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Activision Blizzard Announces First-Quarter 2021 Financial Results

Better-Than-Expected and Record Q1 Results

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced first-quarter 2021 results.

“Our employees continue to demonstrate exceptional performance under challenging circumstances,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “That relentless drive across our franchises produced strong first quarter results that were well ahead of expectations. Our continued overperformance enables us to raise our outlook for the full year.”

Financial Metrics

 

Q1

(in millions, except EPS)

2021

Prior Outlook*

2020

GAAP Net Revenues

$2,275

$2,015

$1,788

Impact of GAAP deferralsA

($209)

($265)

($266)

 

 

 

 

GAAP EPS

$0.79

$0.59

$0.65

Non-GAAP EPS

$0.98

$0.84

$0.76

Impact of GAAP deferralsA

($0.14)

($0.19)

($0.18)

 

 

 

* Prior outlook was provided by the company on February 4, 2021 in its earnings release.

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

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, Activision Blizzard’s net revenues presented in accordance with GAAP were $2.28 billion, as compared with $1.79 billion for the first quarter of 2020. GAAP net revenues from digital channels were $2.01 billion. GAAP operating margin was 35%. GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.79, as compared with $0.65 for the first quarter of 2020. On a non-GAAP basis, Activision Blizzard’s operating margin was 43% and earnings per diluted share were $0.98, as compared with $0.76 for the first quarter of 2020.

For the quarter, operating cash flow was $844 million, as compared with $148 million for the first quarter of 2020. For the trailing twelve-month period, operating cash flow was $2.95 billion.

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

Operating Metrics

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, Activision Blizzard’s net bookingsB were $2.07 billion, as compared with $1.52 billion for the first quarter of 2020. In-game net bookingsC were $1.34 billion as compared with $0.96 billion for the first quarter of 2020.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2021, overall Activision Blizzard Monthly Active Users (MAUs)D were 435 million.

Selected Business Highlights

Activision Blizzard significantly exceeded its prior outlook for the first quarter, delivering very strong growth across our largest franchises. Our increased investment in our largest franchises is enabling us to connect and engage people in more ways than ever before. Despite ongoing challenges from working from home, our creative and commercial teams are executing strongly. Their work drove another quarter of fantastic results for Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, and Candy CrushTM, and we continue to make great progress on our pipeline, positioning us for ongoing strong results through the remainder of this year and into 2022 and beyond.

Activision

  • Activision segment revenue grew 72% year-over-year, driven by Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and WarzoneTM in-game revenues, strong premium sales, and Call of Duty Mobile. Segment operating income more than doubled year-over-year.
  • The introduction of Call of Duty free-to-play and mobile experiences has transformed the franchise, more than tripling franchise MAUsD over the last two years, and leading Activision to a new record of 150 million MAUsD in the first quarter.
  • Call of Duty franchise MAUsD increased sequentially and grew over 40% year-over-year in the first quarter.
  • Following its integration with Warzone, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War saw premium sales well above the levels typically seen in the first quarter.
  • Call of Duty in-game net bookingsC on console and PC grew more than 60% year-over-year. The first two seasons of Black Ops Cold War and Warzone content were both in the top-three seasons in Call of Duty history for in-game net bookingsC. The third season, launched in April, is sustaining this strong run-rate, tracking in-line with the first two seasons.
  • Call of Duty Mobile saw strong year-over-year growth in reach, engagement, and player investment in the first quarter, benefiting from ongoing enhancements in the West and the launch of the title in China. In the West, the March season concluded as the highest for player investment yet. Momentum has continued into the second quarter, with the April season now the top-grossing to date at this point after launch. In China, Call of Duty Mobile brought tens of millions of new players to the franchise, with player investment in the first quarter on par with the rest of the world combined.
  • The 2021 season of the professional Call of Duty LeagueTM is off to a great start, enjoying strong year-over-year growth in average minute audience through the first two stages of competition.

Blizzard

  • Blizzard segment revenue grew 7% year-over-year, led by strong growth in the Warcraft® franchise, with World of Warcraft’s Shadowlands expansion building on the substantial increase in scale seen since the launch of World of Warcraft Classic in 2019. Blizzard had 27 million MAUsD in the first quarter.
  • World of Warcraft’s Shadowlands expansion continued to drive strong results following its record-setting release in November, with first quarter franchise net bookingsB growing sharply year-over-year. World of Warcraft saw strong reach, engagement and participation in value added services, along with a particularly high number of new players joining the community for the first time, boosted by initiatives to enhance the onboarding experience.
  • Hearthstone®’s latest expansion, Forged in the BarrensTM, launched on March 30 and is on track to deliver expansion-over-expansion net bookingsB growth for the second consecutive release.
  • Ahead of its launch later this year, Diablo® II: Resurrected saw very positive feedback during early testing in April and online viewership of the alpha test was the highest ever for a Blizzard game test.
  • On mobile, Diablo® ImmortalTM entered its second phase of testing and is on track for global release later this year.
  • April saw Overwatch® fans around the world return to celebrate players and city-based teams in the opening weekend of the 2021 season of Overwatch LeagueTM. The league signed a multi-year partnership with Bilibili Esports for exclusive rights to broadcast league games to the platform’s passionate and growing Overwatch League fanbase in China.

King

  • King segment revenue reached a new record, growing 22% year-over-year, driven by strong growth for Candy Crush. King had 258 million MAUsD in the first quarter.
  • King’s initiatives to broaden the payer base, deliver more frequent seasonal events and introduce compelling new features into Candy Crush and other portfolio titles drove in-game net bookingsC growth in the high-teens percentage year-over-year.
  • Candy Crush grew in-game net bookingsC very strongly year-over-year and was once again the top grossing franchise in the U.S. app stores1.
  • In-game net bookingsC for Farm HeroesTM, King’s second-largest franchise, also grew sharply year-over-year.
  • King’s in-game net bookingsC have remained strong into the second quarter, continuing to grow well year-over-year.
  • Crash Bandicoot: On The Run!TM launched on March 25 and has seen over 30 million downloads to-date.
  • King delivered 70% year-over-year growth in advertising net bookingsB in the first quarter, with significant increases across both direct brand advertisers and partner networks.

Company Outlook

(in millions, except EPS)

GAAP

Outlook

Non-GAAP Outlook

Impact of GAAP deferralsA

CY 2021

 

Net Revenues

$8,370

$8,370

$230

EPS

$2.91

$3.42

$0.28

Fully Diluted Shares

787

787

 

 

 

 

 

Q2 2021

 

 

 

Net Revenues

$2,135

$2,135

($285)

EPS

$0.81

$0.91

($0.21)

Fully Diluted Shares

785

785

 

Net bookingsB are expected to be $8.60 billion for 2021 and $1.85 billion for the second quarter of 2021.

Capital Allocation

The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.47 per common share, payable on May 6, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 15, 2021, which represents a 15% increase from 2020.

Conference Call

Today at 4:30 p.m. EDT, Activision Blizzard’s management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the company’s results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and management’s outlook for the remainder of 2021. The company welcomes all members of the financial and media communities and other interested parties to visit https://investor.activision.com to listen to the conference call via live Webcast or to listen to the call live by dialing into 866-777-2509 in the U.S. We encourage participants to pre-register for the conference call using the following link https://dpregister.com/sreg/10153825/e5b8c12052. A replay of the call will also be available after the call's conclusion and archived for one year at https://investor.activision.com/events.cfm.

About Activision Blizzard

Our mission, to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment has never been more important. Through communities rooted in our video game franchises we enable hundreds of millions of people to experience joy, thrill and achievement. We enable social connections through the lens of fun, and we foster purpose and a sense of accomplishment through healthy competition. Like sport, but with greater accessibility, our players can find purpose and meaning through competitive gaming. Video games, unlike any other social or entertainment media, have the ability to break down the barriers that can inhibit tolerance and understanding. Celebrating differences is at the core of our culture and ensures we can create games for players of diverse backgrounds in the 190 countries our games are played.

As a member of the Fortune 500 and as a component company of the S&P 500, we have an extraordinary track record of delivering superior shareholder returns for over 30 years.

Our enduring franchises are some of the world’s most popular, including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, Diablo®, StarCraft®, Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, Pet Rescue™ and Farm Heroes™. Our sustained success has enabled the company to support corporate social responsibility initiatives that are directly tied to our franchises. As an example, our Call of Duty Endowment has helped find employment for over 80,000 veterans.

Learn more information about Activision Blizzard and how we connect and engage the world through epic entertainment on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.

1 Based on App Annie Intelligence.

A Net effect of accounting treatment from revenue deferrals on certain of our online-enabled products. Since certain of our games are hosted online or include significant online functionality that represents a separate performance obligation, we defer the transaction price allocable to the online functionality from the sale of these games and then recognize the attributable revenues over the relevant estimated service periods, which are generally less than a year. The related cost of revenues is deferred and recognized as an expense as the related revenues are recognized. Impact from changes in deferrals refers to the net effect from revenue deferrals accounting treatment for the purposes of revenues, along with, for the purposes of EPS, the related cost of revenues deferrals treatment and the related tax impacts. Internally, management excludes the impact of this change in deferred revenues and related cost of revenues 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. In addition, management believes excluding the change in deferred revenues and the related cost of revenues provides a much more timely indication of trends in our operating results.

B Net bookings is an operating metric that is defined as the net amount of products and services sold digitally or sold-in physically in the period, and includes license fees, merchandise, and publisher incentives, among others, and is equal to net revenues excluding the impact from deferrals.

C In-game net bookings primarily includes the net amount of downloadable content and microtransactions sold during the period, and is equal to in-game net revenues excluding the impact from deferrals.

D Monthly Active User (“MAU”) Definition: We monitor MAUs as a key measure of the overall size of our user base. MAUs are the number of individuals who accessed a particular game in a given month. We calculate average MAUs in a period by adding the total number of MAUs in each of the months in a given period and dividing that total by the number of months in the period. An individual who accesses two of our games would be counted as two users. In addition, due to technical limitations, for Activision and King, an individual who accesses the same game on two platforms or devices in the relevant period would be counted as two users. For Blizzard, an individual who accesses the same game on two platforms or devices in the relevant period would generally be counted as a single user. In certain instances, we rely on third parties to publish our games. In these instances, MAU data is based on information provided to us by those third parties, or, if final data is not available, reasonable estimates of MAUs for these third-party published games.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures: As a supplement to our financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. 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 income (loss), earnings (loss) per share, and operating margin data and guidance both including (in accordance with GAAP) and excluding (non-GAAP) certain items. When relevant, the company also provides constant FX information to provide a framework for assessing how our underlying businesses performed excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations. 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 and our outlook:

  • expenses related to share-based compensation;
  • the amortization of intangibles from purchase price accounting;
  • fees and other expenses related to acquisitions, including related debt financings, and refinancing of long-term debt, including penalties and the write off of unamortized discount and deferred financing costs;
  • restructuring and related charges;
  • other non-cash charges from reclassification of certain cumulative translation adjustments into earnings as required by GAAP;
  • the income tax adjustments associated with any of the above items (tax impact on non-GAAP pre-tax income is calculated under the same accounting principles applied to the GAAP pre-tax income under ASC 740, which employs an annual effective tax rate method to the results); and
  • significant discrete tax-related items, including amounts related to changes in tax laws, amounts related to the potential or final resolution of tax positions, and other unusual or unique tax-related items and activities.

In the future, Activision Blizzard may also consider whether other 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. Additionally, we consider quantitative and qualitative factors in assessing whether to adjust for the impact of items that may be significant or that could affect an understanding of our ongoing financial and business performance or trends. Internally, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures, along with others, 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 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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: The statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements about: (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 related to releases of products or services and restructuring activities; (3) statements of future financial or operating performance, including the impact of tax items thereon; and (4) statements of assumptions underlying such statements. Activision Blizzard, Inc. generally uses words such as “outlook,” “forecast,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “to be,” “plan,” “aims,” “believes,” “may,” “might,” “expects,” “intends,” “seeks,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” “future,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming,” and other similar words and expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks, reflect management’s current expectations, estimates, and projections about our business, and are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict.

We caution that a number of important factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause our actual future results and other future circumstances to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the ongoing global impact of a novel strain of coronavirus which emerged in December 2019 (“COVID-19”) (including, without limitation, the potential for significant short- and long-term global unemployment and economic weakness and a resulting impact on global discretionary spending; potential strain on the retailers and distributors who sell our physical product to customers; effects on our ability to release our content in a timely manner; the impact of large-scale intervention by the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world, including the impact on interest rates; and volatility in foreign exchange rates); our ability to consistently deliver popular, high-quality titles in a timely manner, which has been made more difficult as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; concentration of revenue among a small number of franchises; our ability to satisfy the expectations of consumers with respect to our brands, games, services, and/or business practices; our ability to attract, retain and motivate skilled personnel; rapid changes in technology and industry standards; competition, including from other forms of entertainment; increasing importance of revenues derived from digital distribution channels; risks associated with the retail sales business model; the continued growth in the scope and complexity of our business, including the diversion of management time and attention to issues relating to the operations of our newly acquired or started businesses and the potential impact of our expansion into new businesses on our existing businesses; substantial influence of third-party platform providers over our products and costs; risks associated with transitions to next-generation consoles; success and availability of video game consoles manufactured by third parties; risks associated with the free-to-play business model, including dependence on a relatively small number of consumers for a significant portion of revenues and profits from any given game; our ability to realize the expected financial and operational benefits of, and effectively implement and manage, our previously-announced restructuring actions; our ability to quickly adjust our cost structure in response to sudden changes in demand; risks and costs associated with legal proceedings; intellectual property claims; changes in tax rates or exposure to additional tax liabilities, as well as the outcome of current or future tax disputes; our ability to sell products at assumed pricing levels; reliance on external developers for development of some of our software products; the amount of our debt and the limitations imposed by the covenants in the agreements governing our debt; the seasonality in the sale of our products; counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors, and manufacturers, which have been magnified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks associated with our use of open source software; piracy and unauthorized copying of our products; insolvency or business failure of any of our partners, which has been magnified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks and uncertainties of conducting business outside the United States; increasing regulation of our business, products, and distribution in key territories; compliance with continually evolving laws and regulations concerning data privacy; reliance on servers and networks to operate our games and our proprietary online gaming service; potential data breaches and other cybersecurity risks; and the other factors identified in “Risk Factors” included in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on information available to Activision Blizzard, Inc. as of the date of this filing and we assume 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 our future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2021

2020

Net revenues

 

 

Product sales

$

675

$

543

In-game, subscription, and other revenues1

1,600

1,245

Total net revenues

2,275

1,788

 

 

 

Costs and expenses

 

 

Cost of revenues—product sales:

 

 

Product costs

140

119

Software royalties, amortization, and intellectual property licenses

112

82

Cost of revenues—in-game, subscription, and other:

 

 

Game operations and distribution costs

296

258

Software royalties, amortization, and intellectual property licenses

30

46

Product development

353

238

Sales and marketing

237

243

General and administrative

282

167

Restructuring and related costs

30

23

Total costs and expenses

1,480

1,176

 

 

 

Operating income

795

612

Interest and other expense (income), net

30

8

Income before income tax expense

765

604

 

 

 

Income tax expense

146

99

 

 

 

Net income

$

619

$

505

 

 

 

Basic earnings per common share

$

0.80

$

0.66

Weighted average common shares outstanding

775

769

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per common share

$

0.79

$

0.65

Weighted average common shares outstanding assuming dilution

783

774

1

In-game, subscription, and other revenues represent revenues from microtransactions and downloadable content, World of Warcraft subscriptions, licensing royalties from our products and franchises, and other miscellaneous revenues.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

March 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Assets

 

 

Current assets

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

9,281

 

$

8,647

 

Accounts receivable, net

773

 

1,052

 

Software development

283

 

352

 

Other current assets

585

 

514

 

Total current assets

10,922

 

10,565

 

Software development

207

 

160

 

Property and equipment, net

192

 

209

 

Deferred income taxes, net

1,250

 

1,318

 

Other assets

643

 

641

 

Intangible assets, net

446

 

451

 

Goodwill

9,765

 

9,765

 

Total assets

$

23,425

 

$

23,109

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

Accounts payable

$

225

 

$

295

 

Deferred revenues

1,459

 

1,689

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

1,497

 

1,116

 

Total current liabilities

3,181

 

3,100

 

Long-term debt, net

3,606

 

3,605

 

Deferred income taxes, net

365

 

418

 

Other liabilities

942

 

949

 

Total liabilities

8,094

 

8,072

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

 

 

Common stock

 

 

Additional paid-in capital

11,549

 

11,531

 

Treasury stock

(5,563

)

(5,563

)

Retained earnings

9,945

 

9,691

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(600

)

(622

)

Total shareholders’ equity

15,331

 

15,037

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

23,425

 

$

23,109

 

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

June 30,

 

September 30,

 

December 31,

 

March 31,

 

Year over Year %

Increase (Decrease)

 

2020

 

2020

 

2020

 

2020

 

2021

 

Cash Flow Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Cash Flow

$

148

$

768

$

196

$

1,140

$

844

470

%

Capital Expenditures

19

13

24

22

22

16

 

Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow1

129

755

172

1,118

822

537

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Cash Flow - TTM2

1,529

2,143

2,030

2,252

2,948

93

%

Capital Expenditures - TTM2

117

103

93

78

81

(31

)

Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow1 - TTM2

$

1,412

$

2,040

$

1,937

$

2,174

$

2,867

103

 

1

Non-GAAP free cash flow represents operating cash flow minus capital expenditures.

2

TTM represents trailing twelve months. Operating Cash Flow for the three months ended June 30, 2019, three months ended September 30, 2019, and three months ended December 31, 2019 were $154 million, $309 million, and $918 million, respectively. Capital Expenditures for the three months ended June 30, 2019, three months ended September 30, 2019, and three months ended December 31, 2019 were $27 million, $34 million, and $37 million, respectively.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

Net Revenues

 

Cost of Revenues - Product Sales: Product Costs

 

Cost of Revenues - Product Sales: Software Royalties and Amortization

 

Cost of Revenues -

In-game/Subs/Other:

Game Operations and Distribution Costs

 

Cost of Revenues -

In-game/Subs/Other:

Software Royalties and Amortization

 

Product Development

 

Sales and Marketing

 

General and Administrative

 

Restructuring and related costs

 

Total Costs and Expenses

GAAP Measurement

$

2,275

 

$

140

 

$

112

 

$

296

 

$

30

 

$

353

 

$

237

 

$

282

 

$

30

 

$

1,480

 

Share-based compensation1

 

 

(6

)

 

 

(16

)

(5

)

(124

)

 

(151

)

Amortization of intangible assets2

 

 

 

 

(3

)

 

 

(2

)

 

(5

)

Restructuring and related costs3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30

)

(30

)

Non-GAAP Measurement

$

2,275

 

$

140

 

$

106

 

$

296

 

$

27

 

$

337

 

$

232

 

$

156

 

$

 

$

1,294

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net effect of deferred revenues and related cost of revenues4

$

(209

)

$

(13

)

$

(64

)

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

(77

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Income

 

Net Income

 

Basic Earnings per Share

 

Diluted Earnings per Share

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP Measurement

$

795

 

$

619

 

$

0.80

 

$

0.79

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation1

151

 

151

 

0.20

 

0.19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of intangible assets2

5

 

5

 

0.01

 

0.01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and related costs3

30

 

30

 

0.04

 

0.04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax impacts from items above5

 

(37

)

(0.05

)

(0.05

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP Measurement

$

981

 

$

768

 

$

0.99

 

$

0.98

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net effect of deferred revenues and related cost of revenues4

$

(132

)

$

(107

)

$

(0.14

)

$

(0.14

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Includes expenses related to share-based compensation.

2

Reflects amortization of intangible assets from purchase price accounting.

3

Reflects restructuring initiatives, primarily severance and other restructuring-related costs.

4

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues, along with related cost of revenues, on certain of our online-enabled products, including the effects of taxes.

5

Reflects the income tax impact associated with the above items. Tax impact on non-GAAP pre-tax income is calculated under the same accounting principles applied to the GAAP pre-tax income under ASC 740, which employs an annual effective tax rate method to the results.

 

The GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share information is presented as calculated. The sum of these measures, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Net Revenues

 

Cost of Revenues - Product Sales: Product Costs

 

Cost of Revenues - Product Sales: Software Royalties and Amortization

 

Cost of Revenues -

In-game/Subs/Other: Game Operations and Distribution Costs

 

Cost of Revenues -

In-game/Subs/Other: Software Royalties and Amortization

 

Product Development

 

Sales and Marketing

 

General and Administrative

 

Restructuring and related costs

 

Total Costs and Expenses

GAAP Measurement

$

1,788

 

$

119

 

$

82

 

$

258

 

$

46

 

$

238

 

$

243

 

$

167

 

$

23

 

$

1,176

 

Share-based compensation1

 

 

(5

)

 

 

(8

)

(7

)

(23

)

 

(43

)

Amortization of intangible assets2

 

 

 

 

(31

)

 

 

(2

)

 

(33

)

Restructuring and related costs3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(23

)

(23

)

Non-GAAP Measurement

$

1,788

 

$

119

 

$

77

 

$

258

 

$

15

 

$

230

 

$

236

 

$

142

 

$

 

$

1,077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net effect of deferred revenues and related cost of revenues4

$

(266

)

$

(39

)

$

(52

)

$

(4

)

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

(95

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Income

 

Net Income

 

Basic Earnings per Share

 

Diluted Earnings per Share

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP Measurement

$

612

 

$

505

 

$

0.66

 

$

0.65

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation1

43

 

43

 

0.06

 

0.06

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of intangible assets2

33

 

33

 

0.04

 

0.04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and related costs3

23

 

23

 

0.03

 

0.03

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax impacts from items above5

 

(13

)

(0.02

)

(0.02

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP Measurement

$

711

 

$

591

 

$

0.77

 

$

0.76

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net effect of deferred revenues and related cost of revenues4

$

(171

)

$

(141

)

$

(0.19

)

$

(0.18

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Includes expenses related to share-based compensation.

2

Reflects amortization of intangible assets from purchase price accounting.

3

Reflects restructuring initiatives, primarily severance and other restructuring-related costs.

4

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues, along with related cost of revenues, on certain of our online-enabled products, including the effects of taxes.

5

Reflects the income tax impact associated with the above items. Tax impact on non-GAAP pre-tax income is calculated under the same accounting principles applied to the GAAP pre-tax income under ASC 740, which employs an annual effective tax rate method to the results.

 

The GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share information is presented as calculated. The sum of these measures, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

OPERATING SEGMENTS INFORMATION

(Amounts in millions)

 

Three Months Ended:

March 31, 2021

 

$ Increase / (Decrease)

 

Activision

 

Blizzard

 

King

 

Total

 

Activision

 

Blizzard

 

King

 

Total

Segment Net Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net revenues from external customers

$

891

$

458

$

609

$

1,958

 

$

372

$

21

$

111

$

504

Intersegment net revenues1

25

25

 

10

10

Segment net revenues

$

891

$

483

$

609

$

1,983

 

$

372

$

31

$

111

$

514

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment operating income

$

442

$

208

$

203

$

853

 

$

258

$

11

$

47

$

316

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Margin

 

 

 

43.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Activision

 

Blizzard

 

King

 

Total

 

 

 

 

Segment Net Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net revenues from external customers

$

519

$

437

$

498

$

1,454

 

 

 

 

 

Intersegment net revenues1

15

15

 

 

 

 

 

Segment net revenues

$

519

$

452

$

498

$

1,469

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment operating income

$

184

$

197

$

156

$

537

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Margin

 

 

 

36.6

%

 

 

 

 

1

Intersegment revenues reflect licensing and service fees charged between segments.

 

Our operating segments are consistent with the manner in which our operations are reviewed and managed by our Chief Executive Officer, who is our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”). The CODM reviews segment performance exclusive of: the impact of the change in deferred revenues and related cost of revenues with respect to certain of our online-enabled games; share-based compensation expense; amortization of intangible assets as a result of purchase price accounting; fees and other expenses (including legal fees, costs, expenses and accruals) related to acquisitions, associated integration activities, and financings; certain restructuring and related costs; and other non-cash charges. See the following page for the reconciliation tables of segment revenues and operating income to consolidated net revenues and consolidated income before income tax expense.

Our operating segments are also consistent with our internal organization structure, the way we assess operating performance and allocate resources, and the availability of separate financial information. We do not aggregate operating segments.

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

OPERATING SEGMENTS INFORMATION

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2021

 

2020

Reconciliation to consolidated net revenues:

 

 

Segment net revenues

$

1,983

 

$

1,469

 

Revenues from non-reportable segments1

108

 

68

 

Net effect from recognition (deferral) of deferred net revenues2

209

 

266

 

Elimination of intersegment revenues3

(25

)

(15

)

Consolidated net revenues

$

2,275

 

$

1,788

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation to consolidated income before income tax expense:

 

 

Segment operating income

$

853

 

$

537

 

Operating income (loss) from non-reportable segments1

(4

)

3

 

Net effect from recognition (deferral) of deferred net revenues and related cost of revenues2

132

 

171

 

Share-based compensation expense

(151

)

(43

)

Amortization of intangible assets

(5

)

(33

)

Restructuring and related costs4

(30

)

(23

)

Consolidated operating income

795

 

612

 

Interest and other expense (income), net

30

 

8

 

Consolidated income before income tax expense

$

765

 

$

604

 

1

Includes other income and expenses outside of our reportable segments, including our distribution business and unallocated corporate income and expenses.

2

Reflects the net effect from (deferral) of revenues and recognition of deferred revenues, along with related cost of revenues, on certain of our online-enabled products.

3

Intersegment revenues reflect licensing and service fees charged between segments.

4

Reflects restructuring initiatives, primarily severance and other restructuring-related costs.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NET REVENUES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

March 31, 2021

 

March 31, 2020

 

$ Increase

(Decrease)

 

% Increase

(Decrease)

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

 

Net Revenues by Distribution Channel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital online channels2

$

2,006

 

88

%

$

1,441

 

81

%

$

565

 

39

%

Retail channels

149

 

7

 

221

 

12

 

(72

)

(33

)

Other3

120

 

5

 

126

 

7

 

(6

)

(5

)

Total consolidated net revenues

$

2,275

 

100

%

$

1,788

 

100

%

$

487

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in deferred revenues4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital online channels2

$

(141

)

 

$

(86

)

 

 

 

Retail channels

(74

)

 

(172

)

 

 

 

Other3

6

 

 

(8

)

 

 

 

Total changes in deferred revenues

$

(209

)

 

$

(266

)

 

 

 

1

The percentages of total are presented as calculated. Therefore, the sum of these percentages, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

2

Net revenues from Digital online channels represent revenues from digitally-distributed downloadable content, microtransactions, subscriptions, and products, as well as licensing royalties.

3

Net revenues from Other primarily includes revenues from our distribution business, the Overwatch League, and the Call of Duty League.

4

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues on certain of our online-enabled products.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NET REVENUES BY PLATFORM

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

March 31, 2021

 

March 31, 2020

 

$ Increase

(Decrease)

 

% Increase

(Decrease)

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

 

Net Revenues by Platform

 

 

 

 

 

 

Console

$

799

 

35

%

$

594

 

33

%

$

205

 

35

%

PC

622

 

27

 

498

 

28

 

124

 

25

 

Mobile and ancillary2

734

 

32

 

570

 

32

 

164

 

29

 

Other3

120

 

5

 

126

 

7

 

(6

)

(5

)

Total consolidated net revenues

$

2,275

 

100

%

$

1,788

 

100

%

$

487

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in deferred revenues4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Console

$

(173

)

 

$

(231

)

 

 

 

PC

(45

)

 

(19

)

 

 

 

Mobile and ancillary2

3

 

 

(8

)

 

 

 

Other3

6

 

 

(8

)

 

 

 

Total changes in deferred revenues

$

(209

)

 

$

(266

)

 

 

 

1

The percentages of total are presented as calculated. Therefore, the sum of these percentages, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

2

Net revenues from Mobile and ancillary include revenues from mobile devices, as well as non-platform specific game related revenues, such as standalone sales of physical merchandise and accessories.

3

Net revenues from Other primarily includes revenues from our distribution business, the Overwatch League, and the Call of Duty League.

4

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues on certain of our online-enabled products.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NET REVENUES BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

March 31, 2021

 

March 31, 2020

 

$ Increase

(Decrease)

 

% Increase

(Decrease)

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

Amount

 

% of Total1

 

 

Net Revenues by Geographic Region

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americas

$

1,307

 

57

%

$

948

 

53

%

$

359

 

38

%

EMEA2

731

 

32

 

566

 

32

 

165

 

29

 

Asia Pacific

237

 

10

 

274

 

15

 

(37

)

(14

)

Total consolidated net revenues

$

2,275

 

100

%

$

1,788

 

100

%

$

487

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in deferred revenues3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americas

$

(121

)

 

$

(143

)

 

 

 

EMEA2

(65

)

 

(101

)

 

 

 

Asia Pacific

(23

)

 

(22

)

 

 

 

Total changes in deferred revenues

$

(209

)

 

$

(266

)

 

 

 

1

The percentages of total are presented as calculated. Therefore, the sum of these percentages, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

2

Net revenues from EMEA consist of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa geographic regions.

3

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues on certain of our online-enabled products.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

EBITDA and ADJUSTED EBITDA

(Amounts in millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trailing Twelve

Months Ended

 

June 30,

2020

 

September 30,

2020

 

December 31,

2020

 

March 31,

2021

 

March 31,

2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP Net Income

$

580

$

604

 

$

508

$

619

 

$

2,311

Interest and other expense (income), net

22

25

 

31

30

 

108

Loss on extinguishment of debt

31

 

 

31

Provision for income taxes

147

118

 

55

146

 

466

Depreciation and amortization

43

46

 

45

33

 

167

EBITDA

792

824

 

639

828

 

3,083

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation expense1

42

53

 

80

151

 

326

Restructuring and related costs2

6

9

 

55

30

 

100

Adjusted EBITDA

$

840

$

886

 

$

774

$

1,009

 

$

3,509

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in deferred net revenues and related cost of revenues3

$

152

$

(150

)

$

407

$

(132

)

$

277

1

Includes expenses related to share-based compensation.

2

Reflects restructuring initiatives, primarily severance and other restructuring-related costs.

3

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues, along with related cost of revenues, on certain of our online-enabled products.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation

(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

 

 

Outlook for the

 

Outlook for the

 

Three Months Ending

 

Year Ending

 

June 30, 2021

 

December 31, 2021

 

 

 

Net Revenues1

$

2,135

 

$

8,370

 

Change in deferred revenues2

$

(285

)

$

230

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings Per Diluted Share (GAAP)

$

0.81

 

$

2.91

 

Excluding the impact of:

 

 

Share-based compensation3

0.07

 

0.43

 

Amortization of intangible assets4

 

0.01

 

Restructuring and related costs5

0.03

 

0.13

 

Income tax impacts from items above6

0.01

 

(0.06

)

Earnings Per Diluted Share (Non-GAAP)

$

0.91

 

$

3.42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net effect of deferred net revenues and related cost of revenues on Earnings Per Diluted Share7

$

(0.21

)

$

0.28

 

1

Net Revenues represents the revenue outlook for both GAAP and Non-GAAP as they are measured the same.

2

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues on certain of our online-enabled products.

3

Reflects expenses related to share-based compensation.

4

Reflects amortization of intangible assets from purchase price accounting.

5

Reflects restructuring initiatives, primarily severance and other restructuring-related costs.

6

Reflects the income tax impacts associated with the above items. Due to the inherent uncertainties in share price and option exercise behavior, we do not generally forecast excess tax benefits or tax shortfalls.

7

Reflects the net effect from deferral of revenues and (recognition) of deferred revenues, along with related cost of revenues, on certain of our online-enabled products, including the effect of taxes.

 

The per share adjustments and the GAAP and Non-GAAP earnings per share information are presented as calculated. Therefore, the sum of these measures, as presented, may differ due to the impact of rounding.

 

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

OPERATING METRICS

(Amounts in millions)

Net Bookings1

 

Three Months Ended March 31,

 

2021

 

2020

 

$ Increase

(Decrease)

 

% Increase

(Decrease)

Net bookings1

$

2,066

$

1,522

$

544

36

%

In-game net bookings2

1,343

956

387

40

 

1

We monitor net bookings as a key operating metric in evaluating the performance of our business because it enables an analysis of performance based on the timing of actual transactions with our customers and provides more timely indications of trends in our operating results. Net bookings is the net amount of products and services sold digitally or sold-in physically in the period, and includes license fees, merchandise, and publisher incentives, among others. Net bookings is equal to net revenues excluding the impact from deferrals.

 

2

In-game net bookings primarily includes the net amount of downloadable content and microtransactions sold during the period, and is equal to in-game net revenues excluding the impact from deferrals.

 

Monthly Active Users3

 

March 31, 2020

 

June 30, 2020

 

September 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2020

 

March 31, 2021

Activision

102

125

111

128

150

Blizzard

32

32

30

29

27

King

273

271

249

240

258

Total MAUs

407

428

390

397

435

3

We monitor monthly active users (“MAUs”) as a key measure of the overall size of our user base. MAUs are the number of individuals who accessed a particular game in a given month. We calculate average MAUs in a period by adding the total number of MAUs in each of the months in a given period and dividing that total by the number of months in the period. An individual who accesses two of our games would be counted as two users. In addition, due to technical limitations, for Activision and King, an individual who accesses the same game on two platforms or devices in the relevant period would be counted as two users. For Blizzard, an individual who accesses the same game on two platforms or devices in the relevant period would generally be counted as a single user. In certain instances, we rely on third parties to publish our games. In these instances, MAU data is based on information provided to us by those third parties, or, if final data is not available, reasonable estimates of MAUs for these third-party published games.

 

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