Related Party Transactions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions

Members of the Dolan Family, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including trusts for the benefit of the Dolan Family, collectively beneficially own all of the Company’s outstanding Class B Common Stock and own approximately3% of the Company’s outstanding Class A Common Stock. Such shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, collectively, represent approximately67% of the aggregate voting power of the Company’s outstanding common stock. Members of the Dolan Family are also the controlling stockholders of both Cablevision and MSG.

In connection with the Distribution, the Company entered into various agreements with Cablevision, such as a distribution agreement, a tax disaffiliation agreement, a transition services agreement, an employee matters agreement and certain related party arrangements. These agreements govern certain of the Company’s relationships with Cablevision subsequent to the Distribution and provide for the allocation of employee benefits, taxes and certain other liabilities and obligations attributable to periods prior to the Distribution. These agreements also include arrangements with respect to transition services and a number of on-going commercial relationships. The distribution agreement includes an agreement that the Company and Cablevision agree to provide each other with indemnities with respect to liabilities arising out of the businesses Cablevision transferred to the Company.

The Company provides services to and receives services from Cablevision and MSG. Until the Distribution date, the consolidated financial statements of the Company reflect the application of certain cost allocation policies of Cablevision. Management believes that these allocations were made on a reasonable basis. However, it is not practicable to determine whether the charged amounts represent amounts that might have been incurred on a stand-alone basis, including as a separate independent publicly owned company, as there are no company-specific or comparable industry benchmarks with which to make such estimates. Further, as many of these transactions are conducted between subsidiaries under common control of the Dolan Family, amounts charged for these services may not represent amounts that might have been received or incurred if the transactions were based upon arm’s-length negotiations. Through the Distribution date, the Company paid Cablevision a management fee pursuant to a consulting agreement between Cablevision and certain of the Company’s subsidiaries. The consulting agreement was terminated on the Distribution date and the Company did not replace it.

The Company records revenues, net from subsidiaries of Cablevision and MSG. Revenues, net from related parties amounted to $8,106 and $7,901 for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Revenues, net from related parties amounted to $24,281 and $23,869 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

In addition, the Company and its related parties routinely enter into transactions with each other in the ordinary course of business. Amounts charged to the Company, included in technical and operating expenses, pursuant to transactions with its related parties amounted to $155 and $1,292 for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and $465 and $3,893 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Amounts charged (credited) to the Company, included in selling, general and administrative expenses, pursuant to the transition services agreement and for other transactions, including management fees allocated by Cablevision for periods through the Distribution date, with its related parties amounted to $(1,174) and $3,184 for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and $1,930 and $53,934 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Amounts charged to the Company for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 are net of shared legal fees charged to Cablevision associated with the DISH Network Contract Dispute (see Note 7).