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Description of the Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. (“SEA”) (collectively, the “Company”), owns and operates twelve theme parks within the United States. The Company operates SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California; and Busch Gardens theme parks in Tampa, Florida; and Williamsburg, Virginia. The Company operates water park attractions in Orlando, Florida (Aquatica); San Antonio, Texas (Aquatica); San Diego, California (Aquatica); Tampa, Florida (Adventure Island); and Williamsburg, Virginia (Water Country USA). The Company also operates a reservations-only theme park in Orlando, Florida (Discovery Cove) and a park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania (Sesame Place).

Impact of Global COVID -19 Pandemic

Impact of Global COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in compliance with government restrictions, the Company temporarily closed all of its theme parks effective March 16, 2020. Beginning in June 2020, the Company began the phased reopening of some of its parks with enhanced health, safety and cleaning measures, capacity limitations and/or modified/limited operations, which at times included reduced hours and/or reduced operating days. By the end of June 2020, the Company had reopened seven of its 12 parks on a limited basis and by August 2020, the Company had reopened 10 of its 12 parks on a limited basis. The Company was unable to reopen its Aquatica water park in California and its Water Country USA water park in Virginia for the 2020 operating season but has opened both parks for their 2021 operating season. As of June 30, 2021, all of the Company’s theme parks are now open and operating without COVID-19 related capacity limitations.

The Company’s SeaWorld park in California initially reopened in August 2020 on a limited basis, following the State of California’s guidance for reopening zoos. In compliance with revised guidelines issued in the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company once again had to close this park effective December 7, 2020. On January 15, 2021, the Company introduced a limited time drive-through only experience for guests at this park. The Company then reopened this park on February 6, 2021 on a limited basis, once again following California guidance for reopening zoos. In accordance with subsequently issued State of California revised guidelines, on April 12, 2021 this park resumed operations as a theme park with restricted capacity and on June 15, 2021, capacity restrictions for this park were removed.

Attendance for the Company’s Busch Gardens park in Virginia was also significantly impacted by state restrictions. Initially the State of Virginia had a state mandated capacity restriction of 1,000 guests at a time. On October 29, 2020, the state revised its theme park guidance and modified the methodology for calculating capacity at theme parks. As a result, capacity at this park increased to approximately 4,000 guests at a time. On February 1, 2021, in consultation with the State of Virginia, the Company further increased capacity to approximately 6,000 guests at a time and on April 1, 2021 to approximately 13,000 guests. On May 28, 2021, theme park capacity restrictions in the State of Virginia were removed.

The Company’s 2021 financial results continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While 10 of the Company’s 12 parks were open at the beginning of the second quarter of 2021, all parks were operating with capacity limitations or modified/limited operations. As mentioned above, by the end of the second quarter of 2021, all of the Company’s 12 parks were open, and all operating without COVID-19 related capacity limitations.

The Company continuously monitors guidance from federal, state and local authorities and engages with governmental authorities as well as medical/scientific consultants. The Company may adjust its plans accordingly as laws change and new information and guidance becomes available. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, a material impact on the Company’s financial results.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Therefore, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2020 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of management, such unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the year ending December 31, 2021 or any future period due in part to the seasonal nature of the Company’s operations. Based upon historical results, the Company typically generates its highest revenues in the second and third quarters of each year and incurs a net loss in the first and fourth quarters, in part because seven of its theme parks were historically only open for a portion of the year. However, during 2021, the Company added additional operating days for three of these parks. In particular, the Company began year-round operations at its SeaWorld park in Texas and began to operate on select days at its Busch Gardens park in Virginia and its Sesame Place park in Pennsylvania.

The Company’s results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 were materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which ultimately led to temporary park closures effective on March 16, 2020. The timing of these park closures fell during historically high-volume spring break and summer weeks for most of the Company’s parks. The Company’s results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due in part to capacity limitations and/or modified/limited operations which were in place for most of the respective periods as well as decreased demand due to public concerns associated with the pandemic.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including SEA. All intercompany accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the accounting for self-insurance, deferred tax assets and liabilities, deferred revenue, equity compensation, and the valuation of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. Estimates are based on various factors including current and historical trends, as well as other pertinent industry data. The Company regularly evaluates this information to determine if it is necessary to update the basis for its estimates and to adjust for known changes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Based on the uncertainty relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to the impact or timing of government restrictions, capacity limitations due to social distancing guidelines, public sentiment on social gatherings, travel and attendance patterns, travel restrictions, effectiveness and adoption of vaccines, potential supply chain disruptions and additional actions which could be taken by government authorities to manage the pandemic, the Company is not certain of the ultimate impact the COVID-19 pandemic could have on its estimates, business or results of operations.

Segment Reporting

The Company maintains discrete financial information for each of its twelve theme parks, which is used by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), identified as the Chief Executive Officer, or equivalent role, as a basis for allocating resources and assessing performance. Each theme park has been identified as an operating segment and meets the criteria for aggregation due to similar economic characteristics. In addition, all of the Company’s theme parks provide similar products and services and share similar processes for delivering services. The theme parks have a high degree of similarity in the workforces and target similar consumer groups. Accordingly, based on these economic and operational similarities and the way the CODM monitors and makes decisions affecting the operations, the Company has concluded that its operating segments may be aggregated and that it has one reportable segment.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash is recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. Restricted cash consists primarily of funds received from strategic partners for use in approved marketing and promotional activities.

	June 30,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	615,791	$	433,909
Restricted cash, included in prepaid expenses and other current assets		1,926		1,316
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	617,717	$	435,225

Revenue Recognition

Admissions revenue primarily consists of single-day tickets, annual or season passes or other multi-day or multi-park admission products. For single-day tickets, the Company recognizes revenue at a point in time, upon admission to the park. Annual passes, season passes, or other multi-day or multi-park passes allow guests access to specific parks over a specified time period. For these pass and multi-use products, revenue is deferred and recognized over the terms of the admission product based on estimated redemption rates for similar products and is adjusted periodically. For pass products purchased on an installment plan that have met their initial commitment period and have transitioned to a month to month basis, monthly charges are recognized as revenue as payments are received each month, with the exception of payments received during the temporary park closures (see further discussion which follows).

The Company estimates future redemption and recognition patterns for admission pass products, which impacts the timing of when revenue is recognized on these products. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates depending on the ultimate extent of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the temporary park closures due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the Company upgraded some of its pass products and extended pass expiration dates for at least the equivalent period the related parks were closed. As a result, the Company adjusted its estimated redemption and recognition patterns on these products to reflect the fact that there was no attendance during the park closures and accordingly the Company did not recognize revenue from these admission products while the parks were closed. For passes under installment plans that had transitioned to a month-to-month basis, the Company temporarily paused monthly charges when the related parks reopened for the equivalent period the respective parks were closed. Accordingly, payments received during the closure period were recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue once the respective parks reopened, which may not necessarily reflect attendance patterns for these guests.

Food, merchandise and other revenue primarily consists of culinary, merchandise and other in-park products and also includes other miscellaneous revenue which is not significant in the periods presented. The Company recognizes revenue for food, merchandise and other in-park products when the related products or services are received by guests.

At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the long-term portion of deferred revenue included in other liabilities in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets primarily relates to the Company’s international agreement, as discussed in the following section.

The following table reflects the Company’s deferred revenue balance as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

	June 30,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Deferred revenue, including long-term portion	$	252,779	$	144,187
Less: Deferred revenue, long-term portion, included in other liabilities		14,085		13,428
Deferred revenue, short-term portion	$	238,694	$	130,759

The increase in deferred revenue as of June 30, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020 primarily relates to admission product sales, particularly for the Company’s passes and single-day ticket products which have not been fully redeemed.

International Agreements

The Company has received $10.0 million in deferred revenue recorded in other liabilities related to a nonrefundable payment received from a partner in connection with a project in the Middle East to provide certain services pertaining to the planning and design of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, a marine life theme park on Yas Island (the “Middle East Project”), with funding received expected to offset internal expenses. The Company receives additional funds from its partner related to agreed-upon services and reimbursements of costs incurred by the Company on behalf of the Middle East Project including approximately $2.3 million and $1.9 million of deferred revenue recorded in other liabilities in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Approximately $7.3 million and $5.9 million of costs incurred related to the Middle East Project are recorded in other assets in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The Company has recognized an asset for the costs incurred to fulfill the contract as the costs are specifically identifiable, enhance resources that will be used to satisfy performance obligations in the future and are expected to be recovered. The related deferred revenue and expense will begin to be recognized when substantially all of the services have been performed. The Company continually monitors performance on the contract and will make adjustments, if necessary. Construction for the Middle East Project is on track and scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company reviews new accounting pronouncements as they are issued or proposed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Recently Implemented Accounting Standards

On January 1, 2021, the Company adopted the following Accounting Standards Updates (“ASUs”) which had no material impact on its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures:

•

ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), provides optional transition guidance to ease the potential accounting burden associated with transitioning away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), with optional expedients related to the application of GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by reference rate reform. The provisions of this ASU are effective upon issuance and can be applied prospectively through December 31, 2022. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosure.

•

ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, simplifies various aspects related to accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and clarifying certain aspects of the current guidance to promote consistency among reporting entities. ASU 2019-12 was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2021. Most amendments within this ASU are required to be applied on a prospective basis, while certain amendments must be applied on a retrospective or modified retrospective basis. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. Therefore, a fair value measurement is required to be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, fair value accounting standards establish a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market participant assumptions based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets.

Level 3 – Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

Of the Company’s long-term obligations, the Term B-5 Loans are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and the Senior Notes and Second-Priority Senior Notes are classified in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The fair value of the Term B-5 Loans approximate their carrying value, excluding unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts, due in part to the variable nature of the underlying interest rates and the frequent intervals at which such interest rates are reset. The fair value of the Senior Notes and Second-Priority Senior Notes was determined using quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments.