Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

As of June 30, 2022, the Company's contractual obligations not reflected on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet decreased $76.5 million, as compared to December 31, 2021, to $986.9 million. The decrease primarily relates to payments for program rights.

Legal Matters

On August 14, 2017, Robert Kirkman, Robert Kirkman, LLC, Glen Mazzara, 44 Strong Productions, Inc., David Alpert, Circle of Confusion Productions, LLC, New Circle of Confusion Productions, Inc., Gale Anne Hurd, and Valhalla Entertainment, Inc. f/k/a Valhalla Motion Pictures, Inc. (together, the "Plaintiffs") filed a complaint in California Superior Court in connection with Plaintiffs’ rendering of services as writers and producers of the television series entitled The Walking Dead, as well as Fear the Walking Dead and/or Talking Dead, and the agreements between the parties related thereto (the "Walking Dead Litigation"). The Plaintiffs asserted that the Company had been improperly underpaying the Plaintiffs under their contracts with the Company and they asserted claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, inducing breach of contract, and liability for violation of Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200. The Plaintiffs sought compensatory and punitive damages and restitution. On August 8, 2019, the judge in the Walking Dead Litigation ordered a trial to resolve certain issues of contract interpretation only. Following eight days of trial in February and March 2020, on July 22, 2020, the judge issued a Statement of Decision finding in the Company's favor on all seven matters of contract interpretation before the court in this first phase trial. On January 20, 2021, the Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, eliminating eight named defendants and their claims under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200. On May 5, 2021, the Plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint, repleading in part their claims for alleged breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, inducing breach of contract, and certain breach of contract claims. On June 2, 2021, the Company filed a demurrer and motion to strike seeking to dismiss the claim for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and certain tort and breach of contract claims asserted in the third amended complaint. On July 27, 2021, the court granted in part and denied in part the Company's motion. On January 12, 2022, the Company filed a motion for summary adjudication of many of the remaining claims. On April 6, 2022, the court granted the Company’s summary adjudication motion in part, dismissing the Plaintiffs’ claims for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and inducing breach of contract. A trial of the two remaining claims is currently scheduled for January 2023. The Company believes the two remaining claims in the case for breach of contract are without merit and is continuing to defend against them. At this time, no determination can be made as to the ultimate outcome of this litigation or the potential liability, if any, on the part of the Company.

The Company is party to various lawsuits and claims in the ordinary course of business, including the matters described above. Although the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty and while the impact of these matters on the Company's results of operations in any particular subsequent reporting period could be material, management does not believe that the resolution of these matters will have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due.