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Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM10-K
☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

OR

☐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: 001-34177

disca-20211231_g1.jpg

Discovery, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware35-2333914
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
230 Park Avenue South10003
New York, New York(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)

(212) 548-5555

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each ClassTrading SymbolsName of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Series A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDISCAThe Nasdaq Global Select Market
Series B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDISCBThe Nasdaq Global Select Market
Series C Common Stock, par value $0.01 per shareDISCKThe Nasdaq Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ý No ¨

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 ¨ No ý

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 ý No ¨

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 ý No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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 filerýAccelerated filer☐
Non-accelerated filer☐Smaller reporting company☐
Emerging growth company☐
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. ¨

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. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ý

The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant computed by reference to the last sales price of such stock, as of the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, which was June 30, 2021, was approximately $14 billion.

Total number of shares outstanding of each class of the Registrant’s common stock as of February 10, 2022 was:

Series A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share169,580,151
Series B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share6,511,917
Series C Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share330,153,753

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information required in Item 10 through Item 14 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

DISCOVERY, INC.

FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
PART I
ITEM 1. Business.5
ITEM 1A. Risk Factors.21
ITEM 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.36
ITEM 2. Properties.36
ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings.37
ITEM 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.37
PART II40
ITEM 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.40
ITEM 6. [Reserved.]41
ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.41
ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.58
ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.61
ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.118
ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures.118
ITEM 9B. Other Information.118
ITEM 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.119
PART III120
ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.120
ITEM 11. Executive Compensation.120
ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.120
ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.120
ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.120
PART IV121
ITEM 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.121
ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary.128
SIGNATURES129

PART I

CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our business, marketing and operating strategies, integration of acquired businesses, new service offerings, financial prospects, anticipated sources and uses of capital and our proposed transaction to combine our business with AT&T’s WarnerMedia business. Words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “strategy,” “target” and similar terms, and future or conditional tense verbs like “could,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “will” and “would,” among other terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance identify forward-looking statements. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be accomplished. The following is a list of some, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated:

  • the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of, or prevent or delay our ability to consummate, our proposed transaction to combine with WarnerMedia;

  • the effects of the announcement, pendency or completion of our proposed transaction to combine with WarnerMedia on our ongoing business operations;

  • changes in the distribution and viewing of television programming, including the continuing expanded deployment of personal video recorders, subscription video on demand, internet protocol television, mobile personal devices, personal tablets and user-generated content and their impact on television advertising revenue;

  • continued consolidation of distribution customers and production studios;

  • a failure to secure affiliate agreements or the renewal of such agreements on less favorable terms;

  • rapid technological changes;

  • the inability of advertisers or affiliates to remit payment to us in a timely manner or at all;

  • general economic and business conditions, including the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;

  • industry trends, including the timing of, and spending on, feature film, television and television commercial production;

  • spending on domestic and foreign television advertising;

  • disagreements with our distributors or other business partners over contract interpretation;

  • fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, political unrest and regulatory changes in international markets, including any proposed or adopted regulatory changes that impact the operations of our international media properties and/or modify the terms under which we offer our services and operate in international markets;

  • market demand for foreign first-run and existing content libraries;

  • the regulatory and competitive environment of the industries in which we, and the entities in which we have interests, operate;

  • uncertainties regarding the financial performance of our investments in unconsolidated entities;

  • our ability to complete, integrate, maintain and obtain the anticipated benefits and synergies from our proposed business combinations and acquisitions, including our proposed transaction to combine with WarnerMedia, on a timely basis or at all;

  • uncertainties associated with product and service development and market acceptance, including the development and provision of programming for new television and telecommunications technologies, and the success of our discovery+ streaming product;

  • realizing direct-to-consumer subscriber goals;

  • future financial performance, including availability, terms, and deployment of capital;

  • the ability of suppliers and vendors to deliver products, equipment, software, and services;

  • the outcome of any pending or threatened or potential litigation, including any litigation that has been or may be instituted against us relating to our proposed transaction to combine with WarnerMedia;

  • availability of qualified personnel and recruiting, motivating and retaining talent;

  • changes in, or failure or inability to comply with, government regulations, including, without limitation, regulations of the Federal Communications Commission and similar authorities internationally and data privacy regulations and adverse outcomes from regulatory proceedings;

  • changes in income taxes due to regulatory changes or changes in our corporate structure;

  • changes in the nature of key strategic relationships with partners, distributors and equity method investee partners;

  • competitor responses to our products and services and the products and services of the entities in which we have interests;

  • threatened or actual cyber-attacks and cybersecurity breaches;

  • threatened terrorist attacks and military action;

  • our level of debt;

  • reduced access to capital markets or significant increases in costs to borrow; and

  • a reduction of advertising revenue associated with unexpected reductions in the number of subscribers.

These risks have the potential to impact the recoverability of the assets recorded on our balance sheets, including goodwill or other intangibles. Additionally, many of these risks are currently amplified by and may, in the future, continue to be amplified by the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For additional risk factors, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties, and other factors speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Next: Item 1. Business.