Revenue

12 Months Ended

Sep. 25, 2022

Disaggregation of Revenue [Abstract]

Revenue

REVENUE

Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services. Revenues are recognized as performance obligations are satisfied either at a point in time, such as when and advertisement is published, or over time, such as audience subscription revenue. No single customer represented 10% or more of the Company's net revenue in any fiscal period presented.

Advertising and marketing services revenue

Print advertising revenue includes amounts charged to customers for retail, national, or classified advertising space purchased in our newspapers, advertising marketing services and other print advertising products such as preprint inserts and direct mail.

Digital advertising revenue includes amounts advertisements placed on our digital platforms, amounts charged to customers for digital marketing services which include: audience extension, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, web and mobile production, social media services and reputation monitoring and management.

Payments for print and digital advertising revenue are due upon completion of our performance obligations at previously agreed upon rates. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, such timing differences are not large. As a result, we have determined that our contracts do not include a significant financing component.

Subscription revenue

Print subscription revenue results from the sale of print editions of newspapers to individual subscribers and to sales outlets that resell the newspapers. Print subscriptions include full access to all forms of content provided. Single copy revenue is also included in subscription revenue. Subscription revenue from single-copy and home delivery subscriptions are recognized at the point in time the publications are delivered.

Digital subscription revenue results from the sale of digital only access to the Company's content delivered via digital products purchased. Digital subscription revenue is recognized over time as performance obligations are met throughout the contract term.

Payments for print and digital subscription revenue are typically collected in advance, are for contract periods of one year or less and result in an unearned revenue liability that is reduced when revenue is recognized.

Other revenue

Other revenue primarily consists of digital services, commercial printing and delivery of third party products. Digital services revenues, which are primarily delivered through BLOX Digital, are primarily comprised of contractual agreements to provide webhosting and content management services. As such, digital services revenue is recognized over the contract period. Prices for digital services are agreed upon in advance of the contract beginning and are typically billed in arrears on a monthly basis, with the exception of implementation fees which are recognized as deferred revenue and amortized over the contract period. Commercial printing and delivery revenue is recognized when the product is delivered to the customer.

Additionally in 2020, other revenue included fixed and variable fees collected from our Management Agreement. Fixed fee revenue from the Management Agreement was recognized over time and paid quarterly and variable

fees were paid annually. Variable fees were recognized when the fees were deemed earned and it was probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration was subsequently resolved. The Management Agreement expired in 2020 upon the completion of the Transactions.

The following table presents our revenue disaggregated by source:

(Thousands of Dollars)	2022	2021	2020
Operating revenue:
Print advertising revenue	184,963	227,892	183,164
Digital advertising revenue	181,465	141,391	106,491
Advertising and marketing services revenue	366,428	369,283	289,655
Print subscription revenue	313,504	329,484	248,913
Digital-only subscription revenue	40,120	28,229	19,372
Subscription Revenue	353,624	357,713	268,285
Print other revenue	42,962	48,656	39,632
Digital other revenue	17,955	18,997	20,432
Other revenue	60,917	67,653	60,064
Total operating revenue	780,969	794,649	618,004

Contract Assets and Liabilities: The Company’s primary source of unearned revenue is from subscriptions paid in advance of the service provided. The Company expects to recognize the revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations over the next twelve months in accordance with the terms of the subscriptions and other contracts with customers. The unearned revenue balances described herein are the Company's only contract liability. Unearned revenue was $49,929,000 as of September 25, 2022 and $61,404,000 as of September 26, 2021. Revenue recognized in 2022 that was included in the contract liability as of September 26, 2021 was $54,739,000.

Accounts receivable, excluding allowance for credit losses and contract assets, was $74,759,000 and $71,644,000 as of September 25, 2022 and September 26, 2021 respectively. Allowance for credit losses was $5,237,000 and $6,574,000 as of September 25, 2022 and September 26, 2021, respectively.

Practical expedients: Sales commissions are expensed as incurred as the associated contractual periods are one year or less. These costs are recorded within compensation. The vast majority of our contracts have original expected lengths of one year or less and revenue is earned at a rate and amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer.