MANU Manchester United Plc

• Q1 REVENUES OF £120.2 MILLION
• Q1 ADJUSTED EBITDA OF £31.2 MILLION
• Q1 OPERATING PROFIT OF £6.2 MILLION

Manchester United (NYSE: MANU; the “Company” and the “Group”) – one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world - today announced financial results for the 2017 fiscal first quarter ended 30 September 2016.

Highlights

• Five sponsorship deals announced in the quarter.
  • EA Sports (Global)
  • Tag Heuer (Global)
  • Apollo (regional to global)
  • Renewal of Hong Kong Jockey Club (regional)
  • Virgin Money (financial services)
• Signed four leading players in Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba
• Won the Community Shield under new manager Jose Mourinho

Commentary

Ed Woodward, Executive Vice Chairman, commented, “While our financial results for this quarter reflect the impact of our non-participation in the UEFA Champions League, we are pleased that we remain on track to deliver record revenues for the coming year. During the quarter we added a number of top quality players to our squad, which once again demonstrates our determination to challenge for trophies.”

Outlook

For fiscal 2017, Manchester United continues to expect:

• Revenue to be £530m to £540m.
• Adjusted EBITDA to be £170m to £180m.

Key Financials (unaudited) £ million (except earnings per share)  

Three months ended 30 September

    2016   2015   Change Commercial revenue   74.3   71.2   4.4% Broadcasting revenue   29.1   27.6   5.4% Matchday revenue   16.8   24.8   (32.3%) Total revenue   120.2   123.6   (2.8%) Adjusted EBITDA1   31.2   41.6   (25.0%) Operating profit   6.2   9.5   (34.7%)   Profit for the period (i.e. net income)   1.2   5.0   (76.0%) Basic earnings per share   0.71   3.03   (76.6%) Adjusted profit for the period (i.e. adjusted net income)1   0.7   2.7   (74.1%) Adjusted basic earnings per share (pence)1   0.43   1.63   (73.6%)   Net Debt1/2   337.7   286.2   18.0%

1 Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted profit for the period, adjusted basic earnings per share and net debt are non-IFRS measures. See “Non-IFRS Measures: Definitions and Use” below and the accompanying Supplemental Notes for the definitions and reconciliations for these non-IFRS measures and the reasons we believe these measures provide useful information to investors regarding the Group’s financial condition and results of operations.

2 A key contributor to the increase in net debt was the strengthening US dollar; with the USD/GBP exchange rate moving from 1.5128 at 30 September 2015 to 1.2941 at 30 September 2016. The US$ debt principal remains unchanged.

Revenue Analysis

Commercial

Commercial revenue for the quarter was £74.3 million, an increase of £3.1 million, or 4.4%, over the prior year quarter.

• Sponsorship revenue for the quarter of £44.4 million, a decrease of £1.9 million, or 4.1%, over the prior year quarter, due to playing fewer Tour matches;
• Retail, Merchandising, Apparel & Product Licensing revenue for the quarter was £27.4 million, an increase of £5.1 million, or 22.9%, over the prior year quarter, due to the commencement of the adidas agreement and bringing in-house of several businesses, both only commencing part way through the prior year quarter (on 1 August 2015); and
• Mobile & Content revenue for the quarter was £2.5 million, compared with £2.6 million in the prior year quarter.

Broadcasting

Broadcasting revenue for the quarter was £29.1 million, an increase of £1.5 million, or 5.4%, over the prior year quarter, primarily due to commencement of new FAPL broadcasting rights agreement, partially offset by non-participation in the UEFA Champions League and playing one fewer FAPL home game.

Matchday

Matchday revenue for the quarter was £16.8 million, a decrease of £8.0 million, or 32.3% over the prior year quarter, primarily due to playing three fewer home games across all competitions.

Other Financial Information

Operating expenses

Total operating expenses for the quarter were £122.2 million, an increase of £15.5 million, or 14.5%, over the prior year quarter.

Employee benefit expenses

Employee benefit expenses for the quarter were £62.3 million, an increase of £3.4 million, or 5.8%, over the prior year quarter.

Other operating expenses

Other operating expenses for the quarter were £26.7 million, an increase of £3.6 million, or 15.6%, over the prior year quarter primarily due to adverse unrealised foreign exchange movements.

Depreciation & amortization

Depreciation for the quarter was £2.4 million, a decrease of £0.1 million, or 4.0%, over the prior year quarter. Amortization for the quarter was £30.8 million, an increase of £8.6 million, or 38.7%, over the prior year quarter. The unamortized balance of players’ registrations at 30 September 2016 was £374.0 million.

Profit/(loss) on disposal of intangible assets

Profit on disposal of intangible assets for the quarter was £8.2 million compared to a loss of £7.4 million in the prior year quarter.

Net finance costs

Net finance costs for the quarter were £5.9 million, an increase of £1.6 million, or 37.2%, over the prior year quarter, primarily due to adverse exchange rate movements.

Tax

The tax credit for the quarter was £0.9 million, compared to an expense of £0.2 million in the prior year quarter.

Cash flows

Net cash generated from operating activities for the quarter was £52.6 million, an increase of £16.9 million over the prior year quarter.

Net capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment and investment property for the quarter was £2.2 million, an increase of £1.8 million over the prior year quarter.

Net capital expenditure on intangible assets for the quarter was £122.7 million, an increase of £72.8 million over the prior year quarter, reflecting continued investment in the first team playing squad.

Overall cash and cash equivalents (including the effects of exchange rate changes) decreased by £64.9 million in the quarter.

Net Debt

Net Debt as of 30 September 2016 was £337.7 million, an increase of £51.5 million over the year primarily due to the impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our USD denominated debt (USD/GBP exchange rate moved from 1.5128 at 30 September 2015 to 1.2941 at 30 September 2016) and the decrease in cash outlined above.

Dividend

A semi-annual cash dividend of $0.09 per share will be paid on 5 January 2017, to shareholders of record on 30 November 2016. The stock will begin to trade ex-dividend on 28 November 2016.

Conference Call Information

The Company’s conference call to review first quarter fiscal 2017 results will be broadcast live over the internet today, 17 November 2016 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time and will be available on Manchester United’s investor relations website at http://ir.manutd.com. Thereafter, a replay of the webcast will be available for thirty days.

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports team in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth.

Through our 138-year heritage we have won 64 trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 659 million followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, mobile & content, broadcasting and matchday.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on such statements because they are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many are beyond the Company’s control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements often include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible” or similar expressions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our businesses and operations. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect its actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements. These factors are more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-182535) and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-35627).

Non-IFRS Measures: Definitions and Use

1. Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as profit for the period before depreciation, amortization, profit/(loss) on disposal of intangible assets, exceptional items, net finance costs, and tax.

We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful as a measure of comparative operating performance from period to period and among companies as it is reflective of changes in pricing decisions, cost controls and other factors that affect operating performance, and it removes the effect of our asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization), capital structure (primarily finance costs), and items outside the control of our management (primarily taxes). Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for an analysis of our results as reported under IFRS as issued by the IASB. A reconciliation of profit for the period to Adjusted EBITDA is presented in supplemental note 2.

2. Adjusted profit for the period (i.e. adjusted net income)

Adjusted profit for the period is calculated, where appropriate, by adjusting for charges/credits related to exceptional items, foreign exchange gains/losses on unhedged US dollar denominated borrowings, and fair value movements on derivative financial instruments, adding/subtracting the actual tax expense/credit for the period, and subtracting the adjusted tax expense for the period (based on an normalized tax rate of 35%; 2015: 35%). The normalized tax rate of 35% is management’s estimate of the tax rate likely to be applicable to the Group for the foreseeable future.

We believe that in assessing the comparative performance of the business, in order to get a clearer view of the underlying financial performance of the business, it is useful to strip out the distorting effects of charges/credits related to ‘one-off’ transactions and then to apply a ‘normalized’ tax rate (for both the current and prior periods) of the US federal income tax rate of 35%. A reconciliation of profit for the period to adjusted profit for the period is presented in supplemental note 3.

3. Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share

Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated by dividing the adjusted profit for the period by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period to assume conversion of all dilutive potential ordinary shares. We have one category of dilutive potential ordinary shares: share awards pursuant to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”). Share awards pursuant to the Equity Plan are assumed to have been converted into ordinary shares at the beginning of the financial year. Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share are presented in supplemental note 3.

4. Net debt

Net debt is calculated as non-current and current borrowings minus cash and cash equivalents.

Key Performance Indicators

 

  Three months ended 30 September 2016   2015 Commercial % of total revenue 61.8% 57.6% Broadcasting % of total revenue 24.2% 22.3% Matchday % of total revenue 14.0% 20.1% Home Matches Played FAPL 3 4 UEFA competitions 1 2 Domestic Cups - 1 Away Matches Played UEFA competitions 1 2 Domestic Cups 1 -   Other Employees at period end 837 798 Staff costs % of revenue 51.8% 47.6% Phasing of Premier League home games   Quarter 1   Quarter 2   Quarter 3   Quarter 4   Total 2016/17 season* 3   7   4   5   19 2015/16 season 4   5   5   5   19

*Subject to changes in broadcasting scheduling

 

 

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT (unaudited; in £ thousands, except per share and shares outstanding data)

 

Three months ended 30 September

  2016   2015 Revenue 120,213   123,562 Operating expenses (122,242) (106,606) Profit/(loss) on disposal of intangible assets   8,205   (7,436) Operating profit   6,176   9,520 Finance costs (6,098) (4,379) Finance income   180   38 Net finance costs   (5,918)   (4,341) Profit before tax 258 5,179 Tax credit/(expense)   903   (219) Profit for the period   1,161   4,960   Basic earnings per share: Basic earnings per share (pence) 0.71 3.03 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands) 164,025 163,833 Diluted earnings per share: Diluted earnings per share (pence) 0.71 3.02 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands)   164,483   164,268      

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (unaudited; in £ thousands)

   

As of 30 September 2016

 

As of30 June2016

 

As of30 September2015

ASSETS Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 245,004 245,714 249,449 Investment property 14,060 13,447 13,531 Intangible assets 800,290 665,634 682,694 Derivative financial instruments 3,313 3,760 944 Trade and other receivables 4,005 11,223 10,331 Deferred tax asset   148,016   145,460   137,214     1,214,688   1,085,238   1,094,163 Current assets Inventories 1,422 926 1,360 Derivative financial instruments 5,218 7,888 902 Trade and other receivables 68,600 128,657 104,925 Tax receivable 97 - 99 Cash and cash equivalents   164,277   229,194   143,525     239,614   366,665   250,811 Total assets   1,454,302   1,451,903   1,344,974  

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (continued) (unaudited; in £ thousands)

   

As of 30 September 2016

 

As of30 June2016

 

As of30 September2015

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES       Equity Share capital 52 52 52 Share premium 68,822 68,822 68,822 Merger reserve 249,030 249,030 249,030 Hedging reserve (37,619) (32,989) (5,116) Retained earnings   174,985   173,367   160,620     455,270   458,282   473,408 Non-current liabilities Derivative financial instruments 8,773 10,637 4,084 Trade and other payables 67,412 41,450 19,598 Borrowings 499,305 484,528 426,534 Deferred revenue 35,836 38,899 19,422 Deferred tax liabilities   11,975   14,364   15,281     623,301   589,878   484,919 Current liabilities Derivative financial instruments 1,163 2,800 1,389 Tax liabilities 5,054 6,867 1,666 Trade and other payables 170,705 199,668 191,276 Borrowings 2,683 5,564 3,187 Deferred revenue   196,126   188,844   189,129     375,731   403,743   386,647 Total equity and liabilities   1,454,302   1,451,903   1,344,974  

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (unaudited; in £ thousands)

 

Three months ended 30 September

    2016   2015 Cash flows from operating activities   Cash generated from operations (see supplemental note 4) 63,783 38,115 Interest paid (7,904) (1,542) Interest received 180 67 Tax paid   (3,452)   (942) Net cash generated from operating activities   52,607   35,698 Cash flows from investing activities Payments for property, plant and equipment (1,557) (353) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment - 21 Payments for investment property (644) - Payments for intangible assets (158,848) (86,532) Proceeds from sale of intangible assets   36,159   36,591 Net cash used in investing activities   (124,890)   (50,273) Cash flows from financing activities Repayment of borrowings   (94)   (89) Net cash used in financing activities   (94)   (89) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (72,377) (14,664) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 229,194 155,752 Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   7,460   2,437 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   164,277   143,525

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES

1 General information

Manchester United plc (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries (together the “Group”) is a professional football club together with related and ancillary activities. The Company incorporated under the Companies Law (2011 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, as amended and restated from time to time.

2 Reconciliation of profit for the period to Adjusted EBITDA

 

Three months ended 30 September

   

2016 £’000

 

2015£’000

Profit for the period 1,161   4,960 Adjustments: Tax (credit)/expense (903) 219 Net finance costs 5,918 4,341 (Profit)/loss on disposal of intangible assets (8,205) 7,436 Amortization 30,805 22,147 Depreciation   2,412   2,495 Adjusted EBITDA   31,188   41,598

3 Reconciliation of profit for the period to adjusted profit for the period and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share

 

Three months ended 30 September

 

 

2016 £’000

 

2015£’000

Profit for the period 1,161   4,960 Foreign exchange losses on unhedged US dollar borrowings 2,111 759 Fair value movement on derivative financial instruments (1,274) (1,807) Tax (credit)/expense   (903)   219 Adjusted profit before tax 1,095 4,131

Adjusted tax expense (using a normalised US statutory rate of 35%)

  (383)   (1,446) Adjusted profit for the period (i.e. adjusted net income)   712   2,685   Adjusted basic earnings per share: Adjusted basic earnings per share (pence) 0.43 1.64 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands) 164,025 163,883 Adjusted diluted earnings per share: Adjusted diluted earnings per share (pence) 0.43 1.63 Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands)   164,483   164,268

4 Cash generated from operations

 

Three months ended 30 September

   

2016 £’000

 

2015£’000

Profit for the period 1,161   4,960 Tax (credit)/expense   (903)   219 Profit before tax 258 5,179 Depreciation 2,412 2,494 Amortization 30,805 22,147 (Profit)/loss on disposal of intangible assets (8,205) 7,436 Net finance costs 5,929 4,345 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - 9 Equity-settled share-based payments 457 375

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses on cash and cash equivalents recognized inoperating activities

(4,090) 2,066 Other fair value losses/(gains) on derivative financial instruments 2,054 (4,247) Reclassified from hedging reserve 766 342 Increase in inventories (496) (1,360) Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables 39,447 (10,166) (Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables and deferred revenue   (5,554)   9,495 Cash generated from operations   63,783   38,115

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Manchester UnitedInvestor Relations:Samanta Stewart+44 207 054 5928ir@manutd.co.ukorMedia:Philip TownsendManchester United plc+44 161 868 8148philip.townsend@manutd.co.ukorJim Barron / Michael HensonSard Verbinnen & Co+ 1 212 687 8080JBarron@SARDVERB.com