Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

As of September 30, 2023, the Company's contractual obligations not reflected on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet increased $20.6 million, as compared to December 31, 2022, to $932.8 million. The increase was primarily driven by additional program rights commitments and the renewal of a third-party service contract, partially offset by 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. On January 26, 2023, the Plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the court’s post-trial, demurrer, and summary adjudication decisions. The parties entered into an agreement to resolve through confidential binding arbitration the remaining claims in the litigation

(consisting mainly of ordinary course profit participation audit claims), and as a result, the court formally dismissed the case. The arbitration to resolve the two remaining claims for breach of contract was held between October 16 through October 20, 2023 and a final decision is not expected until 2024. While the ultimate outcome of this litigation is uncertain, we expect that the ultimate outcome is unlikely to have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

On November 14, 2022, the Plaintiffs filed a separate complaint in California Superior Court (the “MFN Litigation”) in connection with the Company’s July 16, 2021 settlement agreement with Frank Darabont (“Darabont”), Ferenc, Inc., Darkwoods Productions, Inc., and Creative Artists Agency, LLC (the “Darabont Parties”), which resolved litigations the Darabont Parties had brought in connection with Darabont's rendering services as a writer, director and producer of the television series entitled The Walking Dead and the agreement between the parties related thereto (the “Darabont Settlement”). Plaintiffs assert claims for breach of contract, alleging that the Company breached the most favored nations (“MFN”) provisions of Plaintiffs’ contracts with the Company by failing to pay them additional contingent compensation as a result of the Darabont Settlement (the “MFN Litigation”). Plaintiffs claim in the MFN Litigation that they are entitled to actual and compensatory damages in excess of $200 million. The Plaintiffs also brought a cause of action to enjoin an arbitration the Company commenced in May 2022 concerning the same dispute. On December 15, 2022, the Company removed the MFN Litigation to the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On January 13, 2023, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the MFN Litigation and informed the court that the Company had withdrawn the arbitration Plaintiffs sought to enjoin. The motion is fully briefed and awaiting decision. The court has scheduled a trial date of September 17, 2024. The Company believes that the asserted claims are without merit and will vigorously defend against them if they are not dismissed. 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 actions and claims arising from alleged violation of the federal Video Privacy Protection Act (the “VPPA”) and analogous state laws. In addition to certain putative class actions currently pending, the Company is facing a series of arbitration claims managed by multiple plaintiffs’ law firms. The class action complaints and the arbitration claims all allege that the Company’s use of a Meta Platforms, Inc. pixel on the websites for certain of its subscription video services, including AMC+ and Shudder, violated the privacy protection provisions of the VPPA and its state law analogues. On October 27, 2023, the Company reached a settlement in principle (which settlement is subject to court approval) with multiple plaintiffs’ law firms relating to their pending class actions alleging violations of the VPPA and analogous state laws. Although the outcome of the arbitration cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not believe that the resolution of these arbitrations will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business or financial position or the Company’s ability to meet its financial obligations as they become due. Any potential liability is expected to be reimbursed by the Company’s insurance carriers.

The Company is party to various lawsuits and claims in the ordinary course of business, including the matters described above, as well as other lawsuits and claims relating to employment, intellectual property, and privacy and data protection matters. 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.