NEWS CORP (NWSA)
SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > SIC Major Group 27 > SIC 2711 Newspapers: Publishing or Publishing & Printing
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1564708. Latest filing source: 0001564708-25-000419.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 8,452,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-08-06 |
| Net income | 1,180,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-08-06 |
| Assets | 15,504,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2025-08-06 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2025-08-06. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001564708.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 8,292,000,000 | 8,139,000,000 | 9,024,000,000 | 10,074,000,000 | 9,008,000,000 | 9,358,000,000 | 10,385,000,000 | 8,012,000,000 | 8,252,000,000 | 8,452,000,000 | |||
| Net income | 179,000,000 | -738,000,000 | -1,514,000,000 | 155,000,000 | -1,269,000,000 | 330,000,000 | 623,000,000 | 149,000,000 | 266,000,000 | 1,180,000,000 | |||
| Diluted EPS | -0.26 | -1.27 | -2.60 | 0.26 | -2.16 | 0.56 | 1.05 | 0.26 | 0.46 | 2.07 | |||
| Operating cash flow | 501,000,000 | 1,029,000,000 | 988,000,000 | 952,000,000 | 499,000,000 | 757,000,000 | 928,000,000 | 777,000,000 | 897,000,000 | 978,000,000 | |||
| Capital expenditures | 256,000,000 | 256,000,000 | 364,000,000 | 572,000,000 | 438,000,000 | 390,000,000 | 499,000,000 | 347,000,000 | 357,000,000 | 407,000,000 | |||
| Dividends paid | 147,000,000 | 152,000,000 | 158,000,000 | 161,000,000 | 158,000,000 | 163,000,000 | 175,000,000 | 174,000,000 | 172,000,000 | 185,000,000 | |||
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 179,000,000 | 243,000,000 | 117,000,000 | 150,000,000 | |||||||
| Assets | 15,483,000,000 | 14,552,000,000 | 16,346,000,000 | 15,711,000,000 | 14,261,000,000 | 16,771,000,000 | 17,221,000,000 | 16,921,000,000 | 16,684,000,000 | 15,504,000,000 | |||
| Stockholders' equity | 11,564,000,000 | 10,789,000,000 | 9,291,000,000 | 9,144,000,000 | 7,582,000,000 | 8,211,000,000 | 8,222,000,000 | 8,064,000,000 | 8,120,000,000 | 8,774,000,000 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,832,000,000 | 2,016,000,000 | 2,034,000,000 | 1,643,000,000 | 1,517,000,000 | 2,236,000,000 | 1,822,000,000 | 1,761,000,000 | 1,872,000,000 | 2,403,000,000 | |||
| Free cash flow | 696,000,000 | 243,000,000 | 393,000,000 | 356,000,000 | 430,000,000 | 540,000,000 | 571,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 2.16% | -9.07% | -16.78% | 1.54% | -14.09% | 3.53% | 6.00% | 1.86% | 3.22% | 13.96% | |||
| Return on equity | 1.55% | -6.84% | -16.30% | 1.70% | -16.74% | 4.02% | 7.58% | 1.85% | 3.28% | 13.45% | |||
| Return on assets | 1.16% | -5.07% | -9.26% | 0.99% | -8.90% | 1.97% | 3.62% | 0.88% | 1.59% | 7.61% | |||
| Current ratio | 1.59 | 1.56 | 1.33 | 1.21 | 1.29 | 1.38 | 1.16 | 1.28 | 1.43 | 1.84 |
Financial Charts
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-08. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001564708.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q1 | 2018-09-30 | 12,000,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2022-09-30 | 0.07 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2022-12-31 | 0.12 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-03-31 | 0.09 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-06-30 | -8,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | ||
| 2024-Q1 | 2023-09-30 | 2,499,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 0.05 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2023-12-31 | 2,586,000,000 | 156,000,000 | 0.27 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-03-31 | 2,423,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 0.05 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-06-30 | 2,577,000,000 | 50,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2024-09-30 | 2,577,000,000 | 119,000,000 | 0.21 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2024-12-31 | 2,238,000,000 | 215,000,000 | 0.38 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-03-31 | 2,009,000,000 | 103,000,000 | 0.18 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-06-30 | 2,109,000,000 | 743,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2025-09-30 | 2,144,000,000 | 112,000,000 | 0.20 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2025-12-31 | 2,362,000,000 | 193,000,000 | 0.34 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q3 | 2026-03-31 | 2,185,000,000 | 89,000,000 | 0.16 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001564708-26-000103.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This document, including the following discussion and analysis, contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe,” “should” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives, including potential acquisitions, investments and dispositions, the Company’s cost savings initiatives and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A. in News Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 6, 2025 (the “2025 Form 10-K”), and as may be updated in this and other subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the SEC. This section should be read together with the unaudited consolidated financial statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere herein and the audited consolidated financial statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth in the 2025 Form 10-K.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: information services and news, digital real estate services and book publishing.
The unaudited consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred to date during fiscal 2026 that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis 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.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the nine months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of March 31, 2026.
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OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following five segments:
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information whose products target individual consumers and enterprise customers and are distributed through a variety of media channels including websites, mobile apps, newspapers, newswires, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. Dow Jones’s consumer products include premier brands such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. Dow Jones’s professional information products, which target enterprise customers, include Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, a leading provider of data and other solutions to help customers identify and manage regulatory, corporate, geopolitical, security and reputational risk with tools focused on financial crime, sanctions, trade and other risks and compliance requirements, Dow Jones Energy, a leading provider of pricing data, news, insights, analysis and other information for energy commodities and key base chemicals, Factiva, a leading provider of global business content, and Dow Jones Newswires, which distributes real-time business news, information and analysis to financial professionals and investors.
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.6% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, property.com.au and Housing.com in India. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through a digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates Realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its RealPRO SelectSM, ConnectionsSM Plus and Listing Toolkit products as well as its referral-based services, ReadyConnect ConciergeSM and RealChoiceTM Selling. Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants.
•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 15 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, Mariner, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is home to many beloved children’s books and series and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser and the news.com.au website in Australia, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and thesun.co.uk in the U.K. and the-sun.com in the U.S. This segment also includes News Broadcasting (formerly Wireless Group), operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., Talk in the U.K., Australian News Channel, which operates the Sky News Australia network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and Storyful, a social media content agency.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 10—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
Other Business Developments
2026 Credit Agreement
On March 27, 2026, the Company entered into an amended and restated credit agreement which, among other things, extended the maturity of its credit facilities to five years, increased the capacity under its revolving credit facility from $750 million to $1 billion and increased the amounts outstanding under its term loan A facility from $456 million to $500 million. Refer to Note 6—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail.
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Recent Geopolitical Tensions and Conflicts
The Company is monitoring ongoing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, particularly the recent conflict in Iran and related regional instability. The conflict has not had a material impact on the Company’s business or results of operations to date. However, the conflict has disrupted energy supplies and led to increases in global fuel prices, which could heighten inflationary pressures, disrupt global supply chains and adversely impact consumer spending. The Company will continue to evaluate the evolving macroeconomic environment and will seek to mitigate any impacts where possible.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Results of Operations—For the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026 versus the three and nine months ended March 31, 2025
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the three and nine months ended March 31, 2025:
[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","For the three months ended March 31,","","For the nine months ended March 31,"],["","2026","","2025","","Change","","% Change","","2026","","2025","","Change","","% Change"],["(in millions, except %)","","","","","Better/(Worse)","","","","","","Better/(Worse)"],["Revenues:"],["Circulation and subscription","$","809","","","$","755","","","$","54","","","7","%","","$","2,383","","","$","2,243","","","$","140","","","6","%"],["Advertising","322","","","308","","","14","","","5","%","","1,028","","","1,014","","","14","","","1","%"],["Consumer","530","","","492","","","38","","","8","%","","1,647","","","1,585","","","62","","","4","%"],["Real estate","365","","","318","","","47","","","15","%","","1,136","","","1,052","","","84","","","8","%"],["Other","159","","","136","","","23","","","17","%","","497","","","449","","","48","","","11","%"],["Total Revenues","2,185","","","2,009","","","176","","","9","%","","6,691","","","6,343","","","348","","","5","%"],["Operating expenses","(952)","","","(904)","","","(48)","","","(5)","%","","(2,901)","","","(2,819)","","","(82)","","","(3)","%"],["Selling, general and administrative","(890)","","","(815)","","","(75)","","","(9)","%","","(2,586)","","","(2,431)","","","(155)","","","(6)","%"],["Depreciation and amortization","(
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion and analysis contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe,” “should” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives, including the sale of Foxtel and other potential acquisitions, investments and dispositions, the Company’s cost savings initiatives and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The following discussion and analysis omits discussion of fiscal 2023. Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s 8-K filed on May 13, 2025 for a discussion of fiscal 2023.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: information services and news, digital real estate services and book publishing.
The consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and through the date of this filing that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis and a segment basis. Supplemental revenue information is also included for reporting units within certain segments and is presented on a gross basis, before eliminations in consolidation. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed. The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to June 30 in each year. Fiscal 2025 and 2024 each included 52 weeks.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2025.
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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. In addition, Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed in this section.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following five segments:
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information whose products target individual consumers and enterprise customers and are distributed through a variety of media channels including websites, mobile apps, newspapers, newswires, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. Dow Jones’s consumer products include premier brands such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. Dow Jones’s professional information products, which target enterprise customers, include Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, a leading provider of data and other solutions to help customers identify and manage regulatory, corporate, geopolitical, security and reputational risk with tools focused on financial crime, sanctions, trade and other risks and compliance requirements, Dow Jones Energy, a leading provider of pricing data, news, insights, analysis and other information for energy commodities and key base chemicals, Factiva, a leading provider of global business content, and Dow Jones Newswires, which distributes real-time business news, information and analysis to financial professionals and investors.
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.4% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, property.com.au and property portals in India. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through a digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates Realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its RealPRO SelectSM (formerly Market VIPSM), ConnectionsSM Plus and Listing Toolkit products as well as its referral-based services, ReadyConnect ConciergeSM and RealChoiceTM Selling. Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants.
•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 15 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, Mariner, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is home to many beloved children’s books and series and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser and the news.com.au website in Australia, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and thesun.co.uk in the U.K. and the-sun.com in the U.S. This segment also includes Wireless Group, operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., Talk in the U.K., Australian News Channel, which operates the Sky News Australia network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and Storyful, a social media content agency.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
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Dow Jones
The Dow Jones segment’s products target individual consumers and enterprise customers. Revenue from the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business is derived primarily from circulation, which includes subscription and single-copy sales of its digital and print consumer products, the sale of digital and print advertising, licensing fees for its print and digital consumer content and participation fees for its live journalism events. Circulation revenues are dependent on the content of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, prices of its and/or competitors’ products, the usefulness and popularity of its digital products, as well as promotional activities and news cycles. Advertising revenue is dependent on a number of factors, including demand for the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, general economic and business conditions, demographics of the customer base, advertising rates and effectiveness and brand strength and reputation. Advertising revenues are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season. In addition, the consumer print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences, which have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, both print circulation and advertising revenues. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by the shift in spending from print to digital, which has increased advertising choices and formats, resulting in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies, standards, regulations, policies and practices have also been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact rates or revenues. As a multi-platform news provider, the Dow Jones segment seeks to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging its content through licensing arrangements with third-party platforms, developing new advertising models and growing its live journalism events business, and continues to invest in its digital and other products, which represent an increasingly larger share of revenues at its consumer business. Mobile devices and apps and other technologies provide continued opportunities for the Dow Jones segment to make its content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop its products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. Unauthorized use, including in the digital environment and as a result of recent advances in artificial intelligence (“AI”), particularly generative AI, presents a threat to revenues from products and services based on intellectual property. Additionally, the application of existing laws and regulations to new technologies, including generative AI, continues to be unsettled and is changing rapidly, and laws and regulations may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
The Dow Jones segment’s consumer products compete for consumers, audience and advertising with other local and national newspapers, web and app-based media, news aggregators, customized news feeds, search engines, blogs, magazines, investment tools, social media sources, podcasts and event producers, as well as other media such as television, radio stations and outdoor displays. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including developments in AI, particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the consumer business continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, including from a variety of alternative news and information sources, programmatic advertising buying channels and AI aggregators and other emerging technology platforms.
Operating expenses for the consumer business include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third-party printing, editorial and commissions. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The costs associated with printing and distributing newspapers, including paper prices and delivery costs, are key operating expenses whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business. The consumer business is affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics and tariffs or other trade restrictions. In addition, the Dow Jones segment relies on third parties for much of the printing and distribution of its print products. The shift from print to digital and changing labor markets present challenges to the financial and operational stability of these third parties which could, in turn, impact the availability, or increase the cost, of third-party printing and distribution services for the Company’s newspapers.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information business, which targets enterprise customers, derives revenue primarily from subscriptions to its professional information products. The professional information business serves enterprise customers with products that combine news and information with technology and tools that inform decisions and aid awareness, research, understanding and compliance. The success of the professional information business depends on its ability to provide products, services, applications and functionalities that meet the needs of its enterprise customers, who operate in information-intensive and oftentimes highly regulated industries such as finance and insurance, and it must also anticipate and respond to industry trends and regulatory and technological changes.
Significant expenses for the professional information business include development costs, sales and marketing expenses, hosting and support services, royalties, salaries, consulting and professional fees, sales commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
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The Dow Jones segment’s professional information products compete with various information service providers, compliance data providers, global financial newswires and energy and commodities pricing and data providers, including Reuters News, RELX (including LexisNexis and ICIS), Refinitiv, S&P Global, DTN and Argus Media, as well as many other providers of news, information and compliance data. The professional information business also faces increasing competition from a variety of AI-powered platforms and services.
Digital Real Estate Services
The Digital Real Estate Services segment generates revenue through property and property-related advertising and services, including: the sale of real estate listing and lead generation products and referral-based services to agents, brokers, developers, homebuilders and landlords; real estate-related and property rental-related services; display advertising on residential real estate and commercial property sites; and residential property data services to the financial sector. The Digital Real Estate Services segment also generates revenue through commissions from referrals generated through its digital property search and financing offering and mortgage broking services. Significant expenses associated with these sites and services include development costs, advertising and promotional expenses, hosting and support services, salaries, broker commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s results are highly sensitive to conditions in the real estate market, as well as macroeconomic factors such as interest rates and inflation, which are expected to continue to adversely impact real estate lead and transaction volumes and adjacent businesses in the near term, particularly in the U.S.
Consumers overwhelmingly turn to the internet and mobile devices for real estate information and services. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s success depends on its continued innovation to provide products and services that are useful for consumers and real estate, mortgage and financial services professionals, homebuilders and landlords and attractive to its advertisers. The Digital Real Estate Services segment operates in a highly competitive digital environment with other operators of real estate and property websites and mobile apps.
Book Publishing
The Book Publishing segment derives revenues from the sale and licensing of general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious books in the U.S. and internationally. The revenues and operating results of the Book Publishing segment are significantly affected by the timing of releases and the number of its books in the marketplace. The book publishing marketplace is subject to increased periods of demand during the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. This marketplace is highly competitive and continues to change due to technological developments, including additional digital platforms and distribution channels such as streaming audiobooks, and other factors. Each book is a separate and distinct product and its financial success depends upon many factors, including public acceptance.
Major new title releases represent a significant portion of the Book Publishing segment’s sales throughout the fiscal year. Print-based consumer books are generally sold on a fully returnable basis, resulting in the return of unsold books. In the domestic and international markets, the Book Publishing segment is subject to global trends and local economic conditions. Recent economic uncertainty and lower consumer confidence have contributed to softer consumer spending within the U.S. book publishing industry, which may continue in the near term. Operating expenses for the Book Publishing segment include costs related to paper, printing, freight, authors’ royalties, editorial, promotional, art and design expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead costs.
News Media
Revenue at the News Media segment is derived primarily from circulation and subscriptions, the sale of advertising and licensing fees. Circulation and subscription revenues can be greatly affected by changes in the prices of the Company’s and/or competitors’ products, as well as by promotional activities and news cycles. Adverse changes in general market conditions for advertising have affected, and may continue to affect, revenues. Advertising revenues at the News Media segment are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically being highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies.
Operating expenses include costs related to paper, production, distribution, editorial, commissions, technology and radio sports rights. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The cost of paper is a key operating expense whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the segment. The News Media segment’s expenses are affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics (including the closure or conversion of newsprint mills and consolidation among suppliers) and tariffs or other trade restrictions.
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The News Media segment’s products compete for readership, audience and advertising with local and national competitors and also compete with other media alternatives in their respective markets. Competition for circulation and subscriptions is based on the content of the products provided, pricing and, from time to time, various promotions. The success of these products also depends upon advertisers’ judgments as to the most effective use of their advertising budgets. Competition for advertising is based upon product reach and engagement, advertising rates, advertiser results, availability of alternative media and quality of consumer demographics. Large digital platforms command a substantial share of the digital advertising market and are also responsible for a significant amount of traffic to the News Media segment’s digital properties, which drives advertiser spending. Visibility on these platforms depends on algorithms that are outside the Company’s control and change frequently, and recent changes have adversely affected traffic to some of the digital properties in the News Media segment, particularly in the U.K. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including developments in AI, particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the News Media segment continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by the shift in spending from print to digital, which has increased advertising choices and formats, resulting in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies, standards, regulations, policies and practices have been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact rates or revenues.
As multi-platform news providers, the businesses within the News Media segment seek to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging their content through licensing arrangements with third-party platforms and developing new advertising models, and continue to invest in their digital products. Mobile devices and apps and other technologies provide continued opportunities for the businesses within the News Media segment to make their content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop their products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. Unauthorized use, including in the digital environment and as a result of recent advances in AI, particularly generative AI, presents a threat to revenues from products and services based on intellectual property. Additionally, the application of existing laws and regulations to new technologies, including generative AI, continues to be unsettled and is changing rapidly, and laws and regulations may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Other
The Other segment primarily consists of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters.
Other Business Developments
Sale of Foxtel Group
During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Foxtel Group (“Foxtel”) to DAZN Group Limited (“DAZN”), a global sports streaming platform, and the transaction closed in April 2025.
The assets and liabilities, results of operations and cash flows for Foxtel have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented as the disposition reflects a strategic shift that has, and will have, a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Furthermore, upon reclassification of Foxtel’s results, the Subscription Video Services segment ceased to be a reportable segment and the residual results of the segment were aggregated into the News Media segment. News Media segment results have been recast to reflect this change for all periods presented. See Note 3—Discontinued Operations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Recent Developments Affecting the Macroeconomic Environment
Recent changes in trade policy, including new or potential tariffs and other trade restrictions announced by the U.S. and other countries, have led to significant economic and market volatility and uncertainty and may exacerbate inflationary pressures. While the Company does not currently expect the announced tariffs to have a material impact on its supply chain or costs, it cannot predict the effect of any further changes in trade policy. The resulting volatility and uncertainty and potential increase in inflation may continue to have a negative impact on customer and consumer sentiment and spending. If this leads to reduced demand for the Company’s products and services, it could adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The Company will continue to closely monitor these trends and uncertainties and will seek to mitigate any impacts where possible.
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Results of Operations—Fiscal 2025 versus Fiscal 2024
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for fiscal 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 3,009 | $ | 2,909 | $ | 100 | 3 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,367 | 1,400 | (33) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Consumer | 2,047 | 2,000 | 47 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,410 | 1,284 | 126 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 619 | 659 | (40) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 8,452 | 8,252 | 200 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (3,736) | (3,814) | 78 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (3,301) | (3,197) | (104) | (3) | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | (459) | (440) | (19) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | (132) | (133) | 1 | 1 | % | |||||||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | (15) | (6) | (9) | (150) | % | |||||||||
| Interest income (expense), net | 3 | (18) | 21 | ** | ||||||||||
| Other, net | 111 | (59) | 170 | ** | ||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense from continuing operations | 923 | 585 | 338 | 58 | % | |||||||||
| Income tax expense from continuing operations | (275) | (206) | (69) | (33) | % | |||||||||
| Net income from continuing operations | 648 | 379 | 269 | 71 | % | |||||||||
| Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | 692 | (25) | 717 | ** | ||||||||||
| Net income | 1,340 | 354 | 986 | 279 | % | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations | (168) | (110) | (58) | (53) | % | |||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests from discontinued operations | 8 | 22 | (14) | (64) | % | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to News Corporation stockholders | $ | 1,180 | $ | 266 | $ | 914 | 344 | % |
** not meaningful
Revenues—Revenues increased $200 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. The increase was due to higher revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment driven by higher Australian residential revenues at REA Group, at the Dow Jones segment driven by higher circulation and subscription revenues and at the Book Publishing segment driven by higher digital book sales and improved returns in the U.S., partially offset by lower revenues at the News Media segment driven by the transfer of third-party printing revenue contracts to News UK’s joint venture with DMG Media in fiscal 2024, lower advertising revenues and lower circulation and subscription revenues. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $8 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
The Company calculates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations for businesses reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar by multiplying the results for each quarter in the current period by the difference between the average exchange rate for that quarter and the average exchange rate in effect during the corresponding quarter of the prior year and totaling the impact for all quarters in the current period.
Operating expenses—Operating expenses decreased $78 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. The decrease in operating expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was primarily due to lower expenses at the News Media segment driven by cost savings from the combination of News UK’s printing operations with those of DMG Media and other cost savings initiatives. The decrease was partially offset by increased expenses at the Dow Jones segment driven by higher employee costs. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in an Operating expense increase of $9 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
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Selling, general and administrative—Selling, general and administrative increased $104 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. The increase in Selling, general and administrative for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was primarily due to higher expenses at the Digital Real Estate Services segment driven by higher employee costs at REA Group, $12 million of costs related to REA Group’s withdrawn offer to acquire Rightmove and higher costs from REA India, at the Book Publishing segment due to higher employee costs and costs from recent acquisitions and at the Dow Jones segment driven by higher marketing and technology costs.
Depreciation and amortization—Depreciation and amortization expense increased $19 million, or 4%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. The increase was driven by higher depreciation of capitalized software costs, primarily at the Digital Real Estate Services and News Media segments.
Impairment and restructuring charges—During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $120 million and $89 million, respectively. See Note 5—Restructuring Programs in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $44 million, primarily related to the write-down of fixed assets at the News Media segment associated with the combination of News UK’s printing operations with those of DMG Media. See Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Equity losses of affiliates—Equity losses of affiliates worsened by $9 million, or 150%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. See Note 6—Investments in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Interest income (expense), net—Interest income (expense), net for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 improved by $21 million as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily driven by lower borrowings at REA Group and higher interest income on cash balances. See Note 9—Borrowings and Note 11—Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other, net—For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded Other, net of $111 million, which was mainly comprised of REA Group’s gain recognized on the sale of its interest in PropertyGuru. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recorded Other, net of $(59) million. See Note 21—Additional Financial Information in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income tax expense from continuing operations—For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded income tax expense of $275 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $923 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 30%, which was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates and valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses offset by lower taxes on the disposition of REA Group’s interest in PropertyGuru.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recorded income tax expense of $206 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $585 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 35%, which was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, asset impairments and investment write-downs with lower tax benefits and valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses. See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was enacted into law. The OBBBA makes permanent key elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”), including 100% bonus depreciation, domestic research cost expensing, and the business interest expense limitation. Certain provisions of OBBBA will become effective for the Company’s 2026 fiscal year, while others will take effect beginning in fiscal 2027. ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances to be recognized in the period in which the legislation is enacted. Consequently, the Company will evaluate all U.S. deferred tax balances and any other impacts to its financial statements as a result of the OBBBA in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) has proposed a global minimum tax of 15% of reported profits (“Pillar 2”) that has been agreed upon in principle by over 140 countries. Since the proposal, many countries, including the UK and Australia, incorporated Pillar 2 model rule concepts into their domestic laws. Although the model rules provide a framework for applying the minimum tax, countries may enact Pillar 2 slightly differently than the model rules and on different timelines and may adjust domestic tax incentives in response to Pillar 2. Following an executive order issued by the United States in January 2025 announcing opposition to aspects of these rules, the G7 issued a statement on June 28, 2025 acknowledging that U.S. parented groups would be exempt from certain aspects of Pillar 2 in recognition of existing U.S. minimum tax rules to which they are subject. The statement acknowledges that these issues have relevance to the wider group of countries in the OECD Inclusive Framework with a view to reaching an acceptable solution for all.
While these rules are not currently expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, their application continues to evolve, and the outcome may alter aspects of how the Company’s tax obligations are determined in countries in which it does business. In addition, while several jurisdictions have rolled back their digital services taxes, certain jurisdictions continue to maintain, or have enacted new digital services taxes. Those taxes have had limited impact on the Company’s overall tax obligations, but the Company continues to monitor them.
Net income from continuing operations—Net income from continuing operations for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was $648 million as compared to $379 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, an increase of $269 million, or 71%, as compared to fiscal 2024, driven by the factors discussed above.
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax—Net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was $692 million compared to $(25) million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. The amounts recognized in both fiscal years relate to the reclassification of Foxtel to discontinued operations. See Note 3—Discontinued Operations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Net income—Net income was $1,340 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to $354 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, an increase of $986 million, or 279%, primarily driven by the factors discussed above.
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations—Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations was $168 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to $110 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, an increase of $58 million, or 53%, primarily due to the gain recognized on the sale of the PropertyGuru investment and higher earnings at REA Group.
Segment Analysis
The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. Segment EBITDA is the primary measure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources within, the Company’s businesses. Segment EBITDA is defined as revenues less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. Segment EBITDA does not include: depreciation and amortization, impairment and restructuring charges, equity losses of affiliates, interest (expense) income, net, other, net, income tax (expense) benefit and net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax. Segment EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of Segment EBITDA. Segment EBITDA provides management, investors and equity analysts with a measure to analyze the operating performance of each of the Company’s business segments and its enterprise value against historical data and competitors’ data, although historical results may not be indicative of future results (as operating performance is highly contingent on many factors, including customer tastes and preferences).
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Total Segment EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income (loss) from continuing operations, cash flow from continuing operations and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. In addition, this measure does not reflect cash available to fund requirements and excludes items, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment and restructuring charges, which are significant components in assessing the Company’s financial performance. The Company believes that the presentation of Total Segment EBITDA provides useful information regarding the Company’s operations and other factors that affect the Company’s reported results. Specifically, the Company believes that by excluding certain one-time or non-cash items such as impairment and restructuring charges and depreciation and amortization, as well as potential distortions between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures and changes in tax positions or regimes, the Company provides users of its consolidated financial statements with insight into both its core operations as well as the factors that affect reported results between periods but which the Company believes are not representative of its core business. As a result, users of the Company’s consolidated financial statements are better able to evaluate changes in the core operating results of the Company across different periods.
The following table reconciles Net income from continuing operations to Total Segment EBITDA for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net income from continuing operations | $ | 648 | $ | 379 | ||
| Reconciling items: | ||||||
| Income tax expense from continuing operations | 275 | 206 | ||||
| Other, net | (111) | 59 | ||||
| Interest (income) expense, net | (3) | 18 | ||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | 15 | 6 | ||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | 132 | 133 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 459 | 440 | ||||
| Total Segment EBITDA | $ | 1,415 | $ | 1,241 |
The following table sets forth the Company’s Revenues and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||
| (in millions) | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | ||||||||||
| Dow Jones | $ | 2,331 | $ | 588 | $ | 2,231 | $ | 542 | ||||||
| Digital Real Estate Services | 1,802 | 601 | 1,658 | 508 | ||||||||||
| Book Publishing | 2,149 | 296 | 2,093 | 269 | ||||||||||
| News Media | 2,170 | 153 | 2,270 | 133 | ||||||||||
| Other | — | (223) | — | (211) | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 8,452 | $ | 1,415 | $ | 8,252 | $ | 1,241 |
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Dow Jones (28% and 27% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,884 | $ | 1,771 | $ | 113 | 6 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 396 | 405 | (9) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 51 | 55 | (4) | (7) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,331 | 2,231 | 100 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (958) | (919) | (39) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (785) | (770) | (15) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 588 | $ | 542 | $ | 46 | 8 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, revenues at the Dow Jones segment increased $100 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2024, due to higher circulation and subscription revenues. Digital revenues represented 82% of total revenues at the Dow Jones segment for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to 80% in fiscal 2024. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $4 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
Circulation and Subscription Revenues
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and other | $ | 981 | $ | 927 | $ | 54 | 6 | % | ||||||
| Risk and Compliance | 337 | 294 | 43 | 15 | % | |||||||||
| Dow Jones Energy | 278 | 251 | 27 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Other information services | 288 | 299 | (11) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Professional information business | 903 | 844 | 59 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Total circulation and subscription revenues | $ | 1,884 | $ | 1,771 | $ | 113 | 6 | % |
Circulation and subscription revenues increased $113 million, or 6%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. Professional information business revenues increased $59 million, or 7%, primarily due to the $43 million and $27 million increases in Risk & Compliance and Dow Jones Energy revenues, respectively, driven by new customers, new products and price increases, partially offset by the $11 million decrease in Other information services revenues driven by the impact of a customer dispute at Factiva. Circulation and other revenues increased $54 million, or 6%, driven by increased circulation revenues due to growth in digital-only subscriptions, which benefited from bundled offers, the conversion of customers from introductory promotions to higher pricing and higher content licensing revenues, partially offset by print circulation declines. Digital revenues represented 74% of circulation revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to 71% in fiscal 2024.
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The following table summarizes average daily consumer subscriptions during the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 for select publications and for all consumer subscription products.(a)
| For the three months ended June 30(b), | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except %) | Better/(Worse) | ||||||||||
| The Wall Street Journal | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 4,126 | 3,788 | 338 | 9 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 4,538 | 4,256 | 282 | 7 | % | ||||||
| Barron’s Group(d) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 1,319 | 1,290 | 29 | 2 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 1,432 | 1,419 | 13 | 1 | % | ||||||
| Total Consumer(e) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 5,719 | 5,226 | 493 | 9 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 6,261 | 5,842 | 419 | 7 | % |
(a)Based on internal data for the periods from March 31, 2025 to June 29, 2025 and April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, respectively. Excludes off-platform distribution, except for certain custom workflow integration products.
(b)Subscriptions include individual consumer subscriptions, as well as subscriptions purchased by companies, schools, businesses and associations for use by their respective employees, students, customers or members. Subscriptions exclude single-copy sales and copies purchased by hotels, airlines and other businesses for limited distribution or access to customers.
(c)For some publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, Dow Jones sells bundled print and digital products. For bundles that provide access to both print and digital products every day of the week, only one unit is reported each day and is designated as a print subscription. For bundled products that provide access to the print product only on specified days and full digital access, one print subscription is reported for each day that a print copy is served and one digital subscription is reported for each remaining day of the week.
(d)Barron’s Group consists of Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News and Private Equity News.
(e)Total Consumer consists of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Group and Investor’s Business Daily.
Advertising Revenues
Advertising revenues decreased $9 million, or 2%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to lower print advertising revenues of $7 million, or 5%. Digital advertising revenues represented 65% of advertising revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to 64% in fiscal 2024.
Segment EBITDA
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, Segment EBITDA at the Dow Jones segment increased $46 million, or 8%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to the increase in revenues discussed above and lower newsprint, production and distribution costs, partially offset by higher employee, technology and marketing costs.
Digital Real Estate Services (21% and 20% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 7 | $ | 10 | $ | (3) | (30) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 151 | 136 | 15 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,410 | 1,284 | 126 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 234 | 228 | 6 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,802 | 1,658 | 144 | 9 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (186) | (190) | 4 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (1,015) | (960) | (55) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 601 | $ | 508 | $ | 93 | 18 | % |
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For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $144 million, or 9%, as compared to fiscal 2024. Revenues at REA Group increased $136 million, or 12%, to $1,250 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 from $1,114 million in fiscal 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher Australian residential revenues driven by price increases, increased depth penetration and growth in national listings and higher revenues from REA India, partially offset by the $14 million, or 1%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Revenues at Move increased $8 million, or 1%, to $552 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 from $544 million in fiscal 2024, driven by revenue growth in seller, new homes and rentals, including the partnership with Zillow, higher sales of RealPRO SelectSM (formerly Market VIPSM), as Move shifts its focus to more premium offerings, and higher advertising revenues. The increases were largely offset by the continued negative impact of the macroeconomic environment on the U.S. housing market, including higher interest rates, which resulted in a 9% decline in lead volumes and lower transaction volumes.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, Segment EBITDA at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $93 million, or 18%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to the higher revenues discussed above, partially offset by higher employee costs at REA Group, $12 million of costs related to the withdrawn offer to acquire Rightmove in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, higher costs from REA India and the $6 million, or 1%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations.
Book Publishing (25% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2025 and 2024)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer | $ | 2,047 | $ | 2,000 | $ | 47 | 2 | % | ||||||
| Other | 102 | 93 | 9 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,149 | 2,093 | 56 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,450) | (1,441) | (9) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (403) | (383) | (20) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 296 | $ | 269 | $ | 27 | 10 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, revenues at the Book Publishing segment increased $56 million, or 3%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to higher digital book sales, improved returns in the U.S. and the $14 million impact from the acquisition of a German book publisher. Digital sales increased by 5% as compared to fiscal 2024 driven by continued market growth in audiobooks, including the contribution from the Spotify partnership, as well as growth in e-book sales. Digital sales represented approximately 24% of consumer revenues in fiscal 2025 as compared to 23% in fiscal 2024. Backlist sales represented approximately 64% of consumer revenues during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, as compared to 61% in fiscal 2024. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $4 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, Segment EBITDA at the Book Publishing segment increased $27 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to the higher revenues discussed above, partially offset by higher employee costs and costs from recent acquisitions.
News Media (26% and 28% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,118 | $ | 1,128 | $ | (10) | (1) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 820 | 859 | (39) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 232 | 283 | (51) | (18) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,170 | 2,270 | (100) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,142) | (1,264) | 122 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (875) | (873) | (2) | — | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 153 | $ | 133 | $ | 20 | 15 | % |
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For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, revenues at the News Media segment decreased $100 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2024. Other revenues decreased $51 million, or 18%, primarily driven by the transfer of third-party printing revenue contracts to News UK’s joint venture with DMG Media in fiscal 2024. Advertising revenues decreased $39 million, or 5%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily due to lower print advertising revenues at News Corp Australia and lower digital advertising revenues at News UK, driven by a decline in traffic, mainly at The Sun, due to algorithm changes at certain platforms, partially offset by higher advertising revenues at Wireless Group and the $5 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $10 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2024, primarily driven by print volume declines, partially offset by cover price increases, higher content licensing revenues at News UK, digital subscriber growth and the $9 million, or 1%, positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $14 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, Segment EBITDA at the News Media segment increased $20 million, or 15%, as compared to fiscal 2024. The increase was driven by cost savings initiatives, including lower Talk costs and the combination of News UK’s printing operations with those of DMG Media, partially offset by the decrease in revenues discussed above.
News Corp Australia
Revenues were $895 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, a decrease of $34 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2024 revenues of $929 million. Advertising revenues decreased $23 million, or 6%, due to lower print advertising revenues. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $14 million, or 3%, driven by print volume declines and lower content licensing revenues, partially offset by cover price increases and digital subscriber growth. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $11 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
News UK
Revenues were $862 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, a decrease of $67 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2024 revenues of $929 million. Other revenues decreased $54 million, or 55%, driven by the transfer of third-party printing revenue contracts to News UK’s joint venture with DMG Media in fiscal 2024. Advertising revenues decreased $22 million, or 8%, primarily due to lower digital advertising revenues, mainly at The Sun, driven by algorithm changes at certain platforms and lower print advertising revenues. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $9 million, or 2%, due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations as cover price increases, higher content licensing revenues and digital subscriber growth were more than offset by print volume declines. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $22 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Current Financial Condition
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand. As of June 30, 2025, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $2.4 billion. The Company also has available borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility”) and certain other facilities, as described below, and expects to have access to the worldwide credit and capital markets, subject to market conditions, in order to issue additional debt if needed or desired. The Company currently expects these elements of liquidity will enable it to meet its liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months, including repayment of indebtedness. Although the Company believes that its cash on hand and future cash from operations, together with its access to the credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund its operating and financing needs for at least the next twelve months, its access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms in the future will be affected by many factors, including: (i) the financial and operational performance of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (ii) the Company’s credit ratings and/or the credit rating of its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (iii) the provisions of any relevant debt instruments, credit agreements, indentures and similar or associated documents; (iv) the liquidity of the overall credit and capital markets; and (v) the state of the economy. There can be no assurances that the Company will continue to have access to the credit and capital markets on acceptable terms.
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As of June 30, 2025, the Company’s consolidated assets included $915 million in cash and cash equivalents that were held by its foreign subsidiaries. Of this amount, $280 million is cash not readily accessible by the Company as it is held by REA Group, a majority owned but separately listed public company. REA Group must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. Prior to the enactment of the Tax Act, the Company’s undistributed foreign earnings were considered permanently reinvested and as such, United States federal and state income taxes were not previously recorded on these earnings. As a result of the Tax Act, substantially all of the Company’s earnings in foreign subsidiaries generated prior to the enactment of the Tax Act were deemed to have been repatriated and taxed accordingly. As of June 30, 2025, the Company has approximately $1 billion of undistributed foreign earnings generated after the Tax Act that it intends to reinvest permanently. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of tax that might be payable if these earnings were repatriated. The Company may repatriate future earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries in which case the Company may be required to accrue and pay additional taxes, including any applicable foreign withholding taxes and income taxes.
The principal uses of cash that affect the Company’s liquidity position include the following: operational expenditures including employee costs and paper purchases; capital expenditures; income tax payments; investments in associated entities; acquisitions; the repurchase of shares; dividends; and the repayment of debt and related interest. In addition to the acquisitions and dispositions disclosed elsewhere, as applicable, the Company has evaluated, and expects to continue to evaluate, possible future acquisitions and dispositions of certain businesses. Such transactions may be material and may involve cash, the issuance of the Company’s securities or the assumption of indebtedness.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On September 22, 2021, the Company announced a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of the Company’s outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (the “2021 Repurchase Program”). As of June 30, 2025, the remaining authorized amount under the 2021 Repurchase Program was approximately $310 million.
Stock repurchases under the 2021 Repurchase Program commenced on November 9, 2021. The following table summarizes the shares repurchased and subsequently retired and the related consideration paid during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||
| Class A Common Stock | 3.5 | $ | 97 | 3.4 | $ | 79 | ||||||
| Class B Common Stock | 1.8 | 53 | 1.6 | 38 | ||||||||
| Total | 5.3 | $ | 150 | 5.0 | $ | 117 |
On July 15, 2025, the Company announced a new stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of the Company’s outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (the “2025 Repurchase Program” and, together with the 2021 Repurchase Program, the “Stock Repurchase Programs”), which is in addition to the remaining authorized amount under the 2021 Repurchase Program.
The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases under the Stock Repurchase Programs will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Stock Repurchase Programs have no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time.
Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid per share on both the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.20 |
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The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, is within the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”). The Board of Directors’ decisions regarding the payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
Sources and Uses of Cash—Fiscal 2025 versus Fiscal 2024
Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 was as follows:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations | $ | 978 | $ | 897 |
Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations increased by $81 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher Total Segment EBITDA and lower restructuring and interest payments, largely offset by higher working capital and higher tax payments.
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 was as follows:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations | $ | (406) | $ | (410) |
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations decreased $4 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to fiscal 2024 driven by the $193 million of higher proceeds from sales of investments, primarily REA Group’s interest in PropertyGuru, partially offset by the $58 million increase in cash used for purchases of investments, $58 million increase in net cash used for acquisitions and $50 million increase in capital expenditures.
Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 was as follows:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||
| Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations | $ | (524) | $ | (483) |
Net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was $524 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 as compared to $483 million for fiscal 2024.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the Company had $203 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to REA Group, dividend payments of $185 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders and $150 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the 2021 Repurchase Program. The net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was partially offset by new borrowings of $61 million at REA Group.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company had $409 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the refinancing of REA Group’s debt portfolio, dividend payments of $172 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders and $117 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the 2021 Repurchase Program. The net cash used in financing activities from continuing operations was partially offset by new borrowings of $278 million primarily related to the refinancing of REA Group’s debt portfolio. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Net cash provided by discontinued operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 was as follows:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||
| Net cash provided by discontinued operations | $ | 370 | $ | 129 |
Net cash provided by discontinued operations for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 primarily relates to the sale of Foxtel.
Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, less capital expenditures. Free cash flow excludes cash flow from discontinued operations. Free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of free cash flow.
Free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Company’s consolidated Statements of Cash Flows prepared in accordance with GAAP, which incorporates all cash movements during the period. The Company believes free cash flow provides useful information to management and investors about the Company’s liquidity and cash flow trends.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations to free cash flow:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations | $ | 978 | $ | 897 | ||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (407) | (357) | ||||
| Free cash flow | 571 | 540 |
Free cash flow in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was $571 million compared to $540 million in fiscal 2024. Free cash flow increased due to higher cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations, as discussed above, partially offset by the $50 million increase in capital expenditures.
Borrowings
News Corporation Borrowings
As of June 30, 2025, News Corporation had (i) borrowings of $1,962 million, including the current portion, consisting of its outstanding 2021 Senior Notes, 2022 Senior Notes and Term A Loans, and (ii) $750 million of undrawn commitments available under the Revolving Facility.
REA Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2025, REA Group had A$400 million of undrawn commitments available under the 2024 REA Credit Facility. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, REA Group terminated its (i) A$83 million 2024 Subsidiary Facility and repaid the amount outstanding using capacity available under the 2024 REA Credit Facility and (ii) terminated its A$200 million 2024 REA Credit Facility—tranche 2 and repaid the amount outstanding using proceeds from the sale of REA Group’s interest in PropertyGuru. REA Group is a consolidated but non wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corp, and its indebtedness is only guaranteed by REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries and is non-recourse to News Corp.
All of the Company’s borrowings contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at June 30, 2025.
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See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s outstanding debt, including additional information about interest rates, amortization (if any), maturities and covenants related to such debt arrangements.
Commitments
The Company has commitments under certain firm contractual arrangements to make future payments. These firm commitments secure the current and future rights to various assets and services to be used in the normal course of operations.
The following table summarizes the Company’s material firm commitments as of June 30, 2025:
| As of June 30, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
| Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(a) | $ | 415 | $ | 437 | $ | 88 | $ | 94 | $ | 1,034 | ||||||||
| Operating leases(b) | 117 | 208 | 146 | 860 | 1,331 | |||||||||||||
| Borrowings(c) | 25 | 450 | 1,000 | 500 | 1,975 | |||||||||||||
| Interest payments on borrowings(d) | 81 | 144 | 90 | 51 | 366 | |||||||||||||
| Total commitments and contractual obligations | $ | 638 | $ | 1,239 | $ | 1,324 | $ | 1,505 | $ | 4,706 |
(a)The Company has commitments under purchase obligations related to technology infrastructure services, marketing agreements, content licensing costs and other legally binding commitments.
(b)The Company leases office facilities, warehouse facilities, printing plants and equipment. These leases, which are classified as operating leases, are expected to be paid at certain dates through fiscal 2048. Amounts reflected represent only the Company’s lease obligations for which it has firm commitments.
(c)See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
(d)Reflects the Company’s expected future interest payments based on borrowings outstanding and interest rates applicable at June 30, 2025. Such rates are subject to change in future periods. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has certain contracts to purchase newsprint, ink and plates that require the Company to purchase a percentage of its total requirements for production. Since the quantities purchased annually under these contracts are not fixed and are based on the Company’s total requirements, the amount of the related payments for these purchases is excluded from the table above.
The table also excludes the Company’s pension obligations, other postretirement benefits (“OPEB”) obligations and the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount and timing of the commitments. The Company made contributions of $20 million and $23 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, interest rates and statutory requirements. The Company anticipates that it will make required contributions of approximately $1 million in fiscal 2026, assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2025 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. Payments due to participants under the Company’s pension plans are primarily paid out of underlying trusts. Payments due under the Company’s OPEB plans are not required to be funded in advance, but are paid as medical costs are incurred by covered retiree populations, and are principally dependent upon the future cost of retiree medical benefits under the Company’s OPEB plans. The Company expects its OPEB payments to approximate $7 million in fiscal 2026. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other significant ongoing expenses or cash requirements for each of the Company’s segments are discussed above in “Overview of the Company’s Businesses.” The Company generally expects to fund these short and long-term cash requirements with internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand.
Contingencies
The Company routinely is involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations, including those discussed in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The outcome of these matters and claims is subject to significant uncertainty, and the Company often cannot predict what the eventual outcome of pending matters will be or the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters. Fees, expenses, fines, penalties,
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judgments or settlement costs which might be incurred by the Company in connection with the various proceedings could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
The Company establishes an accrued liability for legal claims when it determines that a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Once established, accruals are adjusted from time to time, as appropriate, in light of additional information. The amount of any loss ultimately incurred in relation to matters for which an accrual has been established may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued for such matters. Legal fees associated with litigation and similar proceedings are expensed as incurred. The Company recognizes gain contingencies when the gain becomes realized or realizable. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
An accounting policy is considered to be critical if it is important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and if it requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in its application. The development and selection of these critical accounting policies have been determined by management of the Company. See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter and at other times if a significant event or change in circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets has been reduced below their carrying value. The Company uses its judgment in assessing whether assets may have become impaired between annual impairment assessments. Indicators such as unexpected adverse economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts, may signal that an asset has become impaired.
Under ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), in assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether events or circumstances exist that lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is not required to perform any additional tests in assessing goodwill for impairment. However, if the Company concludes otherwise or elects not to perform the qualitative assessment, then it is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit, and compare the calculated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit primarily by using both a discounted cash flow analysis and market-based valuation approach.
Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, long-term growth rates, relevant comparable company earnings multiples and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, as part of the Company’s long-range planning process, the Company completed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test.
The performance of the Company’s annual impairment analysis resulted in no impairments to indefinite-lived intangible assets or goodwill in fiscal 2025. The Company utilized the qualitative assessment for certain of its reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The qualitative tests performed considered various factors since the performance of the last quantitative test, including, but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and company-specific trends and parent company share price performance. Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the income approach valuation method for quantitative assessments were discount rates (generally ranging from 8.0% to 17.0%), long-term growth rates (ranging from 2.0% to 3.0%) and royalty rates (ranging from 0.25% to 5.0%). Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the market approach valuation method for quantitative assessments were EBITDA and revenue multiples from guideline public companies operating in similar industries (ranging from 5.0x to 10.0x and 2.0x to 2.8x, respectively) and control premiums (ranging from 5.0% to 10.0%). Significant increases (decreases) in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, assuming no change in discount rates, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. Significant decreases (increases) in discount rates, assuming no changes in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. See Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding changes in these inputs and assumptions compared to prior fiscal years.
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Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions in which it operates and records its tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences in its reported results of operations. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective governmental taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s tax expense and in evaluating its tax positions including evaluating uncertainties as promulgated under ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”).
The Company’s annual tax rate is based primarily on its geographic income and statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s deferred tax assets. In assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets, management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income. The Company’s actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although the Company believes its current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Significant management judgment is required to determine whether the recognition threshold has been met and, if so, the appropriate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management re-evaluates its tax positions each period in which new information about recognition or measurement becomes available. The Company’s policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on unrecognized income tax benefits as part of Income tax (expense) benefit.
See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding these estimates and assumptions and changes compared to prior fiscal years.
Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Company’s employees participate in various defined benefit pension and postretirement plans sponsored by the Company and its subsidiaries. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company records amounts relating to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans based on calculations specified by GAAP. The measurement and recognition of the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans, including the net periodic benefit costs (income) and projected benefit obligation, require the use of significant management judgments, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, mortality and other actuarial assumptions. Current market conditions, including changes in investment returns and interest rates, were considered in making these assumptions. In developing the expected long-term rate of return, the pension portfolio’s past average rate of returns and future return expectations of the various asset classes were considered. The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of 6.4% for fiscal 2026 is based on a weighted average target asset allocation assumption of 10% equities, 86% fixed-income securities and 4% cash and other investments.
The Company recorded $10 million and $28 million in net periodic benefit costs (income) in the Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company utilizes the full yield-curve approach to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs (income) for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.
Although the discount rate used for each plan will be established and applied individually, a weighted average discount rate of 5.5% will be used in calculating the fiscal 2026 net periodic benefit costs (income). The discount rate reflects the market rate for high-quality fixed-income investments on the Company’s annual measurement date of June 30 and is subject to change each fiscal year. The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension and other postretirement benefit plans reflect the rates at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled. The rate was determined by matching the Company’s expected benefit payments for the plans to a hypothetical yield curve developed using a portfolio of several hundred high-quality non-callable corporate bonds. The weighted average discount rate is volatile from year to year because it is determined based upon the prevailing rates in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and other foreign countries as of the measurement date.
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The key assumptions used in developing the Company’s fiscal 2025 and 2024 net periodic benefit costs (income) for its plans consist of the following:
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except %) | |||
| Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs (income): | |||
| Discount rate for PBO | 5.3% | 5.4% | |
| Discount rate for service cost | 5.3% | 5.4% | |
| Discount rate for interest on PBO | 5.2% | 5.6% | |
| Assets: | |||
| Expected rate of return | 5.9% | 5.6% | |
| Expected return | $51 | $49 | |
| Actual return | $24 | $45 | |
| Loss | $(27) | $(4) | |
| One year actual return | 2.8% | 5.2% | |
| Five year actual return | (2.9)% | (1.8)% |
The Company will use a weighted average long-term rate of return of 6.4% for fiscal 2026 based principally on a combination of current asset mix and an expectation of future long term investment returns. The accumulated net pre-tax losses on the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2025 were approximately $456 million which increased from approximately $438 million for the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2024. This net increase of $18 million was primarily due to losses on plan assets and the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Lower discount rates increase present values of benefit obligations, the Company’s deferred losses and subsequent-year benefit costs. Higher discount rates decrease the present values of benefit obligations, reduce the Company’s accumulated net loss and decrease subsequent-year benefit costs. These deferred losses are being systematically recognized in future net periodic benefit costs (income) in accordance with ASC 715, Compensation—Retirement Benefits (“ASC 715”). Unrecognized losses for the primary plans in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation are recognized over the average life expectancy for plan participants for the primary plans.
The Company made contributions of $20 million and $23 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, statutory requirements and interest rate movements. Assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2025 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant, the Company anticipates that it will make required pension contributions of approximately $1 million in fiscal 2026. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Changes in net periodic benefit costs (income) may occur in the future due to changes in the Company’s expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events. The following table highlights the sensitivity of the Company’s pension obligations and expense to changes in these assumptions, assuming all other assumptions remain constant:
| Changes in Assumption | Impact on Annual Pension Expense | Impact on Projected Benefit Obligation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in discount rate | — | Increase $20 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in discount rate | — | Decrease $19 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in expected rate of return on assets | Increase $2 million | — | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in expected rate of return on assets | Decrease $2 million | — |
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564708-24-000408.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion and analysis contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe,” “should” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives, including potential acquisitions, investments and dispositions, the Company’s cost savings initiatives and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The following discussion and analysis omits discussion of fiscal 2022. Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 for a discussion of fiscal 2022.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: digital real estate services, subscription video services in Australia, news and information services and book publishing.
The consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 and through the date of this filing that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis and a segment basis. Supplemental revenue information is also included for reporting units within certain segments and is presented on a gross basis, before eliminations in consolidation. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed. The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to June 30 in each year. Fiscal 2024 and 2023 each included 52 weeks.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2024.
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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. In addition, Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed in this section.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following six segments:
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.4% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, property.com.au and property portals in India. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through a digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates Realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its ConnectionsSM Plus, Market VIPSM, AdvantageSM Pro and Listing Toolkit products as well as its referral-based services, ReadyConnect ConciergeSM and RealChoiceTM Selling (formerly UpNest). Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants.
•Subscription Video Services—The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment provides sports, entertainment and news services to pay-TV and streaming subscribers and other commercial licensees via satellite and internet distribution and consists of (i) the Company’s 65% interest in the Foxtel Group (with the remaining 35% interest held by Telstra, an ASX-listed telecommunications company) and (ii) Australian News Channel (“ANC”). The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider. Its Foxtel pay-TV service provides approximately 200 channels and video on demand covering sports, general entertainment, movies, documentaries, music, children’s programming and news. Foxtel and the Group’s Kayo Sports streaming service offer the leading sports programming content in Australia, with broadcast rights to live sporting events including: National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Cricket Australia and various motorsports programming. The Foxtel Group’s other products and services include BINGE, its entertainment streaming service, Foxtel Now, a streaming service that provides access across Foxtel’s live and on-demand content, and Hubbl, its recently-launched content aggregation platform.
ANC operates the Sky News Australia network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service. ANC channels are distributed throughout Australia on Foxtel and Sky News is distributed in New Zealand by Sky Network Television Limited. ANC also owns and operates the IPTV Australia Channel, which is available in territories outside Australia and New Zealand, and offers content across a variety of digital media platforms, including web, mobile and third-party providers.
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information whose products target individual consumers and enterprise customers and are distributed through a variety of media channels including newspapers, newswires, websites, mobile apps, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. Dow Jones’s consumer products include premier brands such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. Dow Jones’s professional information products, which target enterprise customers, include Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, a leading provider of data solutions to help customers identify and manage regulatory, corporate and reputational risk with tools focused on financial crime, sanctions, trade and other compliance requirements, Dow Jones Energy, a leading provider of pricing data, news, insights, analysis and other information for energy commodities and key base chemicals, Factiva, a leading provider of global business content, and Dow Jones Newswires, which distributes real-time business news, information and analysis to financial professionals and investors.
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•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 15 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, Mariner, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also home to many beloved children’s books and series and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser and the news.com.au website in Australia, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and thesun.co.uk in the U.K. and the-sun.com in the U.S. This segment also includes Wireless Group, operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., Talk in the U.K. and Storyful, a social media content agency.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
Digital Real Estate Services
The Digital Real Estate Services segment generates revenue through property and property-related advertising and services, including: the sale of real estate listing and lead generation products and referral-based services to agents, brokers, developers, homebuilders and landlords; real estate-related and property rental-related services; display advertising on residential real estate and commercial property sites; and residential property data services to the financial sector. The Digital Real Estate Services segment also generates revenue through commissions from referrals generated through its digital property search and financing offering and mortgage broking services. Significant expenses associated with these sites and services include development costs, advertising and promotional expenses, hosting and support services, salaries, broker commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s results are highly sensitive to conditions in the real estate market, as well as macroeconomic factors such as interest rates and inflation, which are expected to continue to adversely impact real estate lead and transaction volumes and adjacent businesses in the near term, particularly in the U.S.
Consumers overwhelmingly turn to the internet and mobile devices for real estate information and services. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s success depends on its continued innovation to provide products and services that are useful for consumers and real estate, mortgage and financial services professionals, homebuilders and landlords and attractive to its advertisers. The Digital Real Estate Services segment operates in a highly competitive digital environment with other operators of real estate and property websites and mobile apps.
Subscription Video Services
The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment consists of (i) its 65% interest in the Foxtel Group and (ii) ANC. The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider, with a suite of offerings including its Foxtel pay-TV and Kayo Sports, BINGE and Foxtel Now streaming services and Hubbl, its recently-launched content aggregation platform. The Foxtel Group generates revenue primarily through subscription revenue as well as advertising revenue.
The Foxtel Group competes for audiences primarily with a variety of other video content providers, such as traditional Free-To-Air (“FTA”) TV operators in Australia and content providers that deliver video programming over the internet. These providers include, Internet Protocol television, or IPTV, subscription video-on-demand and broadcast video-on-demand providers; streaming services offered through digital media providers; as well as programmers and distributors that provide content directly to consumers over the internet.
ANC operates the Sky News Australia network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and also owns and operates the IPTV Australia Channel. Revenue is primarily derived from monthly fees received from pay-TV providers and advertising.
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The most significant operating expenses of the Subscription Video Services segment are the acquisition and production expenses related to programming, the expenses related to operating the technical facilities of the broadcast operations, expenses related to satellite and data-related transmission costs and studio and engineering expense. The expenses associated with licensing certain sports programming rights are recognized during the applicable season or event, which can cause results at the Subscription Video Services segment to fluctuate based on the timing and mix of the Foxtel Group’s local and international sports programming. Sports programming rights costs associated with a dedicated channel are amortized over 12 months. Other expenses include subscriber acquisition costs such as sales costs and marketing and promotional expenses related to improving the market visibility and awareness of the channels and their programming. Additional expenses include salaries, employee benefits, technology, rent and other routine overhead expenses.
Dow Jones
The Dow Jones segment’s products target individual consumers and enterprise customers. Revenue from the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business is derived primarily from circulation, which includes subscription and single-copy sales of its digital and print consumer products, the sale of digital and print advertising, licensing fees for its print and digital consumer content and participation fees for its live journalism events. Circulation revenues are dependent on the content of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, prices of its and/or competitors’ products, as well as promotional activities and news cycles. Advertising revenue is dependent on a number of factors, including demand for the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, general economic and business conditions, demographics of the customer base, advertising rates and effectiveness and brand strength and reputation. Certain sectors of the economy account for a significant portion of Dow Jones’s advertising revenues, including technology and finance, which continued to be affected by economic uncertainty in fiscal 2024. Advertising revenues are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically highest in the Company's second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season. In addition, the consumer print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences, which have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, both print circulation and advertising revenues. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by the shift in spending from print to digital, which has increased advertising choices and formats, resulting in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies, standards, regulations, policies and practices have also been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact rates or revenues. As a multi-platform news provider, the Dow Jones segment seeks to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging its content through licensing arrangements with third-party platforms, developing new advertising models and growing its live journalism events business, and continues to invest in its digital and other products, which represent an increasingly larger share of revenues at its consumer business. Mobile devices and apps and other technologies provide continued opportunities for the Dow Jones segment to make its content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop its products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers.
Operating expenses for the consumer business include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third-party printing, editorial and commissions. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The costs associated with printing and distributing newspapers, including paper prices and delivery costs, are key operating expenses whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business. The consumer business is affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics and tariffs or other restrictions on non-U.S. paper suppliers. In addition, the Dow Jones segment relies on third parties for much of the printing and distribution of its print products. The shift from print to digital and changing labor markets present challenges to the financial and operational stability of these third parties which could, in turn, impact the availability, or increase the cost, of third-party printing and distribution services for the Company's newspapers.
The Dow Jones segment’s consumer products compete for consumers, audience and advertising with other local and national newspapers, web and app-based media, news aggregators, customized news feeds, search engines, blogs, magazines, investment tools, social media sources, podcasts and event producers, as well as other media such as television, radio stations and outdoor displays. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including recent developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”), particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the consumer business continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, including from a variety of alternative news and information sources, as well as programmatic advertising buying channels and off-platform distribution of its products.
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The Dow Jones segment’s professional information business, which targets enterprise customers, derives revenue primarily from subscriptions to its professional information products. The professional information business serves enterprise customers with products that combine news and information with technology and tools that inform decisions and aid awareness, research, understanding and compliance. The success of the professional information business depends on its ability to provide products, services, applications and functionalities that meet the needs of its enterprise customers, who operate in information-intensive and oftentimes highly regulated industries such as finance and insurance, and it must also anticipate and respond to industry trends and regulatory and technological changes.
Significant expenses for the professional information business include development costs, sales and marketing expenses, hosting and support services, royalties, salaries, consulting and professional fees, sales commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information products compete with various information service providers, compliance data providers, global financial newswires and energy and commodities pricing and data providers, including Reuters News, RELX (including LexisNexis and ICIS), Refinitiv, S&P Global, DTN and Argus Media, as well as many other providers of news, information and compliance data.
Book Publishing
The Book Publishing segment derives revenues from the sale of general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious books in the U.S. and internationally. The revenues and operating results of the Book Publishing segment are significantly affected by the timing of releases and the number of its books in the marketplace. The book publishing marketplace is subject to increased periods of demand during the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. This marketplace is highly competitive and continues to change due to technological developments, including additional digital platforms and distribution channels, and other factors. Each book is a separate and distinct product and its financial success depends upon many factors, including public acceptance.
Major new title releases represent a significant portion of the Book Publishing segment’s sales throughout the fiscal year. Print-based consumer books are generally sold on a fully returnable basis, resulting in the return of unsold books. In the domestic and international markets, the Book Publishing segment is subject to global trends and local economic conditions. Operating expenses for the Book Publishing segment include costs related to paper, printing, freight, authors’ royalties, editorial, promotional, art and design expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead costs.
News Media
Revenue at the News Media segment is derived primarily from circulation and subscriptions, the sale of advertising, as well as licensing. Circulation and subscription revenues can be greatly affected by changes in the prices of the Company’s and/or competitors’ products, as well as by promotional activities and news cycles. Adverse changes in general market conditions for advertising have affected, and may continue to affect, revenues. Advertising revenues at the News Media segment are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically being highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies.
Operating expenses include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third-party printing, editorial, commissions, technology and radio sports rights. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The cost of paper is a key operating expense whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the segment. The News Media segment’s expenses are affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics (including the closure or conversion of newsprint mills and consolidation among suppliers) and tariffs. Paper prices remained elevated in fiscal 2024 relative to historical trends due to these factors.
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The News Media segment’s products compete for readership, audience and advertising with local and national competitors and also compete with other media alternatives in their respective markets. Competition for circulation and subscriptions is based on the content of the products provided, pricing and, from time to time, various promotions. The success of these products also depends upon advertisers’ judgments as to the most effective use of their advertising budgets. Competition for advertising is based upon product reach and engagement, advertising rates, advertiser results, availability of alternative media and quality of consumer demographics. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including recent developments in AI, particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the News Media segment continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, particularly in its print business. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by the shift in spending from print to digital, which has increased advertising choices and formats, resulting in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies, standards, regulations, policies and practices have been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact rates or revenues.
As multi-platform news providers, the businesses within the News Media segment seek to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging their content through licensing arrangements with third-party platforms and developing new advertising models, and continue to invest in their digital products. Mobile devices and apps and other technologies provide continued opportunities for the businesses within the News Media segment to make their content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop their products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers.
Other
The Other segment primarily consists of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters.
Other Business Developments
Announced Headcount Reduction
In response to the macroeconomic challenges facing many of the Company’s businesses, the Company implemented cost savings initiatives, including the 5% headcount reduction announced in February 2023. The headcount reduction was substantially completed as of December 31, 2023 and the Company recognized associated cash restructuring charges of approximately $106 million. Based on the actions taken, the Company generated annualized gross cost savings in excess of $160 million, the majority of which was reflected in fiscal 2024. See Note 5—Restructuring Programs in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Combination of U.K. Printing Operations
In October 2023, News UK and DMG Media announced a proposed arrangement to combine certain printing operations of both companies within a separate joint venture. The Company believes this arrangement will help improve the efficiency of News UK and DMG Media’s print operations and establish a sustainable business model for national newspaper printing in the U.K. The arrangement received regulatory approval in March 2024 and the joint venture arrangement was effectuated in June 2024.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $22 million related to the write-down of fixed assets associated with the combination.
Russian and Ukrainian conflict
The Company takes extensive steps to ensure the safety of its journalists and other personnel in Ukraine and Russia. Despite these measures, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal was detained by Russian authorities in March 2023 while on assignment in the country. The Company engaged legal counsel for the reporter and provided continuing support to help facilitate his release in August 2024. The Company prioritizes the health, safety, security and well-being of its employees and will continue to support affected employees in the region.
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Results of Operations—Fiscal 2024 versus Fiscal 2023
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for fiscal 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 4,509 | $ | 4,447 | $ | 62 | 1 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,607 | 1,687 | (80) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Consumer | 2,000 | 1,899 | 101 | 5 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,284 | 1,189 | 95 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 685 | 657 | 28 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 10,085 | 9,879 | 206 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (5,053) | (5,124) | 71 | 1 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (3,493) | (3,335) | (158) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | (734) | (714) | (20) | (3) | % | |||||||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | (138) | (150) | 12 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | (6) | (127) | 121 | 95 | % | |||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (85) | (100) | 15 | 15 | % | |||||||||
| Other, net | (30) | 1 | (31) | ** | ||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 546 | 330 | 216 | 65 | % | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | (192) | (143) | (49) | (34) | % | |||||||||
| Net income | 354 | 187 | 167 | 89 | % | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | (88) | (38) | (50) | (132) | % | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to News Corporation stockholders | $ | 266 | $ | 149 | $ | 117 | 79 | % |
** not meaningful
Revenues—Revenues increased $206 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. The increase was driven by higher revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment primarily due to higher Australian residential revenues at REA Group, partially offset by lower revenues at Move driven by the continued impact of the macroeconomic environment on the U.S. housing market, at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to improved returns in the U.S. and higher digital book sales and at the Dow Jones segment driven by higher professional information business revenues. These increases were partially offset by lower revenues at the News Media segment driven by lower advertising revenues and at the Subscription Video Services segment due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $37 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
The Company calculates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations for businesses reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar by multiplying the results for each quarter in the current period by the difference between the average exchange rate for that quarter and the average exchange rate in effect during the corresponding quarter of the prior year and totaling the impact for all quarters in the current period.
Operating expenses—Operating expenses decreased $71 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. The decrease in operating expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 was driven by lower expenses at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to lower manufacturing, freight and distribution costs driven by product mix and the absence of prior year supply chain challenges and inventory and inflationary pressures, at the Dow Jones segment due to lower newsprint, production and distribution costs, at the News Media segment driven by lower production costs at News UK due to lower print volume and newsprint prices and at the Digital Real Estate Services segment primarily due to lower employee costs at Move. These decreases were partially offset by higher expenses at the Subscription Video Services segment driven by higher sports programming rights costs due to contractual increases and costs related to the launch of Hubbl. The Company also benefited from gross cost savings related to the announced 5% headcount reduction initiative. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in an Operating expense decrease of $10 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
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Selling, general and administrative—Selling, general and administrative increased $158 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. The increase in Selling, general and administrative for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 was primarily driven by higher expenses at the Digital Real Estate Services segment largely due to higher employee costs and broker commissions at REA Group and increased marketing spend at Move, at the Dow Jones segment driven by increased technology and marketing spend and at the Book Publishing segment driven by higher employee costs. These increases were partially offset by lower expenses at the Subscription Video Services segment primarily due to lower technology costs. The Company also benefited from gross cost savings related to the announced 5% headcount reduction initiative. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a Selling, general and administrative decrease of $10 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
Depreciation and amortization—Depreciation and amortization expense increased $20 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to higher depreciation at the Digital Real Estate Services segment. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a depreciation and amortization expense decrease of $8 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
Impairment and restructuring charges—During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $94 million and $125 million, respectively. See Note 5—Restructuring Programs in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $44 million, primarily related to the write-down of fixed assets associated with the combination of certain U.K. printing operations with those of a third party at the News Media segment.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $25 million related to the impairment of certain indefinite-lived intangible assets during the Company’s annual impairment assessment.
See Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Equity losses of affiliates—Equity losses of affiliates improved by $121 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to the absence of a non-cash write-down of REA Group’s investment in PropertyGuru of approximately $81 million and losses from an investment in an Australian sports wagering venture recognized in the prior year. See Note 6—Investments in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Interest expense, net—Interest expense, net for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 decreased $15 million, or 15%, as compared to fiscal 2023, driven by higher interest income as a result of higher interest rates on cash balances. See Note 9—Borrowings and Note 11—Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other, net—Other, net decreased $31 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. See Note 21—Additional Financial Information in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income tax expense—For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company recorded income tax expense of $192 million on pre-tax income of $546 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 35%, which was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, asset impairments and investment write-downs with lower tax benefits and valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company recorded income tax expense of $143 million on pre-tax income of $330 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 43%, which was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, impairments and valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses. See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Net income—Net income was $354 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to $187 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, an increase of $167 million, or 89%, primarily driven by the factors discussed above.
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests—Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was $88 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to $38 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, an increase of $50 million, or 132%, primarily due to the absence of the non-cash write-down of the investment in PropertyGuru in the prior year and higher earnings at REA Group.
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Segment Analysis
Segment EBITDA is the primary measure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources within, the Company’s businesses. Segment EBITDA is defined as revenues less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. Segment EBITDA does not include: depreciation and amortization, impairment and restructuring charges, equity losses of affiliates, interest (expense) income, net, other, net and income tax (expense) benefit. Segment EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of Segment EBITDA. Segment EBITDA provides management, investors and equity analysts with a measure to analyze the operating performance of each of the Company’s business segments and its enterprise value against historical data and competitors’ data, although historical results may not be indicative of future results (as operating performance is highly contingent on many factors, including customer tastes and preferences).
Total Segment EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income (loss), cash flow and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. In addition, this measure does not reflect cash available to fund requirements and excludes items, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment and restructuring charges, which are significant components in assessing the Company’s financial performance. The Company believes that the presentation of Total Segment EBITDA provides useful information regarding the Company’s operations and other factors that affect the Company’s reported results. Specifically, the Company believes that by excluding certain one-time or non-cash items such as impairment and restructuring charges and depreciation and amortization, as well as potential distortions between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures and changes in tax positions or regimes, the Company provides users of its consolidated financial statements with insight into both its core operations as well as the factors that affect reported results between periods but which the Company believes are not representative of its core business. As a result, users of the Company’s consolidated financial statements are better able to evaluate changes in the core operating results of the Company across different periods.
The following table reconciles Net income to Total Segment EBITDA for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 354 | $ | 187 | ||
| Add: | ||||||
| Income tax expense | 192 | 143 | ||||
| Other, net | 30 | (1) | ||||
| Interest expense, net | 85 | 100 | ||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | 6 | 127 | ||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | 138 | 150 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 734 | 714 | ||||
| Total Segment EBITDA | $ | 1,539 | $ | 1,420 |
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The following table sets forth the Company’s Revenues and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| (in millions) | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | ||||||||||
| Digital Real Estate Services | $ | 1,658 | $ | 508 | $ | 1,539 | $ | 457 | ||||||
| Subscription Video Services | 1,917 | 310 | 1,942 | 347 | ||||||||||
| Dow Jones | 2,231 | 542 | 2,153 | 494 | ||||||||||
| Book Publishing | 2,093 | 269 | 1,979 | 167 | ||||||||||
| News Media | 2,186 | 120 | 2,266 | 156 | ||||||||||
| Other | — | (210) | — | (201) | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 10,085 | $ | 1,539 | $ | 9,879 | $ | 1,420 |
Digital Real Estate Services (16% and 15% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 10 | $ | 12 | $ | (2) | (17) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 136 | 140 | (4) | (3) | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,284 | 1,189 | 95 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 228 | 198 | 30 | 15 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,658 | 1,539 | 119 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (190) | (201) | 11 | 5 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (960) | (881) | (79) | (9) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 508 | $ | 457 | $ | 51 | 11 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $119 million, or 8%, as compared to fiscal 2023. Revenues at REA Group increased $177 million, or 19%, to $1,114 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 from $937 million in fiscal 2023 primarily due to higher Australian residential revenues driven by price increases, increased depth penetration, favorable geographic mix and growth in national listings, higher financial services revenues, which included the benefit from the absence of a negative valuation adjustment related to expected future trail commissions in the prior year, and higher revenues from REA India. These increases were partially offset by the $28 million, or 3%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Revenues at Move decreased $58 million, or 10%, to $544 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 from $602 million in fiscal 2023, primarily driven by the continued impact of the macroeconomic environment on the U.S. housing market, including higher interest rates. The market downturn resulted in lower lead volumes, which decreased 3%, and lower transaction volumes. These factors adversely impacted revenues from both the referral model, which includes the ReadyConnect Concierge℠ product, and the core lead generation product. The decline was partially offset by revenue growth in seller, new homes and rentals including the partnership with Zillow.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Segment EBITDA at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $51 million, or 11%, as compared to fiscal 2023, due to an increased contribution from REA Group, partially offset by the adverse impact from Move and the $13 million, or 3%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The contribution from REA Group increased primarily due to the higher revenues discussed above, partially offset by higher employee costs, higher broker commissions due to higher financial services revenues and the absence of the valuation adjustment related to expected future trail commissions in the prior year and higher costs from REA India. The adverse impact from Move was driven by the lower revenues discussed above and slightly higher costs, primarily due to marketing spend, partially offset by gross cost savings related to the announced 5% headcount reduction initiative.
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Subscription Video Services (19% and 20% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,643 | $ | 1,671 | $ | (28) | (2) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 232 | 227 | 5 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 42 | 44 | (2) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,917 | 1,942 | (25) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,290) | (1,264) | (26) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (317) | (331) | 14 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 310 | $ | 347 | $ | (37) | (11) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, revenues at the Subscription Video Services segment decreased $25 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2023 due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Streaming revenues increased $60 million driven by increased volume and pricing at Kayo and BINGE, despite a more difficult summer sports season and inflationary pressures. The increase in streaming revenues along with higher advertising revenues more than offset lower residential subscription revenues resulting from fewer residential broadcast subscribers. Foxtel Group streaming subscription revenues represented approximately 30% of total circulation and subscription revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to 27% in fiscal 2023. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $52 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to fiscal 2023.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Segment EBITDA decreased $37 million, or 11%, as compared to fiscal 2023 driven by $51 million of costs related to the launch of Hubbl, higher sports programming rights costs due to contractual increases and the $9 million, or 3%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, partially offset by the revenue drivers discussed above and declines in other costs including technology, entertainment programming rights and marketing.
The following tables provide information regarding certain key performance indicators for the Foxtel Group, the primary reporting unit within the Subscription Video Services segment, as of and for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023. Management believes these metrics provide useful information to allow investors to understand trends in consumer behavior and acceptance of the various services offered by the Foxtel Group. Management utilizes these metrics to track and forecast subscription revenue trends across the business’s various linear and streaming products. See “Part I. Business” for further detail regarding these performance indicators including definitions and methods of calculation.
| As of June 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| (in 000s) | ||||
| Broadcast Subscribers | ||||
| Residential(a) | 1,210 | 1,341 | ||
| Commercial(b) | 242 | 233 | ||
| Streaming Subscribers - Total (Paid)(c) | ||||
| Kayo | 1,606 (1,550) | 1,411 (1,401) | ||
| BINGE | 1,552 (1,529) | 1,541 (1,487) | ||
| Foxtel Now | 147 (142) | 177 (170) | ||
| Total Subscribers - Total (Paid)(d) | 4,776 (4,690) | 4,723 (4,650) |
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| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
| Broadcast ARPU(e) | A$86 (US$57) | A$84 (US$56) | |
| Broadcast Subscriber Churn(f) | 12.4% | 12.7% |
(a)Subscribing households throughout Australia as of June 30, 2024 and 2023.
(b)Commercial subscribers throughout Australia as of June 30, 2024 and 2023.
(c)Total and Paid subscribers for the applicable streaming service as of June 30, 2024 and 2023. Paid subscribers excludes customers receiving service for no charge under certain new subscriber promotions.
(d)Total subscribers consists of Foxtel Group’s broadcast and streaming services listed above and its news aggregation streaming service.
(e)Average monthly broadcast residential subscription revenue per user (Broadcast ARPU) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
(f)Broadcast residential subscriber churn rate (Broadcast Subscriber Churn) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
Dow Jones (22% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2024 and 2023)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,771 | $ | 1,689 | $ | 82 | 5 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 405 | 413 | (8) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 55 | 51 | 4 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,231 | 2,153 | 78 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (919) | (934) | 15 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (770) | (725) | (45) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 542 | $ | 494 | $ | 48 | 10 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, revenues at the Dow Jones segment increased $78 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to higher professional information business revenues. Digital revenues at the Dow Jones segment represented 80% of total revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to 78% in fiscal 2023. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $7 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
Circulation and Subscription Revenues
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and other | $ | 927 | $ | 929 | $ | (2) | — | % | ||||||
| Risk and Compliance | 294 | 253 | 41 | 16 | % | |||||||||
| Dow Jones Energy | 251 | 217 | 34 | 16 | % | |||||||||
| Other information services | 299 | 290 | 9 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Professional information business | 844 | 760 | 84 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Total circulation and subscription revenues | $ | 1,771 | $ | 1,689 | $ | 82 | 5 | % |
Circulation and subscription revenues increased $82 million, or 5%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. Professional information business revenues increased $84 million, or 11%, primarily driven by the $41 million increase in Risk & Compliance revenues and the $34 million increase in Dow Jones Energy revenues driven by new products and customers and price increases and the $9 million increase in Other information services revenues due to higher revenues at Factiva. Circulation and other revenues decreased $2 million, driven by print circulation declines and lower content licensing revenues, partially offset by growth in digital-only subscriptions, primarily at The Wall Street Journal, which included a benefit from an increase in bundle offers. Digital revenues represented 71% of circulation revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to 69% in fiscal 2023.
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The following table summarizes average daily consumer subscriptions during the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 for select publications and for all consumer subscription products.(a)
| For the three months ended June 30(b), | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except %) | Better/(Worse) | ||||||||||
| The Wall Street Journal | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 3,788 | 3,406 | 382 | 11 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 4,256 | 3,966 | 290 | 7 | % | ||||||
| Barron’s Group(d) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 1,290 | 1,018 | 272 | 27 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 1,419 | 1,168 | 251 | 21 | % | ||||||
| Total Consumer(e) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 5,226 | 4,510 | 716 | 16 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 5,842 | 5,242 | 600 | 11 | % |
(a)Based on internal data for the periods from April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 and April 3, 2023 to July 2, 2023, respectively, with independent verification procedures performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP UK.
(b)Subscriptions include individual consumer subscriptions, as well as subscriptions purchased by companies, schools, businesses and associations for use by their respective employees, students, customers or members. Subscriptions exclude single-copy sales and copies purchased by hotels, airlines and other businesses for limited distribution or access to customers.
(c)For some publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, Dow Jones sells bundled print and digital products. For bundles that provide access to both print and digital products every day of the week, only one unit is reported each day and is designated as a print subscription. For bundled products that provide access to the print product only on specified days and full digital access, one print subscription is reported for each day that a print copy is served and one digital subscription is reported for each remaining day of the week.
(d)Barron’s Group consists of Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News and Private Equity News.
(e)Total Consumer consists of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Group and Investor’s Business Daily.
Advertising Revenues
Advertising revenues decreased $8 million, or 2%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to the $17 million decrease in print advertising revenues, partially offset by the $9 million increase in digital advertising. Digital advertising revenues represented 64% of advertising revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to 61% in fiscal 2023.
Segment EBITDA
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Segment EBITDA at the Dow Jones segment increased $48 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2023 primarily due to the increase in revenues discussed above and lower newsprint, production and distribution costs, partially offset by higher technology and marketing costs and higher employee costs, which were mitigated by ongoing cost savings initiatives.
Book Publishing (21% and 20% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer | $ | 2,000 | $ | 1,899 | $ | 101 | 5 | % | ||||||
| Other | 93 | 80 | 13 | 16 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,093 | 1,979 | 114 | 6 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,441) | (1,469) | 28 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (383) | (343) | (40) | (12) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 269 | $ | 167 | $ | 102 | 61 | % |
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For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, revenues at the Book Publishing segment increased $114 million, or 6%, as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to improved returns in the U.S. driven by recovering consumer demand industry-wide and the absence of the impact of Amazon’s reset of its inventory levels and rightsizing of its warehouse footprint in the prior year, as well as higher digital book sales. These improvements were partially offset by lower physical book sales. Digital sales increased by 9% as compared to fiscal 2023 driven by strong market growth for audiobooks, including the contribution from the Spotify partnership. Digital sales represented approximately 23% of consumer revenues in fiscal 2024 as compared to 22% in fiscal 2023, and backlist sales represented approximately 61% of consumer revenues during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to 60% in fiscal 2023. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $16 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Segment EBITDA at the Book Publishing segment increased $102 million, or 61%, as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to the higher revenues discussed above and lower manufacturing, freight and distribution costs driven by product mix and the absence of prior year supply chain challenges and inventory and inflationary pressures, partially offset by higher employee costs.
News Media (22% and 23% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,085 | $ | 1,075 | $ | 10 | 1 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 834 | 907 | (73) | (8) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 267 | 284 | (17) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,186 | 2,266 | (80) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,213) | (1,256) | 43 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (853) | (854) | 1 | — | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 120 | $ | 156 | $ | (36) | (23) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, revenues at the News Media segment decreased $80 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2023. Advertising revenues decreased $73 million, or 8%, as compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to lower print advertising revenues at News Corp Australia and News UK and lower digital advertising revenues, mainly due to a decline in traffic at some mastheads due to platform-related changes, partially offset by the $5 million, or 1%, positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $10 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2023, due to the $15 million, or 1%, positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as cover price increases and digital subscriber growth were more than offset by print volume declines. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $20 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Segment EBITDA at the News Media segment decreased $36 million, or 23%, as compared to fiscal 2023, which includes $6 million of one-time costs at News UK pertaining to the combination of printing operations with DMG Media. The decrease is primarily due to the adverse impact from News Corp Australia, partially offset by lower production costs at News UK driven by lower print volume and newsprint prices and gross cost savings related to the announced 5% headcount reduction initiative.
News Corp Australia
Revenues were $929 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, a decrease of $69 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2023 revenues of $998 million. Advertising revenues decreased $46 million, or 11%, due to lower print and digital advertising revenues and the $10 million, or 2%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $21 million, or 5%, driven by print volume declines and the $11 million, or 3%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, partially offset by cover price increases and digital subscriber growth. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $25 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
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News UK
Revenues were $929 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, a decrease of $4 million as compared to fiscal 2023 revenues of $933 million. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $33 million, or 6%, driven by cover price increases, the $25 million, or 5%, positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and digital subscriber growth, partially offset by print volume declines. Advertising revenues decreased $26 million, or 9%, due to lower digital and print advertising revenues, partially offset by the $10 million, or 4%, positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $39 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Current Financial Condition
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand. As of June 30, 2024, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $1,960 million. The Company also has available borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility”) and certain other facilities, as described below, and expects to have access to the worldwide credit and capital markets, subject to market conditions, in order to issue additional debt if needed or desired. The Company currently expects these elements of liquidity will enable it to meet its liquidity needs for at least the next twelve months, including repayment of indebtedness. Although the Company believes that its cash on hand and future cash from operations, together with its access to the credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund its operating and financing needs for at least the next twelve months, its access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms in the future will be affected by many factors, including: (i) the financial and operational performance of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (ii) the Company’s credit ratings and/or the credit rating of its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (iii) the provisions of any relevant debt instruments, credit agreements, indentures and similar or associated documents; (iv) the liquidity of the overall credit and capital markets; and (v) the state of the economy. There can be no assurances that the Company will continue to have access to the credit and capital markets on acceptable terms.
As of June 30, 2024, the Company’s consolidated assets included $975 million in cash and cash equivalents that were held by its foreign subsidiaries. Of this amount, $136 million is cash not readily accessible by the Company as it is held by REA Group, a majority owned but separately listed public company. REA Group must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”), the Company’s undistributed foreign earnings were considered permanently reinvested and as such, United States federal and state income taxes were not previously recorded on these earnings. As a result of the Tax Act, substantially all of the Company’s earnings in foreign subsidiaries generated prior to the enactment of the Tax Act were deemed to have been repatriated and taxed accordingly. As of June 30, 2024, the Company has approximately $1 billion of undistributed foreign earnings that it intends to reinvest permanently. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of tax that might be payable if these earnings were repatriated. The Company may repatriate future earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries in which case the Company may be required to accrue and pay additional taxes, including any applicable foreign withholding taxes and income taxes.
The principal uses of cash that affect the Company’s liquidity position include the following: operational expenditures including employee costs, paper purchases and programming costs; capital expenditures; income tax payments; investments in associated entities; acquisitions; the repurchase of shares; dividends; and the repayment of debt and related interest. In addition to the acquisitions and dispositions disclosed elsewhere, the Company has evaluated, and expects to continue to evaluate, possible future acquisitions and dispositions of certain businesses. Such transactions may be material and may involve cash, the issuance of the Company’s securities or the assumption of indebtedness.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) has authorized a Repurchase Program to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of the Company’s outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Repurchase Program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. As of June 30, 2024, the remaining authorized amount under the Repurchase Program was approximately $460 million.
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Stock repurchases under the Repurchase Program commenced on November 9, 2021. The following table summarizes the shares repurchased and subsequently retired and the related consideration paid during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | |||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||
| Class A Common Stock | 3.4 | $ | 79 | 9.5 | $ | 159 | ||||||
| Class B Common Stock | 1.6 | 38 | 4.7 | 81 | ||||||||
| Total | 5.0 | $ | 117 | 14.2 | $ | 240 |
Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid per share on both the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.20 |
The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, is within the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors’ decisions regarding the payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
Sources and Uses of Cash—Fiscal 2024 versus Fiscal 2023
Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,098 | $ | 1,092 |
Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $6 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023. The increase was primarily due to higher Total Segment EBITDA, largely offset by higher working capital and higher restructuring payments.
Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (524) | $ | (574) |
Net cash used in investing activities was $524 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to net cash used in investing activities of $574 million for fiscal 2023.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company used $496 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $139 million related to the Foxtel Group, and $134 million of cash for investments and acquisitions. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company used $499 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $152 million related to the Foxtel Group, and $120 million of cash for investments and acquisitions.
Net cash used in financing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in financing activities | $ | (441) | $ | (501) |
The Company had net cash used in financing activities of $441 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 as compared to net cash used in financing activities of $501 million for fiscal 2023.
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During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Company had $1,375 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the refinancing of Foxtel and REA Group’s debt portfolios, $117 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the Repurchase Program and dividend payments of $172 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. The net cash used in financing activities was partially offset by new borrowings of $1,268 million primarily related to the refinancing of Foxtel and REA Group’s debt portfolios and $53 million related to the net settlement of certain hedges which were terminated in connection with the refinancing at Foxtel.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company had $589 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the Foxtel Group’s 2019 Credit Facility and U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes that matured in July 2022, $243 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the Repurchase Program and dividend payments of $174 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. The net cash used in financing activities was partially offset by new borrowings related to the Foxtel Group of $514 million. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, less capital expenditures. Free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of free cash flow.
Free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Company’s consolidated Statements of Cash Flows prepared in accordance with GAAP, which incorporates all cash movements during the period. The Company believes free cash flow provides useful information to management and investors about the Company’s liquidity and cash flow trends.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,098 | $ | 1,092 | ||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (496) | (499) | ||||
| Free cash flow | 602 | 593 |
Free cash flow in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 was $602 million compared to $593 million in fiscal 2023. Free cash flow increased primarily due to higher cash provided by operating activities, as discussed above.
Borrowings
As of June 30, 2024, the Company, certain subsidiaries of NXE Australia Pty Limited (the “Foxtel Group” and together with such subsidiaries, the “Foxtel Debt Group”) and REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries (REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries, the “REA Debt Group”) had total borrowings of $2.9 billion, including the current portion. Both the Foxtel Group and REA Group are consolidated but non wholly-owned subsidiaries of News Corp, and their indebtedness is only guaranteed by members of the Foxtel Debt Group and REA Debt Group, respectively, and is non-recourse to News Corp.
News Corporation Borrowings
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had (i) borrowings of $1,968 million, consisting of its outstanding 2021 Senior Notes, 2022 Senior Notes and Term A Loans and (ii) $750 million of undrawn commitments available under the Revolving Facility.
Foxtel Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2024, the Foxtel Debt Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $784 million, including the amounts outstanding under the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility (described below), the A$40 million 2017 Working Capital Facility and the Telstra Facility (described below) and (ii) total undrawn commitments of A$200 million available under the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility and 2017 Working Capital Facility.
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During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Foxtel Group refinanced its A$610 million 2019 revolving credit facility, A$250 million term loan facility and tranche 3 of its 2012 U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes with the proceeds of a new A$1.2 billion syndicated credit facility (the “2024 Foxtel Credit Facility”). The 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility consists of three sub-facilities: (i) an A$817.5 million three year revolving credit facility (the “2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 1”), (ii) a US$48.7 million four year term loan facility (the “ 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 2”) and (iii) an A$311.0 million four year term loan facility (the “2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 3”). In addition, the Foxtel Group amended its 2017 Working Capital Facility to extend the maturity to August 2026 and modify the pricing.
Depending on the Foxtel Group’s net leverage ratio, (i) borrowings under the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 1 and 2017 Working Capital Facility bear interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 2.35% and 3.60%; (ii) borrowings under the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 2 bear interest at a rate based on a Term SOFR formula, as set forth in the 2024 Foxtel Credit Agreement, plus a margin of between 2.50% and 3.75%; and (iii) borrowings under the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility — tranche 3 bear interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 2.50% and 3.75%. Tranche 1 carries a commitment fee of 45% of the applicable margin on any undrawn balance. Tranches 2 and 3 of the 2024 Foxtel Credit Facility amortize on a proportionate basis in an aggregate annual amount equal to A$35 million in each of the first two years following closing and A$40 million in each of the two years thereafter.
The agreements governing the Foxtel Debt Group’s external borrowings contain customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default, with customary exceptions, including specified non-financial covenants and financial covenants calculated in accordance with Australian International Financial Reporting Standards. Subject to certain exceptions, these covenants restrict or prohibit members of the Foxtel Debt Group from, among other things, undertaking certain transactions, disposing of certain properties or assets (including subsidiary stock), merging or consolidating with any other person, making financial accommodation available, giving guarantees, entering into certain other financing arrangements, creating or permitting certain liens, engaging in transactions with affiliates, making repayments of certain other loans, undergoing fundamental business changes and making restricted payments. In addition, the agreements require the Foxtel Debt Group to maintain a ratio of net debt to Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization, as adjusted under the applicable agreements, of not more than 3.25 to 1.0. The agreements also require the Foxtel Debt Group to maintain a net interest coverage ratio of not less than 3.5 to 1.0. There are no assets pledged as collateral for any of the borrowings.
In addition to third-party indebtedness, the Foxtel Debt Group has related party indebtedness consisting of A$596 million of outstanding principal (excluding capitalized interest) of subordinated shareholder loans as of June 30, 2024. The shareholder loans bear interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 6.30% to 7.75% and mature in December 2027. Amounts outstanding under the shareholder loans are permitted to be repaid if (i) no actual or potential event of default exists both before and immediately after repayment and (ii) the net debt to EBITDA ratio of the Foxtel Debt Group was on the most recent covenant calculation date, and would be immediately after the cash repayment, less than or equal to 2.25 to 1.0. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Foxtel Debt Group repaid A$104 million of outstanding principal of shareholder loans. Additionally, the Foxtel Debt Group has an A$170 million subordinated shareholder loan facility with Telstra which can be used to finance cable transmission costs due to Telstra. The Telstra Facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin of 7.75% and matures in December 2027. The Company excludes the utilization of the Telstra Facility from the Statements of Cash Flows because it is non-cash.
REA Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2024, REA Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $134 million, consisting of amounts outstanding under the 2024 REA Credit Facility (described below) and 2024 Subsidiary Facility (described below) and (ii) A$481 million of undrawn commitments available under the 2024 REA Credit Facility and the 2024 Subsidiary Facility.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, REA Group entered into a new unsecured syndicated credit facility (the “2024 REA Credit Facility”) which replaced the 2022 Credit Facility and consists of two sub-facilities: (i) a five-year A$400 million revolving loan facility (the “2024 REA Credit Facility—tranche 1”) which was used to refinance tranche 1 of the 2022 Credit Facility and (ii) an A$200 million revolving loan facility representing the continuation of tranche 2 of the 2022 Credit Facility (the “2024 REA Credit Facility—tranche 2”). REA Group may request increases in the amount of the 2024 REA Credit Facility up to a maximum amount of A$500 million, subject to the terms and limitations set forth in the syndicated facility agreement.
Borrowings under the 2024 REA Credit Facility — tranche 1 accrue interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 1.45% and 2.35%, depending on REA Group’s net leverage ratio. Borrowings under the 2024 REA Credit Facility — tranche 2 continue to accrue interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 1.15% and 2.25%, depending on REA Group’s net leverage ratio. Both tranches carry a commitment fee of 40% of the applicable margin on any undrawn balance.
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The syndicated facility agreement governing the 2024 REA Credit Facility requires REA Group to maintain (i) a net leverage ratio of not more than 3.5 to 1.0 and (ii) an interest coverage ratio of not less than 3.0 to 1.0. The agreement also contains certain other customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. Subject to certain exceptions, these covenants restrict or prohibit REA Group and its subsidiaries from, among other things, incurring or guaranteeing debt, disposing of certain properties or assets, merging or consolidating with any other person, making financial accommodation available, entering into certain other financing arrangements, creating or permitting certain liens, engaging in non-arms’ length transactions with affiliates, undergoing fundamental business changes and making restricted payments.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, REA Group also entered into an A$83 million unsecured bilateral revolving credit facility (the “2024 Subsidiary Facility”). Proceeds of the 2024 Subsidiary Facility were used to refinance an existing facility at one of its subsidiaries and to fund its business of providing short-term financing to real estate agents and vendors. Borrowings under the 2024 Subsidiary Facility accrue interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of 1.40% and undrawn balances carry a commitment fee of 40% of the applicable margin. The facility agreement governing the 2024 Subsidiary Facility permits the lender to cancel its commitment and declare all outstanding amounts immediately due and payable after a consultation period in specified circumstances, including if certain key operating measures of its subsidiary fall below the budgeted amount for two consecutive quarters. The agreement also contains certain other customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default that are similar to those governing the 2024 REA Credit Facility.
All of the Company’s borrowings contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at June 30, 2024.
See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s outstanding debt, including additional information about interest rates, amortization (if any), maturities and covenants related to such debt arrangements.
Commitments
The Company has commitments under certain firm contractual arrangements to make future payments. These firm commitments secure the current and future rights to various assets and services to be used in the normal course of operations.
The following table summarizes the Company’s material firm commitments as of June 30, 2024:
| As of June 30, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(a) | $ | 1,563 | $ | 544 | $ | 627 | $ | 263 | $ | 129 | ||||||||
| Sports programming rights(b) | 3,177 | 481 | 1,080 | 775 | 841 | |||||||||||||
| Programming costs(c) | 908 | 324 | 407 | 169 | 8 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases(d) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 112 | 19 | 30 | 29 | 34 | |||||||||||||
| Land and buildings | 1,486 | 143 | 245 | 149 | 949 | |||||||||||||
| Plant and machinery | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 23 | 19 | 4 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Borrowings(f) | 2,902 | 33 | 1,093 | 1,276 | 500 | |||||||||||||
| Interest payments on borrowings(g) | 610 | 146 | 251 | 136 | 77 | |||||||||||||
| Total commitments and contractual obligations | $ | 10,792 | $ | 1,714 | $ | 3,741 | $ | 2,799 | $ | 2,538 |
(a)The Company has commitments under purchase obligations related to minimum subscriber guarantees for license fees, printing contracts, capital projects, marketing agreements, production services and other legally binding commitments.
(b)The Company has sports programming rights commitments with the National Rugby League, Australian Football League and Cricket Australia, as well as certain other broadcast rights, which are payable through fiscal 2032.
(c)The Company has programming rights commitments with various suppliers for programming content.
(d)The Company leases office facilities, warehouse facilities, printing plants, satellite services and equipment. These leases, which are classified as operating leases, are expected to be paid at certain dates through fiscal 2048. Amounts reflected represent only the Company’s lease obligations for which it has firm commitments.
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(e)The Company has contractual commitments for satellite transmission services. The Company’s satellite transponder services arrangements extend through fiscal 2032 and are accounted for as operating or finance leases, based on the underlying terms of those arrangements.
(f)See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
(g)Reflects the Company’s expected future interest payments based on borrowings outstanding and interest rates applicable at June 30, 2024. Such rates are subject to change in future periods. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has certain contracts to purchase newsprint, ink and plates that require the Company to purchase a percentage of its total requirements for production. Since the quantities purchased annually under these contracts are not fixed and are based on the Company’s total requirements, the amount of the related payments for these purchases is excluded from the table above.
The table also excludes the Company’s pension obligations, other postretirement benefits (“OPEB”) obligations and the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount and timing of the commitments. The Company made contributions of $23 million and $14 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, interest rates and statutory requirements. The Company anticipates that it will make required contributions of approximately $1 million in fiscal 2025, assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2024 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. Payments due to participants under the Company’s pension plans are primarily paid out of underlying trusts. Payments due under the Company’s OPEB plans are not required to be funded in advance, but are paid as medical costs are incurred by covered retiree populations, and are principally dependent upon the future cost of retiree medical benefits under the Company’s OPEB plans. The Company expects its OPEB payments to approximate $7 million in fiscal 2025. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other significant ongoing expenses or cash requirements for each of the Company’s segments are discussed above in “Overview of the Company’s Businesses.” The Company generally expects to fund these short and long-term cash requirements with internally-generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand.
Contingencies
The Company routinely is involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations, including those discussed in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The outcome of these matters and claims is subject to significant uncertainty, and the Company often cannot predict what the eventual outcome of pending matters will be or the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters. Fees, expenses, fines, penalties, judgments or settlement costs which might be incurred by the Company in connection with the various proceedings could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
The Company establishes an accrued liability for legal claims when it determines that a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Once established, accruals are adjusted from time to time, as appropriate, in light of additional information. The amount of any loss ultimately incurred in relation to matters for which an accrual has been established may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued for such matters. Legal fees associated with litigation and similar proceedings are expensed as incurred. The Company recognizes gain contingencies when the gain becomes realized or realizable. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
An accounting policy is considered to be critical if it is important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and if it requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in its application. The development and selection of these critical accounting policies have been determined by management of the Company. See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter and at other times if a significant event or change in circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets has been reduced below their carrying value. The Company uses its judgment in assessing whether assets may have become impaired between annual impairment assessments. Indicators such as unexpected adverse economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts, may signal that an asset has become impaired.
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Under ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), in assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether events or circumstances exist that lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is not required to perform any additional tests in assessing goodwill for impairment. However, if the Company concludes otherwise or elects not to perform the qualitative assessment, then it is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit, and compare the calculated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit primarily by using both a discounted cash flow analysis and market-based valuation approach.
Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, long-term growth rates, relevant comparable company earnings multiples and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, as part of the Company’s long-range planning process, the Company completed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test.
The performance of the Company’s annual impairment analysis resulted in $18 million of impairments to an indefinite-lived intangible asset and goodwill in fiscal 2024. Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the income approach valuation method were discount rates (ranging from 8.0% to 18.5%), long-term growth rates (ranging from 1.0% to 3.5%) and royalty rates (ranging from 0.25% to 7.0%). Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the market approach valuation method were EBITDA and revenue multiples from guideline public companies operating in similar industries (ranging from 5.5x to 11.8x and 2.0x to 2.8x, respectively) and control premiums (ranging from 5.0% to 10.0%). Significant increases (decreases) in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, assuming no change in discount rates, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. Significant decreases (increases) in discount rates, assuming no changes in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. See Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding changes in these inputs and assumptions compared to prior fiscal years.
As of June 30, 2024, there were no reporting units with goodwill at-risk for future impairment. The Company will continue to monitor its goodwill for possible future impairment.
Programming Costs
Costs incurred in acquiring programming rights are accounted for in accordance with ASC 920, Entertainment—Broadcasters (“ASC 920”). Programming rights and the related liabilities are recorded at the gross amount of the liabilities when the license period has begun, the cost of the program is determinable and the program is accepted and available for airing. Programming costs are amortized based on the expected pattern of consumption over the license period or expected useful life of each program, which requires significant judgment. The pattern of consumption is based primarily on consumer viewership information as well as other factors. If initial airings are expected to generate higher viewership, an accelerated method of amortization is used. The Company monitors its programming amortization policy on an ongoing basis and any impact arising from changes to the policy would be recognized prospectively. The Company regularly reviews its programming assets for events or changes in circumstances that would indicate that the fair value of the programming asset may be less than its unamortized cost. Changes in circumstances may result in a write-down of the asset to fair value. The Company has single and multi-year contracts for broadcast rights of sporting events. The costs of sports contracts are primarily charged to expense over the respective season as events are aired. For sports contracts with dedicated channels, the Company amortizes the sports programming rights costs over 12 months.
Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions in which it operates and records its tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences in its reported results of operations. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective governmental taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s tax expense and in evaluating its tax positions including evaluating uncertainties as promulgated under ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”).
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The Company’s annual tax rate is based primarily on its geographic income and statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s deferred tax assets. In assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets, management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income. The Company’s actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although the Company believes its current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Significant management judgment is required to determine whether the recognition threshold has been met and, if so, the appropriate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management re-evaluates its tax positions each period in which new information about recognition or measurement becomes available. The Company’s policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on unrecognized income tax benefits as part of Income tax (expense) benefit.
See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding these estimates and assumptions and changes compared to prior fiscal years.
Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Company’s employees participate in various defined benefit pension and postretirement plans sponsored by the Company and its subsidiaries. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company records amounts relating to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans based on calculations specified by GAAP. The measurement and recognition of the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans, including the net periodic benefit costs (income) and projected benefit obligation, require the use of significant management judgments, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, mortality and other actuarial assumptions. Current market conditions, including changes in investment returns and interest rates, were considered in making these assumptions. In developing the expected long-term rate of return, the pension portfolio’s past average rate of returns and future return expectations of the various asset classes were considered. The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of 5.9% for fiscal 2025 is based on a weighted average target asset allocation assumption of 14% equities, 83% fixed-income securities and 3% cash and other investments.
The Company recorded $28 million and $13 million in net periodic benefit costs (income) in the Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company utilizes the full yield-curve approach to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs (income) for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.
Although the discount rate used for each plan will be established and applied individually, a weighted average discount rate of 5.3% will be used in calculating the fiscal 2025 net periodic benefit costs (income). The discount rate reflects the market rate for high-quality fixed-income investments on the Company’s annual measurement date of June 30 and is subject to change each fiscal year. The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension and other postretirement benefit plans reflect the rates at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled. The rate was determined by matching the Company’s expected benefit payments for the plans to a hypothetical yield curve developed using a portfolio of several hundred high-quality non-callable corporate bonds. The weighted average discount rate is volatile from year to year because it is determined based upon the prevailing rates in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and other foreign countries as of the measurement date.
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The key assumptions used in developing the Company’s fiscal 2024 and 2023 net periodic benefit costs (income) for its plans consist of the following:
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except %) | |||
| Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs (income): | |||
| Discount rate for PBO | 5.4% | 4.1% | |
| Discount rate for service cost | 5.4% | 4.8% | |
| Discount rate for interest on PBO | 5.6% | 4.0% | |
| Assets: | |||
| Expected rate of return | 5.6% | 4.3% | |
| Expected return | $49 | $43 | |
| Actual return | $45 | $(92) | |
| Loss | $(4) | $(135) | |
| One year actual return | 5.2% | (8.7)% | |
| Five year actual return | (1.8)% | (1.7)% |
The Company will use a weighted average long-term rate of return of 5.9% for fiscal 2025 based principally on a combination of current asset mix and an expectation of future long term investment returns. The accumulated net pre-tax losses on the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2024 were approximately $438 million which decreased from approximately $467 million for the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2023. This net decrease of $29 million was primarily due to unrecognized losses amortized during fiscal 2024 and the settlement of certain plans. Lower discount rates increase present values of benefit obligations, the Company’s deferred losses and subsequent-year benefit costs. Higher discount rates decrease the present values of benefit obligations, reduce the Company’s accumulated net loss and decrease subsequent-year benefit costs. These deferred losses are being systematically recognized in future net periodic benefit costs (income) in accordance with ASC 715, Compensation—Retirement Benefits (“ASC 715”). Unrecognized losses for the primary plans in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation are recognized over the average life expectancy for plan participants for the primary plans.
The Company made contributions of $23 million and $14 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, statutory requirements and interest rate movements. Assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2024 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant, the Company anticipates that it will make required pension contributions of approximately $1 million in fiscal 2025. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Changes in net periodic benefit costs may occur in the future due to changes in the Company’s expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events. The following table highlights the sensitivity of the Company’s pension obligations and expense to changes in these assumptions, assuming all other assumptions remain constant:
| Changes in Assumption | Impact on Annual Pension Expense | Impact on Projected Benefit Obligation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in discount rate | — | Increase $21 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in discount rate | — | Decrease $20 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in expected rate of return on assets | Increase $2 million | — | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in expected rate of return on assets | Decrease $2 million | — |
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564708-23-000368.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion and analysis contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe,” “should” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives, including potential acquisitions, investments and dispositions, the Company’s cost savings initiatives, including announced headcount reductions, and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The following discussion and analysis omits discussion of fiscal 2021. Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 for a discussion of fiscal 2021.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: digital real estate services, subscription video services in Australia, news and information services and book publishing.
The consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred during the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and through the date of this filing that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2023. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis and a segment basis. Supplemental revenue information is also included for reporting units within certain segments and is presented on a gross basis, before eliminations in consolidation. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed. The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to June 30 in each year. Fiscal 2023 and 2022 included 52 and 53 weeks, respectively. As a result, the Company has referenced the impact of the 53rd week, where applicable, when providing analysis of the results of operations.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2023, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2023.
•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
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the part of management in application. In addition, Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed in this section.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following six segments:
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.4% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, property.com.au and property portals in India. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through a digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates Realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its ConnectionsSM Plus, Market VIPSM and AdvantageSM Pro products as well as its referral-based services, ReadyConnect ConciergeSM and UpNest. Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants.
•Subscription Video Services—The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment provides sports, entertainment and news services to pay-TV and streaming subscribers and other commercial licensees, primarily via satellite and internet distribution, and consists of (i) the Company’s 65% interest in the Foxtel Group (with the remaining 35% interest held by Telstra, an ASX-listed telecommunications company) and (ii) Australian News Channel (“ANC”). The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider. Its Foxtel pay-TV service provides approximately 200 live channels and video on demand covering sports, general entertainment, movies, documentaries, music, children’s programming and news. Foxtel and the Group’s Kayo Sports streaming service offer the leading sports programming content in Australia, with broadcast rights to live sporting events including: National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Cricket Australia and various motorsports programming. The Foxtel Group’s other streaming services include BINGE, its entertainment streaming service, and Foxtel Now, a streaming service that provides access across Foxtel’s live and on-demand content.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service. ANC channels are distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand and available on Foxtel and Sky Network Television NZ. ANC also owns and operates the international Australia Channel IPTV service and offers content across a variety of digital media platforms, including web, mobile and third party providers.
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information whose products target individual consumers and enterprise customers and are distributed through a variety of media channels including newspapers, newswires, websites, mobile apps, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. Dow Jones’s consumer products include premier brands such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. Dow Jones’s professional information products, which target enterprise customers, include Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, a leading provider of data solutions to help customers identify and manage regulatory, corporate and reputational risk with tools focused on financial crime, sanctions, trade and other compliance requirements, OPIS, a leading provider of pricing data, news, insights, analysis and other information for energy commodities and key base chemicals, Factiva, a leading provider of global business content, and Dow Jones Newswires, which distributes real-time business news, information and analysis to financial professionals and investors.
•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 17 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, Mariner, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also home to many beloved children’s books and authors and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser and the
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news.com.au website in Australia, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and thesun.co.uk in the U.K. and the-sun.com in the U.S. This segment also includes Wireless Group, operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., TalkTV in the U.K. and Storyful, a social media content agency.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
Digital Real Estate Services
The Digital Real Estate Services segment generates revenue through property and property-related advertising and services, including: the sale of real estate listing and lead generation products and referral-based services to agents, brokers, developers, homebuilders and landlords; real estate-related and property rental-related services; display advertising on residential real estate and commercial property sites; and residential property data services to the financial sector. The Digital Real Estate Services segment also generates revenue through commissions from referrals generated through its digital property search and financing offering and mortgage broking services. Significant expenses associated with these sites and services include development costs, advertising and promotional expenses, hosting and support services, salaries, broker commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s results are highly sensitive to conditions in the real estate market, as well as macroeconomic factors such as interest rates and inflation, which are expected to continue to adversely impact real estate lead and transaction volumes and adjacent businesses in the near term.
Consumers overwhelmingly turn to the internet and mobile devices for real estate information and services. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s success depends on its continued innovation to provide products and services that are useful for consumers and real estate, mortgage and financial services professionals, homebuilders and landlords and attractive to its advertisers. The Digital Real Estate Services segment operates in a highly competitive digital environment with other operators of real estate and property websites and mobile apps.
Subscription Video Services
The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment consists of (i) its 65% interest in the Foxtel Group and (ii) ANC. The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider, with a suite of offerings including its Foxtel pay-TV and Kayo Sports, BINGE and Foxtel Now streaming services. The Foxtel Group generates revenue primarily through subscription revenue as well as advertising revenue.
The Foxtel Group competes for audiences primarily with a variety of other video content providers, such as traditional Free-To-Air (“FTA”) TV operators in Australia, including the three major commercial FTA networks and two major government-funded FTA broadcasters, and content providers that deliver video programming over the internet. These providers include, Internet Protocol television, or IPTV, subscription video-on-demand and broadcast video-on-demand providers; streaming services offered through digital media providers; as well as programmers and distributors that provide content directly to consumers over the internet.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and also owns and operates the Australia Channel IPTV service for international markets. Revenue is primarily derived from monthly affiliate fees received from pay-TV providers and advertising.
The most significant operating expenses of the Subscription Video Services segment are the acquisition and production expenses related to programming, the expenses related to operating the technical facilities of the broadcast operations, expenses related to satellite, data and cable-related transmission costs and studio and engineering expense. The expenses associated with licensing certain sports programming rights are recognized during the applicable season or event, which can cause results at the Subscription Video Services segment to fluctuate based on the timing and mix of the Foxtel Group’s local and international sports programming. Sports programming rights costs associated with a dedicated channel are amortized over 12 months. Other expenses include subscriber acquisition costs such as sales costs and marketing and promotional expenses related to improving the market visibility and awareness of the channels and their programming. Additional expenses include salaries, employee benefits, technology, rent and other routine overhead expenses.
Dow Jones
The Dow Jones segment’s products target individual consumers and enterprise customers. Revenue from the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business is derived primarily from circulation, which includes subscription and single-copy sales of its digital and print consumer products, the sale of digital and print advertising, licensing fees for its print and digital consumer content and
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participation fees for its live journalism events. Circulation revenues are dependent on the content of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, prices of its and/or competitors’ products, as well as promotional activities and news cycles. Advertising revenue is dependent on a number of factors, including demand for the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, general economic and business conditions, demographics of the customer base, advertising rates and effectiveness and brand strength and reputation. Certain sectors of the economy account for a significant portion of Dow Jones’s advertising revenues, including technology and finance, which were particularly affected by economic and market conditions in fiscal 2023. Advertising revenues are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically highest in the Company's second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season. In addition, the consumer print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences, which have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, both print circulation and advertising revenues. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by the shift in advertising spending from print to digital. The increasing range of advertising choices and formats has resulted in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies, regulations, policies and practices have also been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues. As a multi-platform news provider, the Dow Jones segment seeks to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging its content through licensing arrangements with third-party distribution platforms, developing new advertising models and growing its live journalism events business, and continues to invest in its digital and other products, which represent an increasingly larger share of revenues at its consumer business. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the Dow Jones segment to make its content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop its products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers.
Operating expenses for the consumer business include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial and commissions. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The costs associated with printing and distributing newspapers, including paper prices and delivery costs, are key operating expenses whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business. The consumer business is affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics and tariffs or other restrictions on non-U.S. paper suppliers. In addition, the Dow Jones segment relies on third parties for much of the printing and distribution of its print products. The shift from print to digital and changing labor markets present challenges to the financial and operational stability of these third parties which could, in turn, impact the availability, or increase the cost, of third-party printing and distribution services for the Company's newspapers.
The Dow Jones segment’s consumer products compete for consumers, audience and advertising with other local and national newspapers, web and app-based media, news aggregators, customized news feeds, search engines, blogs, magazines, investment tools, social media sources, podcasts and event producers, as well as other media such as television, radio stations and outdoor displays. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the consumer business continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, including from a variety of alternative news and information sources, as well as programmatic advertising buying channels and off-platform distribution of its products.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information business, which targets enterprise customers, derives revenue primarily from subscriptions to its professional information products. The professional information business serves enterprise customers with products that combine news and information with technology and tools that inform decisions and aid awareness, research, understanding and compliance. The success of the professional information business depends on its ability to provide products, services, applications and functionalities that meet the needs of its enterprise customers, who operate in information-intensive and oftentimes highly regulated industries such as finance and insurance. The professional information business must also anticipate and respond to industry trends and regulatory and technological changes.
Significant expenses for the professional information business include development costs, sales and marketing expenses, hosting and support services, royalties, salaries, consulting and professional fees, sales commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information products compete with various information service providers, compliance data providers, global financial newswires and energy and commodities pricing and data providers, including Reuters News, RELX (including LexisNexis and ICIS), Refinitiv, S&P Global, DTN and Argus Media, as well as many other providers of news, information and compliance data.
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Book Publishing
The Book Publishing segment derives revenues from the sale of general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious books in the U.S. and internationally. The revenues and operating results of the Book Publishing segment are significantly affected by the timing of releases and the number of its books in the marketplace. The book publishing marketplace is subject to increased periods of demand during the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. This marketplace is highly competitive and continues to change due to technological developments, including additional digital platforms, such as e-books and downloadable audiobooks, and distribution channels and other factors. Each book is a separate and distinct product and its financial success depends upon many factors, including public acceptance.
Major new title releases represent a significant portion of the Book Publishing segment’s sales throughout the fiscal year. Print-based consumer books are generally sold on a fully returnable basis, resulting in the return of unsold books. In the domestic and international markets, the Book Publishing segment is subject to global trends and local economic conditions, including supply chain challenges and inflationary and inventory pressures during fiscal 2023, which are expected to moderate in fiscal 2024. Operating expenses for the Book Publishing segment include costs related to paper, printing, freight, authors’ royalties, editorial, promotional, art and design expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead costs.
News Media
Revenue at the News Media segment is derived primarily from circulation and subscriptions, the sale of advertising, as well as licensing. Circulation and subscription revenues can be greatly affected by changes in the prices of the Company’s and/or competitors’ products, as well as by promotional activities and news cycles. Adverse changes in general market conditions for advertising have affected, and may continue to affect, revenues. Advertising revenues at the News Media segment are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically being highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies.
Operating expenses include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial, commissions, technology and radio sports rights. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The cost of paper is a key operating expense whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the segment. The News Media segment continues to be exposed to risks associated with paper used for printing. Paper is a basic commodity and its price is sensitive to the balance of supply and demand. The News Media segment’s expenses are affected by the cyclical changes in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions, industry trends or economics (including the closure or conversion of newsprint mills) and tariffs. The News Media segment experienced significant paper price increases in fiscal 2023. While the Company anticipates these increases will moderate, it expects prices to remain elevated.
The News Media segment’s products compete for readership, audience and advertising with local and national competitors and also compete with other media alternatives in their respective markets. Competition for circulation and subscriptions is based on the content of the products provided, pricing and, from time to time, various promotions. The success of these products also depends upon advertisers’ judgments as to the most effective use of their advertising budgets. Competition for advertising is based upon the reach of the products, advertising rates and advertiser results. Such judgments are based on factors such as cost, availability of alternative media, distribution and quality of consumer demographics. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies (including recent developments in AI, particularly generative AI), distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the News Media segment continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue.
The News Media segment’s print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences. The News Media segment is also exposed to the impact of the shift in advertising spending from print to digital. These alternative media formats could impact the segment’s overall performance, positively or negatively. In addition, technologies, regulations, policies and practices have been and will continue to be developed and implemented that make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues.
As multi-platform news providers, the businesses within the News Media segment seek to maximize revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, including leveraging their content through licensing arrangements with third-party distribution platforms and developing new advertising models, and continue to invest in their digital products. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the businesses within the News Media segment to make their content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop their products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers.
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Other
The Other segment primarily consists of general corporate overhead expenses, strategy costs and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters.
Other Business Developments
Fiscal 2023
Exploration of Potential Combination with FOX Corporation (“FOX”)
In October 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”), following the receipt of letters from K. Rupert Murdoch and the Murdoch Family Trust, had formed a special committee of independent and disinterested members of the Board of Directors (the “Special Committee”) to begin exploring a potential combination with FOX (the “Potential Transaction”). In January 2023, the Board of Directors received a letter from Mr. Murdoch withdrawing the proposal to explore the Potential Transaction. As a result of the letter, the Special Committee has been dissolved.
Potential Disposition of Move
In January 2023, the Company announced that it was engaged in discussions with CoStar Group, Inc. (“CoStar”) regarding a potential sale of its subsidiary, Move. In February 2023, the Company confirmed that it is no longer engaged in these discussions with CoStar.
Russian and Ukrainian conflict
The Company takes extensive steps to ensure the safety of its journalists and other personnel in Ukraine and Russia. Despite these measures, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal was detained by Russian authorities in March 2023 while on assignment in the country. The Company has engaged legal counsel for the reporter and is working to secure his release. The Company will continue to closely monitor the situation in the region. While the Company has extremely limited business operations in, or direct exposure to, Russia or Ukraine and the conflict has not had a material impact on its business, financial condition, or results of operations to date, the Company prioritizes the health, safety, security and well-being of its employees and will continue to support affected employees in the region. In addition to impacts on its personnel, the conflict has broadened inflationary pressures and a further escalation or expansion of its scope or the related economic disruption could impact the Company's supply chain, further exacerbate inflation and other macroeconomic trends and have an adverse effect on its results of operations.
Announced Headcount Reduction
In response to the macroeconomic challenges facing many of the Company’s businesses, the Company continues to implement cost savings initiatives, including an expected 5% headcount reduction, or around 1,250 positions, this calendar year. Decisions regarding the elimination of positions are ongoing and assessed based on the needs of the respective businesses. The Company notified the majority of affected employees and recognized the associated cash restructuring charges of approximately $80 million in the second half of fiscal 2023. While it is still evaluating the estimated cost savings from these actions, the Company currently expects this to generate annualized gross cost savings of at least $160 million once completed, the majority of which will be reflected in fiscal 2024. See Note 5—Restructuring Programs in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Fiscal 2022
REA Group sale of Malaysia and Thailand businesses
In August 2021, REA Group acquired an 18% interest (16.6% on a diluted basis) in PropertyGuru Pte. Ltd., now PropertyGuru Group Ltd. (“PropertyGuru”), a leading digital property technology company operating marketplaces in Southeast Asia, in exchange for all shares of REA Group’s entities in Malaysia and Thailand. The transaction was completed after REA Group entered into an agreement to sell its 27% interest in its existing venture with 99.co. The transaction creates a leading digital real estate services company in Southeast Asia, new opportunities for collaboration and access to a deeper pool of expertise, technology and investment in the region. REA Group received one seat on the board of directors of PropertyGuru as part of the transaction.
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In March 2022, PropertyGuru completed its merger with Bridgetown 2 Holdings Limited. As a result of the merger and subsequent investments made in connection with the transaction, REA Group’s ownership interest in PropertyGuru was 17.5% and a gain of approximately $15 million was recorded in Other, net.
Share Repurchase Program
In September 2021, the Company announced a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of its outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (the “Repurchase Program”). The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Repurchase Program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. See Note 12—Stockholders' Equity in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
2022 Senior Notes Offering
In February 2022, the Company issued $500 million of senior notes due 2032 (the “2022 Senior Notes”). The 2022 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.125% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2022. The notes will mature on February 15, 2032. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including to fund the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Acquisition of OPIS
In February 2022, the Company acquired the Oil Price Information Service business and related assets (“OPIS”) from S&P Global Inc. (“S&P”) and IHS Markit Ltd. for $1.15 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. OPIS is a global industry standard for benchmark and reference pricing and news and analytics for the oil, natural gas liquids and biofuels industries. The business also provides pricing and news and analytics for the coal, mining and metals end markets and insights and analytics in renewables and carbon pricing. The acquisition enables Dow Jones to become a leading provider of energy and renewables information and furthers its goal of building the leading global business news and information platform for professionals. OPIS is a subsidiary of Dow Jones, and its results are included in the Dow Jones segment.
Term Loan A and Revolving Credit Facilities
On March 29, 2022, the Company terminated its existing unsecured $750 million revolving credit facility and entered into a new credit agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”) that provides for $1,250 million of unsecured credit facilities comprised of a $500 million unsecured term loan A credit facility (the “Term A Facility” and the loans under the Term A Facility are collectively referred to as “Term A Loans”) and a $750 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility” and, together with the Term A Facility, the “Facilities”) that can be used for general corporate purposes. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company entered into an interest rate swap derivative to fix the floating rate interest component of its Term A Loans at 2.083%. See Note 11—Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company borrowed the full amount of the Term A Facility on March 31, 2022 and had not borrowed any funds under the Revolving Facility as of June 30, 2023.
Acquisition of Base Chemicals
In June 2022, the Company acquired the Base Chemicals (rebranded Chemical Market Analytics, “CMA”) business from S&P for $295 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. CMA provides pricing data, insights, analysis and forecasting for key base chemicals through its leading Market Advisory and World Analysis services. The acquisition enables Dow Jones to become a leading provider of base chemicals information and furthers its goal of building the leading global
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business news and information platform for professionals. CMA is operated by Dow Jones, and its results are included in the Dow Jones segment.
Acquisition of UpNest
In June 2022, the Company acquired UpNest, Inc. (“UpNest”) for closing cash consideration of approximately $45 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, and up to $15 million in future cash consideration based upon the achievement of certain performance objectives over the next two years. UpNest is a real estate agent marketplace that matches home sellers and buyers with top local agents who compete for their business. The UpNest acquisition helps Realtor.com® further expand its services and support for home sellers and listing agents and brokers. UpNest is a subsidiary of Move, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
See Note 4—Acquisitions, Disposals and Other Transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the acquisitions and dispositions discussed above.
Results of Operations—Fiscal 2023 versus Fiscal 2022
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for fiscal 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 4,447 | $ | 4,425 | $ | 22 | — | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,687 | 1,821 | (134) | (7) | % | |||||||||
| Consumer | 1,899 | 2,106 | (207) | (10) | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,189 | 1,347 | (158) | (12) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 657 | 686 | (29) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 9,879 | 10,385 | (506) | (5) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (5,124) | (5,124) | — | — | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (3,335) | (3,592) | 257 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | (714) | (688) | (26) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | (150) | (109) | (41) | (38) | % | |||||||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | (127) | (13) | (114) | ** | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (100) | (99) | (1) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Other, net | 1 | 52 | (51) | (98) | % | |||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 330 | 812 | (482) | (59) | % | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | (143) | (52) | (91) | ** | ||||||||||
| Net income | 187 | 760 | (573) | (75) | % | |||||||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | (38) | (137) | 99 | 72 | % | |||||||||
| Net income attributable to News Corporation stockholders | $ | 149 | $ | 623 | $ | (474) | (76) | % |
________________________
** not meaningful
Revenues—Revenues decreased $506 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The decrease, which includes the approximately $110 million impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023, was driven in part by lower revenues at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to lower print and digital book sales, mainly in the U.S. market, driven by lower consumer demand industry-wide, weak frontlist performance, Amazon’s reset of its inventory levels and rightsizing of its warehouse footprint and the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The decrease was also driven by lower revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment primarily due to lower real estate revenues at Move, the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and lower financial services revenue at REA Group and at the News Media and Subscription Video Services segments due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. These decreases were partially offset by higher revenues at the Dow Jones segment primarily due to the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA. Digital revenues accounted for approximately 50% of total revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.
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The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $494 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The Company calculates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations for businesses reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar by multiplying the results for each quarter in the current period by the difference between the average exchange rate for that quarter and the average exchange rate in effect during the corresponding quarter of the prior year and totaling the impact for all quarters in the current period.
Operating expenses—Operating expenses were flat for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. Operating expenses at the Dow Jones segment increased due to the impact from recent acquisitions. The increase was offset by lower operating expenses at the Book Publishing segment driven by the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as the impact of lower sales volumes offset higher manufacturing, freight and distribution costs, and at the News Media segment due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as the $60 million impact of higher pricing on newsprint costs and higher costs for TalkTV and other digital investments, primarily at News Corp Australia, were partially offset by cost savings initiatives. Operating expenses at the Subscription Video Services segment were also lower due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, largely offset by higher sports and entertainment programming costs. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in an Operating expense decrease of $242 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
Selling, general and administrative—Selling, general and administrative decreased $257 million, or 7%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The decrease in Selling, general and administrative for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 was primarily driven by lower expenses at the Digital Real Estate Services segment mainly due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, lower broker commissions at REA Group’s financial services business and lower discretionary spending and employee costs at Move and at the News Media segment due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and cost savings initiatives, partially offset by higher employee and marketing costs. Selling, general and administrative also decreased at the Subscription Video Services segment primarily due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and lower marketing costs and at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to lower employee costs and the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Selling, general and administrative declined at the Other segment primarily due to the absence of one-time legal settlement costs, partially offset by $10 million of one-time costs related to the professional fees incurred by the Special Committee and the Company in connection with evaluating the proposal from the Murdoch Family Trust, as well as fees related to the potential sale of Move. Selling, general and administrative at the Dow Jones segment benefited from the absence of $25 million of OPIS and CMA-related transaction costs incurred in fiscal 2022 and the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, offset by higher employee costs due to recent acquisitions. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a Selling, general and administrative decrease of $172 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
Depreciation and amortization—Depreciation and amortization expense increased $26 million, or 4%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily driven by higher amortization expense resulting from the Company’s recent acquisitions. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a depreciation and amortization expense decrease of $35 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
Impairment and restructuring charges—During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $125 million and $94 million, respectively.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $25 million related to the impairment of certain indefinite-lived intangible assets during the Company’s annual impairment assessment.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $15 million related to the write-down of fixed assets associated with the shutdown and sale of certain U.S. printing facilities at the Dow Jones segment.
See Note 5—Restructuring Programs, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Equity losses of affiliates—Equity losses of affiliates increased by $114 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily due to a non-cash write-down of REA Group’s investment in PropertyGuru of approximately $81 million and losses from an investment in an Australian sports wagering venture. See Note 6—Investments in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Interest expense, net—Interest expense, net for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 increased $1 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2022. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Other, net—Other, net decreased $51 million, or 98%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of REA Group’s gain on disposition of its entities in Malaysia and Thailand recognized in fiscal 2022. See Note 21—Additional Financial Information in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income tax expense—The Company’s income tax expense and effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 were $143 million and 43%, respectively, as compared to an income tax expense and effective tax rate of $52 million and 6%, respectively, for fiscal 2022.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company recorded income tax expense of $143 million on pre-tax income of $330 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, impairments and valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company recorded income tax expense of $52 million on pre-tax income of $812 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, offset by the reversal of valuation allowances, including $149 million related to certain foreign deferred tax assets that are more likely than not to be realized, the lower tax impact related to the sale of REA Group’s Malaysia and Thailand businesses and the remeasurement of deferred taxes in the U.K.
Management assesses available evidence to determine whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit the use of existing deferred tax assets. Based on management’s assessment of available evidence, it has been determined that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets in certain foreign jurisdictions may not be realized and therefore, a valuation allowance has been established against those tax assets. See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Net income—Net income was $187 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $760 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, a decrease of $573 million, or 75%, primarily driven by lower Total Segment EBITDA, higher losses from equity affiliates, higher tax expense, lower Other, net and higher impairment and restructuring charges.
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests—Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was $38 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $137 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, a decrease of $99 million, or 72%, primarily driven by the write-down of REA Group’s investment in PropertyGuru in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 and the impact of the absence of REA Group’s gain on disposition of its entities in Malaysia and Thailand recognized in fiscal 2022.
Segment Analysis
Segment EBITDA is defined as revenues less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. Segment EBITDA does not include: depreciation and amortization, impairment and restructuring charges, equity losses of affiliates, interest (expense) income, net, other, net and income tax (expense) benefit. Segment EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of Segment EBITDA.
Segment EBITDA is the primary measure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources within, the Company’s businesses. Segment EBITDA provides management, investors and equity analysts with a measure to analyze the operating performance of each of the Company’s business segments and its enterprise value against historical data and competitors’ data, although historical results may not be indicative of future results (as operating performance is highly contingent on many factors, including customer tastes and preferences).
Total Segment EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income (loss), cash flow and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. In addition, this measure does not reflect cash available to fund requirements and excludes items, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment and restructuring charges, which are significant components in assessing the Company’s financial performance. The Company believes that the presentation of Total Segment EBITDA provides useful information regarding the Company’s operations and other factors that affect the Company’s reported results. Specifically, the Company believes that by excluding certain one-time or non-cash items such as impairment and restructuring charges and depreciation and amortization, as well as potential distortions between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures and changes in tax positions or regimes, the Company provides users of its consolidated financial statements with insight into both its core operations as well as the factors that affect reported results between periods but which the Company believes are not representative of its core business. As a result, users of the Company’s consolidated financial statements are better able to evaluate changes in the core operating results of the Company across different periods.
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The following table reconciles Net income to Total Segment EBITDA for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 187 | $ | 760 | ||
| Add: | ||||||
| Income tax expense | 143 | 52 | ||||
| Other, net | (1) | (52) | ||||
| Interest expense, net | 100 | 99 | ||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | 127 | 13 | ||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | 150 | 109 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 714 | 688 | ||||
| Total Segment EBITDA | $ | 1,420 | $ | 1,669 |
The following table sets forth the Company’s Revenues and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
| (in millions) | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | ||||||||||
| Digital Real Estate Services | $ | 1,539 | $ | 457 | $ | 1,741 | $ | 574 | ||||||
| Subscription Video Services | 1,942 | 347 | 2,026 | 360 | ||||||||||
| Dow Jones | 2,153 | 494 | 2,004 | 433 | ||||||||||
| Book Publishing | 1,979 | 167 | 2,191 | 306 | ||||||||||
| News Media | 2,266 | 156 | 2,423 | 217 | ||||||||||
| Other | — | (201) | — | (221) | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 9,879 | $ | 1,420 | $ | 10,385 | $ | 1,669 |
Digital Real Estate Services (15% and 17% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2023 and 2022, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 12 | $ | 13 | $ | (1) | (8) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 140 | 135 | 5 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,189 | 1,347 | (158) | (12) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 198 | 246 | (48) | (20) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,539 | 1,741 | (202) | (12) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (201) | (208) | 7 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (881) | (959) | 78 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 457 | $ | 574 | $ | (117) | (20) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment decreased $202 million, or 12%, as compared to fiscal 2022, including an approximately $14 million impact from the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023. Revenues at Move decreased $110 million, or 15%, to $602 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 from $712 million in fiscal 2022, primarily driven by the continued impact of the macroeconomic environment on the housing market, including higher interest rates, and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023, partially offset by the $10 million increase in advertising revenues. The market downturn resulted in lower lead volumes, which decreased 29%, and lower transaction volumes. Revenues from the referral model, which includes the ReadyConnect Concierge℠ product, and the traditional lead generation product decreased due to these factors, partially offset by improved lead optimization. The referral model generated
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approximately 26% of total Move revenues in fiscal 2023 as compared to approximately 31% in fiscal 2022. At REA Group, revenues decreased $92 million, or 9%, to $937 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 from $1,029 million in fiscal 2022 primarily driven by the $74 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of lower national listings on Australian residential revenues and lower financial services revenue driven by lower settlements and the $15 million adverse impact from a valuation adjustment related to expected future trail commissions were partially offset by price increases, increased depth penetration for Australian residential products due to the contribution of Premiere Plus, increased depth penetration for commercial products and higher revenues at REA India.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, Segment EBITDA at the Digital Real Estate Services segment decreased $117 million, or 20%, as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily due to the lower revenues discussed above, the $34 million, or 6%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and higher costs at REA India, partially offset by lower broker commissions at REA Group due to the valuation adjustment related to expected future trail commissions and lower settlements and lower discretionary and employee costs at Move.
Subscription Video Services (20% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2023 and 2022)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,671 | $ | 1,753 | $ | (82) | (5) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 227 | 232 | (5) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 44 | 41 | 3 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,942 | 2,026 | (84) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,264) | (1,281) | 17 | 1 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (331) | (385) | 54 | 14 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 347 | $ | 360 | $ | (13) | (4) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, revenues at the Subscription Video Services segment decreased $84 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2022 due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The $114 million increase in streaming revenues, primarily due to increased volume and pricing at Kayo and BINGE, the $26 million increase in commercial subscription revenues due to the absence of COVID-19 related restrictions imposed in fiscal 2022 and improvements in underlying advertising trends more than offset lower residential subscription revenues resulting from fewer residential broadcast subscribers. Foxtel Group streaming subscription revenues represented approximately 27% of total circulation and subscription revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to 20% in fiscal 2022. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $157 million, or 8%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to fiscal 2022.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, Segment EBITDA decreased $13 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2022 due to the $29 million, or 8%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Higher sports programming rights and production costs due to contractual increases and enhanced digital rights and higher entertainment programming rights costs due to the availability of content were more than offset by the revenue drivers discussed above, as well as lower transmission and marketing costs.
The following tables provide information regarding certain key performance indicators for the Foxtel Group, the primary reporting unit within the Subscription Video Services segment, as of and for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022. Management believes these metrics provide useful information to allow investors to understand trends in consumer behavior and acceptance of the various services offered by the Foxtel Group. Management utilizes these metrics to track and forecast subscription revenue trends across the business’s various linear and streaming products. See “Part I. Business” for further detail regarding these performance indicators including definitions and methods of calculation.
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| As of June 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| (in 000s) | ||||
| Broadcast Subscribers | ||||
| Residential(a) | 1,341 | 1,481 | ||
| Commercial(b) | 233 | 242 | ||
| Streaming Subscribers (Total (Paid))(c) | ||||
| Kayo | 1,411 (1,401 paid) | 1,312 (1,293 paid) | ||
| BINGE | 1,541 (1,487 paid) | 1,263 (1,192 paid) | ||
| Foxtel Now | 177 (170 paid) | 201 (194 paid) | ||
| Total Subscribers (Total (Paid))(d) | 4,723 (4,650 paid) | 4,529 (4,413 paid) |
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| Broadcast ARPU(e) | A$84 (US$56) | A$82 (US$59) | |
| Broadcast Subscriber Churn(f) | 12.7% | 13.8% |
________________________
(a)Subscribing households throughout Australia as of June 30, 2023 and 2022.
(b)Commercial subscribers throughout Australia as of June 30, 2023 and 2022.
(c)Total and Paid subscribers for the applicable streaming service as of June 30, 2023 and 2022. Paid subscribers excludes customers receiving service for no charge under certain new subscriber promotions.
(d)Total subscribers consists of Foxtel Group’s broadcast and streaming services listed above and its news aggregation streaming service.
(e)Average monthly broadcast residential subscription revenue per user (Broadcast ARPU) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.
(f)Broadcast residential subscriber churn rate (Broadcast Subscriber Churn) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.
Dow Jones (22% and 19% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2023 and 2022, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,689 | $ | 1,516 | $ | 173 | 11 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 413 | 449 | (36) | (8) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 51 | 39 | 12 | 31 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,153 | 2,004 | 149 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (934) | (845) | (89) | (11) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (725) | (726) | 1 | — | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 494 | $ | 433 | $ | 61 | 14 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, revenues at the Dow Jones segment increased $149 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily due to the $97 million and $68 million impacts from the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2022, respectively, partially offset by the approximately $40 million impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 and the decrease in advertising revenues. Digital revenues at the Dow Jones segment represented 78% of total revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to 75% in fiscal 2022. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $18 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
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Circulation and subscription revenues
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and other | $ | 929 | $ | 937 | $ | (8) | (1) | % | ||||||
| Professional information business | 760 | 579 | 181 | 31 | % | |||||||||
| Total circulation and subscription revenues | $ | 1,689 | $ | 1,516 | $ | 173 | 11 | % |
Circulation and subscription revenues increased $173 million, or 11%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. Revenues at the professional information business increased $181 million, or 31%, primarily driven by the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA and the $25 million increase in Risk & Compliance revenues. Circulation and other revenues decreased $8 million, or 1%, driven by the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023, as growth in digital-only subscriptions, primarily at The Wall Street Journal, more than offset print circulation declines. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, average daily digital-only subscriptions at The Wall Street Journal increased 10% to 3.4 million as compared to fiscal 2022, and digital revenues represented 69% of circulation revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to 67% in fiscal 2022. The impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 resulted in a circulation and subscription revenue decrease of approximately $31 million.
The following table summarizes average daily consumer subscriptions during the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 for select publications and for all consumer subscription products.(a)
| For the three months ended June 30(b), | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except %) | Better/(Worse) | ||||||||||
| The Wall Street Journal | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 3,406 | 3,095 | 311 | 10 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 3,966 | 3,749 | 217 | 6 | % | ||||||
| Barron’s Group(d) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 1,018 | 848 | 170 | 20 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 1,168 | 1,038 | 130 | 13 | % | ||||||
| Total Consumer(e) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 4,510 | 4,029 | 481 | 12 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 5,242 | 4,898 | 344 | 7 | % |
________________________
(a)Based on internal data for the periods from April 3, 2023 to July 2, 2023 and March 28, 2022 to July 3, 2022, respectively, with independent verification procedures performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP UK.
(b)Subscriptions include individual consumer subscriptions, as well as subscriptions purchased by companies, schools, businesses and associations for use by their respective employees, students, customers or members. Subscriptions exclude single-copy sales and copies purchased by hotels, airlines and other businesses for limited distribution or access to customers.
(c)For some publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, Dow Jones sells bundled print and digital products. For bundles that provide access to both print and digital products every day of the week, only one unit is reported each day and is designated as a print subscription. For bundled products that provide access to the print product only on specified days and full digital access, one print subscription is reported for each day that a print copy is served and one digital subscription is reported for each remaining day of the week.
(d)Barron’s Group consists of Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News and Private Equity News.
(e)Total Consumer consists of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Group and Investor’s Business Daily.
Advertising revenues
Advertising revenues decreased $36 million, or 8%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. Print and digital advertising revenues decreased by $22 million and $14 million, respectively, primarily due to lower advertising spend within the technology and finance sectors. Digital advertising revenues represented 61% of advertising revenue for the fiscal year
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ended June 30, 2023, as compared to 59% in fiscal 2022. The impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 resulted in an advertising revenue decrease of approximately $9 million.
Segment EBITDA
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, Segment EBITDA at the Dow Jones segment increased $61 million, or 14%, as compared to fiscal 2022, including the $33 million and $26 million contributions from the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA, respectively, primarily due to the increase in revenues discussed above and the absence of $25 million of OPIS and CMA-related transaction costs incurred in fiscal 2022, partially offset by $84 million of higher employee costs primarily due to recent acquisitions.
Book Publishing (20% and 21% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2023 and 2022, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer | $ | 1,899 | $ | 2,106 | $ | (207) | (10) | % | ||||||
| Other | 80 | 85 | (5) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,979 | 2,191 | (212) | (10) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,469) | (1,512) | 43 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (343) | (373) | 30 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 167 | $ | 306 | $ | (139) | (45) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, revenues at the Book Publishing segment decreased $212 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2022, driven by lower print and digital book sales, mainly in the U.S. market, driven by lower consumer demand industry-wide, weak frontlist performance, Amazon’s reset of its inventory levels and rightsizing of its warehouse footprint, which negatively impacted print book sales, the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and the approximately $20 million impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023. Digital sales decreased by 5% as compared to fiscal 2022 primarily due to lower e-book sales. Digital sales represented approximately 22% of consumer revenues, as compared to 21% in fiscal 2022, and backlist sales represented approximately 60% of total revenues during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $58 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, Segment EBITDA at the Book Publishing segment decreased $139 million, or 45%, as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily due to the lower revenues discussed above and higher manufacturing, freight and distribution costs related to ongoing supply chain challenges and inventory and inflationary pressures, partially offset by lower costs due to lower sales volumes and lower employee costs. These supply chain challenges and inventory and inflationary pressures are expected to continue to impact the business in the near term, but are expected to moderate in fiscal 2024. To mitigate these pressures, the Company has implemented price increases, begun to reduce headcount and continues to evaluate its cost base.
News Media (23% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2023 and 2022)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,075 | $ | 1,143 | $ | (68) | (6) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 907 | 1,005 | (98) | (10) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 284 | 275 | 9 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,266 | 2,423 | (157) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,256) | (1,278) | 22 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (854) | (928) | 74 | 8 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 156 | $ | 217 | $ | (61) | (28) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, revenues at the News Media segment decreased $157 million, or 6%, as compared to fiscal 2022. Advertising revenues decreased $98 million as compared to fiscal 2022, primarily driven by the $70 million negative
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impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Lower print advertising revenues at News UK, the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 and lower digital and print advertising revenues at News Corp Australia were partially offset by digital advertising revenue growth at News UK. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $68 million as compared to fiscal 2022, driven by the $93 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as cover price increases, digital subscriber growth across key mastheads and higher content licensing revenues were partially offset by print volume declines and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $187 million, or 7%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 resulted in a revenue decrease of approximately $36 million.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, Segment EBITDA at the News Media segment decreased $61 million, or 28%, as compared to fiscal 2022, including the $13 million, or 6%, negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, primarily due to the lower revenues described above, the $60 million impact of higher pricing on newsprint costs and approximately $50 million of increased costs associated with TalkTV and other digital investments, mainly at News Corp Australia, partially offset by cost savings initiatives.
News Corp Australia
Revenues were $998 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, a decrease of $90 million, or 8%, as compared to fiscal 2022 revenues of $1,088 million. Advertising revenues decreased $54 million mainly due to the $32 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, lower digital and print advertising revenues and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $34 million due to the $34 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as print volume declines and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 were offset by cover price increases, digital subscriber growth and higher content licensing revenues. The impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 resulted in a revenue decrease of approximately $15 million. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $77 million, or 7%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
News UK
Revenues were $933 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, a decrease of $74 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2022 revenues of $1,007 million. Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $41 million due to the $58 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Higher revenues from cover price increases and digital subscriber growth were partially offset by print volume declines and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023. Advertising revenues decreased $25 million due to the $25 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as lower print advertising revenues and the impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 were offset by higher digital advertising revenues, mainly at The Sun. The impact of the absence of the 53rd week in fiscal 2023 resulted in a revenue decrease of approximately $18 million. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $94 million, or 9%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Current Financial Condition
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand. As of June 30, 2023, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $1,833 million. The Company also has available borrowing capacity under the Revolving Facility and certain other facilities, as described below, and expects to have access to the worldwide credit and capital markets, subject to market conditions, in order to issue additional debt if needed or desired. The Company currently expects these elements of liquidity will enable it to meet its liquidity needs for at least the next 12 months, including repayment of indebtedness. Although the Company believes that its cash on hand and future cash from operations, together with its access to the credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund its operating and financing needs for at least the next 12 months, its access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms in the future will be affected by many factors, including: (i) the financial and operational performance of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (ii) the Company’s credit ratings and/or the credit rating of its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (iii) the provisions of any relevant debt instruments, credit agreements, indentures and similar or associated documents; (iv) the liquidity of the overall credit and capital markets; and (v) the state of the economy. There can be no assurances that the Company will continue to have access to the credit and capital markets on acceptable terms.
As of June 30, 2023, the Company’s consolidated assets included $902 million in cash and cash equivalents that were held by its foreign subsidiaries. Of this amount, $173 million is cash not readily accessible by the Company as it is held by REA Group, a
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majority owned but separately listed public company. REA Group must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”), the Company’s undistributed foreign earnings were considered permanently reinvested and as such, United States federal and state income taxes were not previously recorded on these earnings. As a result of the Tax Act, substantially all of the Company’s earnings in foreign subsidiaries generated prior to the enactment of the Tax Act were deemed to have been repatriated and taxed accordingly. As of June 30, 2023, the Company has approximately $800 million of undistributed foreign earnings that it intends to reinvest permanently. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of tax that might be payable if these earnings were repatriated. The Company may repatriate future earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries in which case the Company may be required to accrue and pay additional taxes, including any applicable foreign withholding taxes and income taxes.
The principal uses of cash that affect the Company’s liquidity position include the following: operational expenditures including employee costs, paper purchases and programming costs; capital expenditures; income tax payments; investments in associated entities; acquisitions; the repurchase of shares; dividends; and the repayment of debt and related interest. In addition to the acquisitions and dispositions disclosed elsewhere, the Company has evaluated, and expects to continue to evaluate, possible future acquisitions and dispositions of certain businesses. Such transactions may be material and may involve cash, the issuance of the Company’s securities or the assumption of indebtedness.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The Board of Directors has authorized a Repurchase Program to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of the Company’s outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Repurchase Program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. As of June 30, 2023, the remaining authorized amount under the Repurchase Program was approximately $577 million.
Stock repurchases under the Repurchase Program commenced on November 9, 2021. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 9.5 million shares of Class A Common Stock for approximately $159 million and 4.7 million shares of Class B Common Stock for approximately $81 million. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 5.8 million shares of Class A Common Stock for approximately $122 million and 2.9 million shares of Class B Common Stock for approximately $61 million.
Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid per share on both the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.20 |
The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, is within the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors’ decisions regarding the payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
Sources and Uses of Cash—Fiscal 2023 versus Fiscal 2022
Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,092 | $ | 1,354 |
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased by $262 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022. The decrease was primarily due to lower Total Segment EBITDA.
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Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (574) | $ | (2,076) |
Net cash used in investing activities was $574 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to net cash used in investing activities of $2,076 million for fiscal 2022.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company used $499 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $152 million related to the Foxtel Group, and $120 million for investments and acquisitions. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company used $1,613 million of cash for acquisitions and investments, of which $1,146 million and $288 million related to the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA in February and June 2022, respectively. The Company also used $499 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $189 million related to the Foxtel Group.
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | $ | (501) | $ | 404 |
The Company had net cash used in financing activities of $501 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 as compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $404 million for fiscal 2022.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company had $589 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the Foxtel Group’s 2019 Credit Facility and U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes that matured in July 2022, $243 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the Repurchase Program and dividend payments of $174 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. The net cash used in financing activities was partially offset by new borrowings related to the Foxtel Group of $514 million.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company issued $500 million of 2022 Senior Notes and incurred $500 million of Term A Loans and had new borrowings for REA Group and the Foxtel Group of $690 million. The net cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by $838 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the Foxtel Group’s 2019 Credit Facility and REA Group’s refinancing of its bridge facility, $179 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the Repurchase Program and dividend payments of $175 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Available to News Corporation
Free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation are non-GAAP financial measures. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures, and free cash flow available to News Corporation is defined as free cash flow, less REA Group free cash flow, plus cash dividends received from REA Group. Free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, cash flows from operations and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. Free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of free cash flow.
The Company believes free cash flow provides useful information to management and investors about the Company’s liquidity and cash flow trends. The Company believes free cash flow available to News Corporation, which adjusts free cash flow to exclude REA Group’s free cash flow and include dividends received from REA Group, provides management and investors with a measure of the amount of cash flow that is readily available to the Company, as REA Group is a separately listed public company in Australia and must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. The Company believes free cash flow available to News Corporation provides a more conservative view of the Company’s free cash flow because this presentation includes only that amount of cash the Company actually receives from REA Group, which has generally been lower than the Company’s unadjusted free cash flow.
A limitation of both free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation is that they do not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for the limitation of free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Statements of Cash Flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporate all cash movements during the period.
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The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,092 | $ | 1,354 | ||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (499) | (499) | ||||
| Free cash flow | 593 | 855 | ||||
| Less: REA Group free cash flow | (234) | (279) | ||||
| Plus: Cash dividends received from REA Group | 91 | 87 | ||||
| Free cash flow available to News Corporation | $ | 450 | $ | 663 |
Free cash flow in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 was $593 million compared to $855 million in the prior year. Free cash flow available to News Corporation in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 was $450 million compared to $663 million in the prior year. Free cash flow and free cash flow available to News Corporation decreased primarily due to lower cash provided by operating activities, as discussed above.
Borrowings
As of June 30, 2023, the Company, certain subsidiaries of NXE Australia Pty Limited (the “Foxtel Group” and together with such subsidiaries, the “Foxtel Debt Group”) and REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries (REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries, the “REA Debt Group”) had total borrowings of $3 billion, including the current portion. Both the Foxtel Group and REA Group are consolidated but non wholly-owned subsidiaries of News Corp, and their indebtedness is only guaranteed by members of the Foxtel Debt Group and REA Debt Group, respectively, and is non-recourse to News Corp.
News Corporation Borrowings
As of June 30, 2023, the Company had (i) borrowings of $1,978 million, consisting of its outstanding 2021 Senior Notes, 2022 Senior Notes and Term A Loans and (ii) $750 million of undrawn commitments available under the Revolving Facility.
Foxtel Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2023, the Foxtel Debt Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $736 million, including the full drawdown of its 2019 Term Loan Facility, amounts outstanding under the 2019 Credit Facility and 2017 Working Capital Facility, its outstanding U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes and amounts outstanding under the Telstra Facility (described below), and (ii) total undrawn commitments of A$161 million available under the 2017 Working Capital Facility and 2019 Credit Facility.
In July 2022, the Foxtel Group repaid its U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes that matured in July 2022 using capacity under the 2019 Credit Facility.
On August 14, 2023, the Foxtel Group entered into an agreement (the “2023 Foxtel Credit Agreement”) for a new A$1.2 billion syndicated credit facility (the “2023 Credit Facility”), which will be used to refinance its A$610 million 2019 Credit Facility, A$250 million Term Loan Facility and tranche 3 of its 2012 U.S. private placement. The 2023 Credit Facility consists of three sub-facilities: (i) an A$817.5 million three year revolving credit facility (the “2023 Credit Facility — tranche 1”), (ii) a US$48.7 million four year term loan facility (the “2023 Credit Facility — tranche 2”) and (iii) an A$311 million four year term loan facility (the “2023 Credit Facility — tranche 3”). In addition, the Foxtel Group amended its 2017 Working Capital Facility to extend the maturity to August 2026 and modify the pricing.
Depending on the Foxtel Group’s net leverage ratio, (i) borrowings under the 2023 Credit Facility — tranche 1 and 2017 Working Capital Facility bear interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 2.35% and 3.60%; (ii) borrowings under the 2023 Credit Facility — tranche 2 bear interest at a rate based on a Term SOFR formula, as set forth in the 2023 Foxtel Credit Agreement, plus a margin of between 2.50% and 3.75%; and (iii) borrowings under the 2023 Credit Facility — tranche 3 bear interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 2.50% and 3.75%. All tranches carry a commitment fee of 45% of the applicable margin on any undrawn balance during the relevant availability period. Tranches 2 and 3 of the 2023 Credit Facility amortize on a proportionate basis in an aggregate annual amount equal to A$35 million in each of the first two years following closing and A$40 million in each of the two years thereafter. The refinancing is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.
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The 2023 Foxtel Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default, with customary exceptions, that are generally consistent with those governing the Foxtel Debt Group’s external borrowings as of June 30, 2023, including financial covenants requiring maintenance of the same net debt to Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”) and net interest coverage ratios.
In addition to third-party indebtedness, the Foxtel Debt Group has related party indebtedness, including A$700 million of outstanding principal of shareholder loans and A$200 million of available shareholder facilities from the Company. The shareholder loans bear interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 6.30% to 7.75% and mature in December 2027. The shareholder revolving credit facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 2.00% to 3.75%, depending on the Foxtel Debt Group’s net leverage ratio, and matures in July 2024. In connection with the refinancing, the shareholder revolving credit facility will be terminated, and beginning September 30, 2023, amounts outstanding under the shareholder loans are permitted to be repaid if (i) no actual or potential event of default exists both before and immediately after repayment and (ii) the net debt to EBITDA ratio of the Foxtel Debt Group was on the most recent covenant calculation date, and would be immediately after the cash repayment, less than or equal to 2.25 to 1.0. Additionally, the Foxtel Debt Group has an A$170 million subordinated shareholder loan facility with Telstra which can be used to finance cable transmission costs due to Telstra. The Telstra Facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin of 7.75% and matures in December 2027. The Company excludes the utilization of the Telstra Facility from the Statements of Cash Flows because it is non-cash.
REA Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2023, REA Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $211 million, consisting of amounts outstanding under its 2022 Credit Facility, and (ii) A$281 million of undrawn commitments available under its 2022 Credit Facility.
All of the Company’s borrowings contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at June 30, 2023.
See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s outstanding debt, including additional information about interest rates, amortization (if any), maturities and covenants related to such debt arrangements.
Commitments
The Company has commitments under certain firm contractual arrangements (“firm commitments”) to make future payments. These firm commitments secure the current and future rights to various assets and services to be used in the normal course of operations.
The following table summarizes the Company’s material firm commitments as of June 30, 2023:
| As of June 30, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(a) | $ | 1,584 | $ | 562 | $ | 620 | $ | 355 | $ | 47 | ||||||||
| Sports programming rights(b) | 3,732 | 501 | 1,073 | 950 | 1,208 | |||||||||||||
| Programming costs(c) | 1,444 | 430 | 528 | 359 | 127 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases(d) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 132 | 24 | 32 | 30 | 46 | |||||||||||||
| Land and buildings | 1,606 | 136 | 257 | 199 | 1,014 | |||||||||||||
| Plant and machinery | 8 | 4 | 4 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 43 | 28 | 15 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Borrowings(f) | 2,945 | 333 | 562 | 550 | 1,500 | |||||||||||||
| Interest payments on borrowings(g) | 613 | 120 | 189 | 163 | 141 | |||||||||||||
| Total commitments and contractual obligations | $ | 12,107 | $ | 2,138 | $ | 3,280 | $ | 2,606 | $ | 4,083 |
________________________
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(a)The Company has commitments under purchase obligations related to minimum subscriber guarantees for license fees, printing contracts, capital projects, marketing agreements, production services and other legally binding commitments.
(b)The Company has sports programming rights commitments with the National Rugby League, Australian Football League and Cricket Australia, as well as certain other broadcast rights, which are payable through fiscal 2032.
(c)The Company has programming rights commitments with various suppliers for programming content.
(d)The Company leases office facilities, warehouse facilities, printing plants, satellite services and equipment. These leases, which are classified as operating leases, are expected to be paid at certain dates through fiscal 2048. Amounts reflected represent only the Company’s lease obligations for which it has firm commitments.
(e)The Company has contractual commitments for satellite transmission services. The Company’s satellite transponder services arrangements extend through fiscal 2032 and are accounted for as operating or finance leases, based on the underlying terms of those arrangements.
(f)See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
(g)Reflects the Company’s expected future interest payments based on borrowings outstanding and interest rates applicable at June 30, 2023. Such rates are subject to change in future periods. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has certain contracts to purchase newsprint, ink and plates that require the Company to purchase a percentage of its total requirements for production. Since the quantities purchased annually under these contracts are not fixed and are based on the Company’s total requirements, the amount of the related payments for these purchases is excluded from the table above.
The table also excludes the Company’s pension obligations, other postretirement benefits (“OPEB”) obligations and the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount and timing of the commitments. The Company made contributions of $14 million and $29 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, interest rates and statutory requirements. The Company anticipates that it will make required contributions of approximately $23 million in fiscal 2024, assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2023 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. Payments due to participants under the Company’s pension plans are primarily paid out of underlying trusts. Payments due under the Company’s OPEB plans are not required to be funded in advance, but are paid as medical costs are incurred by covered retiree populations, and are principally dependent upon the future cost of retiree medical benefits under the Company’s OPEB plans. The Company expects its OPEB payments to approximate $7 million in fiscal 2024. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other significant ongoing expenses or cash requirements for each of the Company’s segments are discussed above in “Overview of the Company’s Businesses.” The Company generally expects to fund these short and long-term cash requirements with internally-generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand.
Contingencies
The Company routinely is involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations, including those discussed in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The outcome of these matters and claims is subject to significant uncertainty, and the Company often cannot predict what the eventual outcome of pending matters will be or the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters. Fees, expenses, fines, penalties, judgments or settlement costs which might be incurred by the Company in connection with the various proceedings could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
The Company establishes an accrued liability for legal claims when it determines that a loss is both probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Once established, accruals are adjusted from time to time, as appropriate, in light of additional information. The amount of any loss ultimately incurred in relation to matters for which an accrual has been established may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued for such matters. Legal fees associated with litigation and similar proceedings are expensed as incurred. The Company recognizes gain contingencies when the gain becomes realized or realizable. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company’s tax returns are subject to on-going review and examination by various tax authorities. Tax authorities may not agree with the treatment of items reported in the Company’s tax returns, and therefore the outcome of tax reviews and examinations can be unpredictable. The Company believes it has appropriately accrued for the expected outcome of uncertain tax
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matters and believes such liabilities represent a reasonable provision for taxes ultimately expected to be paid. However, these liabilities may need to be adjusted as new information becomes known and as tax examinations continue to progress, or as settlements or litigations occur.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
An accounting policy is considered to be critical if it is important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and if it requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in its application. The development and selection of these critical accounting policies have been determined by management of the Company. See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter and at other times if a significant event or change in circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets has been reduced below their carrying value. The Company uses its judgment in assessing whether assets may have become impaired between annual impairment assessments. Indicators such as unexpected adverse economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts, may signal that an asset has become impaired.
Under ASC 350, in assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether events or circumstances exist that lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is not required to perform any additional tests in assessing goodwill for impairment. However, if the Company concludes otherwise or elects not to perform the qualitative assessment, then it is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit, and compare the calculated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit primarily by using both a discounted cash flow analysis and market-based valuation approach.
Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, long-term growth rates, relevant comparable company earnings multiples and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, as part of the Company’s long-range planning process, the Company completed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test.
The performance of the Company’s annual impairment analysis resulted in $25 million of impairments to indefinite-lived intangible assets and no write-downs of goodwill in fiscal 2023. Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the income approach valuation method were discount rates (ranging from 8.5% to 18.0%), long-term growth rates (ranging from 1.0% to 3.5%) and royalty rates (ranging from 0.25% to 7.0%). Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the market approach valuation method were EBITDA multiples from guideline public companies operating in similar industries and control premiums (ranging from 5.0% to 10.0%). Significant increases (decreases) in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, assuming no change in discount rates, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. Significant decreases (increases) in discount rates, assuming no changes in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. See Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding changes in these inputs and assumptions compared to prior fiscal years.
As of June 30, 2023, there were no reporting units with goodwill at-risk for future impairment. The Company will continue to monitor its goodwill for possible future impairment.
Programming Costs
Costs incurred in acquiring programming rights are accounted for in accordance with ASC 920, “Entertainment—Broadcasters.” Programming rights and the related liabilities are recorded at the gross amount of the liabilities when the license period has begun, the cost of the program is determinable and the program is accepted and available for airing. Programming costs are amortized based on the expected pattern of consumption over the license period or expected useful life of each program, which requires significant judgment. The pattern of consumption is based primarily on consumer viewership information as well as other factors. If initial airings are expected to generate higher viewership, an accelerated method of amortization is used. The Company monitors its programming amortization policy on an ongoing basis and any impact arising from changes to the policy would be
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recognized prospectively. The Company regularly reviews its programming assets to ensure they continue to reflect fair value. Changes in circumstances may result in a write-down of the asset to fair value. The Company has single and multi-year contracts for broadcast rights of sporting events. The costs of sports contracts are primarily charged to expense over the respective season as events are aired. For sports contracts with dedicated channels, the Company amortizes the sports programming rights costs over 12 months.
Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions in which it operates and records its tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences in its reported results of operations. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective governmental taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s tax expense and in evaluating its tax positions including evaluating uncertainties as promulgated under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.”
The Company’s annual tax rate is based primarily on its geographic income and statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s net deferred tax assets, if any. In assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets, management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income. The Company’s actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although the Company believes its current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Significant management judgment is required to determine whether the recognition threshold has been met and, if so, the appropriate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management re-evaluates tax positions each period in which new information about recognition or measurement becomes available. The Company’s policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on unrecognized income tax benefits as part of Income tax (expense) benefit.
See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding these estimates and assumptions and changes compared to prior fiscal years.
Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Company’s employees participate in various defined benefit pension and postretirement plans sponsored by the Company and its subsidiaries. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company records amounts relating to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans based on calculations specified by GAAP. The measurement and recognition of the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans require the use of significant management judgments, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, mortality and other actuarial assumptions. Net periodic benefit costs (income) are calculated based upon a number of actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate for plan obligations, an expected rate of return on plan assets and mortality rates. Current market conditions, including changes in investment returns and interest rates, were considered in making these assumptions. In developing the expected long-term rate of return, the pension portfolio’s past average rate of returns and future return expectations of the various asset classes were considered. The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of 5.6% for fiscal 2024 is based on a weighted average target asset allocation assumption of 16% equities, 74% fixed-income securities and 10% cash and other investments.
The Company recorded $13 million and nil in net periodic benefit costs (income) in the Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company utilizes the full yield-curve approach to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs (income) for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.
Although the discount rate used for each plan will be established and applied individually, a weighted average discount rate of 5.4% will be used in calculating the fiscal 2024 net periodic benefit costs (income). The discount rate reflects the market rate for high-quality fixed-income investments on the Company’s annual measurement date of June 30 and is subject to change each fiscal
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year. The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension and other postretirement benefit plans reflect the rates at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled. The rate was determined by matching the Company’s expected benefit payments for the plans to a hypothetical yield curve developed using a portfolio of several hundred high-quality non-callable corporate bonds. The weighted average discount rate is volatile from year to year because it is determined based upon the prevailing rates in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and other foreign countries as of the measurement date.
The key assumptions used in developing the Company’s fiscal 2023 and 2022 net periodic benefit costs (income) for its plans consist of the following:
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except %) | |||
| Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs (income): | |||
| Discount rate for PBO | 4.1% | 2.1% | |
| Discount rate for Service Cost | 4.8% | 1.8% | |
| Discount rate for Interest on PBO | 4.0% | 1.7% | |
| Assets: | |||
| Expected rate of return | 4.3% | 3.7% | |
| Expected return | $43 | $51 | |
| Actual return | $(92) | $(215) | |
| Loss | $(135) | $(266) | |
| One year actual return | (8.7)% | (15.6)% | |
| Five year actual return | (1.7)% | 0.8% |
The Company will use a weighted average long-term rate of return of 5.6% for fiscal 2024 based principally on a combination of current asset mix and an expectation of future long term investment returns. The accumulated net pre-tax losses on the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2023 were approximately $467 million which increased from approximately $458 million for the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2022. This net increase of $9 million was primarily due to losses on plan assets, which were largely offset by actuarial gains due to higher discount rates. Lower discount rates increase present values of benefit obligations and increase the Company’s deferred losses and also increase subsequent-year benefit costs. Higher discount rates decrease the present values of benefit obligations and reduce the Company’s accumulated net loss and decrease subsequent-year benefit costs. These deferred losses are being systematically recognized in future net periodic benefit costs (income) in accordance with ASC 715, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits.” Unrecognized losses for the primary plans in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation are recognized over the average life expectancy for plan participants for the primary plans.
The Company made contributions of $14 million and $29 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2023 and 2022, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, statutory requirements and interest rate movements. Assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s expected returns in fiscal 2023 and beyond, and that interest rates remain constant, the Company anticipates that it will make required pension contributions of approximately $23 million in fiscal 2024. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations and Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Changes in net periodic benefit costs may occur in the future due to changes in the Company’s expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events. The following table highlights the sensitivity of the Company’s pension obligations and expense to changes in these assumptions, assuming all other assumptions remain constant:
| Changes in Assumption | Impact on Annual Pension Expense | Impact on Projected Benefit Obligation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in discount rate | — | Increase $23 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in discount rate | — | Decrease $22 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in expected rate of return on assets | Increase $2 million | — | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in expected rate of return on assets | Decrease $2 million | — |
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564708-22-000265.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion and analysis contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe,” “should” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The following discussion and analysis omits discussion of fiscal 2020. Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 for a discussion of fiscal 2020.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: digital real estate services, subscription video services in Australia, news and information services and book publishing.
The consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred during the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and through the date of this filing that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2022. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis and a segment basis. Supplemental revenue information is also included for reporting units within certain segments and is presented on a gross basis, before eliminations in consolidation. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed. The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to June 30 in each year. Fiscal 2022 and 2021 included 53 and 52 weeks, respectively. As a result, the Company has referenced the impact of the 53rd week, where applicable, when providing analysis of the results of operations.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2022, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2022.
•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. In addition, Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed in this section.
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OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following six segments:
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.4% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, property.com.au and property portals in India. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through an end-to-end digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates Realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its ConnectionsSM Plus, Market VIPSM and AdvantageSM Pro products as well as its referral-based service, ReadyConnect ConciergeSM. Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants.
•Subscription Video Services—The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment provides sports, entertainment and news services to pay-TV and streaming subscribers and other commercial licensees, primarily via cable, satellite and internet distribution, and consists of (i) the Company’s 65% interest in the Foxtel Group (with the remaining 35% interest held by Telstra, an ASX-listed telecommunications company) and (ii) Australian News Channel (“ANC”). The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider. Its Foxtel pay-TV service provides approximately 200 live channels and video on demand covering sports, general entertainment, movies, documentaries, music, children’s programming and news. Foxtel and the Group’s Kayo Sports streaming service offer the leading sports programming content in Australia, with broadcast rights to live sporting events including: National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Cricket Australia and various motorsports programming. The Foxtel Group also operates BINGE, its entertainment streaming service, Foxtel Now, a streaming service that provides access across Foxtel’s live and on-demand content and Flash, its news aggregation streaming service.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service. ANC channels are distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand and available on Foxtel and Sky Network Television NZ. ANC also owns and operates the international Australia Channel IPTV service and offers content across a variety of digital media platforms, including web, mobile and third party providers.
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information, which distributes its content and data through a variety of media channels including newspapers, newswires, websites, mobile apps, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. The Dow Jones segment’s products, which target individual consumers and enterprise customers, include The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, Investor’s Business Daily, Factiva, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires and OPIS.
•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 17 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, Mariner, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also home to many beloved children’s books and authors and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes, among other publications, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail and The Advertiser in Australia and The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and The Sun on Sunday in the U.K. This segment also includes Wireless Group, operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., the Company’s recently launched TalkTV and Storyful, a social media content agency.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements) and expenses associated with the Company’s cost reduction initiatives.
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Digital Real Estate Services
The Digital Real Estate Services segment generates revenue through property and property-related advertising and services, including: the sale of real estate listing and lead generation products and referral-based services to agents, brokers, developers, homebuilders and landlords; real estate-related and property rental-related services; display advertising on residential real estate and commercial property sites; and residential property data services to the financial sector. The Digital Real Estate Services segment also generates revenue through fees and commissions from referrals generated through its end-to-end digital property search and financing offering and mortgage broking services. Significant expenses associated with these sites and services include development costs, advertising and promotional expenses, hosting and support services, salaries, broker commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s results are highly sensitive to conditions in the real estate market, as well as macroeconomic factors such as inflation and interest rates, which are expected to adversely impact real estate lead and transaction volumes and adjacent businesses in the near term.
Consumers overwhelmingly turn to the internet and mobile devices for real estate information and services. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s success depends on its continued innovation to provide products and services that are useful for consumers and real estate, mortgage and financial services professionals, homebuilders and landlords and attractive to its advertisers. The Digital Real Estate Services segment operates in a highly competitive digital environment with other operators of real estate and property websites and mobile apps.
Subscription Video Services
The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment consists of (i) its 65% interest in the Foxtel Group and (ii) ANC. The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider through its Foxtel pay-TV and Kayo Sports, BINGE, Foxtel Now and Flash streaming services. The Foxtel Group generates revenue primarily through subscription revenue as well as advertising revenue.
The Foxtel Group competes for audiences primarily with a variety of other video content providers, such as traditional Free-To-Air (“FTA”) TV operators in Australia, including the three major commercial FTA networks and two major government-funded FTA broadcasters, and content providers that deliver video programming over the internet. These providers include, Internet Protocol television, or IPTV, subscription video-on-demand and broadcast video-on-demand providers; streaming services offered through digital media providers; as well as programmers and distributors that provide content directly to consumers over the internet.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and also owns and operates the Australia Channel IPTV service for international markets. Revenue is primarily derived from monthly affiliate fees received from pay-TV providers and advertising.
The most significant operating expenses of the Subscription Video Services segment are the acquisition and production expenses related to programming, the expenses related to operating the technical facilities of the broadcast operations, expenses related to cable, satellite and data-related transmission costs and studio and engineering expense. The expenses associated with licensing certain sports programming rights are recognized during the applicable season or event, which can cause results at the Subscription Video Services segment to fluctuate based on the timing and mix of the Foxtel Group’s local and international sports programming. Sports programming rights costs associated with a dedicated channel are amortized over 12 months. Other expenses include subscriber acquisition costs such as sales costs and marketing and promotional expenses related to improving the market visibility and awareness of the channels and their programming. Additional expenses include salaries, employee benefits, technology, rent and other routine overhead expenses.
Dow Jones
The Dow Jones segment’s products target individual consumers and enterprise customers. Revenue from the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business is derived primarily from circulation, which includes subscription and single-copy sales of its digital and print consumer products, the sale of digital and print advertising, licensing fees for its print and digital consumer content and participation fees for its live journalism events. Circulation revenues are dependent on the content of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, prices of its and/or competitors’ products, as well as promotional activities and news cycles. Advertising revenue is dependent on a number of factors, including demand for the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, general economic and business conditions, demographics of the customer base, advertising rates and effectiveness and brand strength and reputation. Advertising revenues are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically highest in the Company's second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season. In addition, the traditional consumer print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences, which have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to
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adversely affect, both print circulation and advertising revenues. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by long-term structural movements in advertising spending from print to digital. The increasing range of advertising choices and formats has resulted in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies and policies have also been and will continue to be developed and implemented that may make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising or allow users to block advertising on websites and mobile devices, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues. As a multi-platform news provider, the Dow Jones segment recognizes the importance of maximizing revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, both in terms of paid content and in new advertising models, and continues to invest in its digital and other products, which represent an increasingly larger share of revenues at its consumer business. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the Dow Jones segment to make its content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop its products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. The Dow Jones segment continues to develop and implement strategies to exploit its content across a variety of media channels and platforms, including leveraging its content through licensing arrangements with third-party distribution platforms and growing its live journalism events business.
Operating expenses for the consumer business include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial and commissions. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overheads. The costs associated with printing and distributing newspapers, including paper prices and delivery costs, are key operating expenses whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business. The consumer business is affected by the cyclical increases and decreases in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions and tariffs or other restrictions on non-U.S. paper suppliers. In addition, the Dow Jones segment relies on third parties for much of the printing and distribution of its print products. Long-term structural movements from print to digital and changing labor markets present challenges to the financial and operational stability of these third parties which could, in turn, impact the availability, or increase the cost, of third-party printing and distribution services for the Company's newspapers.
The Dow Jones segment’s consumer products compete for consumers, audience and advertising with other local and national newspapers, web and app-based media, news aggregators, customized news feeds, search engines, blogs, magazines, investment tools, social media sources, podcasts and event producers, as well as other media such as television, radio stations and outdoor displays. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies, distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the consumer business continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, including from a variety of alternative news and information sources, as well as programmatic advertising buying channels and off-platform distribution of its products.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information business, which targets enterprise customers, derives revenue primarily from subscriptions to its professional information products. The professional information business serves enterprise customers with products that combine news and information with technology and tools that inform decisions and aid awareness, research and understanding. The success of the professional information business depends on its ability to provide products, services, applications and functionalities that meet the needs of its enterprise customers, who operate in information-intensive and oftentimes highly regulated industries such as finance and insurance. The professional information business must also anticipate and respond to industry trends and regulatory and technological changes.
Significant expenses for the professional information business include development costs, sales and marketing expenses, hosting and support services, royalties, salaries, consulting and professional fees, sales commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information products compete with various information service providers, compliance data providers, global financial newswires and energy and commodities pricing and data providers, including Reuters News, RELX (including LexisNexis and ICIS), Refinitiv, S&P Global, DTN and Argus Media, as well as many other providers of news, information and compliance data.
Book Publishing
The Book Publishing segment derives revenues from the sale of general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious books in the U.S. and internationally. The revenues and operating results of the Book Publishing segment are significantly affected by the timing of releases and the number of its books in the marketplace. The book publishing marketplace is subject to increased periods of demand during the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. This marketplace is highly competitive and continues to change due to technological developments, including additional digital platforms, such as e-books and downloadable audiobooks, and distribution channels and other factors. Each book is a separate and distinct product and its financial success depends upon many factors, including public acceptance.
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Major new title releases represent a significant portion of the Book Publishing segment’s sales throughout the fiscal year. Print-based consumer books are generally sold on a fully returnable basis, resulting in the return of unsold books. In the domestic and international markets, the Book Publishing segment is subject to global trends and local economic conditions, including recent increases in inflation and supply chain disruptions, which are expected to continue to adversely affect costs in the near term. Operating expenses for the Book Publishing segment include costs related to paper, printing, freight, authors’ royalties, editorial, promotional, art and design expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead costs.
News Media
Revenue at the News Media segment is derived primarily from the sale of advertising, circulation and subscriptions, as well as licensing. Adverse changes in general market conditions for advertising have affected, and may continue to affect, revenues. Advertising revenues at the News Media segment are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically being highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. Circulation and subscription revenues can be greatly affected by changes in the prices of the Company’s and/or competitors’ products, as well as by promotional activities and news cycles.
Operating expenses include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial, commissions, technology and radio sports rights. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead. The cost of paper is a key operating expense whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the segment. The News Media segment continues to be exposed to risks associated with paper used for printing. Paper is a basic commodity and its price is sensitive to the balance of supply and demand. The News Media segment’s expenses are affected by the cyclical increases and decreases in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including, among other things, inflation, supply chain disruptions and tariffs.
The News Media segment’s products compete for readership, audience and advertising with local and national competitors and also compete with other media alternatives in their respective markets. Competition for circulation and subscriptions is based on the content of the products provided, pricing and, from time to time, various promotions. The success of these products also depends upon advertisers’ judgments as to the most effective use of their advertising budgets. Competition for advertising is based upon the reach of the products, advertising rates and advertiser results. Such judgments are based on factors such as cost, availability of alternative media, distribution and quality of consumer demographics.
The News Media segment's traditional print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences. The News Media segment is also exposed to the impact of long-term structural movements in advertising spending, in particular, the move from print to digital. These alternative media formats could impact the segment’s overall performance, positively or negatively. In addition, technologies and policies have been and will continue to be developed and implemented that may make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising or allow users to block advertising on websites and mobile devices, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues.
As multi-platform news providers, the businesses within the News Media segment recognize the importance of maximizing revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, both in terms of paid content and in new advertising models, and continue to invest in their digital products. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the businesses within the News Media segment to make their content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop their products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. The businesses within the News Media segment continue to develop and implement strategies to exploit their content across a variety of media channels and platforms, including leveraging their content through licensing arrangements with third-party distribution platforms.
Other
The Other segment primarily consists of general corporate overhead expenses and costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters and expenses associated with the Company’s cost reduction initiatives.
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Other Business Developments
Fiscal 2022
Acquisition of UpNest
In June 2022, the Company acquired UpNest, Inc. (“UpNest”) for closing cash consideration of approximately $45 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, and up to $15 million in future cash consideration based upon the achievement of certain performance objectives over the next two years. UpNest is a real estate agent marketplace that matches home sellers and buyers with top local agents who compete for their business. The UpNest acquisition helps Realtor.com® further expand its services and support for home sellers and listing agents and brokers. UpNest is a subsidiary of Move, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
Acquisition of Base Chemicals
In June 2022, the Company acquired the Base Chemicals (rebranded Chemical Market Analytics, “CMA”) business from S&P Global Inc. (“S&P”) for $295 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. CMA provides pricing data, insights, analysis and forecasting for key base chemicals through its leading Market Advisory and World Analysis services. The acquisition enables Dow Jones to become a leading provider of base chemicals information and furthers its goal of building the leading global business news and information platform for professionals. CMA is operated by Dow Jones, and its results are included in the Dow Jones segment.
Term Loan A and Revolving Credit Facilities
On March 29, 2022, the Company terminated its existing unsecured $750 million revolving credit facility and entered into a new credit agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”) that provides for $1,250 million of unsecured credit facilities comprised of a $500 million unsecured term loan A credit facility (the “Term A Facility” and the loans under the Term A Facility are collectively referred to as “Term A Loans”) and a $750 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility” and, together with the Term A Facility, the “Facilities”) that can be used for general corporate purposes. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company entered into an interest rate swap derivative to fix the floating rate interest component of its Term A Loans at 2.083%. See Note 11—Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company borrowed the full amount of the Term A Facility on March 31, 2022 and had not borrowed any funds under the Revolving Facility as of June 30, 2022.
Acquisition of OPIS
In February 2022, the Company acquired the Oil Price Information Service business and related assets (“OPIS”) from S&P and IHS Markit Ltd. for $1.15 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. OPIS is a global industry standard for benchmark and reference pricing and news and analytics for the oil, natural gas liquids and biofuels industries. The business also provides pricing and news and analytics for the coal, mining and metals end markets and insights and analytics in renewables and carbon pricing. The acquisition enables Dow Jones to become a leading provider of energy and renewables information and furthers its goal of building the leading global business news and information platform for professionals. OPIS is a subsidiary of Dow Jones, and its results are included in the Dow Jones segment.
2022 Senior Notes Offering
In February 2022, the Company issued $500 million of senior notes due 2032 (the “2022 Senior Notes”). The 2022 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.125% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2022. The notes will mature on February 15, 2032. The Company is using the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including to fund the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Share Repurchase Program
On September 22, 2021, the Company announced a new stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of its outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock (the “Repurchase Program”). The Repurchase Program replaces the Company’s $500 million Class A Common Stock repurchase program approved by the
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Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) in May 2013. The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Repurchase Program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. See Note 12—Stockholders' Equity in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
REA Group sale of Malaysia and Thailand businesses
In August 2021, REA Group acquired an 18% interest (16.6% on a diluted basis) in PropertyGuru Pte. Ltd. (“PropertyGuru”), a leading digital property technology company operating marketplaces in Southeast Asia, in exchange for all shares of REA Group’s entities in Malaysia and Thailand. The transaction was completed after REA Group entered into an agreement to sell its 27% interest in its existing venture with 99.co. The transaction creates a leading digital real estate services company in Southeast Asia, new opportunities for collaboration and access to a deeper pool of expertise, technology and investment in the region. REA Group received one seat on the board of directors of PropertyGuru as part of the transaction.
In March 2022, PropertyGuru completed its merger with Bridgetown 2 Holdings Limited. As a result of the merger and subsequent investments made in connection with the transaction, REA Group’s ownership interest in PropertyGuru was 17.5% and a gain of approximately $15 million was recorded in Other, net.
Russian and Ukrainian conflict
The Company has taken steps to ensure the safety of its journalists and other personnel in Ukraine and Russia and will continue to monitor the situation in the region and provide support, as needed, to affected employees. The Company has extremely limited operations in, or direct exposure to, Russia or Ukraine, and the conflict has not had a material impact on its business, financial condition, or results of operations to date. However, the conflict has broadened inflationary pressures and a further escalation or expansion of its scope or the related economic disruption could impact the Company's supply chain, further exacerbate inflation and other macroeconomic trends and have an adverse effect on its results of operations.
Fiscal 2021
Acquisition of Mortgage Choice
In June 2021, REA Group acquired Mortgage Choice Limited (“Mortgage Choice”) for approximately A$244 million in cash (approximately US$183 million based on exchange rates as of the closing date), funded by an increase in REA Group’s debt facilities. Control was transferred and the acquisition became effective and binding on Mortgage Choice shareholders on June 18, 2021 upon court approval. Mortgage Choice is a leading Australian mortgage broking business, and the acquisition complements REA Group’s existing Smartline broker footprint and accelerates REA Group’s financial services strategy to establish a leading mortgage broking business with national scale. Mortgage Choice is a subsidiary of REA Group and its results are included in the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
Acquisition of HMH Books & Media
In May 2021, the Company acquired the Books & Media segment of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (“HMH Books & Media”) for $349 million in cash. HMH Books & Media publishes renowned and awarded children’s, young adult, fiction, non-fiction, culinary and reference titles. The acquisition adds an extensive and successful backlist, a strong frontlist in the lifestyle and children’s segments and a productions business that provides opportunities to expand HarperCollins’s intellectual property across different formats. HMH Books & Media is a subsidiary of HarperCollins and its results are included in the Book Publishing segment.
Acquisition of Investor’s Business Daily
In May 2021, the Company acquired Investor’s Business Daily (“IBD”) for $275 million in cash. IBD is a digital-first financial news and research business with unique investing content, analytical products and educational resources, including the Investors.com website. The acquisition expands Dow Jones’s offerings with the addition of proprietary data and tools to help professional and retail investors identify top-performing stocks. IBD is operated by Dow Jones, and its results are included within the Dow Jones segment.
2021 Senior Notes Offering
In April 2021, the Company issued $1 billion of senior notes due 2029 (the “2021 Senior Notes”). The 2021 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.875% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on May 15 and November 15 of each year,
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commencing November 15, 2021. The notes will mature on May 15, 2029. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which included acquisitions and working capital.
Google partnership
In February 2021, the Company entered into a multi-year partnership with Google to provide content from its news sites around the world. The three-year agreement also includes the development of a subscription platform, the sharing of advertising revenue via Google’s advertising technology services, the cultivation of audio journalism and meaningful investments in video journalism by YouTube.
Elara
In December 2020, the Company acquired a controlling interest in Elara Technologies Pte. Ltd. (rebranded REA India) through a subscription for newly-issued preference shares and the buyout of certain minority shareholders. The total aggregate purchase price associated with the acquisition at the completion date is $138 million which primarily consists of $69 million of cash, the fair value of noncontrolling interests of $37 million and the fair value of the Company’s previously held equity interest in REA India of $22 million. As a result of the transactions, REA Group’s shareholding in REA India increased from 13.5% to 59.7%, while News Corporation’s shareholding increased from 22.1% to 39.0%. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, REA Group acquired an additional 0.8% interest in REA India. REA Group and News Corporation now hold all REA India board seats, and the Company began consolidating REA India in December 2020. The acquisition of REA India allows REA Group to be at the forefront of long-term growth opportunities within India and the digitization of the real estate sector. REA India is a subsidiary of REA Group, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment. As a result of the transactions, the Company’s ownership in REA Group was diluted by 0.2% to 61.4%. Subsequent to June 30, 2021, REA Group provided additional funding to REA India in exchange for further equity which increased REA Group’s ownership interest to 73.3% and diluted News Corporation’s interest to 26.6%.
Avail
In December 2020, the Company acquired Rentalutions, Inc. (“Avail”) for initial cash consideration of approximately $36 million, net of $4 million of cash acquired, and up to $8 million in future cash consideration based upon the achievement of certain performance objectives over the next three years. Avail is a platform that improves the renting experience for do-it-yourself landlords and tenants with online tools, educational content and world-class support. The acquisition helps Realtor.com® further expand into the rental space, extend its support for landlords, augment current rental listing content, grow its audience and build brand affinity and long-term relationships with renters. Avail is a subsidiary of Move, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
See Note 4—Acquisitions, Disposals and Other Transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the acquisitions and dispositions discussed above.
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Results of Operations—Fiscal 2022 versus Fiscal 2021
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for fiscal 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021.
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 4,425 | $ | 4,206 | $ | 219 | 5 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,821 | 1,594 | 227 | 14 | % | |||||||||
| Consumer | 2,106 | 1,908 | 198 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,347 | 1,153 | 194 | 17 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 686 | 497 | 189 | 38 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 10,385 | 9,358 | 1,027 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (5,124) | (4,831) | (293) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (3,592) | (3,254) | (338) | (10) | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | (688) | (680) | (8) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | (109) | (168) | 59 | 35 | % | |||||||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | (13) | (65) | 52 | 80 | % | |||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (99) | (53) | (46) | (87) | % | |||||||||
| Other, net | 52 | 143 | (91) | (64) | % | |||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 812 | 450 | 362 | 80 | % | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | (52) | (61) | 9 | 15 | % | |||||||||
| Net income | 760 | 389 | 371 | 95 | % | |||||||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | (137) | (59) | (78) | ** | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to News Corporation stockholders | $ | 623 | $ | 330 | $ | 293 | 89 | % |
________________________
** not meaningful
Revenues—Revenues increased $1,027 million, or 11%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily driven by the increase at the Digital Real Estate Services segment primarily due to higher real estate revenues and the acquisition of Mortgage Choice, at the Dow Jones segment primarily due to the increase in circulation and subscription revenues, which includes the impacts from the acquisitions of IBD and OPIS, and higher advertising revenues, at the News Media segment primarily due to higher advertising and circulation and subscription revenues and at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to the acquisition of HMH Books and Media. The increases were partially offset by the decrease at the Subscription Video Services segment due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as higher streaming and advertising revenues more than offset lower residential subscription revenues. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $110 million.
The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $161 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The Company calculates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations for businesses reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar by multiplying the results for each quarter in the current period by the difference between the average exchange rate for that quarter and the average exchange rate in effect during the corresponding quarter of the prior year and totaling the impact for all quarters in the current period.
Operating expenses—Operating expenses increased $293 million, or 6%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily driven by higher expenses at the Book Publishing segment due to the acquisition of HMH Books and Media and higher manufacturing and freight costs related to increased sales volumes, the mix of titles and the impact of ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures. The increase was also driven by the Dow Jones segment due to higher employee costs and the impact from recent acquisitions, higher costs at the News Media segment primarily due to higher costs associated with TalkTV and higher print production costs in the U.K., as well as at the Digital Real Estate Services segment due to higher employee costs. The Company has generally observed a very competitive labor market which has led to higher compensation and hiring costs for attracting and retaining highly qualified employees at some of its businesses and is expected to continue to impact the Company’s cost base in the near term. The increases were partially offset by lower expenses at the Subscription Video Services segment, primarily due to the absence of $57 million of additional sports programming rights and production costs recognized in the prior year that were deferred from fiscal 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”)
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and the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, partially offset by higher sports and entertainment programming rights costs due to increased content availability. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in an Operating expense decrease of $76 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021.
Selling, general and administrative—Selling, general and administrative increased $338 million, or 10%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The increase in Selling, general and administrative for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 was primarily due to increased expenses at the Digital Real Estate Services segment driven by the acquisitions of Mortgage Choice and REA India, higher employee costs at both Move and REA Group and increased marketing expenses at Move. The increase was also driven by higher costs at the Dow Jones segment due to the impact of recent acquisitions, including a $25 million impact from OPIS and CMA-related transaction costs, increased employee costs and increased sales and marketing costs. The increase was partially offset by lower costs of $67 million in the Other segment, primarily driven by lower equity-based compensation costs largely related to stock price performance and lower one-time legal settlement costs. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a Selling, general and administrative decrease of $61 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021.
Depreciation and amortization—Depreciation and amortization expense increased $8 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, $28 million of higher amortization expense from intangible assets driven by the Company’s recent acquisitions was partially offset by $20 million of lower depreciation expense driven by the transition to digital and optimization of the Company’s printing operations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a depreciation and amortization expense decrease of $13 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021.
Impairment and restructuring charges—During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $94 million and $168 million, respectively.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $15 million related to the write-down of fixed assets associated with the shutdown and anticipated sale of certain U.S. printing facilities at the Dow Jones segment.
See Note 5—Restructuring Programs and Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Equity losses of affiliates—Equity losses of affiliates decreased by $52 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily due to the absence of the $54 million non-cash write-down of the Foxtel Group’s investment in the Nickelodeon Australia Joint Venture in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. See Note 6—Investments in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Interest expense, net—Interest expense, net for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 increased $46 million as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily driven by the issuance of the 2021 and 2022 Senior Notes in April 2021 and February 2022, respectively, and the incurrence of the Term A Loans in March 2022. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other, net—Other, net decreased $91 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. See Note 21—Additional Financial Information in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income tax expense—The Company’s income tax expense and effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 were $52 million and 6%, respectively, as compared to an income tax expense and effective tax rate of $61 million and 14%, respectively, for fiscal 2021.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company recorded income tax expense of $52 million on pre-tax income of $812 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, offset by the reversal of valuation allowances, including $149 million related to certain foreign deferred tax assets that are more likely than not to be realized, the lower tax impact related to the sale of REA Group’s Malaysia and Thailand businesses and the remeasurement of deferred taxes in the U.K.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company recorded income tax expense of $61 million on pre-tax income of $450 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by valuation
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allowances being recorded against tax benefits in certain foreign jurisdictions with operating losses and by the impact of foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, offset by a release of valuation allowances of $64 million related to certain U.S. deferred tax assets that are more likely than not to be realized and the remeasurement of deferred taxes in the U.K.
Management assesses available evidence to determine whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit the use of existing deferred tax assets. Based on management’s assessment of available evidence, it has been determined that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets in certain foreign jurisdictions may not be realized and therefore, a valuation allowance has been established against those tax assets.
Net income—Net income was $760 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to $389 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, an improvement of $371 million, or 95%, primarily driven by higher Total Segment EBITDA, lower impairment and restructuring charges and lower losses from equity affiliates, partially offset by lower Other, net and higher interest expense.
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests—Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was $137 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to net income attributable to noncontrolling interests of $59 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, primarily driven by increased earnings at REA Group, which included the $107 million gain from the disposition of its entities in Malaysia and Thailand.
Segment Analysis
Segment EBITDA is defined as revenues less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. Segment EBITDA does not include: depreciation and amortization, impairment and restructuring charges, equity losses of affiliates, interest (expense) income, net, other, net and income tax (expense) benefit. Segment EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of Segment EBITDA.
Segment EBITDA is the primary measure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources within, the Company’s businesses. Segment EBITDA provides management, investors and equity analysts with a measure to analyze the operating performance of each of the Company’s business segments and its enterprise value against historical data and competitors’ data, although historical results may not be indicative of future results (as operating performance is highly contingent on many factors, including customer tastes and preferences).
Total Segment EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income (loss), cash flow and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. In addition, this measure does not reflect cash available to fund requirements and excludes items, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment and restructuring charges, which are significant components in assessing the Company’s financial performance. The Company believes that the presentation of Total Segment EBITDA provides useful information regarding the Company’s operations and other factors that affect the Company’s reported results. Specifically, the Company believes that by excluding certain one-time or non-cash items such as impairment and restructuring charges and depreciation and amortization, as well as potential distortions between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures and changes in tax positions or regimes, the Company provides users of its consolidated financial statements with insight into both its core operations as well as the factors that affect reported results between periods but which the Company believes are not representative of its core business. As a result, users of the Company’s consolidated financial statements are better able to evaluate changes in the core operating results of the Company across different periods.
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The following table reconciles Net income to Total Segment EBITDA for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 760 | $ | 389 | ||
| Add: | ||||||
| Income tax expense | 52 | 61 | ||||
| Other, net | (52) | (143) | ||||
| Interest expense, net | 99 | 53 | ||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | 13 | 65 | ||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | 109 | 168 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 688 | 680 | ||||
| Total Segment EBITDA | $ | 1,669 | $ | 1,273 |
The following table sets forth the Company’s Revenues and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
| (in millions) | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | ||||||||||
| Digital Real Estate Services | $ | 1,741 | $ | 574 | $ | 1,393 | $ | 514 | ||||||
| Subscription Video Services | 2,026 | 360 | 2,072 | 359 | ||||||||||
| Dow Jones | 2,004 | 433 | 1,702 | 332 | ||||||||||
| Book Publishing | 2,191 | 306 | 1,985 | 303 | ||||||||||
| News Media | 2,423 | 217 | 2,205 | 52 | ||||||||||
| Other | — | (221) | 1 | (287) | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 10,385 | $ | 1,669 | $ | 9,358 | $ | 1,273 |
Digital Real Estate Services (17% and 15% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 13 | $ | 25 | $ | (12) | (48) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 135 | 126 | 9 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,347 | 1,153 | 194 | 17 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 246 | 89 | 157 | ** | ||||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,741 | 1,393 | 348 | 25 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (208) | (182) | (26) | (14) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (959) | (697) | (262) | (38) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 574 | $ | 514 | $ | 60 | 12 | % | ||||||
| ** not meaningful |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $348 million, or 25%, as compared to fiscal 2021. At REA Group, revenues increased $277 million, or 37%, to $1,029 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 from $752 million in fiscal 2021, primarily due to the $143 million contribution from the acquisition of Mortgage Choice in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, an increase in Australian depth revenue driven by higher national listings and price increases and an $18 million increase from the acquisition of REA India in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, partially offset by the $29 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and the $22 million adverse impact from a valuation adjustment related to expected trail commissions at its financial services business. Revenues at Move increased $71 million, or 11%, to $712
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million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 from $641 million in fiscal 2021, primarily driven by higher real estate revenues. The traditional lead generation product benefited from higher contribution from Market VIPSM, a hybrid product offering, in addition to increased yield from ConnectionsSM Plus, partially offset by lower lead volume. The referral model benefited from higher average home values, partially offset by lower transaction volume, and generated 31% of total Move revenues. These increases were partially offset by the $12 million impact from the sale of Top Producer in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Lead volumes declined 23% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to fiscal 2021. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $14 million for the segment.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Segment EBITDA at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $60 million, or 12%, as compared to fiscal 2021. The increase in Segment EBITDA was primarily driven by the $75 million higher contribution from REA Group, mainly due to the higher revenues discussed above, and inclusive of a $9 million and $3 million negative impact from the acquisitions of REA India and Mortgage Choice, respectively. The increase was partially offset by higher employee costs at Move and REA Group, $29 million of higher marketing costs at Move, the $14 million adverse impact from a valuation adjustment related to expected trail commissions at REA Group’s financial services business and the $12 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations.
Subscription Video Services (20% and 22% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,753 | $ | 1,825 | $ | (72) | (4) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 232 | 210 | 22 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 41 | 37 | 4 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,026 | 2,072 | (46) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,281) | (1,334) | 53 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (385) | (379) | (6) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 360 | $ | 359 | $ | 1 | — | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, revenues at the Subscription Video Services segment decreased $46 million, or 2%, as compared to fiscal 2021, due to the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as the $114 million increase in streaming revenues, primarily from BINGE and Kayo, and higher advertising revenues more than offset lower residential subscription revenues resulting from fewer residential broadcast subscribers. Foxtel Group streaming subscription revenues represented approximately 20% of total circulation and subscription revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to 14% in fiscal 2021. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $61 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to fiscal 2021.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Segment EBITDA increased $1 million as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily due to the absence of $57 million of additional sports programming rights and production costs recognized in the prior year that were deferred from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 due to COVID-19 and lower employee costs due to reduced headcount, largely offset by higher sports and entertainment programming rights costs due to increased content availability, higher technology costs, higher investment spending on streaming products, mainly in marketing, and the negative $8 million impact of foreign currency fluctuations.
The following tables provide information regarding certain key performance indicators for the Foxtel Group, the primary reporting unit within the Subscription Video Services segment, as of and for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021. Management believes these metrics provide useful information to allow investors to understand trends in consumer behavior and acceptance of the various services offered by the Foxtel Group. Management utilizes these metrics to track and forecast subscription revenue trends across the business’s various linear and streaming products. See “Part I. Business” for further detail regarding these performance indicators including definitions and methods of calculation.
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| As of June 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||
| (in 000s) | ||||
| Broadcast Subscribers | ||||
| Residential(a) | 1,481 | 1,651 | ||
| Commercial(b) | 242 | 234 | ||
| Streaming Subscribers (Total (Paid))(c) | ||||
| Kayo | 1,312 (1,293 paid) | 1,079 (1,054 paid) | ||
| BINGE | 1,263 (1,192 paid) | 827 (733 paid) | ||
| Foxtel Now | 201 (194 paid) | 228 (219 paid) | ||
| Total Subscribers (Total (Paid))(d) | 4,529 (4,413 paid) | 4,019 (3,891 paid) |
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||
| Broadcast ARPU(e) | A$82 (US$59) | A$80 (US$60) | |
| Broadcast Subscriber Churn(f) | 13.8% | 17.3% |
(a)Subscribing households throughout Australia as of June 30, 2022 and 2021.
(b)Commercial subscribers throughout Australia as of June 30, 2022 and 2021.
(c)Total and Paid subscribers for the applicable streaming service as of June 30, 2022 and 2021. Paid subscribers excludes customers receiving service for no charge under certain new subscriber promotions.
(d)Total subscribers consists of Foxtel’s broadcast and streaming services listed above, and, as of June 30, 2022, Flash.
(e)Average monthly broadcast residential subscription revenue per user (excluding Optus) (Broadcast ARPU) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
(f)Broadcast residential subscriber churn rate (excluding Optus) (Broadcast Subscriber Churn) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
Dow Jones (19% and 18% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,516 | $ | 1,296 | $ | 220 | 17 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 449 | 373 | 76 | 20 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 39 | 33 | 6 | 18 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,004 | 1,702 | 302 | 18 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (845) | (781) | (64) | (8) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (726) | (589) | (137) | (23) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 433 | $ | 332 | $ | 101 | 30 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, revenues at the Dow Jones segment increased $302 million, or 18%, as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily driven by the increase in circulation and subscription revenues, higher advertising revenues, the $65 million impact from the acquisition of IBD in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 and the $47 million impact from the acquisition of OPIS in the third quarter of fiscal 2022. Digital revenues at the Dow Jones segment represented 75% of total revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to 72% in fiscal 2021. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $10 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $40 million.
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Circulation and subscription revenues
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and other | $ | 937 | $ | 817 | $ | 120 | 15 | % | ||||||
| Professional information business | 579 | 479 | 100 | 21 | % | |||||||||
| Total circulation and subscription revenues | $ | 1,516 | $ | 1,296 | $ | 220 | 17 | % |
Circulation and subscription revenues increased $220 million, or 17%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. Circulation and other revenues increased $120 million, or 15%, primarily driven by the $59 million impact from the acquisition of IBD and the growth in digital-only subscriptions at The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s Group. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, average daily digital-only subscriptions at The Wall Street Journal increased 14% to 3.1 million as compared to fiscal 2021, and digital revenues represented 67% of circulation revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to 64% in fiscal 2021. Revenues at the professional information business increased $100 million, or 21%, primarily driven by the $47 million impact from the acquisition of OPIS and an increase of $35 million in Risk & Compliance revenues. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a circulation and subscription revenue increase of approximately $31 million.
The following table summarizes average daily consumer subscriptions during the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 for select publications and for all consumer subscription products.(a)
| For the three months ended June 30(b), | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except %) | Better/(Worse) | ||||||||||
| The Wall Street Journal | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 3,095 | 2,722 | 373 | 14 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 3,749 | 3,456 | 293 | 8 | % | ||||||
| Barron’s Group(d) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 848 | 700 | 148 | 21 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 1,038 | 920 | 118 | 13 | % | ||||||
| Total Consumer(e) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 4,029 | 3,522 | 507 | 14 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 4,898 | 4,502 | 396 | 9 | % |
________________________
(a)Based on internal data for the periods from March 28, 2022 to July 3, 2022 and March 29, 2021 to June 27, 2021, respectively, with independent verification procedures performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP UK.
(b)Subscriptions include individual consumer subscriptions, as well as subscriptions purchased by companies, schools, businesses and associations for use by their respective employees, students, customers or members. Subscriptions exclude single-copy sales and copies purchased by hotels, airlines and other businesses for limited distribution or access to customers.
(c)For some publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, Dow Jones sells bundled print and digital products. For bundles that provide access to both print and digital products every day of the week, only one unit is reported each day and is designated as a print subscription. For bundled products that provide access to the print product only on specified days and full digital access, one print subscription is reported for each day that a print copy is served and one digital subscription is reported for each remaining day of the week.
(d)Barron’s Group consists of Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News and Private Equity News.
(e)Total Consumer consists of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Group and Investor’s Business Daily.
Advertising revenues
Advertising revenues increased $76 million, or 20%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. Digital advertising revenues increased by $47 million, driven by higher average yields, and represented 59% of advertising revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, as compared to 58% in fiscal 2021. The increase in advertising revenues was also due to the $29 million increase in print advertising revenues driven by the ongoing recovery from COVID-19. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in an advertising revenue increase of approximately $9 million.
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Segment EBITDA
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Segment EBITDA at the Dow Jones segment increased $101 million, or 30%, as compared to fiscal 2021, including the $19 million and $17 million impacts from the acquisitions of IBD and OPIS, respectively, primarily due to the increase in revenues discussed above, partially offset by increased employee costs, the $25 million impact from OPIS and CMA-related transaction costs and increased sales and marketing costs.
Book Publishing (21% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2022 and 2021)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer | $ | 2,106 | $ | 1,908 | $ | 198 | 10 | % | ||||||
| Other | 85 | 77 | 8 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,191 | 1,985 | 206 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,512) | (1,301) | (211) | (16) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (373) | (381) | 8 | 2 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 306 | $ | 303 | $ | 3 | 1 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, revenues at the Book Publishing segment increased $206 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily driven by the $149 million contribution from the acquisition of HMH Books and Media in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, increased book sales in the U.K. and higher revenues in the General Books category, which benefited from the releases of Twelve and a Half by Gary Vaynerchuk, The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy! by Ree Drummond. Christian Publishing sales also improved, driven by the ongoing recovery of certain distribution channels from COVID-19. The increases were partially offset by a $16 million impact from lower sales of the Bridgerton series and lower sales in the foreign language and Children’s publishing categories. Digital sales increased by 4% as compared to fiscal 2021 due to growth in downloadable audiobooks, partially offset by lower sales of e-books. Digital sales represented approximately 21% of consumer revenues during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $14 million, or 1%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $20 million.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Segment EBITDA at the Book Publishing segment increased $3 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2021, including a $22 million positive impact from the acquisition of HMH Books and Media, as the higher revenues discussed above were largely offset by higher manufacturing and freight costs related to increased sales volumes, the mix of titles and the impact from ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures. These supply chain and inflationary pressures are expected to continue to impact the business in the near term.
News Media (23% and 24% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,143 | $ | 1,060 | $ | 83 | 8 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,005 | 885 | 120 | 14 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 275 | 260 | 15 | 6 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,423 | 2,205 | 218 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,278) | (1,233) | (45) | (4) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (928) | (920) | (8) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 217 | $ | 52 | $ | 165 | ** | |||||||
| ** not meaningful |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, revenues at the News Media segment increased $218 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2021. Advertising revenues increased $120 million as compared to fiscal 2021, driven by digital advertising growth across
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key mastheads, print advertising growth at News UK, the positive impact of the 53rd week and higher revenues at Wireless Group, partially offset by the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $83 million as compared to fiscal 2021, driven by higher content licensing revenues, primarily at News Corp Australia, digital subscriber growth across key mastheads, cover price increases and the positive impact of the 53rd week, partially offset by print volume declines and the negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Other revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 increased $15 million as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily driven by increased revenues at News Corp Australia, partially offset by lower revenues at News UK. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue decrease of $47 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $36 million.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Segment EBITDA at the News Media segment improved by $165 million as compared to fiscal 2021, primarily due to higher contributions from News Corp Australia of $109 million and News UK of $54 million mainly driven by the higher revenues described above, as well as increased contributions of $18 million and $16 million from Wireless Group and the New York Post, respectively, partially offset by increased costs associated with TalkTV.
News Corp Australia
Revenues were $1,088 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, an increase of $91 million, or 9%, as compared to fiscal 2021 revenues of $997 million. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $44 million, primarily driven by higher content licensing revenues, digital subscriber growth and the positive impact of the 53rd week, partially offset by the $14 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and print volume declines. Advertising revenues increased $21 million, primarily due to higher digital advertising revenues driven by higher impressions and the positive impact of the 53rd week, partially offset by the $14 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Other revenues increased $26 million, primarily due to higher third-party printing and other services revenues. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $15 million.
News UK
Revenues were $1,007 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, an increase of $65 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2021 revenues of $942 million. Advertising revenues increased $61 million, primarily due to higher digital advertising revenues, mainly at The Sun, and higher print advertising revenues, mainly at The Times, driven by the ongoing recovery of the advertising market from COVID-19 and the positive impact of the 53rd week, partially offset by the $4 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $25 million, primarily driven by cover price increases, digital subscriber growth and the positive impact of the 53rd week, partially offset by print volume declines and the $8 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Other revenues decreased $21 million, primarily due to lower brand partnership revenues. The impact of the 53rd week in fiscal 2022 resulted in a revenue increase of approximately $18 million.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Current Financial Condition
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand. As of June 30, 2022, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $1.82 billion. The Company also has available borrowing capacity under the Revolving Facility and certain other facilities, as described below, and expects to have access to the worldwide credit and capital markets, subject to market conditions, in order to issue additional debt if needed or desired. The Company currently expects these elements of liquidity will enable it to meet its liquidity needs for at least the next 12 months, including repayment of indebtedness. Although the Company believes that its cash on hand and future cash from operations, together with its access to the credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund its operating and financing needs for at least the next 12 months, its access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms in the future will be affected by many factors, including: (i) the financial and operational performance of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (ii) the Company’s credit ratings and/or the credit rating of its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (iii) the provisions of any relevant debt instruments, credit agreements, indentures and similar or associated documents; (iv) the liquidity of the overall credit and capital markets; and (v) the state of the economy. There can be no assurances that the Company will continue to have access to the credit and capital markets on acceptable terms.
As of June 30, 2022, the Company’s consolidated assets included $853 million in cash and cash equivalents that were held by its foreign subsidiaries. Of this amount, $169 million is cash not readily accessible by the Company as it is held by REA Group, a majority owned but separately listed public company. REA Group must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”), the Company’s
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undistributed foreign earnings were considered permanently reinvested and as such, United States federal and state income taxes were not previously recorded on these earnings. As a result of the Tax Act, substantially all of the Company’s earnings in foreign subsidiaries generated prior to the enactment of the Tax Act were deemed to have been repatriated and taxed accordingly. As of June 30, 2022, the Company has approximately $900 million of undistributed foreign earnings that it intends to reinvest permanently. It is not practicable to estimate the amount of tax that might be payable if these earnings were repatriated. The Company may repatriate future earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries in which case the Company may be required to accrue and pay additional taxes, including any applicable foreign withholding taxes and income taxes.
The principal uses of cash that affect the Company’s liquidity position include the following: operational expenditures including employee costs, paper purchases and programming costs; capital expenditures; income tax payments; investments in associated entities; acquisitions; the repurchase of shares; dividends; and the repayment of debt and related interest. In addition to the acquisitions and dispositions disclosed elsewhere, the Company has evaluated, and expects to continue to evaluate, possible future acquisitions and dispositions of certain businesses. Such transactions may be material and may involve cash, the issuance of the Company’s securities or the assumption of indebtedness.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On September 22, 2021, the Company announced a new Repurchase Program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $1 billion in the aggregate of its outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The Repurchase Program replaces the Company’s $500 million Class A Common Stock repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors in May 2013. The manner, timing, number and share price of any repurchases will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market conditions, applicable securities laws, alternative investment opportunities and other factors. The Repurchase Program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. As of June 30, 2022, the remaining authorized amount under the Repurchase Program was approximately $817 million.
Stock repurchases commenced on November 9, 2021. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company repurchased and subsequently retired 5.8 million shares of Class A Common Stock for approximately $122 million and 2.9 million shares of Class B Common Stock for approximately $61 million. The Company did not purchase any of its Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021.
Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid per share on both the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.20 |
The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, is within the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors’ decisions regarding the payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
Sources and Uses of Cash—Fiscal 2022 versus Fiscal 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,354 | $ | 1,237 |
Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $117 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher Total Segment EBITDA, partially offset by higher working capital, driven by higher employee bonus and equity-based compensation payments, payments related to one-time legal settlement costs and higher inventory purchases, and $41 million in higher interest payments.
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Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (2,076) | $ | (1,292) |
Net cash used in investing activities was $2,076 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to net cash used in investing activities of $1,292 million for fiscal 2021.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company used $1,501 million of cash for acquisitions, of which $1,146 million and $288 million related to the acquisitions of OPIS and CMA in February and June 2022, respectively. The Company also used $499 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $189 million related to the Foxtel Group, and $112 million for investments.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company used $886 million of cash for acquisitions, primarily HMH Books & Media, IBD and Mortgage Choice, and used $390 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $139 million related to the Foxtel Group.
Net cash provided by financing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 404 | $ | 699 |
The Company had net cash provided by financing activities of $404 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $699 million for fiscal 2021.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, the Company issued $500 million of 2022 Senior Notes and incurred $500 million of Term A Loans and had new borrowings for REA Group and the Foxtel Group of $690 million. The net cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by $838 million of borrowing repayments, primarily related to the Foxtel Group’s 2019 Credit Facility and REA Group’s refinancing of its bridge facility, $179 million of repurchases of outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock under the Repurchase Program and dividend payments of $175 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company issued $1.0 billion of senior notes and had new borrowings related to REA Group and the Foxtel Group of $515 million, which includes drawdowns under REA Group's 2021 bridge facility to repay outstanding debt in connection with its refinancing completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The net cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by $557 million of repayments for borrowings related to the Foxtel Group and REA Group and dividend payments of $163 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders.
Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow Available to News Corporation
Free cash flow available to News Corporation is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures (“free cash flow”), less REA Group free cash flow, plus cash dividends received from REA Group. Free cash flow available to News Corporation should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, cash flows from operations and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. Free cash flow available to News Corporation may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of free cash flow.
The Company considers free cash flow available to News Corporation to provide useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash that is available to be used to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet and for strategic opportunities including, among others, investing in the Company’s business, strategic acquisitions, dividend payouts and repurchasing stock. The Company believes excluding REA Group’s free cash flow and including dividends received from REA Group provides users of its consolidated financial statements with a measure of the amount of cash flow that is readily available to the Company, as REA Group is a separately listed public company in Australia and must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. The Company believes free cash flow available to News Corporation provides a more conservative view of the Company’s free cash flow because this presentation includes only that amount of cash the Company actually receives from REA Group, which has generally been lower than the Company’s unadjusted free cash flow.
A limitation of free cash flow available to News Corporation is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for the limitation of free cash flow available to News Corporation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Statements of Cash Flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporate all cash movements during the period.
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The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow available to News Corporation:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,354 | $ | 1,237 | ||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (499) | (390) | ||||
| 855 | 847 | |||||
| Less: REA Group free cash flow | (279) | (185) | ||||
| Plus: Cash dividends received from REA Group | 87 | 69 | ||||
| Free cash flow available to News Corporation | $ | 663 | $ | 731 |
Free cash flow available to News Corporation decreased $68 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 to $663 million from $731 million in fiscal 2021, primarily due to higher capital expenditures and higher REA Group free cash flow, partially offset by higher net cash provided by operating activities as discussed above and higher dividends received from REA Group.
Borrowings
As of June 30, 2022, the Company, certain subsidiaries of NXE Australia Pty Limited (the “Foxtel Group” and together with such subsidiaries, the “Foxtel Debt Group”) and REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries (REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries, the “REA Debt Group”) had total borrowings of $3.07 billion, including the current portion. Both the Foxtel Group and REA Group are consolidated but non wholly-owned subsidiaries of News Corp, and their indebtedness is only guaranteed by members of the Foxtel Debt Group and REA Debt Group, respectively, and is non-recourse to News Corp.
News Corporation Borrowings
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had (i) borrowings of $1,979 million, consisting of its outstanding 2021 Senior Notes, 2022 Senior Notes and Term A Loans and (ii) $750 million of undrawn commitments available under the Revolving Facility.
In February 2022, the Company issued $500 million of senior notes due 2032. The 2022 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.125% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2022. The notes will mature on February 15, 2032.
Term Loan A and Revolving Credit Facilities
On March 29, 2022, the Company terminated its existing unsecured $750 million revolving credit facility and entered into the 2022 Credit Agreement that provides for $1,250 million of unsecured credit facilities comprised of the $500 million Term A Facility and the $750 million Revolving Facility that can be used for general corporate purposes. The Company borrowed the full amount of the Term A Facility during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, and the Revolving Facility remains undrawn as of June 30, 2022.
The Term A Loans will amortize in equal quarterly installments in an aggregate annual amount equal to 0.0%, 2.5%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 5.0%, respectively, of the original principal amount of the Term A Facility for each 12-month period commencing on June 30, 2022. The loans under the Revolving Facility will not amortize. All amounts under the 2022 Credit Agreement with respect to the Facilities are due on March 31, 2027, unless earlier terminated in the circumstances set forth in the 2022 Credit Agreement. The Company may request that the maturity date of the Term A Facility be extended under certain circumstances as set forth in the 2022 Credit Agreement by at least one year. The Company may also request that the maturity date of the revolving credit commitments under the Revolving Facility be extended under certain circumstances as set forth in the 2022 Credit Agreement for up to two additional one-year periods.
Interest on borrowings is based on either (a) an Alternative Currency Term Rate formula, (b) a Term SOFR formula, (c) an Alternative Currency Daily Rate formula ((a) through (c) each, a “Relevant Rate”) or (d) the Base Rate formula, each as set forth in the 2022 Credit Agreement. The applicable margin for borrowings under the Facilities and the commitment fee for undrawn balances under the Revolving Facility are based on the pricing grid in the 2022 Credit Agreement, which varies based on the Company’s adjusted operating income net leverage ratio. At June 30, 2022, the Company was paying a commitment fee of 0.20%
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on any undrawn balance under the Revolving Facility and, with respect to any outstanding borrowings under the Facilities, an applicable margin of 0.375% for a Base Rate borrowing and 1.375% for a Relevant Rate borrowing.
The Company entered into an interest rate swap derivative to fix the floating rate interest component of its Term A Loans at 2.083%. Refer to Note 11—Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail.
Foxtel Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2022, the Foxtel Debt Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $742 million, including the full drawdown of its 2019 Term Loan Facility, amounts outstanding under the 2019 Credit Facility and 2017 Working Capital Facility, its outstanding U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes and amounts outstanding under the Telstra Facility (described below), and (ii) total undrawn commitments of A$539 million available under the 2017 Working Capital Facility and 2019 Credit Facility.
In addition to third-party indebtedness, the Foxtel Debt Group has related party indebtedness, including A$700 million of outstanding principal of shareholder loans and A$200 million of available shareholder facilities from the Company. The shareholder loans bear interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 6.30% to 7.75% and mature in December 2027. The shareholder revolving credit facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 2.00% to 3.75%, depending on the Foxtel Debt Group’s net leverage ratio, and matures in July 2024. Additionally, the Foxtel Debt Group has an A$170 million subordinated shareholder loan facility with Telstra which can be used to finance cable transmission costs due to Telstra. The Telstra Facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin of 7.75% and matures in December 2027. The Company excludes the utilization of the Telstra Facility from the Statements of Cash Flows because it is non-cash.
REA Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2022, REA Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $281 million, consisting of amounts outstanding under its 2022 Credit Facility (as defined below), and (ii) A$187 million of undrawn commitments available under its 2022 Credit Facility.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, REA Group completed a debt refinancing in which it repaid all amounts outstanding under its 2021 Bridge facility with the proceeds from a new A$600 million unsecured syndicated credit facility (the “2022 Credit Facility”) consisting of two sub-facilities: (i) a three year, A$400 million revolving loan facility (the “2022 Credit facility — tranche 1”) and (ii) a four year, A$200 million revolving loan facility (the “2022 Credit facility — tranche 2”).
Borrowings under the 2022 Credit facility — tranche 1 accrue interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 1.00% and 2.10%, depending on REA Group’s net leverage ratio. Borrowings under the 2022 Credit facility — tranche 2 accrue interest at a rate of the Australian BBSY plus a margin of between 1.15% and 2.25%, depending on REA Group’s net leverage ratio. Both tranches carry a commitment fee of 40% of the applicable margin on any undrawn balance.
All of the Company’s borrowings contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at June 30, 2022.
See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s outstanding debt, including additional information about interest rates, maturities and covenants related to such debt arrangements.
Commitments
The Company has commitments under certain firm contractual arrangements (“firm commitments”) to make future payments. These firm commitments secure the current and future rights to various assets and services to be used in the normal course of operations.
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The following table summarizes the Company’s material firm commitments as of June 30, 2022:
| As of June 30, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(a) | $ | 930 | $ | 469 | $ | 328 | $ | 69 | $ | 64 | ||||||||
| Sports programming rights(b) | 1,708 | 460 | 795 | 381 | 72 | |||||||||||||
| Programming costs(c) | 568 | 262 | 272 | 30 | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases(d) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 170 | 26 | 46 | 35 | 63 | |||||||||||||
| Land and buildings | 1,126 | 139 | 245 | 217 | 525 | |||||||||||||
| Plant and machinery | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 70 | 29 | 41 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Borrowings(f) | 3,027 | 271 | 683 | 483 | 1,590 | |||||||||||||
| Interest payments on borrowings(g) | 710 | 118 | 206 | 177 | 209 | |||||||||||||
| Total commitments and contractual obligations | $ | 8,320 | $ | 1,779 | $ | 2,621 | $ | 1,393 | $ | 2,527 |
________________________
(a)The Company has commitments under purchase obligations related to minimum subscriber guarantees for license fees, printing contracts, capital projects, marketing agreements, production services and other legally binding commitments.
(b)The Company has sports programming rights commitments with the National Rugby League, Australian Football League and Cricket Australia, as well as certain other broadcast rights which are payable through fiscal 2028.
(c)The Company has programming rights commitments with various suppliers for programming content.
(d)The Company leases office facilities, warehouse facilities, printing plants, satellite services and equipment. These leases, which are classified as operating leases, are expected to be paid at certain dates through fiscal 2048. Amounts reflected represent only the Company’s lease obligations for which it has firm commitments.
(e)The Company has contractual commitments for satellite transmission services. The Company’s satellite transponder services arrangements extend through fiscal 2032 and are accounted for as operating or finance leases, based on the underlying terms of those arrangements.
(f)See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
(g)Reflects the Company’s expected future interest payments based on borrowings outstanding and interest rates applicable at June 30, 2022. Such rates are subject to change in future periods. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has certain contracts to purchase newsprint, ink and plates that require the Company to purchase a percentage of its total requirements for production. Since the quantities purchased annually under these contracts are not fixed and are based on the Company’s total requirements, the amount of the related payments for these purchases is excluded from the table above.
The table also excludes the Company’s pension obligations, other postretirement benefits (“OPEB”) obligations and the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount and timing of the commitments. The Company made contributions of $29 million and $35 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, interest rates and statutory requirements. The Company anticipates that it will make contributions of approximately $12 million in fiscal 2023, assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s returns in fiscal 2022 and those expected beyond, and that interest rates remain constant. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. Payments due to participants under the Company’s pension plans are primarily paid out of underlying trusts. Payments due under the Company’s OPEB plans are not required to be funded in advance, but are paid as medical costs are incurred by covered retiree populations, and are principally dependent upon the future cost of retiree medical benefits under the Company’s OPEB plans. The Company expects its OPEB payments to approximate $8 million in fiscal 2023. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other significant ongoing expenses or cash requirements for each of the Company’s segments are discussed above in “Overview of the Company’s Businesses.” The Company generally expects to fund these short and long-term cash requirements with internally-generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand.
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Contingencies
The Company routinely is involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations, including those discussed in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The outcome of these matters and claims is subject to significant uncertainty, and the Company often cannot predict what the eventual outcome of pending matters will be or the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters. Fees, expenses, fines, penalties, judgments or settlement costs which might be incurred by the Company in connection with the various proceedings could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
The Company establishes an accrued liability for legal claims when it determines that a loss is both probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Once established, accruals are adjusted from time to time, as appropriate, in light of additional information. The amount of any loss ultimately incurred in relation to matters for which an accrual has been established may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued for such matters. Legal fees associated with litigation and similar proceedings are expensed as incurred. The Company recognizes gain contingencies when the gain becomes realized or realizable. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company’s tax returns are subject to on-going review and examination by various tax authorities. Tax authorities may not agree with the treatment of items reported in the Company’s tax returns, and therefore the outcome of tax reviews and examinations can be unpredictable. The Company believes it has appropriately accrued for the expected outcome of uncertain tax matters and believes such liabilities represent a reasonable provision for taxes ultimately expected to be paid. However, these liabilities may need to be adjusted as new information becomes known and as tax examinations continue to progress, or as settlements or litigations occur.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
An accounting policy is considered to be critical if it is important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and if it requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in its application. The development and selection of these critical accounting policies have been determined by management of the Company. See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Long-lived assets
The Company’s long-lived assets include goodwill, finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets and property, plant and equipment. Assets acquired in business combinations are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is recorded as the difference between the cost of acquiring a business and the estimated fair values assigned to its tangible and identifiable intangible net assets and is assigned to one or more reporting units for purposes of testing for impairment.
Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management’s judgment and often involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including assumptions with respect to future cash inflows and outflows, discount rates, asset lives and market multiples, among other items. Identifying reporting units and assigning goodwill to them requires judgment involving the aggregation of business units with similar economic characteristics and the identification of existing business units that benefit from the acquired goodwill. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to each class of long-lived assets acquired, their reporting unit, as well as their useful lives can significantly impact net income. The Company allocates goodwill to disposed businesses using the relative fair value method.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter and at other times if a significant event or change in circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets has been reduced below their carrying value. The Company uses its judgment in assessing whether assets may have become impaired between annual impairment assessments. Indicators such as unexpected adverse economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts, may signal that an asset has become impaired.
Under ASC 350, in assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether events or circumstances exist that lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is not required to perform any additional tests in assessing goodwill
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for impairment. However, if the Company concludes otherwise or elects not to perform the qualitative assessment, then it is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit, and compare the calculated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit primarily by using both a discounted cash flow analysis and market-based valuation approach.
Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, long-term growth rates, relevant comparable company earnings multiples and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, as part of the Company’s long-range planning process, the Company completed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test.
The performance of the Company’s annual impairment analysis resulted in no impairments to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets in fiscal 2022. Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the income approach valuation method were discount rates (ranging from 8.0% to 19.0%), long-term growth rates (ranging from 1.0% to 3.0%) and royalty rates (ranging from 0.25% to 7.0%). Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the market approach valuation method were EBITDA multiples from guideline public companies operating in similar industries and control premiums (ranging from 5.0% to 10.0%). Significant increases (decreases) in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, assuming no change in discount rates, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. Significant decreases (increases) in discount rates, assuming no changes in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. See Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding changes in these inputs and assumptions compared to prior fiscal years.
As of June 30, 2022, there were no reporting units with goodwill at-risk for future impairment. The Company will continue to monitor its goodwill for possible future impairment.
Programming Costs
Costs incurred in acquiring programming rights are accounted for in accordance with ASC 920, “Entertainment—Broadcasters.” Programming rights and the related liabilities are recorded at the gross amount of the liabilities when the license period has begun, the cost of the program is determinable and the program is accepted and available for airing. Programming costs are amortized based on the expected pattern of consumption over the license period or expected useful life of each program, which requires significant judgment. The pattern of consumption is based primarily on consumer viewership information as well as other factors. If initial airings are expected to generate higher viewership, an accelerated method of amortization is used. The Company monitors its programming amortization policy on an ongoing basis and any impact arising from changes to the policy would be recognized prospectively. The Company regularly reviews its programming assets to ensure they continue to reflect fair value. Changes in circumstances may result in a write-down of the asset to fair value. The Company has single and multi-year contracts for broadcast rights of sporting events. The costs of sports contracts are primarily charged to expense over the respective season as events are aired. For sports contracts with dedicated channels, the Company amortizes the sports programming rights costs over 12 months.
Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions in which it operates and records its tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences in its reported results of operations. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective governmental taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s tax expense and in evaluating its tax positions including evaluating uncertainties as promulgated under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.”
The Company’s annual tax rate is based primarily on its geographic income and statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s net deferred tax assets, if any. In assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets, management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income. The Company’s actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although the Company believes its current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in
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the Consolidated Financial Statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Significant management judgment is required to determine whether the recognition threshold has been met and, if so, the appropriate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management re-evaluates tax positions each period in which new information about recognition or measurement becomes available. The Company’s policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on unrecognized income tax benefits as part of Income tax (expense) benefit.
See Note 19—Income Taxes in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding these estimates and assumptions and changes compared to prior fiscal years.
Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Company’s employees participate in various defined benefit pension and postretirement plans sponsored by the Company and its subsidiaries. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company records amounts relating to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans based on calculations specified by GAAP. The measurement and recognition of the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans require the use of significant management judgments, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, mortality and other actuarial assumptions. Net periodic benefit costs (income) are calculated based upon a number of actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate for plan obligations, an expected rate of return on plan assets and mortality rates. Current market conditions, including changes in investment returns and interest rates, were considered in making these assumptions. In developing the expected long-term rate of return, the pension portfolio’s past average rate of returns and future return expectations of the various asset classes were considered. The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of 4.3% for fiscal 2023 is based on a weighted average target asset allocation assumption of 17% equities, 76% fixed-income securities and 7% cash and other investments.
The Company recorded nil and $(1) million in net periodic benefit (income) costs in the Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company utilizes the full yield-curve approach to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs (income) for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.
Although the discount rate used for each plan will be established and applied individually, a weighted average discount rate of 4.1% will be used in calculating the fiscal 2023 net periodic benefit costs (income). The discount rate reflects the market rate for high-quality fixed-income investments on the Company’s annual measurement date of June 30 and is subject to change each fiscal year. The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension and other postretirement benefit plans reflect the rates at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled. The rate was determined by matching the Company’s expected benefit payments for the plans to a hypothetical yield curve developed using a portfolio of several hundred high-quality non-callable corporate bonds. The weighted average discount rate is volatile from year to year because it is determined based upon the prevailing rates in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and other foreign countries as of the measurement date.
The key assumptions used in developing the Company’s fiscal 2022 and 2021 net periodic benefit costs (income) for its plans consist of the following:
| 2022 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except %) | |||
| Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs (income): | |||
| Discount rate for PBO | 2.1% | 2.0% | |
| Discount rate for Service Cost | 1.8% | 1.8% | |
| Discount rate for Interest on PBO | 1.7% | 1.6% | |
| Assets: | |||
| Expected rate of return | 3.7% | 3.7% | |
| Expected return | $51 | $50 | |
| Actual return | $(215) | $48 | |
| (Loss)/gain | $(266) | $(2) | |
| One year actual return | (15.6)% | 3.7% | |
| Five year actual return | 0.8% | 5.9% |
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The Company will use a weighted average long-term rate of return of 4.3% for fiscal 2023 based principally on a combination of current asset mix and an expectation of future long term investment returns. The accumulated net pre-tax losses on the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2022 were approximately $459 million which decreased from approximately $542 million for the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2021. This net decrease of $83 million was primarily due to currency movements and unrecognized losses amortized during fiscal 2022. Lower discount rates increase present values of benefit obligations and increase the Company’s deferred losses and also increase subsequent-year benefit costs. Higher discount rates decrease the present values of benefit obligations and reduce the Company’s accumulated net loss and decrease subsequent-year benefit costs. These deferred losses are being systematically recognized in future net periodic benefit costs (income) in accordance with ASC 715, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits.” Unrecognized losses for the primary plans in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation are recognized over the average life expectancy for plan participants for the primary plans.
The Company made contributions of $29 million and $35 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, statutory requirements and interest rate movements. Assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s expected returns in fiscal 2022 and beyond, and that interest rates remain constant, the Company anticipates that it will make contributions of approximately $12 million in fiscal 2023. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. See Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Changes in net periodic benefit costs may occur in the future due to changes in the Company’s expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events. The following table highlights the sensitivity of the Company’s pension obligations and expense to changes in these assumptions, assuming all other assumptions remain constant:
| Changes in Assumption | Impact on Annual Pension Expense | Impact on Projected Benefit Obligation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in discount rate | Increase $1 million | Increase $35 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in discount rate | Decrease $1 million | Decrease $32 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in expected rate of return on assets | Increase $3 million | — | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in expected rate of return on assets | Decrease $3 million | — |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564708-21-000029.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This discussion and analysis contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “believe” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places in this discussion and analysis and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting the Company’s financial condition or results of operations, the Company’s strategy and strategic initiatives and the outcome of contingencies such as litigation and investigations. Readers are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. More information regarding these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). The Company does not ordinarily make projections of its future operating results and undertakes no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review this document and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This section should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements of News Corporation and related notes set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The following discussion and analysis omits discussion of fiscal 2019. Please see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 for a discussion on fiscal 2019.
INTRODUCTION
News Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “News Corporation,” “News Corp,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) is a global diversified media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including: digital real estate services, subscription video services in Australia, news and information services and book publishing.
The consolidated financial statements are referred to herein as the “Consolidated Financial Statements.” The consolidated statements of operations are referred to herein as the “Statements of Operations.” The consolidated balance sheets are referred to herein as the “Balance Sheets.” The consolidated statements of cash flows are referred to herein as the “Statements of Cash Flows.” The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
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:
•Overview of the Company’s Businesses—This section provides a general description of the Company’s businesses, as well as developments that occurred during the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and through the date of this filing that the Company believes are important in understanding its results of operations and financial condition or to disclose known trends.
•Results of Operations—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s results of operations for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2021. This analysis is presented on both a consolidated basis and a segment basis. Supplemental revenue information is also included for reporting units within certain segments and is presented on a gross basis, before eliminations in consolidation. In addition, a brief description is provided of significant transactions and events that impact the comparability of the results being analyzed. The Company maintains a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to June 30 in each year. Fiscal 2021 and 2020 each included 52 weeks.
•Liquidity and Capital Resources—This section provides an analysis of the Company’s cash flows for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2021, as well as a discussion of the Company’s financial arrangements and outstanding commitments, both firm and contingent, that existed as of June 30, 2021.
•Critical Accounting Policies—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. In addition, Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements summarizes the Company’s significant accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed in this section.
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OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY’S BUSINESSES
The Company manages and reports its businesses in the following six segments:
•Digital Real Estate Services—The Digital Real Estate Services segment consists of the Company’s 61.4% interest in REA Group and 80% interest in Move. The remaining 20% interest in Move is held by REA Group. REA Group is a market-leading digital media business specializing in property and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”) (ASX: REA). REA Group advertises property and property-related services on its websites and mobile apps, including Australia’s leading residential, commercial and share property websites, realestate.com.au, realcommercial.com.au and Flatmates.com.au, and property portals in India and East Asia. In addition, REA Group provides property-related data to the financial sector and financial services through an end-to-end digital property search and financing experience and a mortgage broking offering.
Move is a leading provider of digital real estate services in the U.S. and primarily operates realtor.com®, a premier real estate information, advertising and services platform. Move offers real estate advertising solutions to agents and brokers, including its ConnectionsSM Plus and AdvantageSM Pro products as well as its referral-based services. Move also offers online tools and services to do-it-yourself landlords and tenants, as well as professional software and services products.
•Subscription Video Services—The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment provides sports, entertainment and news services to pay-TV and streaming subscribers and other commercial licensees, primarily via cable, satellite and internet distribution, and consists of (i) the Company’s 65% interest in the Foxtel Group (with the remaining 35% interest held by Telstra, an ASX-listed telecommunications company) and (ii) Australian News Channel (“ANC”). The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider, with nearly 200 channels covering sports, general entertainment, movies, documentaries, music, children’s programming and news. Foxtel and the Kayo Sports streaming service offer the leading sports programming content in Australia, with broadcast rights to live sporting events including: National Rugby League, Australian Football League, Cricket Australia and various motorsports programming. The Foxtel Group also operates BINGE, its on-demand entertainment streaming service, and Foxtel Now, a streaming service that provides access across Foxtel's live and on-demand content.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service. ANC channels are distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand and available on Foxtel and Sky Network Television NZ. ANC also owns and operates the international Australia Channel IPTV service and offers content across a variety of digital media platforms, including web, mobile and third party providers.
•Dow Jones—The Dow Jones segment consists of Dow Jones, a global provider of news and business information, which distributes its content and data through a variety of media channels including newspapers, newswires, websites, applications, or apps, for mobile devices, tablets and e-book readers, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, live journalism, video and podcasts. The Dow Jones segment’s products, which target individual consumers and enterprise customers, include The Wall Street Journal, Factiva, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily.
•Book Publishing—The Book Publishing segment consists of HarperCollins, the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 17 countries and particular strengths in general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious publishing. HarperCollins owns more than 120 branded publishing imprints, including Harper, William Morrow, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Avon, Harlequin and Christian publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, and publishes works by well-known authors such as Harper Lee, George Orwell, Agatha Christie and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as global author brands including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Daniel Silva, Karin Slaughter and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also home to many beloved children’s books and authors and a significant Christian publishing business.
•News Media—The News Media segment consists primarily of News Corp Australia, News UK and the New York Post and includes, among other publications, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail and The Advertiser in Australia and The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and The Sun on Sunday in the U.K. This segment also includes Wireless Group, operator of talkSPORT, the leading sports radio network in the U.K., and Storyful, a social media content agency. The segment included News America Marketing until the completion of the sale of the business on May 5, 2020.
•Other—The Other segment consists primarily of general corporate overhead expenses, costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters (as defined in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies to the Consolidated Financial Statements) and transformation costs associated with the Company’s ongoing cost reduction initiatives.
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Digital Real Estate Services
The Digital Real Estate Services segment generates revenue through property and property-related advertising and services, including: the sale of real estate listing and lead generation products and referral-based services to agents, brokers and developers; real estate-related and property rental-related services; display advertising on residential real estate and commercial property sites; and residential property data services to the financial sector. The Digital Real Estate Services segment also generates revenue through licenses of certain professional software products on a subscription basis and fees and commissions from referrals generated through its end-to-end digital property search and financing offering and mortgage broking services. Significant expenses associated with these sites, services and software solutions include development costs, advertising and promotional expenses, hosting and support services, salaries, broker commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
Consumers overwhelmingly turn to the internet and mobile devices for real estate information and services. The Digital Real Estate Services segment’s success depends on its continued innovation to provide products and services that are useful for consumers and real estate, mortgage and financial services professionals and attractive to its advertisers. The Digital Real Estate Services segment operates in a highly competitive digital environment with other operators of real estate and property websites and mobile apps.
Subscription Video Services
The Company’s Subscription Video Services segment consists of (i) its 65% interest in the Foxtel Group and (ii) ANC. The Foxtel Group is the largest Australian-based subscription television provider through its Foxtel pay-TV and Kayo Sports, BINGE and Foxtel Now streaming services. The Foxtel Group generates revenue primarily through subscription revenue as well as advertising revenue.
The Foxtel Group competes for audiences primarily with a variety of other video content providers, such as traditional Free-To-Air (“FTA”) TV operators in Australia, including the three major commercial FTA networks and two major government-funded FTA broadcasters, and content providers that deliver video programming over the internet. These providers include, Internet Protocol television, or IPTV, subscription video-on-demand and broadcast video-on-demand providers; streaming services offered through digital media providers; as well as programmers and distributors that provide content directly to consumers over the internet.
ANC operates the SKY NEWS network, Australia’s 24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, and also owns and operates the Australia Channel IPTV service for international markets. Revenue is primarily derived from monthly affiliate fees received from pay-TV providers based on the number of subscribers and advertising.
The most significant operating expenses of the Subscription Video Services segment are the acquisition and production expenses related to programming, the expenses related to operating the technical facilities of the broadcast operations, expenses related to cable, satellite, internet and broadband transmission costs and studio and engineering expense. The expenses associated with licensing certain sports programming rights are recognized during the applicable season or event, which can cause results at the Subscription Video Services segment to fluctuate based on the timing and mix of the Foxtel Group’s local and international sports programming. Sports programming rights costs associated with a dedicated channel are amortized over 12 months. Other expenses include subscriber acquisition costs such as sales costs and marketing and promotional expenses related to improving the market visibility and awareness of the channels and their programming. Additional expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead expenses.
Dow Jones
The Dow Jones segment’s products target individual consumers and enterprise customers. Revenue from the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business is derived primarily from circulation, which includes subscription and single-copy sales of its digital and print consumer products, the sale of digital and print advertising, licensing fees for its print and digital consumer content and participation fees for its live journalism events. Circulation revenues are dependent on the content of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, prices of its and/or competitors’ products, as well as promotional activities and news cycles. Advertising revenue is dependent on a number of factors, including demand for the Dow Jones segment’s consumer products, general economic and business conditions, demographics of the customer base, advertising rates and effectiveness and brand strength and reputation. Advertising revenues are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically highest in the Company's second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season. In addition, the traditional consumer print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences, which have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, both print circulation and advertising revenues. Advertising, in particular, has been impacted by long-term structural movements in advertising spending from print to digital. The increasing range of advertising choices and formats has
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resulted in audience fragmentation and increased competition. Technologies and policies have also been and will continue to be developed and implemented that may make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising or allow users to block advertising on websites and mobile devices, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues. As a multi-platform news provider, the Dow Jones segment recognizes the importance of maximizing revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, both in terms of paid-for content and in new advertising models, and continues to invest in its digital and other products, which represent an increasingly larger share of revenues at its consumer business. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the Dow Jones segment to make its content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop its products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. The Dow Jones segment continues to develop and implement strategies to exploit its content across a variety of media channels and platforms, including leveraging its content through licensing arrangements with third-party distribution platforms and growing its live journalism events business, which has been affected in recent periods by uncertainty, cancellations and postponements caused by the novel coronavirus (”COVID-19”) pandemic and new revenue models for virtual events.
Operating expenses for the consumer business include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial and commissions. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overheads. The costs associated with printing and distributing newspapers, including paper prices and delivery costs, are key operating expenses whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the Dow Jones segment’s consumer business. The consumer business is affected by the cyclical increases and decreases in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including tariffs or other restrictions on non-U.S. paper suppliers. In addition, the Dow Jones segment relies on third parties for much of the printing and distribution of its print products. Long-term structural movements from print to digital and the more immediate, as well as longer term, economic impacts of COVID-19 present challenges to the financial and operational stability of these third parties which could, in turn, increase the cost of printing and distributing the Company's newspapers.
The Dow Jones segment’s consumer products compete for consumers, audience and advertising with other local and national newspapers, web and app-based media, magazines, investment tools, social media sources and podcasts, as well as other media such as television, radio stations and outdoor displays. As a result of rapidly changing and evolving technologies, distribution platforms and business models, and corresponding changes in consumer behavior, the consumer business continues to face increasing competition for both circulation and advertising revenue, including from a variety of alternative news and information sources. These include both paid and free websites, digital apps, news aggregators, blogs, podcasts, search engines, social media networks, programmatic advertising buying channels, as well as other emerging media and distribution platforms, including off-platform distribution of its products.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information business, which targets enterprise customers, derives revenue primarily from subscriptions to its professional information products. The professional information business serves enterprise customers with products that combine news and information with technology and tools that inform decisions and aid awareness, research and understanding. The success of the professional information business depends on its ability to provide products, services, applications and functionalities that meet the needs of its enterprise customers, who operate in information-intensive and oftentimes highly regulated industries such as finance and insurance. The professional information business must also anticipate and respond to industry trends and regulatory and technological changes.
Significant expenses for the professional information business include development costs, sales and marketing expenses, hosting and support services, royalties, salaries, consulting and professional fees, sales commissions, employee benefits and other routine overhead expenses.
The Dow Jones segment’s professional information products compete with various information service providers, compliance data providers and global financial newswires, including Reuters News, LexisNexis and Refinitiv, as well as many other providers of news, information and compliance data.
Book Publishing
The Book Publishing segment derives revenues from the sale of general fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religious books in the U.S. and internationally. The revenues and operating results of the Book Publishing segment are significantly affected by the timing of releases and the number of its books in the marketplace. The book publishing marketplace is subject to increased periods of demand during the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. This marketplace is highly competitive and continues to change due to technological developments, including additional digital platforms, such as e-books and downloadable audiobooks, and distribution channels and other factors. Each book is a separate and distinct product and its financial success depends upon many factors, including public acceptance.
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Major new title releases represent a significant portion of the Book Publishing segment’s sales throughout the fiscal year. Print-based consumer books are generally sold on a fully returnable basis, resulting in the return of unsold books. In the domestic and international markets, the Book Publishing segment is subject to global trends and local economic conditions. Operating expenses for the Book Publishing segment include costs related to paper, printing, authors’ royalties, editorial, promotional, art and design expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead.
News Media
Revenue at the News Media segment is derived primarily from the sale of advertising, circulation and subscriptions, as well as licensing. Adverse changes in general market conditions for advertising, including as a result of COVID-19, continue to affect revenues. Advertising revenues at the News Media segment are also subject to seasonality, with revenues typically being highest in the Company’s second fiscal quarter due to the end-of-year holiday season in its main operating geographies. Circulation and subscription revenues can be greatly affected by changes in the prices of the Company’s and/or competitors’ products, as well as by promotional activities and news cycles.
Operating expenses include costs related to paper, production, distribution, third party printing, editorial, commissions, technology and radio sports rights. Selling, general and administrative expenses include promotional expenses, salaries, employee benefits, rent and other routine overhead.
The cost of paper is a key operating expense whose fluctuations can have a material effect on the results of the segment. The News Media segment continues to be exposed to risks associated with paper used for printing. Paper is a basic commodity and its price is sensitive to the balance of supply and demand. The News Media segment’s expenses are affected by the cyclical increases and decreases in the price of paper and other factors that may affect paper prices, including tariffs. The News Media segment’s products compete for readership, audience and advertising with local and national competitors and also compete with other media alternatives in their respective markets. Competition for circulation and subscriptions is based on the content of the products provided, pricing and, from time to time, various promotions. The success of these products also depends upon advertisers’ judgments as to the most effective use of their advertising budgets. Competition for advertising is based upon the reach of the products, advertising rates and advertiser results. Such judgments are based on factors such as cost, availability of alternative media, distribution and quality of consumer demographics.
The News Media segment's traditional print business faces challenges from alternative media formats and shifting consumer preferences. The News Media segment is also exposed to the impact of long-term structural movements in advertising spending, in particular, the move from print to digital. These alternative media formats could impact the segment’s overall performance, positively or negatively. In addition, technologies and policies have been and will continue to be developed and implemented that may make it more difficult to target and measure the effectiveness of digital advertising or allow users to block advertising on websites and mobile devices, which may impact digital advertising rates or revenues.
As multi-platform news providers, the businesses within the News Media segment recognize the importance of maximizing revenues from a variety of media formats and platforms, both in terms of paid-for content and in new advertising models, and continue to invest in their digital products. Mobile devices, their related apps and other technologies, provide continued opportunities for the businesses within the News Media segment to make their content available to a new audience of readers, introduce new or different pricing schemes and develop their products to continue to attract advertisers and/or affect the relationship between content providers and consumers. The businesses within the News Media segment continue to develop and implement strategies to exploit their content across a variety of media channels and platforms.
Other
The Other segment primarily consists of general corporate overhead expenses, costs related to the U.K. Newspaper Matters and transformation costs associated with the Company’s ongoing cost reduction initiatives.
Other Business Developments
Fiscal 2021
REA Group sale of Malaysia and Thailand businesses
In August 2021, REA Group acquired an 18% interest (16.6% on a diluted basis) in PropertyGuru Pte. Ltd. (“PropertyGuru”), a leading digital property technology company operating marketplaces in Southeast Asia, in exchange for all shares of REA
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Group’s entities in Malaysia and Thailand. The transaction was completed after REA Group entered into an agreement to sell its 27% interest in its existing venture with 99.co. The transaction will create a leading digital real estate services company in Southeast Asia and create new opportunities for collaboration and access to a deeper pool of expertise, technology and investment in the region. REA Group received one seat on the board of directors of PropertyGuru as part of the transaction.
Agreement to acquire OPIS
In July 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire the Oil Price Information Service business and related assets (“OPIS”) from S&P Global Inc. (“S&P”) and IHS Markit Ltd. (“IHS”) for $1.15 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. OPIS is a global industry standard for benchmark and reference pricing and news and analytics for the oil, natural gas liquids and biofuels industries. The business also provides pricing and news and analytics for the coal, mining and metals end markets and insights and analytics in renewables and carbon pricing. The acquisition will enable Dow Jones to become a leading provider of energy and renewables information and further its goal of building the leading global business news and information platform for professionals. OPIS will be operated by Dow Jones, and its results will be included in the Dow Jones segment. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the consummation of the S&P and IHS merger, and is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2022.
Acquisition of Mortgage Choice
In June 2021, REA Group acquired Mortgage Choice Limited (“Mortgage Choice”) for approximately A$244 million in cash (approximately $183 million based on exchange rates as of the closing date), funded by an increase in REA Group’s debt facilities. Control was transferred and the acquisition became effective and binding on Mortgage Choice shareholders on June 18, 2021 upon court approval. Mortgage Choice is a leading Australian mortgage broking business, and the acquisition complements REA Group’s existing Smartline broker footprint and accelerates REA Group’s financial services strategy to establish a leading mortgage broking business with national scale. Mortgage Choice is a subsidiary of REA Group and its results are included in the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
Acquisition of HMH Books & Media
In May 2021, the Company acquired the Books & Media segment of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (“HMH Books & Media”) for $349 million in cash. HMH Books & Media publishes renowned and awarded children’s, young adult, fiction, non-fiction, culinary and reference titles. The acquisition adds an extensive and successful backlist, a strong frontlist in the lifestyle and children’s segments and a productions business that provides opportunities to expand HarperCollins’s intellectual property across different formats. HMH Books & Media is a subsidiary of HarperCollins and its results are included in the Book Publishing segment.
Acquisition of Investor’s Business Daily
In May 2021, the Company acquired Investor’s Business Daily (“IBD”) for $275 million in cash. IBD is a digital-first financial news and research business with unique investing content, analytical products and educational resources, including the Investors.com website. The acquisition expands Dow Jones’s offerings with the addition of proprietary data and tools to help professional and retail investors identify top-performing stocks. IBD is operated by Dow Jones, and its results are included within the Dow Jones segment.
Senior Notes Offering
In April 2021, the Company issued $1 billion of senior notes due 2029 (the “2021 Senior Notes”). The 2021 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.875% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing November 15, 2021. The notes will mature on May 15, 2029. The Company is using the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include acquisitions and working capital.
Google partnership
In February 2021, the Company entered into a multi-year partnership with Google to provide content from its news sites around the world. The three-year agreement also includes the development of a subscription platform, the sharing of advertising revenue via Google’s advertising technology services, the cultivation of audio journalism and meaningful investments in video journalism by YouTube.
Elara
In December 2020, the Company acquired a controlling interest in Elara Technologies Pte. Ltd. (“Elara”) through a subscription for newly-issued preference shares and the buyout of certain minority shareholders. The total aggregate purchase price associated
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with the acquisition at the completion date is $138 million which primarily consists of $69 million of cash, the fair value of noncontrolling interests of $37 million and the fair value of the Company’s previously held equity interest in Elara of $22 million. As a result of the transactions, REA Group’s shareholding in Elara increased from 13.5% to 59.7%, while News Corporation’s shareholding increased from 22.1% to 39.0%. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, REA Group acquired an additional 0.8% interest in Elara. REA Group and News Corporation now hold all Elara board seats, and the Company began consolidating Elara in December 2020. The acquisition of Elara allows REA Group to be at the forefront of long-term growth opportunities within India and the digitization of the real estate sector. Elara is a subsidiary of REA Group, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment. As a result of the transactions, the Company’s ownership in REA Group was diluted by 0.2% to 61.4%. Subsequent to June 30, 2021, REA Group provided additional funding to Elara in exchange for further equity which increased REA Group’s ownership interest to 65.5% and diluted News Corporation’s interest to 34.3%.
Avail
In December 2020, the Company acquired Rentalutions, Inc. (“Avail”) for initial cash consideration of approximately $36 million, net of $4 million of cash acquired, and up to $8 million in future cash consideration based upon the achievement of certain performance objectives over the next three years. Avail is a platform that improves the renting experience for do-it-yourself landlords and tenants with online tools, educational content and world-class support. The acquisition helps realtor.com® further expand into the rental space, extend its support for landlords, augment current rental listing content, grow its audience and build brand affinity and long-term relationships with renters. Avail is a subsidiary of Move, and its results are included within the Digital Real Estate Services segment.
Regional and community newspapers in Australia
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company decommissioned the print operations for its regional and community newspapers in Australia. These initiatives resulted in a revenue decrease at News Corp Australia of approximately $111 million and had an immaterial impact on Segment EBITDA during fiscal 2021.
Fiscal 2020
Sale of News America Marketing
On May 5, 2020, the Company sold its News America Marketing business, a reporting unit within its News Media segment (the “Disposition”). The aggregate purchase price for the Disposition consists of (a) up to approximately $235 million, comprised of (i) $50 million in cash at closing, subject to working capital and other adjustments, less cash reinvested to acquire a 5% equity interest in the business at closing, and (ii) additional deferred cash payments payable on or before the fifth anniversary of closing in an aggregate amount of between $125 million and approximately $185 million, depending on the timing of such payments, and (b) a warrant to purchase up to an additional 10% equity interest in the business, which the Company exercised in fiscal 2021. In the Disposition, the Company retained certain liabilities relating to News America Marketing, including those arising from its legal proceedings with Valassis Communications, Inc. and Insignia Systems, Inc. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Sale of Unruly
In January 2020, the Company sold Unruly to Tremor International Ltd (“Tremor”) for approximately 7% of Tremor’s outstanding shares. The Company agreed not to sell the Tremor shares for a period of 18 months after closing. At closing, the Company and Tremor entered into a three year commercial arrangement which granted Tremor the exclusive right to sell outstream video advertising on all of the Company’s digital properties in exchange for a total minimum revenue guarantee for News Corp of £30 million.
See Note 4—Acquisitions, Disposals and Other Transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the acquisitions and dispositions discussed above.
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Results of Operations—Fiscal 2021 versus Fiscal 2020
The following table sets forth the Company’s operating results for fiscal 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 4,206 | $ | 3,857 | $ | 349 | 9 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 1,594 | 2,193 | (599) | (27) | % | |||||||||
| Consumer | 1,908 | 1,593 | 315 | 20 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,153 | 862 | 291 | 34 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 497 | 503 | (6) | (1) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 9,358 | 9,008 | 350 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (4,831) | (5,000) | 169 | 3 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (3,254) | (2,995) | (259) | (9) | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | (680) | (644) | (36) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | (168) | (1,830) | 1,662 | 91 | % | |||||||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | (65) | (47) | (18) | (38) | % | |||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (53) | (25) | (28) | ** | ||||||||||
| Other, net | 143 | 9 | 134 | ** | ||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense | 450 | (1,524) | 1,974 | ** | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense | (61) | (21) | (40) | ** | ||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 389 | (1,545) | 1,934 | ** | ||||||||||
| Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | (59) | 276 | (335) | ** | ||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to News Corporation stockholders | $ | 330 | $ | (1,269) | $ | 1,599 | ** |
________________________
** not meaningful
Revenues—Revenues increased $350 million, or 4%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily driven by the $328 million increase at the Digital Real Estate Services segment primarily due to higher real estate revenues, the $319 million increase at the Book Publishing segment primarily due to higher book sales across categories, the $188 million increase at the Subscription Video Services segment which was due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and the $112 million increase at the Dow Jones segment primarily driven by higher circulation and subscription revenues. The increases were partially offset by the $596 million decline at the News Media segment, primarily driven by the $649 million impact from the sale of News America Marketing in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.
The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $513 million, or 6%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. The Company calculates the impact of foreign currency fluctuations for businesses reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar by multiplying the results for each quarter in the current period by the difference between the average exchange rate for that quarter and the average exchange rate in effect during the corresponding quarter of the prior year and totaling the impact for all quarters in the current period.
Operating expenses—Operating expenses decreased $169 million, or 3%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. The decrease was largely due to lower operating expenses at the News Media segment of $476 million, primarily due to the sale of News America Marketing, cost savings initiatives and lower newsprint, production and distribution costs, partially offset by the $87 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and the absence of the $22 million one-time benefit from the settlement of certain warranty-related claims in the U.K. in fiscal 2020. The decrease at the News Media segment was partially offset by increases of $167 million at the Book Publishing segment driven by increased revenue and $114 million at the Subscription Video Services segment, primarily due to the $139 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in an Operating expense increase of $250 million, or 5%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
Selling, general and administrative—Selling, general and administrative increased $259 million, or 9%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. The increase in Selling, general and administrative for the fiscal year ended June 30,
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2021 was primarily due to increased expenses of $149 million at the Digital Real Estate Services segment, driven by the $40 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations and higher employee and marketing costs, as well as a $128 million increase at the Other segment driven primarily by higher employee costs largely related to stock price and Company performance, which were negatively impacted by COVID-19 in the prior year, one-time legal settlement costs and investment spending as the Company ramps up its global cost reduction initiatives. The increase was partially offset by lower expenses of $119 million at the News Media segment driven by the sale of News America Marketing and ongoing cost savings initiatives, partially offset by the $74 million negative impact of foreign currency fluctuations. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a Selling, general and administrative increase of $177 million, or 6%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
Depreciation and amortization—Depreciation and amortization expense increased $36 million, or 6%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a depreciation and amortization expense increase of $46 million, or 8%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
Impairment and restructuring charges—During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $168 million and $140 million, respectively, of which $122 million and $84 million, respectively, related to the News Media segment. The increase in restructuring charges was primarily as a result of exit costs associated with the anticipated closure of the Company’s Bronx print plant, the termination of a third-party printing contract and the Company’s global cost reduction initiatives.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Company recognized non-cash impairment charges of $1,690 million, primarily due to a $931 million write-down of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets at its Foxtel reporting unit in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, $410 million of write-downs related to News America Marketing, including $175 million related to its reclassification to assets held for sale in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, and $292 million in impairments of property, plant and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets identified during the Company's annual impairment assessment.
See Note 5—Restructuring Programs, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Equity losses of affiliates—Equity losses of affiliates increased by $18 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the $54 million non-cash write-down of the Foxtel Group’s investment in the Nickelodeon Australia Joint Venture. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, Foxtel and ViacomCBS entered into a separate programming rights agreement which will result in the windup of the Nickelodeon Australia Joint Venture in the first half of fiscal 2022. See Note 6—Investments in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Interest expense, net—Interest expense, net for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 increased $28 million as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the absence of the impact from the settlement of cash flow hedges related to debt maturities in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and the issuance of the 2021 Senior Notes in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other, net—Other, net increased $134 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. See Note 21—Additional Financial Information in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income tax expense—The Company’s income tax expense and effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 were $61 million and 14%, respectively, as compared to an income tax expense and effective tax rate of $21 million and (1)%, respectively, for fiscal 2020.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 the Company recorded income tax expense of $61 million on pre-tax income of $450 million resulting in an effective tax rate that was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by valuation allowances being recorded against tax benefits in certain foreign jurisdictions with operating losses and by the impact of foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, offset by a release of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets that are more-likely-than-not to be realized and a remeasurement of deferred taxes in the U.K.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Company recorded income tax expense of $21 million on a pre-tax loss of $1,524 million resulting in an effective tax rate that was lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by the non-cash impairments, which have low or no tax benefit, valuation allowances being recorded against tax benefits in certain foreign jurisdictions with operating losses and by the impact of foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates.
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Management assesses available evidence to determine whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit the use of existing deferred tax assets. Based on management’s assessment of available evidence, it has been determined that it is more likely than not that certain deferred tax assets in U.S. Federal, State and foreign jurisdictions may not be realized and therefore, a valuation allowance has been established against those tax assets.
Net income (loss)—Net income was $389 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, as compared to a net loss of $1,545 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, an improvement of $1,934 million, primarily driven by the absence of non-cash impairment charges recognized in fiscal 2020, higher Total Segment EBITDA and higher Other, net, partially offset by higher tax expense.
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests—Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was $59 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, as compared to a net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $276 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, primarily due to the absence of the non-cash impairment charges recognized in fiscal 2020 at the Company’s Foxtel reporting unit.
Segment Analysis
Segment EBITDA is defined as revenues less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses. Segment EBITDA does not include: depreciation and amortization, impairment and restructuring charges, equity losses of affiliates, interest (expense) income, net, other, net and income tax (expense) benefit. Segment EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of Segment EBITDA.
Segment EBITDA is the primary measure used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources within, the Company’s businesses. Segment EBITDA provides management, investors and equity analysts with a measure to analyze the operating performance of each of the Company’s business segments and its enterprise value against historical data and competitors’ data, although historical results may not be indicative of future results (as operating performance is highly contingent on many factors, including customer tastes and preferences).
Total Segment EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, net income (loss), cash flow and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. In addition, this measure does not reflect cash available to fund requirements and excludes items, such as depreciation and amortization and impairment and restructuring charges, which are significant components in assessing the Company’s financial performance. The Company believes that the presentation of Total Segment EBITDA provides useful information regarding the Company’s operations and other factors that affect the Company’s reported results. Specifically, the Company believes that by excluding certain one-time or non-cash items such as impairment and restructuring charges and depreciation and amortization, as well as potential distortions between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures and changes in tax positions or regimes, the Company provides users of its consolidated financial statements with insight into both its core operations as well as the factors that affect reported results between periods but which the Company believes are not representative of its core business. As a result, users of the Company’s consolidated financial statements are better able to evaluate changes in the core operating results of the Company across different periods.
The following table reconciles Net income (loss) to Total Segment EBITDA for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 389 | $ | (1,545) | ||
| Add: | ||||||
| Income tax expense | 61 | 21 | ||||
| Other, net | (143) | (9) | ||||
| Interest expense, net | 53 | 25 | ||||
| Equity losses of affiliates | 65 | 47 | ||||
| Impairment and restructuring charges | 168 | 1,830 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 680 | 644 | ||||
| Total Segment EBITDA | $ | 1,273 | $ | 1,013 |
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The following table sets forth the Company’s Revenues and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| (in millions) | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | Revenues | Segment EBITDA | ||||||||||
| Digital Real Estate Services | $ | 1,393 | $ | 514 | $ | 1,065 | $ | 345 | ||||||
| Subscription Video Services | 2,072 | 359 | 1,884 | 323 | ||||||||||
| Dow Jones | 1,702 | 332 | 1,590 | 236 | ||||||||||
| Book Publishing | 1,985 | 303 | 1,666 | 214 | ||||||||||
| News Media | 2,205 | 52 | 2,801 | 53 | ||||||||||
| Other | 1 | (287) | 2 | (158) | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | 9,358 | $ | 1,273 | $ | 9,008 | $ | 1,013 |
Digital Real Estate Services (15% and 12% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 25 | $ | 36 | $ | (11) | (31) | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 126 | 98 | 28 | 29 | % | |||||||||
| Real estate | 1,153 | 862 | 291 | 34 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 89 | 69 | 20 | 29 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,393 | 1,065 | 328 | 31 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (182) | (172) | (10) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (697) | (548) | (149) | (27) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 514 | $ | 345 | $ | 169 | 49 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $328 million, or 31%, as compared to fiscal 2020. Revenues at Move increased $168 million, or 36%, to $641 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 from $473 million in fiscal 2020, primarily driven by higher real estate revenues due to the factors discussed below and the absence of an estimated $15 million of discounts offered to customers in response to COVID-19 during fiscal 2020. The referral model and the traditional lead generation product both benefited from higher lead and transaction volumes. The referral model also benefited from higher average home values and referral fees and generated approximately 29% of total Move revenues. The traditional lead generation product saw continued strong demand from agents, driving improvements in sell-through and yield. At REA Group, revenues increased $160 million, or 27%, to $752 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 from $592 million in fiscal 2020. The higher revenues were primarily due to the $80 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, an increase in Australian residential depth revenue driven by strong national listings and the $l3 million impact from the acquisition of Elara.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Segment EBITDA at the Digital Real Estate Services segment increased $169 million, or 49%, as compared to fiscal 2020. The increase in Segment EBITDA was primarily driven by the $100 million and $67 million higher contributions from Move and REA Group, respectively, resulting from the higher revenues discussed above and the $40 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, partially offset by higher employee costs at both Move and REA Group, an $18 million increase in marketing costs at Move and the $17 million negative impact from the acquisition of Elara. Fiscal 2021 included approximately $12 million of transaction costs related to current year acquisitions.
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Subscription Video Services (22% and 21% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,825 | $ | 1,673 | $ | 152 | 9 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 210 | 174 | 36 | 21 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 37 | 37 | — | — | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,072 | 1,884 | 188 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,334) | (1,220) | (114) | (9) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (379) | (341) | (38) | (11) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 359 | $ | 323 | $ | 36 | 11 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, revenues at the Subscription Video Services segment increased $188 million, or 10%, as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and $89 million of higher streaming revenues, primarily from Kayo and BINGE, partially offset by lower subscription revenues resulting from fewer residential broadcast subscribers. Commercial subscription revenues were largely flat, as the recovery in the commercial sector during the second half of fiscal 2021 largely offset the impact of COVID-19 restrictions that began in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. However, ongoing lockdowns within certain states in Australia are expected to have a modest negative impact on commercial subscription revenues in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $217 million, or 12%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Segment EBITDA increased $36 million, or 11%, as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the $36 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and lower entertainment programming, transmission and employee costs. The increase was partially offset by increased investment in streaming products and $35 million in higher sports programming rights and production costs, primarily driven by the absence of live sports in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions which led to the subsequent recognition of $57 million of those deferred costs in fiscal 2021, partially offset by savings from renegotiated sports rights.
The following tables provide information regarding certain key performance indicators for the Foxtel Group, the primary reporting unit within the Subscription Video Services segment, as of and for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020. Management believes these metrics provide useful information to allow investors to understand trends in consumer behavior and acceptance of the various services offered by the Foxtel Group. Management utilizes these metrics to track and forecast subscription revenue trends across the business’s various linear and streaming products. See “Part I. Business” for further detail regarding these performance indicators including definitions and methods of calculation.
| As of June 30, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||
| (in 000's) | ||||
| Broadcast Subscribers | ||||
| Residential(a) | 1,651 | 1,903 | ||
| Commercial(b) | 234 | 86 | ||
| Streaming Subscribers (Total (Paid)) | ||||
| Kayo(c) | 1,079 (1,054 paid) | 465 (419 paid) | ||
| BINGE(d) | 827 (733 paid) | 80 (56 paid) | ||
| Foxtel Now(e) | 228 (219 paid) | 336 (313 paid) | ||
| Total Subscribers (Total (Paid)) | 4,019 (3,891 paid) | 2,870 (2,777 paid) |
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||
| Broadcast ARPU(f) | A$80 (US$60) | A$78 (US$52) | |
| Broadcast Subscriber Churn(g) | 17.3% | 15.3% |
(a)Subscribing households throughout Australia as of June 30, 2021 and 2020.
(b)Commercial subscribers throughout Australia as of June 30, 2021 and 2020.
(c)Total and Paid Kayo subscribers as of June 30, 2021 and 2020.
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(d)Total and Paid BINGE subscribers as of June 30, 2021 and 2020. BINGE was launched on May 25, 2020.
(e)Total and Paid Foxtel Now subscribers as of June 30, 2021 and 2020.
(f)Average monthly broadcast residential subscription revenue per user (excluding Optus) (Broadcast ARPU) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020.
(g)Broadcast residential subscriber churn rate (excluding Optus) (Broadcast Subscriber Churn) for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020.
Dow Jones (18% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in both fiscal 2021 and 2020)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,296 | $ | 1,191 | $ | 105 | 9 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 373 | 359 | 14 | 4 | % | |||||||||
| Other | 33 | 40 | (7) | (18) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,702 | 1,590 | 112 | 7 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (781) | (765) | (16) | (2) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (589) | (589) | — | — | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 332 | $ | 236 | $ | 96 | 41 | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, revenues at the Dow Jones segment increased $112 million, or 7%, as compared to fiscal 2020 driven by an increase in circulation and subscription revenues, higher digital advertising revenues and the $11 million impact from the acquisition of IBD in May 2021, partially offset by declines in print advertising revenues and print circulation revenues. Digital revenues at the Dow Jones segment represented 72% of total revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, as compared to 67% in fiscal 2020. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $13 million as compared to fiscal 2020.
Circulation and subscription revenues
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and other | $ | 817 | $ | 740 | $ | 77 | 10 | % | ||||||
| Professional information business | 479 | 451 | 28 | 6 | % | |||||||||
| Total circulation and subscription revenues | $ | 1,296 | $ | 1,191 | $ | 105 | 9 | % |
Circulation and subscription revenues increased $105 million, or 9%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. Circulation and other revenues increased $77 million, or 10%, primarily driven by growth in digital-only subscriptions at The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s and a $12 million increase in content licensing revenues, partially offset by print volume declines. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, average daily digital-only subscriptions at The Wall Street Journal increased 21% to 2.7 million as compared to the corresponding period of fiscal 2020, and digital revenues represented 64% of circulation revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to 58% in fiscal 2020. Revenues at the professional information business increased $28 million, or 6%, as growth of $36 million in Risk & Compliance revenues was partially offset by lower revenues from other professional information business products.
The following table summarizes average daily consumer subscriptions during the three months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 for select publications and for all consumer subscription products.(a)
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| For the three months ended June 30(b), | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except %) | Better/(Worse) | ||||||||||
| The Wall Street Journal | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 2,722 | 2,244 | 478 | 21 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 3,456 | 2,998 | 458 | 15 | % | ||||||
| Barron’s Group(d) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 700 | 556 | 144 | 26 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 920 | 780 | 140 | 18 | % | ||||||
| Total Consumer(e) | |||||||||||
| Digital-only subscriptions(c) | 3,522 | 2,800 | 722 | 26 | % | ||||||
| Total subscriptions | 4,502 | 3,778 | 724 | 19 | % |
________________________
(a)Based on internal data for the periods from March 29, 2021 to June 27, 2021 and March 30, 2020 to June 28, 2020, respectively, with independent assurance over global total sales and subscriptions provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP UK.
(b)Subscriptions include individual consumer subscriptions, as well as subscriptions purchased by companies, schools, businesses and associations for use by their respective employees, students, customers or members. Subscriptions exclude single-copy sales and copies purchased by hotels, airlines and other businesses for limited distribution or access to customers.
(c)For some publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, Dow Jones sells bundled print and digital products. For bundles that provide access to both print and digital products every day of the week, only one unit is reported each day and is designated as a print subscription. For bundled products that provide access to the print product only on specified days and full digital access, one print subscription is reported for each day that a print copy is served and one digital subscription is reported for each remaining day of the week.
(d)Barron’s Group consists of Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News and Private Equity News.
(e)Total Consumer consists of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Group and, from May 5, 2021, Investor’s Business Daily.
Advertising revenues
Advertising revenues increased $14 million, or 4%, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily driven by the $52 million increase in digital advertising revenue, which represented 58% of advertising revenue for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, as compared to 46% in fiscal 2020. The increase was partially offset by a $38 million decline in print advertising revenues resulting from general market weakness and lower print volume across The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s accelerated by COVID-19.
Segment EBITDA
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Segment EBITDA at the Dow Jones segment increased $96 million, or 41%, as compared to fiscal 2020. The increase was mainly due to the increase in revenues discussed above, lower newsprint, production and distribution costs driven by lower print volumes and other discretionary cost savings, partially offset by increased employee and marketing costs.
Book Publishing (21% and 18% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer | $ | 1,908 | $ | 1,593 | $ | 315 | 20 | % | ||||||
| Other | 77 | 73 | 4 | 5 | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 1,985 | 1,666 | 319 | 19 | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,301) | (1,134) | (167) | (15) | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (381) | (318) | (63) | (20) | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 303 | $ | 214 | $ | 89 | 42 | % |
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For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, revenues at the Book Publishing segment increased $319 million, or 19%, as compared to fiscal 2020. The increase was primarily driven by the strong performance across categories, including the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and other backlist titles in the General Books and children’s categories, the strong performance of The Order by Daniel Silva, The Happy In A Hurry Cookbook by Steve Doocey, and Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis, as well as the $32 million impact from the acquisition of a book publisher in Europe in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 and the $23 million impact from the acquisition of HMH Books and Media in May 2021. Digital sales increased by 16% as compared to fiscal 2020 due to growth in both e-books and downloadable audiobooks. Digital sales represented approximately 22% of consumer revenues during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $34 million, or 2%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Segment EBITDA at the Book Publishing segment increased $89 million, or 42%, as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the higher revenues discussed above, partially offset by higher costs related to increased sales volume and higher employee costs.
News Media (24% and 31% of the Company’s consolidated revenues in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively)
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| (in millions, except %) | Better/(Worse) | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Circulation and subscription | $ | 1,060 | $ | 956 | $ | 104 | 11 | % | ||||||
| Advertising | 885 | 1,562 | (677) | (43) | % | |||||||||
| Other | 260 | 283 | (23) | (8) | % | |||||||||
| Total Revenues | 2,205 | 2,801 | (596) | (21) | % | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | (1,233) | (1,709) | 476 | 28 | % | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | (920) | (1,039) | 119 | 11 | % | |||||||||
| Segment EBITDA | $ | 52 | $ | 53 | $ | (1) | (2) | % |
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, revenues at the News Media segment decreased $596 million, or 21%, as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to lower advertising revenues of $677 million driven by the sale of News America Marketing in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, which contributed $649 million to the decline, the $90 million impact from the closure or transition to digital of regional and community newspapers in Australia as well as continued weakness in the print advertising market exacerbated by COVID-19, partially offset by the $68 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and digital advertising growth at the New York Post and News UK. Other revenues for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 decreased $23 million as compared to fiscal 2020 primarily due to the $26 million impact from the sale of Unruly in January 2020. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $104 million as compared to fiscal 2020 primarily due to the $79 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, digital subscriber growth across key mastheads and price increases, partially offset by print volume declines, primarily at News UK. The impact of foreign currency fluctuations of the U.S. dollar against local currencies resulted in a revenue increase of $169 million, or 6%, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, Segment EBITDA at the News Media segment decreased $1 million, or 2%, as compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the net $50 million negative impact from the sales of News America Marketing and Unruly in fiscal 2020 and the absence of the $22 million one-time benefit from the settlement of certain warranty-related claims in the U.K. in fiscal 2020. The decrease was partially offset by the increased contribution from News Corp Australia of $15 million, primarily due to cost savings initiatives and lower newsprint, production and distribution costs, lower losses at the New York Post of $15 million primarily due to higher revenues, the increased contribution from News UK of $9 million and the $8 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations.
News Corp Australia
Revenues were $997 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, a decrease of $8 million, or 1%, as compared to fiscal 2020 revenues of $1,005 million. The closure or transition to digital of regional and community newspapers in Australia resulted in a revenue decrease of $111 million. Advertising revenues decreased $79 million, primarily due to the closure or transition to digital of regional and community newspapers and continued weakness in the print advertising market exacerbated by COVID-19, partially offset by the $45 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $66 million primarily driven by the $43 million positive impact from foreign currency fluctuations and digital
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subscriber growth, which were partially offset by print volume declines resulting from the closure or transition to digital of regional and community newspapers.
News UK
Revenues were $942 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, an increase of $44 million, or 5%, as compared to fiscal 2020 revenues of $898 million. Circulation and subscription revenues increased $44 million, primarily driven by the $36 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations, cover price increases, mainly at The Sun, and digital subscriber growth, mainly at The Times and The Sunday Times, partially offset by single-copy volume declines exacerbated by COVID-19, primarily at The Sun. Advertising revenues decreased $3 million, primarily due to continued weakness in the print advertising market exacerbated by COVID-19, partially offset by the $16 million positive impact of foreign currency fluctuations and digital advertising growth.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Current Financial Condition
The Company’s principal source of liquidity is internally generated funds and cash and cash equivalents on hand. As of June 30, 2021, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were $2.24 billion. The Company also has available borrowing capacity under the 2019 News Corp Credit Facility (as defined below) and certain other facilities, as described below, and expects to have access to the worldwide credit and capital markets, subject to market conditions, in order to issue additional debt if needed or desired. The Company currently expects these elements of liquidity will enable it to meet its liquidity needs for at least the next 12 months, including repayment of indebtedness. Although the Company believes that its cash on hand and future cash from operations, together with its access to the credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund its operating and financing needs for at least the next 12 months, its access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms in the future will be affected by many factors, including: (i) the financial and operational performance of the Company and/or its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (ii) the Company’s credit ratings and/or the credit rating of its operating subsidiaries, as applicable; (iii) the provisions of any relevant debt instruments, credit agreements, indentures and similar or associated documents; (iv) the liquidity of the overall credit and capital markets; and (v) the state of the economy. There can be no assurances that the Company will continue to have access to the credit and capital markets on acceptable terms.
As of June 30, 2021, the Company’s consolidated assets included $798 million in cash and cash equivalents that were held by its foreign subsidiaries. Of this amount, $128 million is cash not readily accessible by the Company as it is held by REA Group, a majority owned but separately listed public company. REA Group must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. The Company earns income outside the U.S., which is deemed to be permanently reinvested in certain foreign jurisdictions. The Company does not currently intend to repatriate these earnings. Should the Company require more capital in the U.S. than is generated by and/or available to its domestic operations, the Company could elect to transfer funds held in foreign jurisdictions. The transfer of funds from foreign jurisdictions may be cumbersome due to local regulations, foreign exchange controls and taxes. Additionally, the transfer of funds from foreign jurisdictions may result in higher effective tax rates and higher cash paid for income taxes for the Company.
The principal uses of cash that affect the Company’s liquidity position include the following: operational expenditures including employee costs, paper purchases and programming costs; capital expenditures; income tax payments; investments in associated entities; acquisitions; and the repayment of debt and related interest. In addition to the acquisitions and dispositions disclosed elsewhere, the Company has evaluated, and expects to continue to evaluate, possible future acquisitions and dispositions of certain businesses. Such transactions may be material and may involve cash, the issuance of the Company’s securities or the assumption of indebtedness.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In May 2013, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) authorized the Company to repurchase up to an aggregate of $500 million of its Class A Common Stock. No stock repurchases were made during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020. Over the life of the program through July 30, 2021, the Company cumulatively repurchased approximately 5.2 million shares of Class A Common Stock for an aggregate cost of approximately $71 million. The remaining authorized amount under the stock repurchase program as of July 30, 2021 was approximately $429 million. All decisions regarding any future stock repurchases are at the sole discretion of a duly appointed committee of the Board of Directors and management. The committee’s decisions regarding future stock repurchases will be evaluated from time to time in light of many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the committee may deem relevant. The stock repurchase authorization may be modified, extended, suspended or discontinued at any time by the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors cannot provide any assurances that any additional shares will be repurchased.
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The Company did not purchase any of its Class A or Class B Common Stock during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020.
Dividends
The following table summarizes the dividends declared and paid per share on both the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Cash dividends paid per share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.20 |
The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to stockholders, if any, is within the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors’ decisions regarding the payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including the Company’s financial condition, earnings, capital requirements and debt facility covenants, other contractual restrictions, as well as legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice, market volatility and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.
Sources and Uses of Cash—Fiscal 2021 versus Fiscal 2020
Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,237 | $ | 780 |
Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $457 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to fiscal 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher Total Segment EBITDA and lower working capital, partially offset by higher cash taxes paid of $88 million and higher restructuring payments of $42 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (1,292) | $ | (427) |
Net cash used in investing activities was $1,292 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to net cash used in investing activities of $427 million for fiscal 2020.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company used $886 million of cash for acquisitions, primarily HMH Books & Media, IBD and Mortgage Choice, and used $390 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $139 million related to the Foxtel Group. The Company’s capital expenditures for fiscal 2022 are expected to increase approximately $100 million, subject to foreign currency fluctuations, partly driven by higher technology costs and the roll-out of the IP-enabled set-top-boxes at the Foxtel Group.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Company used $438 million of cash for capital expenditures, of which $195 million related to Foxtel.
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 was as follows (in millions):
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | $ | 699 | $ | (472) |
The Company had net cash provided by financing activities of $699 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 as compared to net cash used in financing activities of $472 million for fiscal 2020.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the Company issued $1.0 billion of senior notes and had new borrowings related to REA Group and the Foxtel Group of $515 million, which includes drawdowns under REA Group's 2021 bridge facility to repay outstanding debt in connection with its refinancing completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The net cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by $557 million of repayments for borrowings related to the Foxtel Group and REA Group and dividend payments of $163 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
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During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the Company repaid $1,226 million of borrowings related to Foxtel and REA Group, which includes repayments made as part of the debt refinancings completed in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, and made dividend payments of $158 million to News Corporation stockholders and REA Group minority stockholders. The net cash used in financing activities for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 was partially offset by new borrowings of $926 million, which includes drawdowns under the new facilities entered into as part of the debt refinancings referenced above, and the net settlement of hedges of $57 million.
Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow Available to News Corporation
Free cash flow available to News Corporation is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures (“free cash flow”), less REA Group free cash flow, plus cash dividends received from REA Group. Free cash flow available to News Corporation should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, cash flows from operations and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. Free cash flow available to News Corporation may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies, since companies and investors may differ as to what items should be included in the calculation of free cash flow.
The Company considers free cash flow available to News Corporation to provide useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash that is available to be used to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet and for strategic opportunities including, among others, investing in the Company’s business, strategic acquisitions, dividend payouts and repurchasing stock. The Company believes excluding REA Group’s free cash flow and including dividends received from REA Group provides users of its consolidated financial statements with a measure of the amount of cash flow that is readily available to the Company, as REA Group is a separately listed public company in Australia and must declare a dividend in order for the Company to have access to its share of REA Group’s cash balance. The Company believes free cash flow available to News Corporation provides a more conservative view of the Company’s free cash flow because this presentation includes only that amount of cash the Company actually receives from REA Group, which has generally been lower than the Company’s unadjusted free cash flow.
A limitation of free cash flow available to News Corporation is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for the limitation of free cash flow available to News Corporation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Statements of Cash Flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporate all cash movements during the period.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow available to News Corporation:
| For the fiscal years ended June 30, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in millions) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 1,237 | $ | 780 | ||
| Less: Capital expenditures | (390) | (438) | ||||
| 847 | 342 | |||||
| Less: REA Group free cash flow | (185) | (227) | ||||
| Plus: Cash dividends received from REA Group | 69 | 65 | ||||
| Free cash flow available to News Corporation | $ | 731 | $ | 180 |
Free cash flow available to News Corporation increased $551 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 to $731 million from $180 million in fiscal 2020, primarily due to higher cash provided by operating activities as discussed above and lower capital expenditures.
Borrowings
As of June 30, 2021, the Company, certain subsidiaries of NXE Australia Pty Limited (the “Foxtel Group” and together with such subsidiaries, the “Foxtel Debt Group”) and REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries (REA Group and certain of its subsidiaries, the “REA Debt Group”) had total borrowings of $2.31 billion, including the current portion. Both Foxtel and REA Group are consolidated but non wholly-owned subsidiaries of News Corp, and their indebtedness is only guaranteed by members of the Foxtel Debt Group and REA Debt Group, respectively, and is non-recourse to News Corp.
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News Corporation Borrowings
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had borrowings of $985 million. In April 2021, the Company issued $1 billion of senior notes due 2029 (the “2021 Senior Notes”). The 2021 Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.875% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing November 15, 2021. The notes will mature on May 15, 2029.
Foxtel Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2021, the Foxtel Debt Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $914 million, including the full drawdown of its 2019 Term Loan Facility, amounts outstanding under the 2019 Credit Facility and 2017 Working Capital Facility, its outstanding U.S. private placement senior unsecured notes and amounts outstanding under the Telstra Facility (described below), and (ii) total undrawn commitments of A$334 million available under the 2017 Working Capital Facility and 2019 Credit Facility. On April 9, 2021, the Foxtel Debt Group amended its 2019 Credit Facility and 2017 Working Capital Facility to, among other things, extend the debt maturity from November 2022 to May 2024 and reduce the applicable margin to between 2.00% to 3.25%, depending on the Foxtel Debt Group’s net leverage ratio.
In addition to third-party indebtedness, the Foxtel Debt Group has related party indebtedness, including A$900 million of outstanding shareholder loans and available facilities from the Company. The shareholder loans bear interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 6.30% to 7.75% and mature in December 2027. The shareholder revolving credit facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin ranging from 2.00% to 3.75%, depending on the Foxtel Debt Group’s net leverage ratio, and matures in July 2024. Additionally, the Foxtel Debt Group has an A$170 million subordinated shareholder loan facility agreement with Telstra which can be used to finance cable transmission costs due to Telstra. The Telstra Facility bears interest at a variable rate of the Australian BBSY plus an applicable margin of 7.75% and matures in December 2027. The Company excludes the utilization of the Telstra Facility from the Statements of Cash Flows because it is non-cash.
REA Group Borrowings
As of June 30, 2021, REA Group had (i) borrowings of approximately $314 million, consisting of amounts outstanding under its new 2021 Bridge Facility, and (ii) A$107 million of undrawn commitments available under the 2021 Bridge Facility. In June 2021, REA Group entered into an A$520 million 2021 Bridge Facility due July 2022 (the “2021 Bridge Facility”). Drawdowns under this facility were used to repay and terminate its A$170 million 2019 Credit Facility, while cash on hand was used to repay the A$70 million 2018 Credit Facility at maturity. The undrawn 2020 Credit Facility and 2020 Overdraft Facility were also terminated. REA Group expects to refinance the 2021 Bridge Facility with a syndicate of loans in the first half of fiscal 2022.
News Corp Revolving Credit Facility
The Company has an undrawn $750 million unsecured revolving credit facility (the “2019 News Corp Credit Facility”) that can be used for general corporate purposes, which terminates on December 12, 2024.
All of the Company’s borrowings contain customary representations, covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at June 30, 2021.
See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding the Company’s outstanding debt, including additional information about interest rates, maturities and covenants related to such debt arrangements.
Commitments
The Company has commitments under certain firm contractual arrangements (“firm commitments”) to make future payments. These firm commitments secure the current and future rights to various assets and services to be used in the normal course of operations.
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The following table summarizes the Company’s material firm commitments as of June 30, 2021:
| As of June 30, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(a) | $ | 1,042 | $ | 444 | $ | 402 | $ | 106 | $ | 90 | ||||||||
| Sports programming rights(b) | 2,022 | 402 | 938 | 446 | 236 | |||||||||||||
| Programming costs(c) | 745 | 265 | 430 | 36 | 14 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases(d) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 207 | 30 | 54 | 37 | 86 | |||||||||||||
| Land and buildings | 1,313 | 153 | 267 | 224 | 669 | |||||||||||||
| Plant and machinery | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases | ||||||||||||||||||
| Transmission costs(e) | 106 | 31 | 58 | 17 | — | |||||||||||||
| Borrowings(f) | 2,224 | — | 824 | 340 | 1,060 | |||||||||||||
| Interest payments on borrowings(g) | 438 | 87 | 136 | 92 | 123 | |||||||||||||
| Total commitments and contractual obligations | $ | 8,110 | $ | 1,419 | $ | 3,114 | $ | 1,299 | $ | 2,278 |
________________________
(a)The Company has commitments under purchase obligations related to minimum subscriber guarantees for license fees, printing contracts, capital projects, marketing agreements, production services and other legally binding commitments.
(b)The Company has sports programming rights commitments with the National Rugby League, Australian Football League and Cricket Australia, as well as certain other broadcast rights which are payable through fiscal 2028.
(c)The Company has programming rights commitments with various suppliers for programming content.
(d)The Company leases office facilities, warehouse facilities, printing plants, satellite services and equipment. These leases, which are classified as operating leases, are expected to be paid at certain dates through fiscal 2048. Amounts reflected represent only the Company’s lease obligations for which it has firm commitments.
(e)The Company has contractual commitments for satellite transmission services. The Company’s satellite transponder services arrangements extend through fiscal 2032 and are accounted for as operating or finance leases, based on the underlying terms of those arrangements.
(f)See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
(g)Reflects the Company’s expected future interest payments on borrowings outstanding and interest rates applicable at June 30, 2021. Such rates are subject to change in future periods. See Note 9—Borrowings in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company has certain contracts to purchase newsprint, ink and plates that require the Company to purchase a percentage of its total requirements for production. Since the quantities purchased annually under these contracts are not fixed and are based on the Company’s total requirements, the amount of the related payments for these purchases is excluded from the table above.
The table also excludes the Company’s pension obligations, other postretirement benefits (“OPEB”) obligations and the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions as the Company is unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount and timing of the commitments. The Company made contributions of $35 million and $30 million to its pension plans in fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns and interest rates and statutory requirements. The Company anticipates that it will make contributions of approximately $15 million in fiscal 2022, assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s expected returns in fiscal 2021 and beyond, and that interest rates remain constant. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. Payments due to participants under the Company’s pension plans are primarily paid out of underlying trusts. Payments due under the Company’s OPEB plans are not required to be funded in advance, but are paid as medical costs are incurred by covered retiree populations, and are principally dependent upon the future cost of retiree medical benefits under the Company’s OPEB plans. The Company expects its OPEB payments to approximate $8 million in fiscal 2022. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Contingencies
The Company routinely is involved in various legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations, including those discussed in Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. The
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outcome of these matters and claims is subject to significant uncertainty, and the Company often cannot predict what the eventual outcome of pending matters will be or the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters. Fees, expenses, fines, penalties, judgments or settlement costs which might be incurred by the Company in connection with the various proceedings could adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.
The Company establishes an accrued liability for legal claims when it determines that a loss is both probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Once established, accruals are adjusted from time to time, as appropriate, in light of additional information. The amount of any loss ultimately incurred in relation to matters for which an accrual has been established may be higher or lower than the amounts accrued for such matters. Legal fees associated with litigation and similar proceedings are expensed as incurred. The Company recognizes gain contingencies when the gain becomes realized or realizable. See Note 16—Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company’s tax returns are subject to on-going review and examination by various tax authorities. Tax authorities may not agree with the treatment of items reported in the Company’s tax returns, and therefore the outcome of tax reviews and examinations can be unpredictable. The Company believes it has appropriately accrued for the expected outcome of uncertain tax matters and believes such liabilities represent a reasonable provision for taxes ultimately expected to be paid. However, these liabilities may need to be adjusted as new information becomes known and as tax examinations continue to progress, or as settlements or litigations occur.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
An accounting policy is considered to be critical if it is important to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and if it requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in its application. The development and selection of these critical accounting policies have been determined by management of the Company. See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Long-lived assets
The Company’s long-lived assets include goodwill, finite-lived and indefinite-lived intangible assets and property, plant and equipment. Assets acquired in business combinations are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is recorded as the difference between the cost of acquiring a business and the estimated fair values assigned to its tangible and identifiable intangible net assets and is assigned to one or more reporting units for purposes of testing for impairment.
Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management’s judgment and often involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including assumptions with respect to future cash inflows and outflows, discount rates, asset lives and market multiples, among other items. Identifying reporting units and assigning goodwill to them requires judgment involving the aggregation of business units with similar economic characteristics and the identification of existing business units that benefit from the acquired goodwill. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to each class of long-lived assets acquired, their reporting unit, as well as their useful lives can significantly impact net income. The Company allocates goodwill to disposed businesses using the relative fair value method.
Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter and at other times if a significant event or change in circumstances indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets has been reduced below their carrying value. The Company uses its judgment in assessing whether assets may have become impaired between annual impairment assessments. Indicators such as unexpected adverse economic factors, unanticipated technological changes or competitive activities, loss of key personnel and acts by governments and courts, may signal that an asset has become impaired.
Under ASC 350, in assessing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether events or circumstances exist that lead to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is not required to perform any additional tests in assessing goodwill for impairment. However, if the Company concludes otherwise or elects not to perform the qualitative assessment, then it is required to perform a quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the business, and compare the calculated fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company determines the fair value of a reporting unit primarily by using both a discounted cash flow analysis and market-based valuation approach.
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Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including judgments about appropriate discount rates, long-term growth rates, relevant comparable company earnings multiples and the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, as part of the Company’s long-range planning process, the Company completed its annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test.
The performance of the Company’s annual impairment analysis resulted in no impairments to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets in fiscal 2021. Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the income approach valuation method were discount rates (ranging from 8.0% to 22.0%), long-term growth rates (ranging from 0.0% to 3.0%) and royalty rates (ranging from 0.25% to 6.0%). Significant unobservable inputs utilized in the market approach valuation method were EBITDA multiples from guideline public companies operating in similar industries and control premiums (ranging from 5.0% to 10.0%). Significant increases (decreases) in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, assuming no change in discount rates, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement. Significant decreases (increases) in discount rates, assuming no changes in royalty rates, growth rates, control premiums and multiples, would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement.
As of June 30, 2021, there were no reporting units with goodwill at-risk for future impairment. The Company will continue to monitor its goodwill for possible future impairment.
Property, Plant and Equipment
The Company evaluates the carrying value of property, plant and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable, in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment” (“ASC 360”). An asset group is the lowest level of assets and liabilities for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Events or circumstances that might warrant an impairment recoverability review include, among other things, material declines in operating performance, significant adverse market conditions and planned changes in the use of an asset group.
In determining whether the carrying value of an asset group is recoverable, the Company estimates undiscounted future cash flows over the estimated life of the primary asset of the asset group. The estimates of such future cash flows require estimating such factors as future operating performance, market conditions and the estimated holding period of each asset. If all or a portion of the carrying value of an asset group is found to be non-recoverable, the Company records an impairment charge equal to the difference between the asset group’s carrying value and its fair value. The Company generally measures fair value by considering sales prices for similar assets or by discounting estimated future cash flows using an appropriate discount rate. Typical assumptions applied when using a market-based approach include projected EBITDA and related multiples. Typical assumptions applied when using an income approach include projected free cash flows, discount rates and long-term growth rates. All of these assumptions are made by management based on the best available information at the time of the estimates and are subject to deviations from actual results.
Programming Costs
Costs incurred in acquiring programming rights are accounted for in accordance with ASC 920, “Entertainment—Broadcasters.” Programming rights and the related liabilities are recorded at the gross amount of the liabilities when the license period has begun, the cost of the program is determinable and the program is accepted and available for airing. Programming costs are amortized based on the expected pattern of consumption over the license period or expected useful life of each program. The pattern of consumption is based primarily on consumer viewership information as well as other factors. If initial airings are expected to generate higher viewership, an accelerated method of amortization is used. The Company monitors its programming amortization policy on an ongoing basis and any impact arising from changes to the policy would be recognized prospectively. The Company regularly reviews its programming assets to ensure they continue to reflect fair value. Changes in circumstances may result in a write-down of the asset to fair value. The Company has single and multi-year contracts for broadcast rights of sporting events. The costs of sports contracts are primarily charged to expense over the respective season as events are aired. For sports contracts with dedicated channels, the Company amortizes the sports programming rights costs over 12 months.
Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions in which it operates and records its tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences in its reported results of operations. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective governmental taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s tax expense and in evaluating its tax positions including evaluating uncertainties as promulgated under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.”
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The Company’s annual tax rate is based primarily on its geographic income and statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company’s provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance recorded against the Company’s net deferred tax assets, if any. In assessing the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets, management considers estimates of the amount and character of future taxable income. The Company’s actual effective tax rate and income tax expense could vary from estimated amounts due to the future impacts of various items, including changes in income tax laws, tax planning and the Company’s forecasted financial condition and results of operations in future periods. Although the Company believes its current estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Significant management judgment is required to determine whether the recognition threshold has been met and, if so, the appropriate amount of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management re-evaluates tax positions each period in which new information about recognition or measurement becomes available. The Company’s policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on unrecognized income tax benefits as part of Income tax (expense) benefit.
Retirement Benefit Obligations
The Company’s employees participate in various defined benefit pension and postretirement plans sponsored by the Company and its subsidiaries. See Note 17—Retirement Benefit Obligations in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Company records amounts relating to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans based on calculations specified by GAAP. The measurement and recognition of the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans require the use of significant management judgments, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, mortality and other actuarial assumptions. Net periodic benefit costs (income) is calculated based upon a number of actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate for plan obligations, an expected rate of return on plan assets and mortality rates. Current market conditions, including changes in investment returns and interest rates, were considered in making these assumptions. In developing the expected long-term rate of return, the pension portfolio’s past average rate of returns, and future return expectations of the various asset classes were considered. The weighted average expected long-term rate of return of 3.7% for fiscal 2022 is based on a weighted average target asset allocation assumption of 20% equities, 73% fixed-income securities and 7% cash and other investments.
The Company recorded $(1) million and $7 million in net periodic benefit (income) costs in the Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company utilizes the full yield-curve approach to estimate the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs for its pension and other postretirement benefit plans.
Although the discount rate used for each plan will be established and applied individually, a weighted average discount rate of 2.1% will be used in calculating the fiscal 2022 net periodic benefit costs (income). The discount rate reflects the market rate for high-quality fixed-income investments on the Company’s annual measurement date of June 30 and is subject to change each fiscal year. The discount rate assumptions used to account for pension and other postretirement benefit plans reflect the rates at which the benefit obligations could be effectively settled. The rate was determined by matching the Company’s expected benefit payments for the plans to a hypothetical yield curve developed using a portfolio of several hundred high-quality non-callable corporate bonds. The weighted average discount rate is volatile from year to year because it is determined based upon the prevailing rates in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and other foreign countries as of the measurement date.
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The key assumptions used in developing the Company’s fiscal 2021 and 2020 net periodic benefit costs (income) for its plans consist of the following:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (in millions, except %) | |||
| Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs (income): | |||
| Discount rate for PBO | 2.0% | 2.6% | |
| Discount rate for Service Cost | 1.8% | 2.6% | |
| Discount rate for Interest on PBO | 1.6% | 2.3% | |
| Discount rate for Interest on Service Cost | 1.3% | 2.2% | |
| Assets: | |||
| Expected rate of return | 3.7% | 4.6% | |
| Expected return | $50 | $59 | |
| Actual return | $48 | $110 | |
| (Loss)/gain | $(2) | $51 | |
| One year actual return | 3.7% | 8.8% | |
| Five year actual return | 5.9% | 7.0% |
The Company will use a weighted average long-term rate of return of 3.7% for fiscal 2022 based principally on a combination of current asset mix and an expectation of future long term investment returns. The accumulated net pre-tax losses on the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2021 were approximately $542 million which increased from approximately $529 million for the Company’s pension plans as of June 30, 2020. This increase of $13 million was primarily due to currency movements partially offset by unrecognized losses amortized during fiscal 2021. Lower discount rates increase present values of benefit obligations and increase the Company’s deferred losses and also increase subsequent-year benefit costs. Higher discount rates decrease the present values of benefit obligations and reduce the Company’s accumulated net loss and have a minimal impact on benefit costs. These deferred losses are being systematically recognized in future net periodic benefit costs (income) in accordance with ASC 715, “Compensation—Retirement Benefits.” Unrecognized losses for the primary plans in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plan’s projected benefit obligation are recognized over the average life expectancy for plan participants for the primary plans.
The Company made contributions of $35 million and $30 million to its funded pension plans in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively. Future plan contributions are dependent upon actual plan asset returns, statutory requirements and interest rate movements. Assuming that actual plan asset returns are consistent with the Company’s expected returns in fiscal 2021 and beyond, and that interest rates remain constant, the Company anticipates that it will make contributions of approximately $15 million in fiscal 2022. The Company will continue to make voluntary contributions as necessary to improve the funded status of the plans. See Note 18—Other Postretirement Benefits in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Changes in net periodic benefit costs may occur in the future due to changes in the Company’s expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events. The following table highlights the sensitivity of the Company’s pension obligations and expense to changes in these assumptions, assuming all other assumptions remain constant:
| Changes in Assumption | Impact on Annual Pension Expense | Impact on Projected Benefit Obligation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in discount rate | Increase $1 million | Increase $68 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in discount rate | Decrease $1 million | Decrease $60 million | ||
| 0.25 percentage point decrease in expected rate of return on assets | Increase $4 million | — | ||
| 0.25 percentage point increase in expected rate of return on assets | Decrease $4 million | — |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.