DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of International Speedway Corporation, and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, bank demand deposit accounts and overnight sweep accounts used in the Company’s cash management program. All highly liquid investments with stated maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase are classified as cash equivalents.

RECEIVABLES

RECEIVABLES: Receivables are stated at their estimated collectible amounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts is estimated based on historical experience of write offs and current expectations of conditions that might impact the collectability of accounts.

INVENTORIES

INVENTORIES: Inventories, consisting of finished goods, are stated at the lower of cost, determined on the first-in, first-out basis, or market.

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT: Property and equipment, including improvements to existing facilities, are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided for financial reporting purposes using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives as follows:

Buildings, grandstands and motorsports entertainment facilities	10-30 years
Furniture and equipment	3-8 years

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the related lease term or their estimated useful lives. The carrying values of property and equipment are evaluated for impairment upon the occurrence of an impairment indicator based upon expected future undiscounted cash flows. If events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, an impairment loss would be recognized equal to the difference between the carrying value of the asset and its fair value.

EQUITY INVESTMENTS

EQUITY INVESTMENTS: The Company’s investments in joint ventures and other investees where it can exert significant influence on the investee, but does not have effective control over the investee, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. The Company’s equity in the net income (loss) from equity method investments is recorded as income (loss) with a corresponding increase (decrease) in the investment. Distributions received from the equity investees reduce the investment. Distributions from equity investees representing the Company's share of the equity investee's earnings are treated as cash proceeds from operations while distributions in excess of the equity investee's earnings are considered a return of capital and treated as cash proceeds from investing activities in the Company's consolidated statement of cash flows. The Company recognizes the effects of transactions involving the sale or distribution by an equity investee of its common stock as capital transactions.

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS: All business combinations are accounted for under the purchase method. The excess of the cost of the acquisition over fair value of the net assets acquired (including recognized intangibles) is recorded as goodwill. Business combinations involving existing motorsports entertainment facilities commonly result in a significant portion of the purchase price being allocated to the fair value of the contract-based intangible asset associated with long-term relationships manifest in the sanction agreements with sanctioning bodies, such as NASCAR and IMSA. The continuity of sanction agreements with these bodies has historically enabled the Company to host these motorsports events year after year. While individual sanction agreements may be of terms as short as one year, a significant portion of the purchase price in excess of the fair value of acquired tangible assets is commonly paid to acquire anticipated future cash flows from events promoted pursuant to these agreements which are expected to continue for the foreseeable future and therefore, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, are recorded as indefinite-lived intangible assets recognized apart from goodwill. The Company’s goodwill and other intangible assets are all associated with our Motorsports Event segment.

The Company follows applicable authoritative guidance on accounting for goodwill and other intangible assets which specifies, among other things, non-amortization of goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and requires testing for possible impairment, either upon the occurrence of an impairment indicator or at least annually. The Company completes its annual testing in its fiscal fourth quarter, based on assumptions regarding the Company’s future business outlook and expected future discounted cash flows attributable to such assets (using the fair value assessment provision of applicable authoritative guidance), supported by quoted market prices or comparable transactions where available or applicable.

In connection with the Company’s fiscal 2014 assessment of goodwill and intangible assets for possible impairment, the Company used the methodology described above. The Company believes its methods used to determine fair value and evaluate possible impairment were appropriate, relevant, and represent methods customarily available and used for such purposes. The Company’s latest annual assessment of goodwill and other intangible assets in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 indicated there had been no impairment and the fair value substantially exceeded the carrying value for the respective reporting units.

During fiscal 2014, the Company believes there has been no significant change in the long-term fundamentals of its ongoing motorsports event business. The Company believes its present operational and cash flow outlook further support its conclusion. While the Company continues to review and analyze many factors that can impact its business prospects in the future, its analysis is subjective and is based on conditions existing at, and trends leading up to, the time the estimates and assumptions are made. Different conditions or assumptions, or changes in cash flows or profitability, if significant, could have a material adverse effect on the outcome of the impairment evaluation and the Company’s future condition or results of operations.

DEFERRED FINANCING FEES

DEFERRED FINANCING FEES: Deferred financing fees are amortized over the term of the related debt and are included in other non-current assets.

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME: Comprehensive income is the changes in equity of an enterprise except those resulting from shareholder transactions.

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES: Income taxes have been provided using the liability method. Under this method the Company’s estimates of deferred income taxes and the significant items giving rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect its assessment of actual future taxes to be paid on items reflected in its financial statements, giving consideration to both timing and probability of realization.

The Company establishes tax reserves related to certain matters, including penalties and interest, in the period when it is determined that it is probable that additional taxes, penalties and interest will be paid, and the amount is reasonably estimable. Such tax reserves are adjusted, as needed, in light of changing circumstances, such as statute of limitations expirations and other developments relating to uncertain tax positions and current tax items under examination, appeal or litigation.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

REVENUE RECOGNITION: Advance ticket sales and event-related revenues for future events are deferred until earned, which is generally once the events are conducted. The recognition of event-related expenses is matched with the recognition of event-related revenues.

NASCAR contracts directly with certain network providers for television rights to the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series schedules. Event promoters share in the television rights fees in accordance with the provision of the sanction agreement for each NASCAR Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series event. Under the terms of this arrangement, NASCAR retains 10.0 percent of the gross broadcast rights fees allocated to each NASCAR Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series event as a component of its sanction fees. The promoter records 90.0 percent of the gross broadcast rights fees as revenue and then records 25.0 percent of the gross broadcast rights fees as part of its awards to the competitors. Ultimately, the promoter retains 65.0 percent of the net cash proceeds from the gross broadcast rights fees allocated to the event.

The Company's revenues from marketing partnerships are paid in accordance with negotiated contracts, with the identities of partners and the terms of sponsorship changing from time to time. Some of our marketing partnership agreements are for multiple facilities and/or events and include multiple specified elements, such as tickets, hospitality chalets, suites, display space and signage for each included event. The allocation of such marketing partnership revenues between the multiple elements, events and facilities is based on relative selling price. The sponsorship revenue allocated to an event is recognized when the event is conducted.

Revenues and related costs from the sale of merchandise to retail customers, internet sales and direct sales to dealers are recognized at the time of sale.

Kansas Speedway ("Kansas") and Chicagoland Speedway ("Chicagoland") offer Preferred Access Speedway Seating (“PASS”) agreements, which give purchasers the exclusive right and obligation to purchase season-ticket packages for certain sanctioned racing events annually, under specified terms and conditions. Among the conditions, licensees are required to purchase all season-ticket packages when and as offered each year. PASS agreements automatically terminate without refund should owners not purchase any offered season tickets.

Net fees received under PASS agreements are deferred and are amortized into income over the term of the agreements.

ADVERTISING EXPENSE

ADVERTISING EXPENSE: Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

LOSS CONTINGENCIES: Legal and other costs incurred in conjunction with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred.

USE OF ESTIMATES

USE OF ESTIMATES: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS: In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU No. 2013-02, “Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”. The objective of this Update is to set requirements for presentation for significant items reclassified to net income in their entirety during the period and for items not reclassified to net income in their entirety during the period. For public entities, the amended requirements are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2012. This statement only impacts disclosures of reclassification adjustments and is not material to the Company's financial statement presentation. The Company has adopted the amendments of this statement in the first quarter of fiscal 2014.

In May 2014, FASB, in conjunction with the International Accounting Standards Board, issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers". The objective of this Update is to significantly enhance comparability and clarify principles of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions, and capital markets. For a public entity, the amendments in this Update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. The standard can be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on its financial position and results of operations and will adopt the provisions of this statement in the first quarter of fiscal 2018.