PART I.
Item 1. Business.
(a) General Development of Business
During August 2012, the Board of Directors of Starz (formerly known as Liberty Media Corporation) authorized a plan to distribute to the stockholders of Starz shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Liberty Media Corporation ("Liberty" and the “Company” formerly known as Liberty Spinco, Inc.), that holds, as of January 11, 2013, all of the businesses, assets and liabilities of Starz not associated with Starz, LLC (with the exception of the Starz, LLC office building) (the "Spin-Off"). The transaction was effected as a pro-rata dividend of shares of Liberty to the stockholders of Starz. The businesses, assets and liabilities not included in Liberty are part of a separate public company which was renamed Starz. Due to the relative significance of Liberty to Starz (the legal spinnor) and senior management's continued involvement with Liberty following the Spin-Off, Liberty will be treated as the "accounting successor" to Starz for financial reporting purposes, notwithstanding the legal form of the Spin-Off previously described. Therefore, the historical financial statements of Starz will continue to be the historical financial statements of Liberty and will present Starz as discontinued operations upon completion of the Spin-Off in the first quarter of 2013. For purposes of this Form 10-K Liberty is treated as the spinnor for purposes of discussion and as a practical matter of describing all the historical information contained herein.
Liberty owns interests in subsidiaries and other companies which are engaged in the media, communications and entertainment industries. Through our subsidiaries and affiliates, we principally operate in North America. Our principal businesses and assets include our consolidated subsidiaries Starz, LLC (through January 11, 2013), Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc. and TruePosition, Inc. and our equity affiliates Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
During the second quarter of 2010, Liberty Interactive Corporation ("Liberty Interactive" formerly named Liberty Media Corporation) announced that its board of directors had authorized its management to proceed with a plan to separate its Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz tracking stock groups from its Liberty Interactive tracking stock group (the "Split-Off"). The Split-Off was completed on September 23, 2011 following the satisfaction of all conditions to the Split-Off. The Split-Off was effected by the redemption of all of the outstanding Liberty Capital common stock and Liberty Starz common stock of Liberty Interactive in exchange for all of the common stock of Liberty, which at the time of the Split-Off held all of the businesses, assets and liabilities previously attributed to the Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz tracking stock groups of Liberty Interactive in accordance with the terms of a Reorganization Agreement. At the time of and following the Split-Off, Liberty had two tracking stock groups: its Liberty Starz common stock tracking the businesses, assets and liabilities that were previously attributed to Liberty Interactive's Liberty Starz group (the "Starz Group") and its Liberty Capital common stock tracking the businesses, assets and liabilities that were previously attributed to Liberty Interactive's Liberty Capital group (the "Capital Group").
A tracking stock is a type of common stock that the issuing company intends to reflect or "track" the economic performance of a particular business or "group," rather than the economic performance of the company as a whole. On November 28, 2011, Liberty's tracking stock structure was eliminated through the conversion of each share of Liberty Starz common stock for .88129 of a share of the corresponding series of Liberty Capital common stock, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares (the "Conversion"). While the Starz Group and the Capital Group had separate collections of businesses, assets and liabilities attributed to them, neither group was a separate legal entity that was able to own assets, issue securities or enter into legally binding agreements. Holders of Liberty's tracking stock had no direct claim to the group's assets and were not represented by separate boards of directors. Instead, holders of Liberty's tracking stocks were stockholders of Liberty, with a single board of directors and subject to all of the risks and liabilities of Liberty.
Recent Developments
As discussed above, the Spin-Off was completed in the first quarter of 2013.
On January 18, 2013, Liberty, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, purchased 50,000,000 shares of the common stock (“SIRIUS XM Common Stock”), par value $0.001 per share, of SIRIUS XM Radio, Inc. (“SIRIUS XM”) for $3.1556 per share in a block purchase from a financial institution (the “Block Transaction”). The Company used available cash on hand to acquire the shares of SIRIUS XM Common Stock in the Block Transaction. Additionally, on January 18, 2013 a subsidiary of the Company converted
I-1
all of its remaining shares of SIRIUS XM's Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B-1, par value $0.001 per share, into 1,293,509,076 shares of SIRIUS XM Common Stock. As a result of these transactions, along with shares of SIRIUS XM Common Stock acquired by the Company and its subsidiaries in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the Company and its subsidiaries now hold more than 50% of the capital stock of SIRIUS XM entitled to vote on any matter, including the election of directors. Therefore, Liberty will consolidate SIRIUS XM beginning in the first quarter of 2013.
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Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our business, product and marketing strategies; new service offerings; the recoverability of our goodwill and other long-lived assets; our projected sources and uses of cash; and the anticipated impact of certain contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In particular, statements under Item 1. "Business," Item 1A. "Risk-Factors," Item 2. "Properties," Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" contain forward-looking statements. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. The following include some but not all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated:
These forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties and other factors speak only as of the date of this Annual Report, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. When considering such forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in this Annual Report. Such risk factors and statements describe circumstances which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
This Annual Report includes information concerning public companies in which we have controlling and non-controlling interests that file reports and other information with the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Information in this Annual Report concerning those companies has been derived from the reports and other information filed by them with the SEC. If you would like further information about these companies, the reports and other information they file with the SEC can be accessed on the Internet website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Those reports and other information are not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.
(b) Financial Information About Operating Segments
Through our ownership of interests in subsidiaries and other companies, we are primarily engaged in the media, communications and entertainment industries. Each of these businesses is separately managed.