IMAX Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2021, including: its strongest Global Box Office, Revenue, and Gross Margin in the pandemic era; a sharp reduction in net loss attributable to common shareholders from ($47.2) to ($8.4) million, reported loss per share from ($0.80) to ($0.14), and adjusted loss per share from ($0.75) to ($0.08); and solid improvement in adjusted EBITDA which increased from ($0.3) to $13.1 million — demonstrating a significant turning point in the global box office with pent up consumer demand for The IMAX Experience® continuing to gain momentum as theaters reopen around the world.

"The third quarter was a major turning point for IMAX. We delivered over $142 million in Global Box Office, a clear sign of significant pent up consumer demand with momentum accelerating into a pre-pandemic September performance and all-time Company record in October, which is on track to be one of the top ten months in the company's history," said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation. "The power of the IMAX theatrical window for blockbuster films is clear as we continue to draw moviegoers to the theaters, gain market share, and grow our relationships with local exhibitors, studios, and filmmakers."

"IMAX's asset-lite model again proved to be a strong differentiator, helping us to deliver year-over-year growth in revenue and achieve another quarter of improved operating results. These results are also reflected in our balance sheet, where our excess liquidity provides security and capital allocation flexibility."

"As anticipated, the domestic market continued its recovery with sequential growth in box office. Local language box office was also a strong performer which already eclipsed our record breaking 2019 local language box office. We are seeing greater confidence in the overall slate as well, as the IMAX-friendly franchise-heavy schedule has solidified through 2022."

"We feel confident that the table is set for a continued rebound in domestic and international blockbuster moviegoing which is reflected in our decision to opportunistically repurchase shares. With solid operating momentum, strong market share and multiple tentpole films set to be released in the remainder Q4 and 2022, IMAX is well positioned to deliver and strengthen our position as one of the world's premier entertainment experience."

Third Quarter Financial Highlights

Third Quarter and September Year-to-Date Segment Results⁽¹⁾

IMAX Technology Network

• IMAX Technology Network revenues increased to $25.6 million in the third quarter of 2021, compared to $11.4 million in the prior-year period. The continued reopening of the Company's network, particularly in the US, and strong performance of Hollywood releases drove the increase in gross box office and revenue.
• Gross margin for the IMAX Technology Network of $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2021 increased by more than $10 million as improved box office performance drove higher revenue and margin expansion.

IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance

• IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance revenues increased to $27.7 million in the third quarter of 2021, compared with $23.7 million in the prior year period. The increase in revenue was the result of higher IMAX Maintenance revenue associated with the continued reopening of the Company's global network offset by a fewer number of IMAX theater system installations.
• Total gross margin for IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance increased to $14.9 million compared to $9.4 million in the prior year period. The increase in gross margin was the result of higher maintenance revenue partially offset by an increase in associated costs as a result of a return to more normal business activities.

Cash Balances and Outstanding Debt
Total cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2021 were $193.0 million. Total debt, excluding deferred financing costs was $241.0 million as of September 30, 2021.

Share Count and Capital Return
The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding in the third quarter of 2021 increased to 59.2 million, compared to 58.9 million in the third quarter of 2020. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company repurchased 317 thousand of its shares at an average price of $14.53 for a total of $4.6 million. IMAX China repurchased 3.6 million shares at an average price of $1.40 per share for a total of $5 million. A total of $84.8 million remains available under the Company's outstanding share repurchase authorization, which was extended an additional year through to June 2022.

Supplemental Materials
For more information about the Company's results, please refer to the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com.

Investor Relations Website and Social Media
On a weekly basis, the Company posts quarter-to-date box office results on the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com. The Company expects to provide such updates on Friday of each week, although the Company may change this timing without notice. Results will be displayed with a one-week lag.

The Company may post additional information on the Company's corporate and Investor Relations website which may be material to investors. Accordingly, investors, media and others interested in the Company should monitor the Company's website in addition to the Company's press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts, for additional information about the Company

Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call today at 8:30AM ET to discuss its third quarter 2021 financial results. This call is being webcast by PGI and can be accessed at investors.imax.com. To access the call via telephone, interested parties in the US and Canada should dial (800) 437-2398 approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the call begins. Other international callers should dial (647) 792-1240. The conference ID for the call is 1560158. A replay of the call will be available via webcast at investors.imax.com or via telephone by dialing (888) 203-1112 (US and Canada), or (647) 436-0148 (international). The Conference ID for the telephone replay is 1560158.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theaters to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of September 30, 2021, there were 1,664 IMAX theater systems (1,580 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, 72 institutional) operating in 85 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "HK.1970."

IMAX®, IMAX® Dome, IMAX® 3D, IMAX® 3D Dome, Experience It In IMAX®, The IMAX Experience®, An IMAX Experience®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, IMAX DMR®, DMR®, IMAX nXos® and Films to the Fullest^®, are trademarks and trade names of the Company or its subsidiaries that are registered or otherwise protected under laws of various jurisdictions. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/imax), Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to business and technology strategies and measures to implement strategies, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and growth of business, operations and technology, future capital expenditures (including the amount and nature thereof), industry prospects and consumer behavior,  plans and references to the future success of IMAX Corporation together with its consolidated subsidiaries (the "Company") and expectations regarding the Company's future operating, financial and technological results. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks related to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;risks associated with investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, including those related to economic, political and regulatory policies of local governments and laws and policies of the United States and Canada; risks related to the Company's growth and operations in China; the performance of IMAX DMR^® films; the signing of IMAX Theater System agreements; conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry; risks related to currency fluctuations; the potential impact of increased competition in the markets within which the Company operates, including competitive actions by other companies; the failure to respond to change and advancements in digital technology; risks relating to recent consolidation among commercial exhibitors and studios; risks related to new business initiatives; conditions in the in-home and out-of-home entertainment industries; the opportunities (or lack thereof) that may be presented to and pursued by the Company; risks related to cyber-security and data privacy; risks related to the Company's inability to protect the Company's intellectual property; risks related to the Company's indebtedness and compliance with its debt agreements; general economic, market or business conditions; the failure to convert IMAX Theater System backlog into revenue; changes in laws or regulations; the failure to fully realize the projected cost savings and benefits from any of the Company's restructuring initiatives; any statements of belief and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing; other factors and risks outlined in our periodic filings with the SEC; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this earnings release are qualified by these cautionary statements, and actual results or anticipated developments by the Company may not be realized, and even if substantially realized, may not have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These factors, other risks and uncertainties and financial details are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Primary Reporting Groups
The Company has the following reportable segments: (i) IMAX DMR; (ii) Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements; (iii) IMAX Systems, (iv) IMAX Maintenance; (v) Other Theater Business; (vi) New Business Initiatives; (vii) Film Distribution; and (viii) Film Post-Production. The Company organizes its reportable segments into the following four categories, identified by the nature of the product sold or service provided:

IMAX CORPORATION
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(in thousands of U.S. dollars)

In this release, the Company presents adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders per basic and diluted share, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and free cash flow as supplemental measures of the Company's performance, which are not recognized under U.S. GAAP. Adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders per basic and diluted share exclude, where applicable: (i) share-based compensation; (ii) COVID-19 government relief benefits, (iii) legal judgment and arbitration awards; (iv) realized and unrealized investment gains or losses, as well as the related tax impact of these adjustments, and (v) income taxes resulting from management's decision to no longer indefinitely reinvest the historical earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries.

The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures that allow management and users of the Company's financial statements to view operating trends and analyze controllable operating performance on a comparable basis between periods without the after-tax impact of share-based compensation and certain unusual items included in net loss attributable to common shareholders. Although share-based compensation is an important aspect of the Company's employee and executive compensation packages, it is a non-cash expense and is excluded from certain internal business performance measures.

A reconciliation from net loss attributable to common shareholders and the associated per share amounts to adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders and adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders per diluted share is presented in the table below. Net loss attributable to common shareholders and the associated per share amounts are the most directly comparable GAAP measures because they reflect the earnings relevant to the Company's shareholders, rather than the earnings attributable to non-controlling interests.

In addition to the non-GAAP financial measures discussed above, management also uses "EBITDA," as such term is defined in the Company's Credit Agreement, and which is referred to herein as "Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility." As allowed by the Credit Agreement, Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility includes adjustments in addition to the exclusion of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility measure is presented to allow a more comprehensive analysis of the Company's operating performance and to provide additional information with respect to the Company's compliance against its Credit Agreement requirements when applicable. In addition, the Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility presents relevant and useful information widely used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in the Company's industry to evaluate, assess and benchmark the Company's results.

EBITDA is defined as net income or loss excluding (i) income tax expense or benefit; (ii) interest expense, net of interest income; and (iii) depreciation and amortization, including film asset amortization. Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility is defined as EBITDA excluding: (i) share-based and other non-cash compensation; (ii) realized and unrealized investment gains or losses; (iii) write-downs, net of recoveries, including asset impairments and credit loss expense; (iv) legal judgment and arbitration awards; and (v) the gain or loss from equity accounted investments.

A reconciliation of net loss attributable to common shareholders, which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure, to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA per Credit Facility is presented in the table below. Net loss attributable to common shareholders is the most directly comparable GAAP measure because it reflects the earnings relevant to the Company's shareholders, rather than the earnings attributable to non-controlling interests.

Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities minus cash used in investing activities (from the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows). Cash provided by operating activities consist of net (loss) income, plus depreciation and amortization, plus the change in deferred income taxes, plus other non-cash items, plus changes in working capital, less investment in film assets, plus other changes in operating assets and liabilities. Cash used in investing activities includes capital expenditures, acquisitions and other cash used in investing activities. Management views free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, as a measure of the Company's after-tax cash flow available to reduce debt, add to cash balances, and fund other financing activities. Free cash flow does not represent residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. A reconciliation of cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow is presented below.

These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled amounts reported by other companies. Additionally, the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the comparable GAAP amounts.