LIONSGATE REPORTS RESULTS FOR SECOND QUARTER 2015

Revenue Increases 11% to $552.9 Million

Basic Net Income per Share is $0.15 Compared to $0.00 in Prior Year Quarter

Television Production Revenue Grows 141% in the Quarter

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, today reported revenue of $552.9 million, adjusted EBITDA of $59.0 million, adjusted net income of $33.0 million or $0.24 adjusted basic net income per share and net income of $20.8 million or $0.15 basic net income per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2015 (quarter ended September 30, 2014).

"We're pleased that our entire portfolio of businesses contributed to our solid results in the quarter, driven by a particularly strong performance from our television operations," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer.  "It was a quarter in which we extended our franchises into new lines of business, continued to assemble a strong pipeline of new properties with great commercial potential and developed online platforms that will enhance our ability to deliver our content directly to the consumer."

Revenue of $552.9 million for the quarter increased 11% from $498.7 million in the prior year quarter, driven by strong gains in television production as well as increases in motion picture revenue from pay and free television windows which more than offset declines in theatrical and home entertainment revenue in the quarter.  Lionsgate UK also recorded a 38% revenue increase in the quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA of $59.0 million for the quarter increased 4% from adjusted EBITDA of $56.5 million in the prior year quarter.  Adjusted EBITDA excluded $17.3 million in stock-based compensation, a $1.4 million restructuring charge associated with costs of the Company's relocation of its international sales operations to London, England and a $0.6 million loss related to conversion of subordinated debentures in the quarter.  

Adjusted net income of $33.0 million or $0.24 adjusted basic net income per share for the quarter increased 30% from adjusted net income of $25.4 million or $0.19 adjusted basic net income per share in the prior year quarter.   Adjusted net income for the quarter benefitted from decreased interest expense and a lower effective tax rate compared to the prior year quarter. 

Net income of $20.8 million or $0.15 basic net income per share on 137.4 million weighted average number of common shares outstanding increased from $0.5 million or $0.00 basic net income per share on 137.1 million weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the prior year quarter. The prior year quarter included a $36.2 million loss on extinguishment of debt.

During the quarter, the Company increased its quarterly dividend from $0.05 to $0.07 per common share payable on November 7, 2014 to shareholders of record as of September 30, 2014.

Lionsgate's filmed entertainment backlog, or already contracted future revenue not yet recorded, was $1.3 billion at September 30, 2014 compared to $1.2 billion at March 31, 2014.

Overall Motion Picture segment revenue for the quarter was $398.0 million compared to $434.4 million in the prior year quarter.  Within the Motion Picture segment, theatrical revenue declined to $44.9 million with only two wide theatrical releases in the quarter, The Expendables 3 and Step Up All In, compared to a prior year quarter that included two wide releases, continuing revenue from the May 2013 release of Now You See Me and the record-setting Spanish-language release Instructions Not Included from Pantelion Films.

Lionsgate's home entertainment revenue for the quarter was $164.4 million compared to $209.9 million in the prior year quarter due to strong performances from Managed Brands and Now You See Me in the prior year quarter partially offset by the outstanding home entertainment performance of Divergent in the current quarter.  Home entertainment revenue from television production increased in the quarter due to gains in digital media revenue.

Bolstered by the pay television window opening for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and the free television window opening for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, television revenue included in the Motion Picture segment more than doubled to $69.4 million in the quarter compared to $34.6 million in the prior year quarter.  The next installment of the global blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, will open on nearly 10,000 screens in North America in two weeks on November 21.

International Motion Picture segment revenue (excluding Lionsgate U.K.) for the quarter was $75.6 million compared to $88.7 million in the prior year quarter with three wide release titles in worldwide release compared to five in the prior year quarter.

As noted earlier, Lionsgate U.K. revenue of $37.3 million in the quarter increased 38% compared to the prior year quarter. 

Revenue for the Television Production segment rose to $154.9 million in the quarter, an increase of more than 140% compared to $64.3 million in the prior year quarter, with strong gains in both domestic and international television as well as home entertainment revenue from television production.

Fifty-five episodes and 38.5 hours of domestic television series were delivered in the quarter, including episodes of Manhattan, Anger Management, Orange is the New Black, Houdini, Nashville and Mad Men, compared to 20 episodes and 11.0 hours in the prior year quarter. Strong international sales of Orange is the New Black, Nashville and Anger Management were also reported in the quarter.

Lionsgate senior management will hold its analyst and investor conference call to discuss its fiscal 2015 second quarter financial results at 9:00 A.M. ET/6:00 A.M. PT on Friday, November 7, 2014.  Interested parties may participate live in the conference call by calling 1-800-230-1092 (612-332-0107 outside the U.S. and Canada).  A full digital replay will be available from Friday morning, November 7, through Friday, November 14, by dialing 1-800-475-6701 (320-365-3844 outside the U.S. and Canada) and using access code 339764.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate, home to The Hunger Games, Twilight and Divergent franchises, is a premier next generation global content leader with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has more than 30 television shows on over 20 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black.

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the first installment of the Divergent franchise, Now You See Me, John Wick, Warm Bodies, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted Man, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films' Addicted and Pantelion Films' Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.

Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com

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For further information, please contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
310-255-3726
[email protected]

The matters discussed in this press release include forward-looking statements, including those regarding the performance of future fiscal years.  Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the substantial investment of capital required to produce and market films and television series, increased costs for producing and marketing feature films and television series, budget overruns, limitations imposed by our credit facility and notes, unpredictability of the commercial success of our motion pictures and television programming, the cost of defending our intellectual property, difficulties in integrating acquired businesses, risks related to our acquisition strategy and integration of acquired businesses, the effects of disposition of businesses or assets, technological changes and other trends affecting the entertainment industry, and the risk factors as set forth in Lionsgate's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 29, 2014, as amended in Lionsgate's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2014, which risk factors are incorporated herein by reference.  The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances.

EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, income tax provision or benefit, and depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.

Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA as defined above adjusted for stock-based compensation, restructuring charges, gain on sale of equity method investment, and loss on extinguishment of debt. Stock-based compensation represents compensation expenses associated with stock options, restricted share units and cash and equity settled stock appreciation rights ("SARs"). Restructuring charges primarily consist of severance costs associated with the integration of the marketing operations of our Lionsgate and Summit film labels and costs related to the move of our international sales and distribution organization to the United Kingdom. Gain on sale of equity method investment represents the gain on sale of our interest in FEARnet. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.

Management believes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to be meaningful indicators of our performance that provide useful information to investors regarding our financial condition and results of operations. Presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures commonly used in the entertainment industry and by financial analysts and others who follow the industry to measure operating performance. While management considers EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to be important measures of comparative operating performance, they should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, net income and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect cash available to fund cash requirements. Not all companies calculate EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA in the same manner and the measures as presented may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies.

Free cash flow is defined as net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, less purchases of property and equipment, plus or minus the net increase or decrease in production loans, plus or minus excess tax benefits on equity-based compensation awards. The adjustment for the production loans is made because the GAAP based cash flows from operations reflects a non-cash reduction of cash flows for the cost of films associated with production loans prior to the time the Company actually pays for the film. The Company believes that it is more meaningful to reflect the impact of the payment for these films in its free cash flow when the payments are actually made.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure as defined in Regulation G promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This non-GAAP financial measure is in addition to, not a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Management believes this non-GAAP measure provides useful information to investors regarding cash that our operating businesses generate whether classified as operating or financing activity (related to the production of our films) within our GAAP based statement of cash flows, before taking into account cash movements that are non-operational. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure commonly used in the entertainment industry and by financial analysts and others who follow the industry. Not all companies calculate free cash flow in the same manner and the measure as presented may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

This reconciliation is provided to illustrate the difference between our EBITDA and free cash flow which are both separately reconciled to their corresponding GAAP metrics.

Adjusted income before income taxes, adjusted net income and adjusted basic and diluted EPS are adjusted for the following items:

(1) Stock-based compensation: Adjustments for stock-based compensation represents compensation expenses associated with stock options, restricted share units, cash and equity settled SARs. The adjustment to net income is net of the tax impact calculated using the statutory tax rate applicable to each adjustment.

(2) Restructuring charges: This adjusts income before income taxes and net income to eliminate the severance costs associated with the integration of the marketing operations of our Lionsgate and Summit film labels and costs related to the move of our international sales and distribution organization to the United Kingdom. The adjustment to net income is net of the tax impact calculated using the statutory tax rate applicable to each adjustment.

(3) Loss on extinguishment of debt: This adjusts income (loss) before income taxes and net income to eliminate the loss on extinguishment of debt. The adjustment to net income is net of the tax impact calculated using the statutory tax rate applicable to each adjustment.

(4) Tax valuation allowance: This adjusts net income to eliminate the discrete tax benefit recognized for financial reporting purposes upon the reduction of the Company's valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets in our Canadian tax jurisdiction that are expected to be realized in future tax returns.

(5) Gain on sale of equity method investment: This adjusts income before income taxes and net income to eliminate the gain on sale of our interest in FEARnet. The adjustment to net income is net of the tax impact calculated using the statutory tax rate applicable to each adjustment.

Management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors regarding the Company's results as compared to historical periods. The Company uses these measures, among other measures, to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. The Company believes that the adjusted results provide relevant and useful information for investors because they clarify the Company's actual operating performance and allow investors to review our operating performance in the same way as our management. Since these measures are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, they should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for income before income taxes, net income, basic and diluted EPS. Not all companies calculate adjusted income before income taxes, adjusted net income, and adjusted basic and diluted EPS in the same manner and the measures as presented may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

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SOURCE Lionsgate

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