight of the Company’s risk management program, of which cybersecurity is an important part. The Company’s cybersecurity program, which aligns to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (the “NIST Framework”) includes, among other things:
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regular internal and external penetration testing of our technology environments at the application, infrastructure and network level, covering the systems, products and practices collecting or storing confidential business and personal information— including user data—in accordance with the Company’s security policies. This testing is conducted multiple times a year by third-party firms;
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third-party provider security assessments to evaluate associated risks and appropriate internal and third-party provider security controls;
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processes to manage security risks and vulnerabilities;
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mandatory company-wide cybersecurity compliance and information handling training;
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a documented cybersecurity incident response plan that establishes procedures, roles, responsibilities and communication protocols for internal staff and external resources in the event of a cybersecurity incident;
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cybersecurity tools that assist with the automation and orchestration of security alert response based on the relative risk; and
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threat intelligence sharing relationships with industry partners, peers, and government agencies, as needed and appropriate.
FOX’s cybersecurity program is based on recognized best practices and standards applicable to our industry. The Company engages a third-party firm to assess the overall maturity of its program against the NIST Framework on a bi-annual basis. This evaluation includes an assessment of how the program evaluates and
mitigates risk, as well as how it compares against industry benchmarks. The results of this evaluation are provided to the Audit Committee of the Board.
The Company’s Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) leads the Company’s dedicated information security department, which monitors FOX’s prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation efforts related to cyber threats. The CISO regularly consults with the Company’s Co-Chief Privacy Officers, and the Company’s Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”) provides additional oversight of the cybersecurity program, and previously served as the Company’s CISO. The CISO has over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity, information security and technology, including a background in broadcast media and networking and systems engineering, and has held numerous industry certifications.
The CISO is in regular communication with senior management regarding cybersecurity matters and provides frequent routine (generally weekly) updates to the Company’s Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), CTO and Chief Legal and Policy Officer. As part of the Company’s incident response plan process, cybersecurity risk events of a certain criteria are communicated in a timely manner to the Company’s incident response governing body, which is comprised of members of senior management, including the COO, CTO, and CFO. The Company tests the effectiveness of the incidence response plan and assesses its response capabilities by conducting executive tabletop exercises involving detailed topical cybersecurity scenarios with these executives, as well as technical tabletop exercises including technical and operational personnel. The Company also has processes in place that are designed to ensure that decisions regarding public disclosure and reporting of cybersecurity incidents can be made in a timely manner.
The Company’s Board has an active role, as a whole and at the committee level, in overseeing the management of the Company’s risks. The Audit Committee of the Board is responsible for (i) overseeing the Company’s policies and practices with respect to risk assessment and risk management, including with respect to cybersecurity and the use of AI, (ii) overseeing the Company’s financial and other major risk exposures and the steps taken to monitor and control them, and (iii) providing guidance to the Board on such matters.
The Audit Committee regularly reviews and discusses FOX’s cybersecurity risks and receives updates from the CISO on how the Company identifies, assesses and mitigates these risks. The CISO provides the Audit Committee with quarterly reports regarding cybersecurity issues and risks, including information regarding progress on efforts to strengthen and enhance the Company’s cybersecurity program. The Audit Committee also periodically devotes additional meeting time, as needed, to in-depth discussions on a particularly relevant cybersecurity topic, including industry trends and relative risks. In addition to the quarterly reports, cybersecurity incidents meeting certain criteria are reported to the Audit Committee outside of regularly scheduled quarterly updates as necessary.
From time to time, the Company experiences cybersecurity threats and attacks. Although no cybersecurity incident has been material to the Company’s businesses to date, FOX expects to continue to be subject to cybersecurity threats and attacks and there can be no assurance that the Company will not experience a material incident. For more information, see Item 1A., “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Cybersecurity, Piracy, Privacy and Data Protection.”
Item 2. PROPERTIES
FOX owns the FOX Studio Lot in Los Angeles, California. The historic lot is located on over 50 acres of land and has over 1.85 million square feet of space for both administration and production/post-production services available to service a wide array of industry clients, including 15 sound stages, two broadcast studios, theaters and screening rooms, editing rooms and other television and film production facilities. The FOX Studio Lot provides two primary revenue streams — the lease of a portion of the office space to Disney and other third parties and the operation of studio facilities for third-party productions, which until 2026 will predominantly be Disney productions.
In addition to the FOX Studio Lot in Los Angeles, California, FOX also owns and leases various real properties, primarily in the U.S., that are utilized in the conduct of its businesses. Each of these properties is considered to be in good condition, adequate for its purpose and suitably utilized according to the individual
nature and requirements of the relevant operations. FOX’s policy is to improve and replace property as considered appropriate to meet the needs of the individual operations.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
See Note 14—Commitments and Contingencies to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements of FOX under the heading “Contingencies” for a discussion of the Company’s legal proceedings.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Fox Corporation’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”), are listed and traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbols “FOXA” and “FOX,” respectively. As of June 30, 2024, there were approximately 14,100 holders of record of shares of Class A Common Stock and approximately 3,000 holders of record of shares of Class B Common Stock.
We expect to continue to pay semi-annual dividends, although each dividend is subject to approval by the Company’s Board of Directors (See Note 11—Stockholders’ Equity to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements under the heading “Dividends”).
Below is a summary of the Company’s repurchases of its Class A Common Stock during fiscal 2024:
| Total number of shares purchased**(a)** | Average price paid per share**(b)** | Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the program**(b)(c)** | |||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| First quarter fiscal 2024(d) | 15,437,627 | $ | 16.19 | ||||||||||||||
| Second quarter fiscal 2024 | 8,275,629 | 30.21 | |||||||||||||||
| Third quarter fiscal 2024 | 8,347,054 | 29.95 | |||||||||||||||
| April 1, 2024 - April 30, 2024 | 1,609,334 | 31.07 | |||||||||||||||
| May 1, 2024 - May 31, 2024 | 3,061,001 | 33.33 | |||||||||||||||
| June 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024 | 2,885,073 | 33.96 | |||||||||||||||
| Total fiscal 2024(d) | 39,615,718 | 25.24 | $ | 1,400 |
| (a) | The Company has not made any purchases of Common Stock other than in connection with the publicly announced stock repurchase program described below. | |||||||||||||
| (b) | These amounts exclude any fees, commissions, excise taxes or other costs associated with the share repurchases. | |||||||||||||
| (c) | The Company’s Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company can repurchase $7 billion of Common Stock. The program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. | |||||||||||||
| (d) | In February 2023, in connection with the stock repurchase program, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) agreement in which the Company paid a third-party financial institution $1 billion and received an initial delivery of approximately 22.5 million shares of Class A Common Stock, representing 80% of the shares expected to be repurchased under the ASR agreement, at a price of $35.54 per share. Upon settlement of the ASR agreement in August 2023, the Company received a final delivery of approximately 7.8 million shares of Class A Common Stock. The final number of shares purchased under the ASR agreement was determined using a price of $33.03 per share (the volume-weighted average market price of the Class A Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market during the term of the ASR agreement less a discount) (See Note 11—Stockholders’ Equity to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements under the heading “Stock Repurchase Program”). |
In total, the Company repurchased approximately 40 million shares of Class A Common Stock for approximately $1 billion during fiscal 2024.
Item 6. [RESERVED]
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by Fox Corporation (“FOX” or the “Company”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated financial statements are referred to as the “Financial Statements” herein.
INTRODUCTION
The Transaction
FOX became a standalone publicly traded company on March 19, 2019, when Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21CF”) spun off the Company to 21CF stockholders and FOX'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 (the “Transaction”). In connection with the Transaction, the Company entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of March 19, 2019 (the “Separation Agreement”), with 21CF, which effected the internal restructuring (the “Separation”) whereby The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) acquired the remaining 21CF assets and 21CF became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney. The Separation and the Transaction were effected as part of a series of transactions contemplated by the Amended and Restated Merger Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 20, 2018, by and among 21CF, Disney and certain subsidiaries of Disney.
Basis of Presentation
The Company’s financial statements are presented on a consolidated basis.
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is intended to help provide an understanding of the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations. This discussion is organized as follows:
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Overview of the Company’s Business**—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred either during the fiscal year ended June 30, (“fiscal”) 2024 or early fiscal 2025 that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
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Results of Operations**—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated and a segment basis. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources**—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for fiscal 2024, 2023 and 2022, as well as a discussion of the Company’s outstanding debt and commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2024. Included in the discussion of outstanding debt is a discussion of the amount of financial capacity available to fund the Company’s future commitments and obligations, as well as a discussion of other financing arrangements.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates**—This section discusses accounting policies considered important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, and which require significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in application and the Company’s use of estimates and assumptions consistent with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In addition, Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the accompanying Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policy discussion found in this section.
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Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements**—This section provides a description of the use of forward-looking information appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Such information is based on management’s current expectations about future events which are subject to
change and to inherent risks and uncertainties. Refer to Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report for a discussion of the risk factors applicable to the Company.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESS
The Company is a news, sports and entertainment company, which manages and reports its businesses in four operating segments: Cable Network Programming, Television, Credible Labs Inc. (“Credible”) and the FOX Studio Lot with the following two reportable segments:
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Cable Network Programming**, which produces and licenses news and sports content distributed through traditional cable television systems, direct broadcast satellite operators and telecommunication companies (“traditional MVPDs”), virtual multi-channel video programming distributors (“virtual MVPDs”) and other digital platforms, primarily in the U.S.
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Television**, which produces, acquires, markets and distributes programming through the FOX broadcast network, advertising-supported video-on-demand (“AVOD”) service Tubi, 29 full power broadcast television stations, including 11 duopolies, and other digital platforms, primarily in the U.S. Eighteen of the broadcast television stations are affiliated with the FOX Network, 10 are affiliated with MyNetworkTV and one is an independent station. The segment also includes various production companies that produce content for the Company and third parties.
The Credible and the FOX Studio Lot operating segments do not meet the criteria under GAAP to be separately reported as a reportable segment or aggregated with other operating segments, and as such are presented as part of Corporate and Other, which is not a reportable segment. Corporate and Other principally consists of Credible, the FOX Studio Lot and corporate overhead costs. Credible is a U.S. consumer finance marketplace. The FOX Studio 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.
We use the term "MVPDs" to refer collectively to traditional MVPDs and virtual MVPDs.
The Company’s Cable Network Programming and Television segments derive the majority of their revenues from affiliate fees for the transmission of content and advertising sales. For fiscal 2024, the Company generated revenues of $14 billion, of which approximately 52% was generated from affiliate fees, approximately 39% was generated from advertising, and approximately 9% was generated from other operating activities.
Affiliate fees primarily include (i) monthly subscriber-based license and retransmission consent fees paid by programming distributors that carry our cable networks and our owned and operated television stations and (ii) fees received from non-owned and operated television stations that are affiliated with the FOX Network. U.S. law governing retransmission consent provides a mechanism for the television stations owned by the Company to seek and obtain payment from MVPDs that carry the Company’s broadcast signals.
The Company’s revenues are impacted by rate changes, changes in the number of subscribers to the Company’s content and changes in the expenditures by advertisers. In addition, advertising revenues are subject to seasonality and cyclicality as a result of the impact of state, congressional and presidential election cycles and special events that air on the Company’s networks, including the National Football League’s (“NFL”) Super Bowl, which is broadcast on the FOX Network on a rotating basis with other networks, and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”) World Cup, which occurs every four years (for each of women and men), and other regular and post-season sports events, including one NFL Divisional playoff game that is aired on a rotating annual basis with another network.
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Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company has exposure to two types of market risk: changes in interest rates and stock prices. The Company neither holds nor issues financial instruments for trading purposes.
The following sections provide quantitative and qualitative information on the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk and stock price risk. The Company makes use of sensitivity analyses that are inherently limited in estimating actual losses in fair value that can occur from changes in market conditions.
Interest Rates
The Company’s current financing arrangements and facilities include $7.25 billion of outstanding fixed-rate debt, before adjustments for unamortized discount and debt issuance costs (See Note 9—Borrowings to the accompanying Financial Statements).
Fixed and variable-rate debts are impacted differently by changes in interest rates. A change in the interest rate or yield of fixed-rate debt will only impact the fair market value of such debt, while a change in the interest rate of variable-rate debt will impact interest expense, as well as the amount of cash required to service such debt. As of June 30, 2024, all the Company’s financial instruments with exposure to interest rate risk were
denominated in U.S. dollars and no variable-rate debt was outstanding. Information on financial instruments with exposure to interest rate risk is presented below:
| As of June 30, | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||
| Fair Value | |||||||||||
| Borrowings: liability | $ | 7,017 | $ | 6,895 | |||||||
| Sensitivity Analysis | |||||||||||
| Potential change in fair values resulting from a 10% adverse change in quoted interest rates | $ | 297 | $ | 267 |
Stock Prices
The Company has common stock investments in publicly traded companies that are subject to market price volatility. Information on the Company’s investments with exposure to stock price risk is presented below:
| As of June 30, | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||
| Fair Value | |||||||||||
| Total fair value of common stock investments | $ | 797 | $ | 884 | |||||||
| Sensitivity Analysis | |||||||||||
| Potential change in fair values resulting from a 10% adverse change in quoted market prices | $ | (80) | $ | (88) |
Concentrations of Credit Risk
See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the accompanying Financial Statements under the heading “Concentrations of Credit Risk.”
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
FOX CORPORATION
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management of Fox Corporation is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
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pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of Fox Corporation;
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provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America;
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provide reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures of Fox Corporation are being made only in accordance with authorization of management and directors of Fox Corporation; and
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provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Fox Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting, no matter how well designed, may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, the assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting was made as of a specific date. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of Fox Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024, based on the framework set forth in “Internal Control — Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in 2013. Based on this evaluation, management determined that, as of June 30, 2024, Fox Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting.
Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who audited and reported on the Consolidated Financial Statements of Fox Corporation included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, has audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Their report appears on the following page.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Fox Corporation:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Fox Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Fox Corporation (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of June 30, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 2024, and the related notes and our report dated August 8, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financ
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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on such evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act and were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management’s report and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon are set forth on pages 61 and 62, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the Company’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
Not applicable.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEMS 10, 11, 12, 13 AND 14. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE; EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION; SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS; CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE; PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The information required by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III is incorporated by reference from the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed in connection with its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders pursuant to Regulation 14A.
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report:
1.The Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements required to be filed as part of this Annual Report and the Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm are included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
2.All other financial statement schedules are omitted because the required information is not applicable or because the information called for is included in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements or the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
3.The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index below are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted in Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). |
| ѱ | Certain schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit will be furnished supplementally to the SEC upon request. | ||||
| * | Filed herewith. | ||||
| + | This exhibit is a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. | ||||
| ** | Furnished herewith. |
The Registrant hereby agrees to furnish to the SEC at its request copies of long-term debt instruments defining the rights of holders of outstanding long-term debt that are not required to be filed herewith.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Fox Corporation (Registrant) | ||||||||
| By: | /S/ Steven Tomsic | |||||||
| Steven Tomsic Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
| Date: August 8, 2024 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
| /S/ Lachlan K. Murdoch | Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Lachlan K. Murdoch | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Steven Tomsic | Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Steven Tomsic | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Tony Abbott AC | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Tony Abbott | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ William A. Burck | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| William A. Burck | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Chase Carey | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Chase Carey | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Roland A. Hernandez | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Roland A. Hernandez | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Margaret L. Johnson | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Margaret L. Johnson | ||||||||||||||
| /S/ Paul D. Ryan | Director | August 8, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Paul D. Ryan |