Activision Blizzard : Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings Per Share

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced record fourth quarter and full year earnings per share.

*Prior outlook was provided by the company on November 4, 2014 in its earnings release

For calendar year 2014, Activision Blizzard delivered record non-GAAP earnings per diluted share of $1.42, as compared with $0.94 per diluted share for 2013. On a GAAP basis, the company delivered record earnings per diluted share of $1.13, as compared with $0.95 per diluted share for 2013.

For calendar year 2014, Activision Blizzard delivered non-GAAP net revenues of $4.81 billion, as compared with $4.34 billion for 2013. On a GAAP basis, the company delivered net revenues of $4.41 billion, as compared with $4.58 billion for 2013. For the calendar year, non-GAAP net revenues from digital channels were $2.20 billion and represented a record 46% of the company’s total net revenues. On a GAAP basis, for the calendar year 2014, net revenues from digital channels were $1.90 billion and represented 43% of the company’s total revenues.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2014, Activision Blizzard’s non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were a record $0.94, as compared with $0.79 for the fourth quarter of 2013. On a GAAP basis, the company’s earnings per diluted share were a record $0.49, more than double the earnings per diluted share of $0.22 for the fourth quarter of 2013.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2014, the company delivered non-GAAP net revenues of $2.21 billion, as compared with $2.27 billion for the fourth quarter of 2013. On a GAAP basis, the company’s net revenues were $1.58 billion, as compared with $1.52 billion for the fourth quarter of 2013.

Please refer to the tables at the back of this press release for a reconciliation of the company’s GAAP and non-GAAP results.

Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard, said, “2014 was another successful year as we achieved record results and introduced new franchises with outstanding gameplay, expanded on exciting new business models and continued investing in some of the world’s most important entertainment franchises. We delivered record earnings per share which increased more than 50% from the previous year, double-digit revenue growth, and record high-margin digital revenues that represent an all-time high of 46% of total revenues (all non-GAAP).”

Kotick, added, “We expanded our franchise portfolio by launching two of the industry’s most successful new brands, Blizzard’s Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft^™, and the biggest new IP launch in industry history, Destiny®. Combined, these franchises attracted over 40 million registered players worldwide and generated more than $850 million in non-GAAP revenue.¹ This year, we expect to expand our franchise portfolio to 10 blockbusters, up from five franchises at the beginning of 2014. Our amazingly talented teams will continue to produce the world’s best content for gamers.”

Kotick, continued, “We have a growing portfolio of the very best franchises and great confidence in our future. Our Board has once again increased our dividend, authorized a $750 million share repurchase program and the repayment of another $250 million of our debt, and we have returned nearly $10 billion to our shareholders in dividends and repurchases since 2008.”

Selected Business Highlights:

• In North America and Europe combined, Activision Publishing was the #1 retail publisher and had three of the top five best-selling new releases for the calendar year — #1 Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare, #3 Destiny, and #5 Skylanders® Trap Team.²
• Activision Publishing’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was the #1 top-selling console game globally for the calendar year.³ Additionally, in 2014, Call of Duty was the #1 franchise in North America for the sixth year in a row.⁴ Call of Duty franchise revenues now exceed $11 billion in retail sales worldwide since it first launched in 2003.⁵
• Activision Publishing’s Destiny was the most successful launch of a new video game franchise in history.²Destiny was also the #1 top-selling new video game IP and the #3 top-selling new release in North America and Europe, combined, for the calendar year.² To date, Destiny has more than 16 million registered users and active players are playing the game an average of over three hours per day.
• Activision Publishing’s Skylanders Trap Team was the #1 top-selling kids console game globally for the calendar year. For the third consecutive year, Skylanders was the #1 kids video game franchise of the year in the U.S., and globally.³
• At BlizzCon^® on November 7, 2014, Blizzard Entertainment announced a new intellectual property, Overwatch^™ — a highly accessible multi-player game featuring an amazing cast of heroes and set in an all-new Blizzard game universe.
• On November 13, 2014, Blizzard Entertainment launched Warlords of Draenor^™, the fifth expansion for the #1 subscription-based MMORPG in the world, World of Warcraft^®. The expansionsold-through more than 3.3 million copies as of the first 24 hours of its availability and helped drive World of Warcraft to more than 10 million global subscribers at the end of 2014.
• On December 8, 2014, Blizzard Entertainment launched Goblins vs Gnomes^™, the first expansion for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. The release of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft on Android tablets followed on December 15, 2014.

Company Outlook:

On January 11, 2015, Activision Publishing and Tencent launched a public open beta for Call of Duty^® Online, making the game available to millions of Chinese gamers. The open beta marks a historic first for the Call of Duty series as it expands into the world’s largest gaming market.

On January 13, 2015, Blizzard Entertainment began the closed beta test for Heroes of the Storm^™, its upcoming free-to-play online team brawler featuring iconic heroes from more than 20 years of Blizzard gaming history. To date, more than nine million players have signed up to beta test the game.

On January 27, 2015, Activision Publishing launched the first DLC for Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare – Havoc, available first on the Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft for Xbox One and Xbox 360. The DLC offers four new multi-player maps, exclusive weapon, custom weapon variant and a new zombies cooperative mode called Exo Zombies.

In January 2015, Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft reached more than 25 million registered players.

Additionally, in 2015, Blizzard Entertainment expects to begin beta testing Overwatch.

Given the significant weakening of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar, the company’s 2015 international revenues and earnings are expected to be translated at much lower rates than in 2014. This will impact the company’s 2015 outlook as compared to 2014 actual results given approximately 50% of the company’s revenues, and a higher percentage of profits, are generated outside the U.S. See reconciliation table, below.

Activision Blizzard’s first quarter and calendar year 2015 outlook is, as follows:

The following table reconciles our CY14 actual earnings per share to CY15 outlook earnings per share.

Currency Assumptions for 2015 Outlook:

• $1.13 USD/Euro (vs. a $1.33 average for 2014)
• $1.51 USD/British Pound Sterling (vs. a $1.65 average for 2014)
• Revenue and EPS increase if the Euro or British Pound Sterling strengthens vs. USD

** Fully diluted weighted average shares include participating securities and dilutive options on a weighted average basis.
*** For GAAP purpose, it includes the net change in deferred net revenues and related cost of sales.

Board Authorizes Stock Repurchase Program and Debt Repayment and Declares Cash Dividend

The company also announced that its Board of Directors authorized a new two-year stock repurchase program under which the company is authorized to repurchase up to $750 million of its outstanding common stock during the period from February 9, 2015 through February 8, 2017.

Additionally, the company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a repayment of $250 million of the company’s outstanding “Term Loan B,” which is expected to occur during the first quarter of 2015.

The Board of Directors also declared a cash dividend of $0.23 per common share, payable on May 13, 2015 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 30, 2015, which represents a 15% increase from 2014.

Conference Call

Today at 4:30 p.m. EST, Activision Blizzard’s management will host a conference call and Webcast to discuss the company’s results for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 and management’s outlook for 2015. The company welcomes all members of the financial and media communities and other interested parties to visit the “Investor Relations” area of www.activisionblizzard.com to listen to the conference call via live Webcast or to listen to the call live by dialing into 877-741-4239 in the U.S. with passcode 3638929.

About Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is the largest and most profitable western interactive entertainment publishing company. It develops and publishes some of the most successful and beloved entertainment franchises in any medium, including Call of Duty, Call of Duty Online, Destiny, Skylanders, World of Warcraft, StarCraft®, Diablo®, and Hearthstone.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, it maintains operations throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Activision Blizzard develops and publishes games on all leading interactive platforms and its games are available in most countries around the world. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.

¹During calendar year 2014, combined GAAP revenues from Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and Destiny were more than $450 million. The difference in GAAP and non-GAAP revenues represents the net change in deferrals of revenues of approximately $400 million.
² The NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track, including toys and accessories
³ The NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track and Activision Blizzard internal estimates, including toys and accessories
⁴ The NPD Group
⁵ The NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track

Subscriber Definition: World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. Internet Game Room players who have accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees' territories are defined along the same rules.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures: As a supplement to our financial measures presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), Activision Blizzard presents certain non-GAAP measures of financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or as more important than, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the items associated with the company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP.

Activision Blizzard provides net revenues, net income (loss), earnings (loss) per share and operating margin data and guidance both including (in accordance with GAAP) and excluding (non-GAAP) certain items. In addition, Activision Blizzard provides EBITDA (defined as GAAP net income (loss) before interest (income) expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) and adjusted EBITDA (defined as non-GAAP operating margin (see non-GAAP financial measure below) before depreciation). The non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items, as applicable in any given reporting period:

• the change in deferred revenues and related cost of sales with respect to certain of the company’s online-enabled games;
• expenses related to stock-based compensation;
• the amortization of intangibles from purchase price accounting;
• fees and other expenses (including legal fees, costs, expenses and accruals) related to the acquisition of 429 million shares of our common stock on October 11, 2013 from Vivendi, pursuant to the stock purchase agreement dated July 25, 2013 and the $4.75 billion debt financings related thereto; and
• the income tax adjustments associated with any of the above items.

In the future, Activision Blizzard may also consider whether other significant non-recurring items should also be excluded in calculating the non-GAAP financial measures used by the company. Management believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with additional useful information to measure Activision Blizzard’s financial and operating performance. In particular, the measures facilitate comparison of operating performance between periods and help investors to better understand the operating results of Activision Blizzard by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the company’s core business, operating results or future outlook. Internally, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the company’s operating results, and measuring compliance with the requirements of the company’s debt financing agreements, as well as in planning and forecasting.

Activision Blizzard’s non-GAAP financial measures are not based on a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, and the terms non-GAAP net revenues, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per share, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP or adjusted EBITDA do not have a standardized meaning. Therefore, other companies may use the same or similarly named measures, but exclude different items, which may not provide investors a comparable view of Activision Blizzard’s performance in relation to other companies.

Management compensates for the limitations resulting from the exclusion of these items by considering the impact of the items separately and by considering Activision Blizzard’s GAAP, as well as non-GAAP, results and outlook, and by presenting the most comparable GAAP measures directly ahead of non-GAAP measures, and by providing a reconciliation that indicates and describes the adjustments made.

In addition to the reasons stated above, which are generally applicable to each of the items Activision Blizzard excludes from its non-GAAP financial measures, there are additional specific reasons why the company believes it is appropriate to exclude the change in deferred revenues and related cost of sales with respect to certain of the company’s online-enabled games.

Since Activision Blizzard has determined that some of our games’ online functionality represents an essential component of gameplay and, as a result, a more-than-inconsequential separate deliverable, we recognize revenues attributed to these game titles over their estimated service periods, which may range from five months to a maximum of less than a year. The related cost of sales is deferred and recognized as the related revenues are recognized. Internally, management excludes the impact of this change in deferred revenues and related cost of sales in its non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating the company’s operating performance, when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, and when assessing the performance of its management team. Management believes this is appropriate because doing so enables an analysis of performance based on the timing of actual transactions with our customers, which is consistent with the way the company is measured by investment analysts and industry data sources. In addition, excluding the change in deferred revenues and the related cost of sales provides a much more timely indication of trends in our operating results.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements under the heading “Company Outlook,” are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements consist of any statement other than a recitation of historical facts and include, but are not limited to: (1) projections of revenues, expenses, income or loss, earnings or loss per share, cash flow or other financial items; (2) statements of our plans and objectives, including those relating to product releases; and (3) statements of future financial or operating performance.

Activision Blizzard generally uses words, such as “outlook,” “forecast,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “to be,” “plan,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “might,” “expects,” “intends,” “intends as,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” “future,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and other similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risk, reflect management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about our business, and are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Activision Blizzard’s actual future results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release. Risks and uncertainties that may affect our future results include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Blizzard’s titles, increasing concentration of titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, Activision Blizzard’s ability to predict consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres, such as first-person action, massively multiplayer online and “toys to life” games, and preferences among hardware platforms, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, changing business models, including digital delivery of content, competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, possible declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, particularly during the ongoing console transition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, the current regulatory environment, litigation risks and associated costs, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, financing providers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, capital market risks, the possibility that expected benefits related to the transactions involving the repurchase of shares from Vivendi S.A. may not materialize as expected, the amount of our debt and the limitations imposed by the covenants in the agreements governing our debt, and the other factors identified in “Risk Factors” included in Part I, Item 1A of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and Activision Blizzard assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although these forward-looking statements are believed to be true when made, they may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.