STRZ US Equity☆

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from ____________ to ____________

Commission File No.: 1-14880

LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

British Columbia, Canada N/A

250 Howe Street, 20th Floor 2700 Colorado Avenue

Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3R8 Santa Monica, California 90404

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(877) 848-3866

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class Trading Symbol(s) Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

___________________________________________________________

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐No☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☑ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ☑ Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☑

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of September 30, 2020 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $1,626,230,422, based on the closing sale price of such shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of May 24, 2021, 83,102,205 shares of the registrant’s no par value Class A voting common shares were outstanding, and 138,425,280 shares of the registrant's no par value Class B non-voting common shares were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of shareholders (the “ 2021 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2021 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates. Portions of the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2020, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2020, are incorporated by reference into Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Table of Contents

Page

PART I

Item 1. Business 5

Item 1A. Risk Factors 23

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 35

Item 2. Properties 35

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 36

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 36

PART II

Item 6. Selected Financial Data 40

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 69

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 71

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 71

Item 9B. Other Information 74

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 74

Item 11. Executive Compensation 74

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 74

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 74

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would” or “should” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this report and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which we operate.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We believe that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.” These risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read with the other cautionary statements and information in this report. These factors may also be increased or intensified as a result of events related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, including as a result of potential resurgences of COVID-19 in certain parts of the world, and the discovery of new variants of the virus which could result in the re-imposition of certain restrictions and may lead to more restrictions being implemented again to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The extent to which the COVID-19 global pandemic ultimately impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

We caution you that forward-looking statements made in this report or anywhere else are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially and adversely from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this report as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to: the potential effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the Company, economic and business conditions; the substantial investment of capital required to produce and market films and television series; budget overruns; limitations imposed by our credit facilities and notes; unpredictability of the commercial success of our motion pictures and television programming; risks related to acquisition and integration of acquired businesses; the effects of dispositions of businesses or assets, including individual films or libraries; the cost of defending our intellectual property; technological changes and other trends affecting the entertainment industry; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed under Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors herein.

Any forward-looking statements which we make in this report speak only as of the date of such statement, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other company.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires, all references to the “Company,” “Lionsgate,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of the province of British Columbia, Canada, and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.

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PART I

ITEM 1.BUSINESS.

Overview

Combining the STARZ premium global subscription platform with world-class motion picture and television studio operations, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) brings a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. Our film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 17,000-title library and one of the largest collections of film and television franchises in the independent media space.

We manage and report our operating results through three reportable business segments: Motion Picture, Television Production and Media Networks. Financial information for our segments is set forth in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in this Annual Report.

COVID-19 Global Pandemic

In fiscal 2021, the impacts associated with the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and measures to prevent its spread, and the resulting economic uncertainty, affected our business in a number of ways.

We experienced early termination and delays in theatrical distribution of our films, both domestically and internationally, as well as delays in the production of film and television content (resulting in continued changes in future release dates for some titles and series). While we did begin (and, in certain instances, completed) production on a number of films and television series, and theaters began to reopen in 2021 in certain locations with reduced capacity, we are not able to accurately predict when theaters will re-open at scale, at what level consumers will return to movie theaters, when film production will fully resume, whether productions that have resumed will be paused again, the impact of incremental costs required to adhere to health and safety protocols, or if and when certain of our content will be released.

Conversely, television and streaming consumption around the globe increased, as well as home entertainment demand. STARZ experienced an increase in viewership of its content across all platforms, as well as an increase in subscribers to its over-the-top (“OTT”) services, both domestically and internationally. However, it is too early to say whether this increase is indicative of future results and whether growth may slow as governmental and other restrictions are relaxed, and as a result of the current and possible longer term negative economic impact of the pandemic.

We continue, however, to adapt to these new circumstances. For instance, we changed the release strategies of several of our theatrical films by releasing solely and/or earlier on streaming platforms, initially releasing on premium video-on-demand (“PVOD”), or by licensing directly to streaming platforms. We also began and completed post-production of several of our television series and continue the development of film properties and television series.

For additional information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our operating results, cash flows and financial position, and the other risks and uncertainties see Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors and Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this Annual Report.

Motion Picture

Our Motion Picture segment includes revenues derived from the following:

•Theatrical. Theatrical revenues are derived from the domestic theatrical release of motion pictures licensed to theatrical exhibitors on a picture-by-picture basis (distributed by us directly in the United States and through a sub-distributor in Canada).

•Home Entertainment. Home entertainment revenues are derived from the sale or rental of our film productions and acquired or licensed films and certain television programs (including theatrical and direct-to-video releases) on packaged media and through digital media platforms (including pay-per-view and video-on-demand platforms, electronic sell through, and digital rental). In addition, we have revenue sharing arrangements with certain digital media

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platforms which generally provide that, in exchange for a nominal or no upfront sales price, we share in the rental or sales revenues generated by the platform on a title-by-title basis.

•Television. Television revenues are primarily derived from the licensing of our theatrical productions and acquired films to the linear pay, basic cable and free television markets.

•International. International revenues are derived from (i) licensing of our productions, acquired films, our catalog product and libraries of acquired titles to international distributors, on a territory-by-territory basis, and (ii) the direct distribution of our productions, acquired films, and our catalog product and libraries of acquired titles in the United Kingdom.

•Other. Other revenues are derived from, among others, the licensing of our film and television and related content (e.g., games, music, location-based entertainment royalties, etc.) to other ancillary markets.

Television Production

Our Television Production segment includes revenues derived from the following:

•Television. Television revenues are derived from the licensing to domestic markets (linear pay, basic cable, free television and syndication) of scripted and unscripted series, television movies, mini-series and non-fiction programming. Television revenues include fixed fee arrangements as well as arrangements in which we earn advertising revenue from the exploitation of certain content on television networks. Television revenues also include revenue from licenses to subscription-video-on-demand (“SVOD”) platforms in which the initial license of a television series is to an SVOD platform.

•International. International revenues are derived from the licensing and syndication to international markets of scripted and unscripted series, television movies, mini-series and non-fiction programming.

•Home Entertainment. Home Entertainment revenues are derived from the sale or rental of television production movies or series on packaged media and through digital media platforms.

•Other. Other revenues are derived from, among others, the licensing of our television programs to other ancillary markets, the sales and licensing of music from the television broadcasts of our productions, and from commissions earned and executive producer fees related to talent management.

Media Networks

Our Media Networks segment includes revenues derived from the following:

•Starz Networks. Starz Networks’ revenues are derived from the domestic distribution of our STARZ branded premium subscription video services through OTT platforms and U.S. multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) including cable operators, satellite television providers and telecommunications companies (collectively, “Distributors”) on a direct-to-consumer basis through the Starz App.

•STARZPLAY International. STARZPLAY International revenues are primarily derived from OTT distribution of the Company's STARZ branded premium subscription video services outside of the U.S.

•Other Streaming Services. Other Streaming Services revenues are derived primarily from our formerly majority owned premium Spanish language streaming services business, Pantaya, which includes subscriber based streaming revenue and other distribution revenue. We sold our interest in Pantaya on March 31, 2021.

Segment Revenue

For the year ended March 31, 2021, contributions to the Company’s consolidated revenues from its reporting segments included Motion Picture 33.0%, Television Production 25.4% and Media Networks 47.8%, and intersegment revenue eliminations represented (6.2)% of consolidated revenues.

Within the Motion Picture segment, revenues were generated from the following:

•Theatrical, 1.1%;

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•Home Entertainment, 55.6%;

•Television, 21.3%;

•International, 20.1%; and

•Motion Picture-Other, 1.9%.

Within the Television Production segment, revenues were generated from the following:

•Television, 57.0%;

•International,19.8%;

•Home Entertainment, 16.0%; and

•Television Production-Other, 7.2%.

Within the Media Networks segment, revenues were generated from the following:

•Starz Networks, 92.6%;

•STARZPLAY International, 4.2%

•Other Streaming Services, 3.2%.

Corporate Strategy

We continue to grow and diversify our portfolio of content to capitalize on demand from streaming and traditional platforms throughout the world. We maintain a disciplined approach to acquisition, production and distribution of content by balancing our financial risks against the probability of commercial success for each project. We also continue to invest in new programming and support the growth of STARZ’s direct-to-consumer offering and expansion of STARZPLAY, our international premium branded SVOD service. We believe that our strategic focus on content, alignment of our content creation and distribution platforms, and creation of other innovative content distribution strategies will enhance our competitive position in the industry, ensure optimal use of our capital, build a diversified foundation for future growth and create significant incremental long-term value for our shareholders.

MOTION PICTURE

Motion Picture - Theatrical

Production and Acquisition

We take a disciplined approach to theatrical production, with the goal of producing content that can be distributed through various domestic and international platforms. In doing so, we may mitigate the financial risk associated with production by, among other things:

•Negotiating co-financing development and co-production agreements which may provide for cost-sharing with one or more third-party companies;

•Pre-licensing international distribution rights on a selective basis, including through international output agreements (which license rights to distribute a film in one or more media generally for a limited term, and in one or more specific territories prior to completion of the film);

•Structuring agreements that provide for talent participation in the financial success of the film in exchange for reduced guaranteed “up-front payments” that would be paid regardless of the film's success; and

•Utilizing governmental incentives, programs and other structures from state and foreign countries (e.g., sales tax refunds, transferable tax credits, refundable tax credits, low interest loans, direct subsidies or cash rebates, calculated based on the amount of money spent in the particular jurisdiction in connection with the production).

Our approach to acquiring films complements our theatrical production strategy - we typically seek to limit our financial exposure while adding films with high potential for commercial box office success, critical recognition and successful monetization across a broad array of platforms.

Distribution

The economic life of a motion picture may consist of its exploitation in theaters, on packaged media and on various digital and television platforms in territories around the world. We generally distribute motion pictures directly to movie theaters in the U.S. whereby the exhibitor retains a portion of the gross box office receipts and the balance is remitted to the distributor. Concurrent with their release in the U.S., films are generally released in Canada and may also be released in one or more other

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foreign markets. We construct release schedules taking into account moviegoer attendance patterns and competition from other studios' scheduled theatrical releases. After the initial theatrical release, distributors seek to maximize revenues by releasing films in sequential release date windows, which may be exclusive against other non-theatrical distribution platforms. As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our distribution strategy may change, and certain films intended for theatrical release may be licensed to other platforms.

Producing, marketing and distributing films can involve significant risks and costs, and can cause our financial results to vary depending on the timing of a film’s release. For instance, marketing costs are generally incurred before and throughout the theatrical release of a film and, to a lesser extent, other distribution windows, and are expensed as incurred. Therefore, we typically incur losses with respect to a particular film prior to and during the film’s theatrical exhibition, and profitability for the film may not be realized until after its theatrical release window. Further, we may revise the release date of a film as the production schedule changes or in such a manner as we believe is likely to maximize revenues or for other business reasons. Additionally, there can be no assurance that any of the films scheduled for release will be completed and/or in accordance with the anticipated schedule or budget, or that the film will ever be released.

Theatrical Releases

In fiscal 2021 (i.e., the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2021), due to the closures and limited re-opening of theaters resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic, we released only five (5) films theatrically in the U.S. across our labels (which include Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment, Good Universe and our partnership with Roadside Attractions). Instead, we made changes to release dates as well as release strategies of several of our films by releasing solely and/or earlier on streaming platforms, initially releasing on PVOD, or by licensing directly to streaming platforms. In fiscal 2021, such titles and their release patterns included the following:

Title Release Date Release Pattern Label

Desperados July 3, 2020 SVOD (via Netflix) Good Universe

The Secret: Dare to Dream July 31, 2020 PVOD Roadside Attractions

Words On Bathroom Walls August 21, 2020 Theatrical Roadside Attractions

Antebellum September 18, 2020 PVOD Lionsgate

Run November 20, 2020 SVOD (via Hulu) Summit

Fatale December 20, 2020January 8, 2021 TheatricalPVOD Summit

Pinocchio December 25, 2020 Theatrical Roadside Attractions

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar February 12, 2021 PVOD Lionsgate

Chaos Walking* March 5, 2021 Theatrical Lionsgate

The Courier** March 19, 2021 Theatrical Roadside Attractions

* PVOD release on April 2, 2021

**PVOD release on April 16, 2021

Additionally, after an initial pause, we safely continued and completed production of a number of theatrical titles in fiscal 2021, allowing us to maintain a robust pipeline of films to meet increased demand across all platforms. While continuing to work closely with our theatrical exhibition partners, we are capitalizing on increased optionality and maintaining a platform agnostic approach to distribution to take full advantage of new windowing opportunities and alternative distribution strategies.

Nominations and Awards

Lionsgate and affiliated companies have distributed films that have earned 129 Academy Award® nominations and 32 wins, as well as numerous Golden Globe Awards®, Producers Guild Awards®, Screen Actors Guild Awards®, Directors Guild Awards®, BAFTA Awards and Independent Spirit Awards nominations and wins.

Motion Picture - Home Entertainment

Our U.S. home entertainment distribution operation exploits our film and television content library of nearly 17,000 motion picture titles and television episodes and programs, consisting of titles from, among others, Lionsgate, our subsidiaries, affiliates and joint ventures (such as STARZ, Summit Entertainment, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Artisan Entertainment,

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Grindstone Entertainment Group, Modern Entertainment, Trimark, Pantelion Films and Roadside Attractions), as well as titles from third parties such as A24, A&E, AMC, Entertainment Studios, Saban Entertainment, Solstice, StudioCanal, and Tyler Perry Studios. Home entertainment revenue consists of packaged media and digital revenue.

Packaged Media

Packaged media distribution involves the marketing, promotion, sale and/or lease of DVDs/Blu-ray discs to wholesalers and retailers who then sell or rent the DVDs/Blu-ray discs to consumers for private viewing. Fulfillment of physical distribution services are substantially licensed to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. We distribute or sell content directly to retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Amazon and others who buy large volumes of our DVDs/Blu-ray discs to sell directly to consumers. We also directly distribute content to the rental market through Redbox, Netflix and others. In fiscal 2021, we shipped over 29 million DVD/Blu-ray finished units.

Digital Media

Lionsgate directly distributes content (including certain titles not distributed theatrically or on physical media) across a wide range of global distribution platforms and networks on an on-demand basis (whereby the viewer controls the timing of playback) through dozens of transactional (transactional video-on-demand and electronic-sell-through), subscription, ad-supported and free video-on-demand platforms. We also directly distribute content on a linear distribution basis (i.e., whereby the programmer controls the timing of playback) through various linear pay, basic cable, and free, over-the-air television platforms worldwide. Subscription video-on demand services to which we license our content include, among others, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Paramount+ and HBO Max; ad-supported video-on-demand services to which we license our content include, among others, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, YouTube, IMDb, Pluto and Peacock; and linear networks to which we distribute our content include, among others, pay television networks such as STARZ, EPIX, HBO and Showtime, and basic cable network groups such as NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, FX, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, Turner Entertainment Networks, A+E Networks and AMC Networks, as well as Freeform, Reelz, Bounce, Telemundo and UniMás.

Fiscal 2021 saw a continued shift in our release strategies due to a combination of the COVID-19 global pandemic and acceleration of secular trends already underway in the windowing of our motion picture product. With many theatres closed or operating at limited capacity due to stay-at-home restrictions, we created hybrid theatrical/streaming and early PVOD models for some of our films and bypassed theatrical exhibition altogether for others. Coupled with the surge in content demand across all home entertainment platforms, digital media consumption increased sharply with four (4) of our titles, Antebellum, The Secret: Dare to Dream, The Silencing and Mortal reaching number one (1) on the iTunes movie charts and two titles, Force of Nature and The Secret, debuting at number one (1) on the Comscore On-Demand Chart.

Motion Picture - Television

We license our theatrical productions and acquired films to the domestic linear pay, basic cable and free television markets. For additional information regarding such distribution, see Motion Picture-Home Entertainment - Digital Media above.

Motion Picture - International

Our international sales operations are headquartered at our offices in London, England. The primary components of our international business are, on a territory-by-territory basis through third parties or directly through our international divisions:

•The licensing of rights in all media of our in-house feature film product and third party acquisitions on an output basis;

•The licensing of rights in all media of our in-house product and third party acquisitions on a sales basis for non-output territories;

•The licensing of third party feature films on an agency basis; and

•Direct distribution of theatrical and/or ancillary rights licensing.

We license rights in all media on a territory-by-territory basis (other than the territories where we self-distribute) of (i) our in-house Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment feature film product, and (ii) films produced by third parties such as Black Label Media, Gold Circle Films, Participant Media, River Road Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures and other independent producers. Films licensed and/or released by us internationally in fiscal 2021 included such in-house productions as Antebellum, Run, Chaos Walking, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and I Still Believe. Third party films for which we were engaged as exclusive sales agent and/or released by us internationally in fiscal 2021 included Six Minutes to Midnight and City of Lies.

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Through our territory-by-territory sales and output arrangements, we generally cover a substantial portion of the production budget or acquisition cost of new theatrical releases which we license and distribute internationally. Our output agreements for Lionsgate and Summit feature films currently cover Scandinavia and France. These output agreements generally include all rights for all media (including home entertainment and television rights). We also distribute theatrical titles in Latin America through our partnership with International Distribution Company, as well as theatrical rights in Canada through our partnership with Mongrel Media and Cineplex.

We also self-distribute motion pictures in the United Kingdom and Ireland through Lions Gate International UK (“Lionsgate UK”). Lionsgate UK has established a reputation in the United Kingdom as a leading producer, distributor and acquirer of commercially successful and critically acclaimed product. In fiscal 2021, due to the closures and very limited re-opening of cinemas as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we released only two films theatrically in the UK, both on a very limited basis. Instead, we made changes to release dates and strategies for our remaining titles, releasing on PVOD streaming platforms or by licensing directly to streaming services. Such titles and their release patterns included the following:

Fiscal 2021 ReleasesLionsgate UK

Title Release Date

How To Build A Girl** July 24, 2020

Ride Like A Girl* July 31, 2020

The Secret* August 1, 2020

Christmas Gift From Bob, A November 6, 2020

I Still Believe** February 12, 2021

Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar* February 12, 2021

Six Minutes To Midnight** March 26, 2021

* PVOD

** Sold to streaming service.

Additionally, we have established an office in India to manage operations and growth opportunities in the South Asian/Indian sub-continent. Through our local office in Mumbai, we manage the following activities:

•License our feature films, television series, library content to local linear and digital platforms;

•Appoint and work closely with theatrical distribution partners to maximize box office for our films;

•Partner with local production companies, as well as develop in-house, Indian local language television series and feature films for distribution across other media platforms;

•Continue to expand our STARZ’s offering in the region and across emerging Asian markets (branded as Lionsgate Play), through our direct-to-consumer launch and in collaboration with telco partners, Amazon and Apple TV; and

•Explore investment opportunities throughout the South Asian/Indian media market.

Motion Picture - Other

Global Live, Interactive and Location Based Entertainment

Our Global Live, Interactive and Location Based Entertainment division drives incremental revenue and builds consumer engagement across our entire portfolio of properties via licensing and launching of live shows and experiences, location-based entertainment destinations, games, and related merchandise around the world, and through select strategic partnerships and investments.

Our Global Live Entertainment business focuses on licensing, developing, and producing live stage shows, concerts, and live immersive experiences and events based on our theatrical and television content.

Our Interactive Entertainment business focuses on growing a games slate that includes games across PC/console, mobile, virtual reality and more, as well as integration of our properties into franchise crossover events with marquee games.

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Our Location Based Entertainment business licenses and produces our Lionsgate, theatrical, and television brands for theme parks, destinations, and stand-alone attractions and experiences. Our projects currently include, among others, Lionsgate Entertainment World in Hengqin, China, an indoor theme park which opened on July 31, 2019, and a Lionsgate branded theme park zone at the Motiongate Theme Park in Dubai, which opened in October of 2017.

Music

Our music department creatively manages music for our theatrical and television slates, including overseeing songs, scores and soundtracks for all of our theatrical productions, co-productions and acquisitions, as well as music staffing, scores and soundtracks for all of our television productions. Music revenues are derived from the sales and licensing of music from our films, television, and other productions, and the theatrical exhibition of our films and the broadcast and webcast of our productions.

Ancillary Revenues

Ancillary revenues are derived from the licensing of films and television content at non-theatrical venues including educational and institutional facilities, U.S. military bases, oil rigs, hospitals, hotels, prisons, and on all forms of common carrier transportation, including airlines and ships.

TELEVISION PRODUCTION

Our television business consists of the development, production, syndication and distribution of television programming. We principally generate revenue from the licensing and distribution of such programming to broadcast television networks, pay and basic cable networks, digital platforms and syndicators of first-run programming, which license programs on a station-by-station basis and pay in cash or via barter (i.e., trade of programming for airtime). Each of these platforms may acquire a mix of original and library programming.

After initial exhibition, we distribute programming to subsequent buyers, both domestically and internationally, including basic cable network, premium subscription services or digital platforms (known as “off-network syndicated programming”). Off-network syndicated programming can be sold in successive cycles of sales which may occur on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis. In addition, television programming is sold on home entertainment (packaged media and via digital delivery) and across all other applicable ancillary revenue streams including music publishing, touring and integration.

As with film production, we use tax credits, subsidies, and other incentive programs for television production in order to maximize our returns and ensure fiscally responsible production models.

Television Production - Television

Lionsgate Television

Despite initial production delays and changes to future network release dates as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we commenced and completed production on a number of television series. We currently produce, syndicate and distribute nearly 70 television shows on more than 25 networks (including programming produced by Pilgrim Media Group, of which we own a majority interest).

In fiscal 2021, scripted and unscripted programming produced, co-produced or distributed by us and our affiliated entities (see Starz Original Programming below for original programming that appears on our STARZ services), as well as programming syndicated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Debmar-Mercury, included the following:

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Scripted - Lionsgate

Title Network

Home Economics ABC

Julia HBO Max

Love Life HBO Max

MacGyver CBS

Mythic Quest Apple

Power Book II: Ghost Starz

Run the World Starz

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist NBC

Unscripted - Lionsgate

Title Network

Confronting a Serial Killer Starz

De Viaje con los Derbez Pantaya

House of Ho HBO Max

Selling Sunset Netflix

Skindecision Netflix

Unscripted - Pilgrim Media Group

Title Network

American Chopper Discovery

Dodgeball Thunderdome Discovery

Driven Discovery

Giving Voice Netflix

My Big Fat Fabulous Life TLC

Street Outlaws Discovery

Street Outlaws: America's List Discovery

Street Outlaws: Farm Truck & AZN Discovery

Street Outlaws: Fastest in America Discovery

Street Outlaws: Mega Cash Days Discovery

Street Outlaws: Memphis Discovery

Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings Grudge Night Discovery

Street Outlaws: Race Night In America Discovery

The Puppy Bowl Presents: Dog Games Discovery+

The Ultimate Surfer ABC

Tyson vs Jaws: Rumble on the Reef Discovery

Wicked Tuna Nat Geo

Wicked Tuna Outer Banks Nat Geo

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Syndication - Debmar-Mercury

Title

Bojack Horseman

Central Ave

Family Feud

Schitt's Creek

Wendy Williams

Starz Original Programming

For information regarding production of Starz original programming, see Media Networks - Starz Networks - Starz Original Programming.

Television Production- International

We continue to expand our television business through international sales and distribution of original Lionsgate television series, Starz original programming, third party television programming and format acquisitions via packaged media and various digital platforms.

Lionsgate UK also continues to build a robust television business alongside its premier film brand through its various joint ventures and investments including a strategic partnership with television production company Kindle Entertainment.

During fiscal 2021, we experienced a pause in television production caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Lionsgate UK television programming (developed in-house and through Lionsgate UK’s interest and partnerships) that did continue, however, included the following:

Fiscal 2021Television - Lionsgate UK

Title Network Partner(s)

The A-List Series 2 Netflix Kindle Entertainment

The Pact BBC Wales Little Door

Motherland Series 3 BBC BBC, Merman,

The Goes Wrong Show Series 2 BBC Mischief Screen, Big Talk, BBC

Television Production-Home Entertainment

For information regarding television production home entertainment revenue, see Motion Picture - Home Entertainment above.

Television Production-Other

Other revenues are derived from, among others, the licensing of our television programs to other ancillary markets, the sales and licensing of music from the television broadcasts of our productions, and from our interest in 3 Arts Entertainment, a talent management company. 3 Arts Entertainment receives commission revenue from talent representation and are producers on a number of television shows and films where they receive an executive producer fee and back-end participations.

MEDIA NETWORKS

Media Networks - Starz Networks - United States

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming to consumers in the U.S. We sell our services on a direct-to-consumer basis and through various other platforms, including OTT providers (such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Hulu), MVPDs, including cable operators (such as Comcast and Charter), satellite television providers (such as DIRECTV and DISH Network), and telecommunications companies (such as AT&T and Verizon).

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Our flagship premium service STARZ had 20.9 million subscribers as of March 31, 2021 (not including subscribers who receive programming free as part of a promotional offer). STARZ offers premium original series, recently released and library movies without advertisements. Our other services, STARZ ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX, offer theatrical and independent library movies as well as original and classic television series also without advertisements. Our services include a stand-alone, direct-to-consumer app, 17 linear networks, and on-demand and online viewing platforms. Our app and online viewing platforms offer over 6,000 monthly movies and series episodes from studio partners, including first-run content, along with a growing line-up of successful original programming. Our services are offered directly to consumers via the STARZ app at www.starz.com or through our retail partners (such as Apple and Google) for a monthly fee, or by our distributors to their subscribers either at a fixed monthly price as part of a programming tier or package or bundle with other products or services.

The table below depicts our 17 existing linear services, the respective on-demand service, the STARZ app service and highlights some of their key attributes.

Demographics and Strategy

Designed to complement any basic television offering across both wholesale and retail OTT, as well as traditional MVPD distribution platforms, STARZ is a best-in-class subscription service delivering premium original series and hit movies with appeal to women and diverse audiences worldwide.

We are focused on developing and distributing authentic and engaging programming that resonates with women, African American, Latinx and LGBTQIA audiences, all of which have been traditionally underserved in the premium television space. Driven primarily by growing multiplatform viewership amongst these target audiences, Starz is positioned to continue to capture the digital television transition.

Across our digital platforms, the STARZ app provides an alternative for subscribers looking for a competitively priced option. Subscribers have access to a vast library of quality content and a top-rated user experience, along with the ability to

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download and watch STARZ original series, blockbuster theatricals and favorite classic TV series and movies without an internet connection.

This strategy, combined with a proven management team, will ensure Starz Networks’ services remain a “must have” for subscribers and a meaningful profit center for our distributors, thereby driving value for our stockholders.

Affiliation agreements

Our services are distributed pursuant to affiliation agreements with our distributors. These agreements require delivery of programming that meets certain standards. We earn revenue under these agreements either (i) based on the total number of subscribers who receive our services multiplied by rates specified in the affiliation agreements or (ii) based on amounts or rates which are not tied solely to the total number of subscribers who receive our services. Our affiliation agreements expire at various dates through 2026.

We work with our distributors to increase the number of subscribers to our services. To accomplish this, we may help fund the distributors’ efforts to market our services or may permit distributors to offer limited promotional periods without payment of subscriber fees. We believe these efforts enhance our relationship with distributors, improve the awareness of our services and maximize subscribers and revenue over the term of these affiliation agreements.

Distributors report the number of subscribers to our services and pay for services, generally, on a monthly basis. The agreements are generally structured to be multi-year agreements with staggered expiration dates and certain of the agreements provide for annual contractual rate increases of a fixed percentage or a fixed amount, or rate increases tied to annual increases in the Consumer Price Index.

STARZ App

The STARZ app is the single destination for both direct OTT subscribers and distributor authenticated subscribers to stream or download our original series and movie content. The STARZ app:

•Is available for purchase as a standalone OTT service for $8.99/month;

•Is available on a wide array of platforms and devices including Amazon Fire, iOS, Android and Roku, among others;

•Includes on-demand streaming and downloadable access for internet-free viewing;

•Offers instant access to over 6,000 selections each month (including STARZ original series and commercial free movies); and

•Is available as an additional benefit to paying MVPD subscribers of the Starz Networks’ linear premium services.

Starz Original Programming

Starz Networks contracts with our Television Production segment and other independent production companies to produce original programming that appears on our Starz services.

Starz’s currently announced fiscal 2022 STARZ Originals line-up is as follows:

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Title

Confronting a Serial Killer Season 1

The Girlfriend Experience Season 3

Run the World Season 1

Little Birds (limited series)

Blindspotting Season 1

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 1

Heels Season 1

Black Mafia Family Season 1

Hightown Season 2

Power Book II: Ghost Season 2

Shining Vale Season 1

TBD documentary series

Power Book IV: Force Season 1

Outlander Season 6

Total Episodes: 113

Starz’s fiscal 2021 STARZ Originals line-up was as follows:

Title

Vida Season 3

Hightown Season 1

P-Valley Season 1

Power Book II: Ghost Season 1

The Spanish Princess Part 2

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (documentary series)

American Gods Season 3

Men in Kilts Season 1 (reality travel series)

The Gloaming Season 1

Total Episodes: 70

Lionsgate and Starz television programming have earned 235 Emmy® Award nominations including 37 wins, as well as numerous Golden Globe ® Awards, NAACP Awards, GLAAD Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination and wins.

Output and Content License Agreements

The majority of content on our services consists of movies that have been released theatrically. Starz has an exclusive output licensing agreement with Sony for all qualifying movies released theatrically in the U.S. by studios owned by Sony through December 31, 2021. The Sony agreement, which began in 2001, includes all titles released under the Columbia, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Classics and TriStar labels. Starz does not license movies produced by Sony Pictures Animation. Starz also recently announced a multiyear output licensing agreement with Lionsgate for Lionsgate label titles theatrically released in the U.S. starting January 1, 2022 and for Summit label titles theatrically released in the U.S. starting January 1, 2023.

Under these agreements, Starz has valuable exclusive rights to air new movies on linear television services, on-demand or online during two separate windows, with the first window generally beginning within nine months after the theatrical release and the second window beginning within one to seven years after the end of the first window. Generally, except on a VOD or pay-per-view basis, no other linear service, online streaming or other video service may air or stream these recent releases during Starz’s windows.

Starz also licenses library content comprised of older, previously released theatrical movies from many of Hollywood’s major studios. In addition to theatrical movies, Starz licenses made for television movies, television series and other content

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from studios, production companies or other rights holders. The rights agreements for library content are of varying duration and generally permit Starz’s services to exhibit these movies, series and other programming during certain window periods.

A summary of significant output and library programming agreements (including a library agreement with Lionsgate) are as follows:

Studio Studio

Sony Paramount

Lionsgate Warner Bros

Miramax

Twentieth Century Fox

MGM

Sony Pictures

Lionsgate

Universal

The Sony and Lionsgate output agreements require Starz to pay for movies at rates calculated on a pricing grid that is based on each film’s domestic box office performance (subject to maximum amounts payable per movie and a cap on the number of movies that can be put to Starz each year). The amounts Starz pays for library content vary based on each specific agreement, but generally reflect an amount per movie, series or other programming commensurate with the quality (e.g., utility and perceived popularity) of the content being licensed.

Transmission

We uplink our programming for our linear services to four non-pre-emptible, protected transponders on two satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit. These satellites feed our signals to various swaths of the Americas. We lease these transponders under long-term lease agreements. These transponder leases have termination dates in 2023. We transmit to these satellites from our uplink center in Englewood, Colorado. We have made arrangements at a third-party facility to uplink our linear channels to these satellites in the event we are unable to do so from our uplink center.

Regulatory Matters

In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) regulates several aspects of our and our distribution ecosystem’s operations and programming. This includes FCC oversight in connection with communications satellites and related uplink/downlink equipment and transmissions, content-specific requirements such as closed captioning, messaging during children’s programming, loudness of commercials, and program access requirements in connection with certain Distributors and programmer services with shared attributable interests.

Regulation

The regulation of programming services, cable television systems, direct broadcast satellite providers, broadcast television licensees and online services is subject to the political process and has been in constant flux historically. To the extent that our programming services are distributed through online platforms, we must comply with various federal and state laws and regulations applicable to online communications and commerce. Further material changes in the law and regulatory requirements that affect our business must be anticipated and there can be no assurance that we will not be materially adversely affected by future legislation, new regulation or deregulation.

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Media Networks - Starz - International

Starz is available in 57 countries outside the U.S. through our four (4) international branded services: STARZPLAY in Western Europe, Latin America and Japan; STARZ in Canada; LIONSGATE Play in India; and through our STARZPLAY Arabia joint venture in the Middle East and North Africa (see Joint Ventures, Partnerships and Ownership Interests below). These branded services are made available through OTT providers (such as Amazon and Apple), internet protocol television ("IPTV") providers (such as Airtel), telecommunications companies (such as Airtel), on a direct-to-consumer basis, and cable and satellite providers in Canada only. Across these services, Starz had 8.6 million subscribers as of March 31, 2021. The remainder of this section addresses the offerings operated by STARZPLAY in the 35-country footprint across Western Europe, Latin America and Japan.

International Strategy

STARPLAY is quickly growing its distribution by strategically positioning itself as a complementary pure-play premium content service offered at a competitive subscription price, made available through a diverse ecosystem of wholesale and retail distribution partners. Premium content that targets all adults is the foundation of our international content strategy. We believe this allows us to operate as a complementary service, not a direct competitor, with other higher priced, broad-based video services. STARZPLAY provides subscribers with access to STARZ original series, often airing day-and-date with the U.S., a rich and diverse Lionsgate library of television series, feature films and documentaries, and first-run, exclusive third-party programming, including locally produced television shows that align with the STARZ brand. Most content available on STARZPLAY is English-language, available with sub-titles and/or local language dubbing for each country. Starz is also co-producing local language content for certain countries in the coming years.

Our distribution strategy is led with a wholesale model and supplemented through direct OTT retail sales. We expect to launch with additional wholesale partners and deploy the STARZPLAY app in additional countries in the coming years.

Affiliation agreements

Our services are distributed pursuant to affiliation agreements with our distributors under a wholesale license, where STARZPLAY is sold as an a la carte channel or bundled within our distributors’ platforms, including Amazon and Apple, as well as local IPTV and Telco partners. Our wholesale distributors manage the technology and infrastructure associated with the exhibition of STARZPLAY in exchange for recurring license fees. These agreements require delivery of programming that meets certain standards. Our affiliation agreements expire at various dates through 2024.

We work with distributors to increase the number of subscribers to our services. To accomplish this, we may help fund the distributors’ efforts to market these services or may permit distributors to offer limited promotional periods with discounted or no payment of subscriber fees. We believe these efforts enhance our relationship with distributors, improve the awareness of our services and ultimately increase subscribers and revenue over the term of these affiliation agreements.

Distributors report the number of subscribers to our services and pay for services, generally, on a monthly basis. The agreements are structured on a country-by-country basis, to be multi-year agreements with staggered expiration dates by distributor.

STARZPLAY App

To enhance our subscriber reach, we modified our domestic (U.S.) STARZ retail app for deployment internationally to include, among other new features, full European Union General Data Protection Regulation compliance, support for fourteen (14) languages, multiple audio/closed captioning options and a variety of potential carrier/billing integrations.

The STARZPLAY app is the single destination for direct OTT subscribers to stream on-demand or download our original series and movie content. The STARZPLAY app:

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•Is currently available in fourteen (14) countries across Europe and Latin America, including France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Netherlands, Mexico and Brazil, with additional countries to come;

•Is offered directly via the STARZPLAY website or via retail storefronts such as the Apple Store, Play Store, Roku Channels, and Amazon Fire;

•The STARZPLAY app includes a language toggle allowing users to select their preferred language for viewing;

•Offers instant access to approximately 1,000 selections each month (including original series and commercial free movies); and

•Is available for purchase as a standalone OTT service for £/€4.99 in Europe and ~$4.50 in Latin America.

STARZPLAY Programming

STARZPLAY contracts with our Television Production segment and other major content licensors to acquire first-run original scripted series and library films that appear on STARZPLAY.

STARZPLAY’s currently expected fiscal 2022 first-run STARZ Originals programming, which will be available to STARZPLAY across its footprint in Western Europe, Latin America and Japan, is as follows:

Title

Confronting a Serial Killer Season 1

The Girlfriend Experience Season 3

Run the World Season 1

Blindspotting Season 1

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 1

Heels Season 1

Black Mafia Family Season 1

Shining Vale Season 1

Power Book IV: Force Season 1

Hightown Season 2

TBD documentary series

Outlander Season 6 (UK only)

Power Book II: Ghost Season 2

Total Episodes: 107

STARZPLAY’s fiscal 2021 first-run STARZ Originals programming and country availability was as follows:

Title Countries Available

Vida Season 3 All Countries

Hightown Season 1 All Countries

P-Valley Season 1 All Countries

Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 All Countries

The Spanish Princess Part 2 UK, DE, FR, IT, Benelux, LatAm, Brazil

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult All Countries

Total Episodes: 70

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STARZPLAY’s fiscal 2021 first-run third-party programming and country availability was as follows:

Title Countries Available Distributor

Manhunt: Deadly Games All excluding DE, JP Lionsgate

The Great Season 1 All Markets ex JP Paramount

Normal People All Markets ex UK Endeavor

Ramy Season 2 All Markets ex LATAM Lionsgate

Killing Eve Season 3 DE Endeavor

High Fidelity All Markets Disney

Gangs of London Season 1 FR, LATAM, ES, Benelux, JP Pulse

Brave New World FR, IT, ES, Benelux NBCU

Godfather of Harlem Season 1 UK and FR Disney

No Man’s Land All markets ex ES, JP, CA Fremantle

The Stand All markets CBS

Pennyworth Season 2 All markets ex JP, FR WB

Total Episodes: 118

Significant multi-country library programming agreements include those with Studio Canal, Tele München Group, Sony, Universal and Lionsgate.

Regulatory Matters

Distribution of our programming services in non-U.S. jurisdictions may be subject to the laws of the jurisdictions in which they operate. The applicability and enforcement of laws in some non-U.S. jurisdictions can be inconsistent and unpredictable. As a result, our ability to generate revenue and our expenses in non-U.S. jurisdictions could be impacted. Further material changes in the law and regulatory requirements must be anticipated and there can be no assurance that our business will not be materially adversely affected by future legislation, new regulation or deregulation.

Media Networks - Other Streaming Services

Other Streaming Services represent revenues derived primarily from our formerly majority owned premium Spanish language streaming services business, Pantaya. We sold our interest in Pantaya on March 31, 2021.

JOINT VENTURES, PARTNERSHIPS AND OWNERSHIP INTERESTS

Our joint ventures, partnerships and ownership interests support our strategy of being a multiplatform global industry leader in entertainment. We regularly evaluate our existing properties, libraries and other assets and businesses in order to determine whether they continue to enhance our competitive position in the industry, have the potential to generate significant long-term returns, represent an optimal use of our capital, and are aligned with our goals. When appropriate, we discuss potential strategic transactions with third parties for purchase of our properties, libraries or other assets or businesses that factor into these evaluations. As a result, we may, from time to time, determine to sell individual properties, libraries or other assets or businesses or enter into additional joint ventures, strategic transactions and similar arrangements for individual properties, libraries or other assets or businesses. Our more significant joint ventures, partnerships and ownership interests include the following:

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Intellectual Property

We currently use and own or license a number of trademarks, service marks, copyrights, domain names and similar intellectual property in connection with our businesses and own registrations and applications to register them both domestically and internationally. We believe that ownership of, and/or the right to use, such trademarks, service marks, copyrights, domain names and similar intellectual property is an important factor in our businesses and that our success depends, in part, on such ownership.

Motion picture and television piracy is extensive in many parts of the world, including South America, Asia and certain Eastern European countries, and is made easier by technological advances and the conversion of content into digital formats. This trend facilitates the creation, transmission and sharing of high quality unauthorized copies of content on packaged media and through digital formats. The proliferation of unauthorized copies of these products has had and will likely continue to have an adverse effect on our business, because these products may reduce the revenue we receive from our products. Our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights is subject to certain risks and, from time to time, we encounter disputes over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property. We cannot provide assurance that we will prevail in any intellectual property disputes.

Competitive Conditions

Our businesses operate in highly competitive markets. We compete with companies within the entertainment and media business and from alternative forms of leisure entertainment, such as travel, sporting events, outdoor recreation and other cultural related activities. We compete with the major studios, numerous independent motion picture and television production companies, television networks, pay television services and digital media platforms for the acquisition of literary and film properties, the services of performing artists, directors, producers and other creative and technical personnel and production financing, all of which are essential to the success of our businesses. In addition, our motion pictures compete for audience acceptance and exhibition outlets with motion pictures produced and distributed by other companies. Likewise, our television product faces significant competition from independent distributors as well as major studios. Moreover, our networks compete with other programming networks for viewing and subscribership by each distributor’s customer base, as well as for carriage by such distributors. As a result, the success of any of our motion picture, television or media networks business is dependent not only on the quality and acceptance of a particular film or program, but also on the quality and acceptance of other competing content released into the marketplace at or near the same time as well as on the ability to license and produce content for the networks that is adequate in quantity and quality and will generate satisfactory subscriber levels.

Human Capital Management

Employees

As of May 24, 2021, we had 1,466 full-time employees in our worldwide operations. We also utilize many consultants in the ordinary courseof our business and hire additional employees on a project-by-project basis in connection with the production of our motion pictures and television programming.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

We believe that embracing diversity, promoting a culture of inclusivity and accelerating the representation of women and minorities in our workforce is crucial to our success. Our Chief Diversity Officer partners with our leadership team across all of our businesses to effect changes in recruitment, hiring, promotions, policies and culture, and to orchestrate our Company-wide response to issues of inequality and workforce disparity.

We also maintain the following recruitment and hiring initiatives:

•Lionsgate’s Project Enterprise: An initiative committed to increasing the hiring, engagement, promotion, and retention of women in the workplace.

•Internship Programs: We maintain an internship program with certain universities to increase inclusion across the entertainment industry by placing qualifying students in positions at Lionsgate and various other studios.

•Targeted Recruitment: We continue recruitment efforts that target college campus diversity organizations for underrepresented groups, as well as historically black colleges in our search for new employees and interns.

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Employee Resource Groups

We are proud to provide our employees with an array of Employee Resource Groups (“ERGs”) which offer them the chance to establish a greater presence at Lionsgate and an opportunity to enhance cross-cultural awareness, develop leadership skills and network across the Company’s various business units and levels. The ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster a diverse, engaging, and inclusive workplace.

•Lionsgate Early Career Group aims to inspire curiosity and networking to foster growth for professionals in early stages of their careers.

•Lionsgate Multicultural Employee Resource Group advocates for a more inclusive workplace and entertainment landscape through programs that educate, activate and celebrate multicultural diversity and its global impact.

•Lionsgate Parents Group aims to bring together parents, expecting parents, caregivers, and allies to ensure our community fosters an environment that supports all families.

•Lionsgate Pride supports, develops and inspires future LGBTQIA leaders within the Company and the industry.

•Lionsgate Vets creates a community of veterans and their supporters working together to enhance veteran presence and engage the industry from the unique perspective of a military background.

•Lionsgate Women’s Empowerment Group creates a community that improves the prominence of female leaders and empowers women at all levels within the Company and the industry.

Lionshares

We are committed to acting responsibly and making a positive difference in the local and global community through Lionshares, the umbrella for our companywide commitment to our communities. Lionshares is a volunteer program that seeks to provide opportunities for employees within the Lionsgate family to partner with a diverse range of charitable organizations. The program not only enriches the Lionsgate work experience through cultural and educational outreach, but also positively interacts and invests in the local and global community.

Other Employee Benefits and Programs

We understand the importance of well-rounded and inclusive benefits and programs and are dedicated to providing our employees with unique offerings that meet their individual needs. With respect to benefits, we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes family forming benefits, mental health support, resources for caregiving (children and adult family), online fitness and meditation classes, and new parent coaching. With respect to learning and engagement, we offer programs to develop and enrich the employee experience with offerings such as tuition reimbursement, leadership development program, mentorship, and additional programs to help support specific populations (e.g., minorities, women, parents, LGBTQ+). We received the designation as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” for 2021.

Corporate History

We are a corporation organized under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, resulting from the merger of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Beringer Gold Corp. on November 13, 1997. Beringer Gold Corp. was incorporated under the Business Corporation Act (British Columbia) on May 26, 1986 as IMI Computer Corp. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. was incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act using the name 3369382 Canada Limited on April 28, 1997, amended its articles on July 3, 1997 to change its name to Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., and on September 24, 1997, continued under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).

Available Information

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are available, free of charge, on our website at investors.lionsgate.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company's Disclosure Policy, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Standards for DirectorIndependence, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Officers and Employees, Policy on Shareholder Communications, Related Person Transaction Policy, Charter of the Audit & Risk Committee, Charter of the CompensationCommittee and Charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and any amendments thereto are also available on the Company's website, as well as in print to any shareholder who requests them. The information posted on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We will disclose on our

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website waivers of, or amendments to, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer or persons performing similar functions.

The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS.

You should carefully consider the following risks as well as other information included in, or incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. The risk and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing the Company; additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business. If any of these risks and uncertainties occur, they could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Risks Related to Our Business

The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic could continue to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The impacts associated with the COVID-19 global pandemic and measures to prevent its spread, and the resulting economic uncertainty, have affected our business in a number of ways. We have experienced delays in theatrical distribution of our films (domestically and internationally) and in the production of film and television content (resulting in continued changes in future release dates for some titles and series). While we have begun (and have, in certain instances, completed) production of a number of films and television series, and theaters have begun to reopen, we are not able to accurately predict when theaters will re-open at scale, at what level consumers will return to movie theaters, when film production will fully resume, whether productions that have resumed will be paused again, the impact of incremental costs required to adhere to new health and safety protocols, or if and when certain of our content will be released. In addition, although STARZ has experienced an increase in viewership of its content across all platforms as well as an increase in subscribers to its OTT services, this may not be indicative of future results and growth may slow as restrictions are relaxed. We expect that the ultimate impact of these disruptions will depend on, among other things, the duration and spread of the pandemic, the impact of governmental regulations that have been, and may continue to be, imposed in response to the pandemic, the effectiveness of actions taken to contain or mitigate the pandemic (including the availability, effectiveness and/or public acceptance of any Federal Drug Administration approved COVID-19 vaccines), responses to any resurgences, and global economic conditions related to the pandemic. All of these impacts could place limitations on our ability to execute our business plan and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Due to the evolving and uncertain nature of this situation, we are not able to estimate the full extent of the impact on our operating results, cash flows and financial position, particularly over the near to medium term.

We face substantial capital requirements and financial risks.

The production, acquisition and distribution of motion picture and television content requires substantial capital. A significant amount of time may elapse between our expenditure of funds and the receipt of revenues after release or distribution of such content. Although we reduce the risks of production exposure through tax credit programs, government and industry programs, co-financiers and other sources, we cannot assure you that we will continue to successfully implement these arrangements or that we will not be subject to substantial financial risks relating to the production, acquisition and distribution of future motion picture and television content. Additionally, the production, completion and distribution of motion picture and television content can be subject to a number of uncertainties, including delays and increased expenditures due to disruptions or events beyond our control. As a result, if production incurs substantial budget overruns, we may have to seek additional financing or fund the overrun ourselves. We cannot make assurances regarding the availability of such additional financing on terms acceptable to us, or that we will recoup these costs. For instance, increased costs or budget overruns incurred with respect to a particular film may prevent a picture from being completed or released or may result in a delayed release and the postponement to a potentially less favorable date, all of which could cause a decline in box office performance, and, thus, the overall financial success of such film. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

We may incur significant write-offs if our projects do not perform well enough to recoup costs.

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We are required to amortize capitalized production costs over the expected revenue streams as we recognize revenue from films or other projects. The amount of production costs that will be amortized each quarter depends on, among other things, how much future revenue we expect to receive from each project. Unamortized production costs are evaluated for impairment each reporting period on a project-by-project basis. If estimated remaining revenue is not sufficient to recover the unamortized production costs, including because of delayed theatrical distribution of films as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects, those costs will be written down to fair value. In any given quarter, if we lower our previous forecast with respect to total anticipated revenue from any film or other project, we may be required to accelerate amortization or record impairment charges with respect to the unamortized costs, even if we previously recorded impairment charges for such film or other project. Such impairment charges could adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

Changes in our business strategy, plans for growth or restructuring may increase our costs or otherwise affect our profitability.

As changes in our business environment occur, we may adjust our business strategies to meet these changes, which may include growing a particular area of business or restructuring a particular business or asset. In addition, external events including changing technology, changing consumer patterns, acceptance of our theatrical and television offerings and changes in macroeconomic condition, including the volatility and uncertainty in financial markets as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, may impair the value of our assets. When these occur, we may incur costs to change our business strategy and may need to write down the value of assets. We may also make investments in existing or new businesses, including investments in the international expansion of our business and in new business lines (e.g., our direct-to-consumer and licensed offerings (specifically, the international rollout of STARZPLAY)). Some of these investments may have negative or low short-term returns and the ultimate prospects of the businesses may be uncertain or, in international markets, may not develop at a rate that supports our level of investment. In any of these events, our costs may increase, we may have significant charges associated with the write-down of assets, or returns on new investments may be lower than prior to the change in strategy, plans for growth or restructuring.

Our revenues and results of operations may fluctuate significantly.

Our results of operations depend significantly upon the commercial success of the motion picture, television and other content that we sell, license or distribute, which cannot be predicted with certainty. In particular, the underperformance at the box office of one or more motion pictures in any period may cause our revenue and earnings results for that period (and potentially, subsequent periods) to be less than anticipated, in some instances, to a significant extent. Accordingly, our results of operations may fluctuate significantly from period to period, and the results of any one period may not be indicative of the results for any future periods. Our results of operations also fluctuate due to the timing, mix, number and availability of our theatrical motion picture and home entertainment releases, as well as license periods for content. Our operating results may increase or decrease during a particular period or fiscal year due to differences in the number and/or mix of films released compared to the corresponding period in the prior fiscal year. Moreover, low ratings for television programming produced by us may lead to the cancellation of a program and can negatively affect future license fees for the cancelled program. If we decide to no longer air programming due to low ratings or other factors, we could incur significant programming impairments, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in a given period. In addition, the comparability of our results may be affected by changes in accounting guidance or changes in our ownership of certain assets and businesses. Accordingly, our results of operations from year to year may not be directly comparable to prior reporting periods.

We do not have long-term arrangements with many of our production or co-financing partners.

We typically do not enter into long term production contracts with the creative producers of motion picture and television content that we produce, acquire or distribute. Moreover, we generally have certain derivative rights that provide us with distribution rights to, for example, prequels, sequels and remakes of certain content we produce, acquire or distribute. There is no guarantee that we will produce, acquire or distribute future content by any creative producer or co-financing partner, and a failure to do so could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

We rely on a few major retailers and distributors and the loss of any of those could reduce our revenues and operating results.

A small number of other retailers and distributors account for a material percentage of our revenues. We do not have long-term agreements with retailers. We cannot assure you that we will continue to maintain favorable relationships with our retailers and distributors or that they will not be adversely affected by economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects.

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We depend on distributors that carry our STARZ programming, and no assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain and renew these affiliation agreements on favorable terms or at all.

STARZ currently distributes programming through affiliation agreements with many distributors, including Altice, Amazon, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Hulu and Verizon. These agreements are scheduled to expire at various dates through 2026. The largest distributors have significant leverage in their relationship with certain programmers, including STARZ. Furthermore, STARZ depends on a limited number of major global partners to distribute its content internationally. The renewal negotiation process for affiliation agreements is typically lengthy. In certain cases, renewals are not agreed upon prior to the expiration of a given agreement, while the programming typically continues to be carried by the relevant distributor pursuant to the other terms and conditions in the affiliation agreement. We may be unable to obtain renewals with our current distributors on acceptable terms, if at all. We may also be unable to successfully negotiate affiliation agreements with new distributors to carry our programming. The failure to renew affiliation agreements on acceptable terms, or the failure to negotiate new affiliation agreements at all, in each case covering a material portion of households, could result in a discontinuation of carriage, or could otherwise materially adversely affect our subscriber growth, revenue and earnings which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Moreover, given the limited number of global partners, the loss of one more of STARZ global partners could materially adversely affect our international business, operating results, and growth prospects.

Increasing rates paid by distributors to other programmers may result in increased rates charged to their subscribers for their services, making it more costly for subscribers to purchase our STARZ services.

The amounts paid by distributors to certain programming networks for the rights to carry broadcast networks and sports networks have increased substantially in recent years. As a result, distributors have passed on some of these increases to their subscribers. The rates that subscribers pay for programming from distributors continue to increase each year and these increases may impact our ability, as a premium subscription video provider, to increase or even maintain our subscriber levels and may adversely impact our revenue and earnings which could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

A significant portion of our library revenues comes from a small number of titles.

We depend on a limited number of titles in any given fiscal quarter for the majority of the revenues generated by our library. In addition, many of the titles in our library are not presently distributed and generate substantially no revenue. Moreover, our rights to the titles in our library vary; in some cases, we only hold the right to distribute titles in certain media and territories for a limited term. If we cannot acquire new product and the rights to popular titles through production, distribution agreements, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures or other strategic alliances, or renew expiring rights to titles generating a significant portion of our revenue on acceptable terms, any such failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

We are subject to risks associated with possible acquisitions, dispositions, business combinations, or joint ventures.

From time to time, we engage in discussions and activities with respect to possible acquisitions, sale of assets, business combinations, or joint ventures intended to complement or expand our business. However, we may not realize the anticipated benefit from the transactions we pursue; there may be liabilities assumed that we did not discover or that we underestimated in the course of performing our due diligence; the negotiation of the transaction and the integration of the acquired business could require us to incur significant costs and cause diversion of management's time and resources; the transaction could result in impairment of goodwill and other intangibles, development write-offs and other related expenses; the transaction may pose challenges in the consolidation and integration of information technology, accounting systems, personnel and operations; and we may have difficulty managing the combined entity in the short term if we experience a significant loss of management personnel during the transition period after a significant acquisition. No assurance can be given that expansion or acquisition opportunities will be successful, completed on time, or that we will realize expected operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies or other benefits. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. If we determine to sell individual properties, libraries or other assets or businesses, we will benefit from the net proceeds realized from such sales. However, our revenues may suffer in the long term due to the disposition of a revenue generating asset, or the timing of such dispositions may be poor, causing us to fail to realize the full value of the disposed asset, all of which may diminish our ability to service our indebtedness and repay our notes and our other indebtedness at maturity. Furthermore, our future growth may be inhibited if the disposed asset contributed in a significant way to the diversification of our business platform.

Our success depends on attracting and retaining key personnel.

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Our success depends upon the continued efforts, abilities and expertise of our executive teams and other key employees, including production, creative and technical personnel, including, in turn, on our ability to identify, attract, hire, train and retain such personnel. We have entered into employment agreements with top executive officers and production executives but do not currently have significant “key person” life insurance policies for any employee. Although it is standard in the industry to rely on employment agreements as a method of retaining the services of key employees, these agreements cannot assure us of the continued services of such employees. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in identifying, attracting, hiring, training and retaining such personnel in the future, and our inability to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Our success depends on external factors in the motion picture and television industry.

Generally, the popularity of our programs depends on many factors, including the critical acclaim they receive, the format of their initial release, their talent, their genre and their specific subject matter, audience reaction, the quality and acceptance of content that our competitors release into the marketplace at or near the same time, critical reviews, the availability of alternative forms of entertainment and leisure activities, general economic conditions and other tangible and intangible factors, many of which we do not control and all of which may change. In addition, because a performance in ancillary markets, such as home video and pay and free television, is often directly related to its box office performance or television ratings, poor box office results or poor television ratings may negatively affect future revenue streams. Our success will depend on the experience and judgment of our management to select and develop new investment and production opportunities.

Our business also depends in part upon viewer preferences and audience acceptance of STARZ’s network programming. These factors are difficult to predict and are subject to influences beyond our control, such as the quality and appeal of competing programming, general economic conditions and the availability of other entertainment activities. We may not be able to anticipate and react effectively to shifts in tastes and interests in markets. A change in viewer preferences could cause STARZ’s programming to decline in popularity, which could jeopardize renewal of affiliation agreements with distributors. In addition, our competitors may have more flexible programming arrangements, as well as greater amounts of available content, distribution and capital resources and may be able to react more quickly than we can to shifts in tastes and interests. To an increasing extent, the success of our business, including STARZ, depends on exclusive original programming and our ability to accurately predict how audiences will respond to our original programming. We must invest substantial amounts in the production and marketing of our original programming before we learn whether such content will reach anticipated audience acceptance levels. Because original programming often involves a greater degree of financial commitment, as compared to acquired programming that we license from third parties, and because our branding strategies depend significantly on a relatively small number of original series, a failure to anticipate viewer preferences for such series could be especially detrimental to our business.

We compete with other programming services, including cable programming, national broadcast television, local broadcast television stations and digital services to secure desired programming, the competition for which has increased as the number of programming services has increased. Increased competition may drive up talent and production costs and may force some programming services to commit to straight-to-series orders for programming instead of a pilot order. If we commit to straight-to-series orders and those series do not meet anticipated production or quality standards or are otherwise not accepted by audiences, revisions to the programming may be necessary, which could increase production costs. The increased financial commitment for a straight-to-series order also could increase the risks associated with such an order. Other programming services that are affiliated with programming sources such as movie or television studios or film libraries may have a competitive advantage over us in this area. Some of these competitors have exclusive contracts with motion picture studios or independent motion picture distributors or own film libraries.

Global economic turmoil and regional economic conditions in the U.S. could adversely affect our business.

Global economic turmoil, such as that being created by the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects, may cause a general tightening in the credit markets, lower levels of liquidity, increases in the rates of default and bankruptcy, levels of intervention from the U.S. federal government and other foreign governments, decreased consumer confidence, overall slower economic activity and extreme volatility in credit, equity and fixed income markets. A decrease in economic activity in the U.S. or in other regions of the world in which we do business could adversely affect demand for our content, thus reducing our revenues and earnings. A decline in economic conditions could reduce performance of our theatrical, television and home entertainment releases. In addition, an increase in price levels generally could result in a shift in consumer demand away from the entertainment we offer, which could also adversely affect our revenues and, at the same time, increase our costs. For instance, lower household income and decreases in U.S. consumer discretionary spending, which is sensitive to general economic conditions, may affect cable television and other video service subscriptions, in particular with respect to digital programming

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packages, premium video programming packages and premium a la carte services on which our networks are typically carried. A reduction in spending may cause a decrease in subscribers to our networks, which could have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Moreover, financial institution failures may cause us to incur increased expenses or make it more difficult to finance any future acquisitions, or engage in other financing activities.

We could be adversely affected by strikes or other union job actions.

We are directly or indirectly dependent upon highly specialized union members who are essential to the production of motion pictures and television content. A strike by, or a lockout of, one or more of the unions that provide personnel essential to the production of motion pictures or television content could delay or halt our ongoing production activities, or could cause a delay or interruption in our release of new motion pictures and television content. A strike may result in increased costs and decreased revenue, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Business interruptions could adversely affect our operations.

Our operations are vulnerable to outages and interruptions due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, pandemics such as the COVID-19 global pandemic, and similar events beyond our control. Our headquarters are located in Southern California, which is subject to earthquakes. Although we have developed certain plans to respond in the event of a disaster, there can be no assurance that they will be effective in the event of a specific disaster. In the event of a short-term power outage, we have installed uninterrupted power source equipment designed to protect our equipment. A long-term power outage, however, could disrupt our operations. We also experienced a disruption to our business as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which, in certain instances, suspended production of our programming. Although we currently carry business interruption insurance for potential losses (including earthquake-related losses), there can be no assurance that such insurance will be sufficient to compensate us for losses that may occur or that such insurance may continue to be available on affordable terms. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

STARZ’s programming is transmitted from STARZ’s uplink center in Englewood, Colorado. STARZ uses this center for a variety of purposes, including signal processing, satellite uplinking, program editing, on-air promotions, creation of programming segments (i.e., interstitials) to fill short gaps between featured programs, quality control and live and recorded playback. STARZ’s uplink center is equipped with backup generator power and other redundancies. However, like other facilities, this facility is subject to interruption from fire, lightning, adverse weather conditions and other natural causes. Equipment failure, employee misconduct or outside interference could also disrupt the facility’s services. STARZ has made arrangements at a third-party facility to uplink STARZ’s linear channels and services to STARZ’s satellites in the event STARZ is unable to do so from this facility. Additionally, STARZ has direct fiber connectivity to certain of STARZ’s distributors, which would allow continuous operation with respect to a significant segment of STARZ’s subscriber base in the event of a satellite transmission interruption. Notwithstanding these precautions, any significant or prolonged interruption of operations at STARZ’s facility, and any failure by STARZ’s third-party facility to perform as intended, would have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. In addition, our success in the U.S. is dependent upon our continued ability to transmit STARZ’s programming to distributors through STARZ’s satellite uplink facility. STARZ has entered into long-term satellite transponder leases that expire in 2023 for carriage of the STARZ networks’ programming. These leases provide for replacement transponders and/or replacement satellites, as applicable, throughout the term of the leases to ensure continued carriage of STARZ programming in the event of transponder or satellite failures. Termination or interruption of satellite transmissions may occur and could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Despite STARZ’s efforts to secure transponder capacity with long-term satellite transponder leases, there is a risk that when these leases expire, we may not be able to secure capacity on a transponder on the same or similar terms, if at all.

We face substantial competition in all aspects of our business.

We are an independent distributor and producer. Most of the major U.S. studios are part of large diversified corporate groups with a variety of other operations that can provide both the means of distributing their products and stable sources of earnings that may allow them to better offset fluctuations in the financial performance of their motion picture and television operations. The subscription video programming industry is highly competitive. Our STARZ networks compete with other programming networks and other video programming services for marketing and distribution by distributors. We face intense competition from other providers of programming networks for the right to be carried by a particular distributor and for the right to be carried by such distributor on a particular “tier” or in a particular “package” of service. Certain programming networks affiliated with broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC or other programming networks affiliated with sports and

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certain general entertainment networks with strong viewer ratings, have a competitive advantage over our networks in obtaining distribution through the “bundling” of carriage agreements for such programming networks with a distributor’s right to carry the affiliated broadcasting network. The inability of our programming networks to be carried by one or more distributors, or the inability of our programming networks to be placed on a particular tier or programming package could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

We must successfully respond to technological changes and alternative forms of delivery or storage to remain competitive.

The entertainment industry continues to undergo significant developments as advances in technologies and new methods of product delivery and storage (including the emergence of alternative distribution platforms), and certain changes in consumer behavior driven by these developments emerge. New technologies affect the demand for our content, the manner in which our content is distributed to consumers, the sources and nature of competing content offerings and the time and manner in which consumers acquire and view our content. New technologies also may affect our ability to maintain or grow our business and may increase our capital expenditures. We and our distributors must adapt our businesses to shifting patterns of content consumption and changing consumer behavior and preferences through the adoption and exploitation of new technologies. If we cannot successfully exploit these and other emerging technologies, our appeal to targeted audiences might decline which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

We face economic, political, regulatory, and other risks from doing business internationally.

We distribute content outside the U.S. and derive revenues from international sources. As a result, our business is subject to certain risks inherent in international business, many of which are beyond our control. These risks may include: difficulties in understanding and complying with local laws, regulations and customs in foreign jurisdictions; the loss of one or more of the major global partners that we rely upon to distribute our programming internationally; laws and policies adversely affecting trade, investment and taxes, including laws and policies relating to the repatriation of funds and withholding taxes, and changes in these laws; the impact of trade disputes; anti-corruption laws and regulations such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act that impose strict requirements on how we conduct our foreign operations and changes in these laws and regulations; changes in local regulatory requirements including regulations designed to stimulate local productions, promote and preserve local culture and economic activity (including local content quotas, investment obligations, local ownership requirements, and levies to support local film funds); or censorship requirements that may cause us to remove or edit popular content, leading to consumer disappointment, brand tarnishment or consumer dissatisfaction; regulatory requirements or government action against our service, whether in response to enforcement of actual or purported legal and regulatory requirements or otherwise, that results in disruption or non-availability of our service or particular content in the applicable jurisdiction; inability to adapt our offerings successfully to differing languages, cultural tastes, and preferences in international markets; international jurisdictions where laws are less protective of intellectual property and varying attitudes towards the piracy of intellectual property; laws and policies relating to data privacy and security such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation; establishing and protecting a new brand identity in competitive markets; financial instability and increased market concentration of buyers in foreign television markets, including in European pay television markets; the instability of foreign economies and governments; currency exchange restrictions, export controls and currency devaluation risks in some foreign countries; the spread of communicable diseases (such as the COVID-19 global pandemic), which may impact business in such jurisdictions; and war and acts of terrorism.

Additionally, with respect to our direct-to-consumer offerings, these risks may include: differing technical, architectural and payment processing systems and costs as well as consumer use and acceptance of electronic payment methods, such as credit cards; availability of reliable broadband connectivity and wide area networks in targeted areas for expansion; low usage and/or penetration of internet-connected consumer electronic devices; new and different sources of competition; and laws and policies relating to consumer protection.

We are managing and adjusting our international business to address varied content offerings, consumer customs and practices, in particular those dealing with e-commerce and streaming video, as well as differing and changing legal and regulatory environments. As online streaming grows in international markets, governments may look to introduce new or extend legacy regulations to these services, in particular those related to broadcast media, consumer privacy and tax. While we believe our legal and regulatory positions are consistent with the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business, it is possible that we will be required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation. In such an event, increased jurisdictional legal or regulatory oversight and/or action could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model.

Protecting and defending against intellectual property claims may have a material adverse effect on our business.

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Our ability to compete depends, in part, upon successful protection of our intellectual property. We attempt to protect proprietary and intellectual property rights to our productions through available copyright and trademark laws and licensing and distribution arrangements with reputable international companies in specific territories and media for limited durations. Despite these precautions, existing copyright and trademark laws afford only limited practical protection in certain countries where we distribute our products. As a result, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy and distribute our productions or certain portions or applications of our intended productions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Litigation may also be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity. Any such litigation, infringement or invalidity claims could result in substantial costs and the diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects. Our more successful and popular film or television products or franchises may experience higher levels of infringing activity, particularly around key release dates. Alleged infringers have claimed and may claim that their products are permitted under fair use or similar doctrines, that they are entitled to compensatory or punitive damages because our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights are illegal or improper, and that our key trademarks or other significant intellectual property are invalid. Such claims, even if meritless, may result in adverse publicity or costly litigation. We vigorously defend our copyrights and trademarks from infringing products and activity, which can result in litigation. We may receive unfavorable preliminary or interim rulings in the course of litigation, and there can be no assurance that a favorable final outcome will be obtained in all cases. Additionally, one of the risks of the film and television production business is the possibility that others may claim that our productions and production techniques misappropriate or infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. From time to time we are subject to claims and legal proceedings regarding alleged infringement by us of the intellectual property rights (including patents) of third parties. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, require the development of alternative technology or business practices, injunctions against us, or payments for licenses or damages. These risks have been amplified by the increase in third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims. Regardless of the validity or the success of the assertion of any such claims, we could incur significant costs and diversion of resources in enforcing our intellectual property rights or in defending against such claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Our business involves risks of liability claims for content of material, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

As a distributor of media content, we may face potential liability for defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence, copyright or trademark infringement, and other claims based on the nature and content of the materials distributed. These types of claims have been brought, sometimes successfully, against producers and distributors of media content. Any imposition of liability that is not covered by insurance or is in excess of insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Piracy of films and television programs could adversely affect our business over time.

Piracy is extensive in many parts of the world and is made easier by the availability of digital copies of content and technological advances allowing conversion of films and television content into digital formats. This trend facilitates the creation, transmission and sharing of high quality unauthorized copies of motion pictures and television content. The proliferation of unauthorized copies of these products has had and will likely continue to have an adverse effect on our business, because these products reduce the revenue we receive from our products. In order to contain this problem, we may have to implement elaborate and costly security and anti-piracy measures, which could result in significant expenses and losses of revenue. We cannot assure you that even the highest levels of security and anti-piracy measures will prevent piracy.

Service disruptions or failures of the Company’s or our vendors’ information systems and networks as a result of computer viruses, misappropriation of data or other bad acts, natural disasters, extreme weather, accidental releases of information or other similar events, may disrupt our businesses, damage our reputation or have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Shutdowns or service disruptions of our information systems or networks or to vendors that provide information systems, networks or other services to us pose increasing risks. Such disruptions may be caused by third-party hacking of computers and systems; dissemination of computer viruses, worms and other destructive or disruptive software; denial of service attacks and other bad acts, as well as power outages, natural disasters, extreme weather, terrorist attacks, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 global pandemic), or other similar events. Shutdowns or disruption from such events could have an adverse impact on us and our customers, including degradation or disruption of service, loss of data, release or threatened release of data publicly, misuse or threatened misuse of data, and damage to equipment and data. System redundancy may be ineffective or inadequate, and our disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient to cover everything that could happen. Significant events could result in a

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disruption of our operations, reduced revenues, the loss of or damage to the integrity of data used by management to make decisions and operate our business, damage to our reputation or brands or a loss of customers. We may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate it for any losses associated with such events.

We are also subject to risks caused by the misappropriation, misuse, falsification or intentional or accidental release or loss of data maintained in our information systems and networks or of our vendors, including sensitive or confidential personnel, customer or vendor data, business information or other sensitive or confidential information (including our content). We maintain this information and data either on our own systems or on those of third party vendors. While we take measures to protect against unauthorized intrusion into this information, we, or the vendors we use, could experience an unauthorized intrusion. The number and sophistication of attempted and successful information security breaches have increased in recent years and, as a result, the risks associated with such an event continue to increase. If a material breach of our information systems or those of our vendors occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our information security measures could be harmed, we could lose customers, our revenues could be adversely affected and our reputation, brands and credibility could be damaged. Current and potential customers may become unwilling to provide the information to us necessary for them to remain or become customers. We also may be required to notify regulators about any actual or perceived data breach (including the EU Lead Data Protection Authority) as well as the individuals who are affected by the incident within strict time periods. In addition, if a material breach of our information systems occurs, we could be required to expend significant amounts of money and other resources to review data and systems to determine the extent of any breach, repair or replace information systems or networks or to comply with notification requirements. We could be subject to actions by regulatory authorities and claims asserted in private litigation in the event of a breach of our information systems or our vendors.

Our activities are subject to a variety of laws and regulations which may adversely impact our operations or, if violated, could subject us to an increased risk of litigation and regulatory actions.

Privacy. The global legal and regulatory environment governing our collection, use, storage, and transfer of personal information is complex, and continually evolving. In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and use the personal information of subscribers and potential subscribers through our websites and applications and those of third parties. Among other purposes, we use this information to engage with users, promote our programming, and monitor the use of our digital platforms. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by a number of complicated domestic and international data privacy and security laws and regulations, including but not limited to Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”). Complying with these and any future regulations, or related contractual or other obligations, may increase our operating costs and adversely impact our ability to market products and service customers, including through our STARZ direct-to-consumer business (which may be subject to additional consumer legal claims and increased regulation). Any actual or perceived failure to comply with these or any future regulations, or related contractual or other obligations, could disrupt our business, inhibit our ability to retain existing customers or attract new customers, lead to investigations, claims, and proceedings by governmental entities and private parties, damages for breach of contract, and other significant costs, fines, penalties, or other liabilities, as well as harm to our reputation and market position.

Network Regulations. Under the Communications Act of 1934 and the 1992 Cable Act, there are certain FCC regulations that govern the distribution of our services by traditional MVPDs, including cable, DBS and telco operators. Furthermore, to the extent that regulations and laws, either presently in force or proposed, hinder or stimulate the growth of the cable television and satellite industries, our network business will be affected. As we continue to expand internationally, we also may be subject to varying degrees of local government regulations. Regulations governing our services are subject to the political process and have been in constant flux historically. We cannot assure you that we will be able to anticipate material changes in laws or regulatory requirements or that future legislation, new regulation or deregulation will not have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity and prospects.

Internet and Other Media Operator Regulations. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to the internet or other areas of our business could limit or otherwise adversely affect the manner in which we currently conduct our business. We anticipate that several jurisdictions may, over time, attempt to impose additional financial and regulatory obligations on us. If we are required to comply with new regulations or legislation or new interpretations of existing regulations or legislation, this compliance could cause us to incur additional expenses or alter our business model. Additionally, as we grow our STARZ direct-to-consumer business, we may be subject to additional consumer legal claims and state and local consumer protection regulation.

Changes in laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including laws impacting net neutrality, could decrease the demand for our service and increase our cost of doing business. Given uncertainty around these rules, coupled with potentially significant political and economic power of local network operators, we could experience

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discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business.

Risks Related To Our Indebtedness

We have incurred significant indebtedness that could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

We currently have a substantial amount of indebtedness. As of March 31, 2021, we and our subsidiaries have corporate debt of approximately $2,676.9 million, production loan obligations of approximately $373.5 million, and advances outstanding of $120.0 million under our senior secured revolving credit facility based on collateral consisting of certain of the Company's tax credit receivables (the "Production Tax Credit Facility"), and the Senior Credit Facilities provide for unused commitments of $1.5 billion. On the same basis, approximately $1,612.6 million of such indebtedness is secured (excluding all of our production loan obligations and Production Tax Credit Facility borrowings). Our high level of debt could have adverse consequences on our business, such as: making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our notes and our other debt; limiting our ability to refinance such indebtedness or to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general corporate requirements; requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows to be dedicated to debt service payments instead of other purposes, thereby reducing the amount of cash flows available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes; increasing our vulnerability to the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects, economic downturns and adverse developments in our business; exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings, including borrowings under the Senior Credit Facilities and advances under the Production Tax Credit Facility, are at variable rates of interest; limiting our flexibility in planning for, and reducing our flexibility in reacting to, changes in the conditions of the financial markets and our industry; placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to other, less leveraged competitors; increasing our cost of borrowing; and restricting the way in which we conduct our business because of financial and operating covenants in the agreements governing our existing and future indebtedness and exposing us to potential events of default (if not cured or waived) under covenants contained in our debt instruments.

In addition, the Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs our 5.500% Senior Notes due 2029 issued in April 2021 (the “Senior Notes”) each contain restrictive covenants limiting our ability to engage in activities that may be in our long-term best interest. Our failure to comply with those covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in acceleration of all our debt.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

A significant portion of our cash flows from operations is expected to be dedicated to the payments of principal and interest obligations under the Senior Credit Facilities and Senior Notes. Our ability to make scheduled payments on or refinance our debt obligations will depend on our financial condition and operating performance, which are subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, legislative, regulatory and other factors beyond our control, including the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects. If our cash flow from operations declines significantly, including any decline related to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it could result in the inability to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional debt or equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. In addition, during times of economic instability, including disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic, it has been difficult for many companies to obtain financing in the public markets or to obtain debt financing. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, those alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. The Senior Credit Facilities and the indentures that governs the Senior Notes restrict our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from those dispositions, and also restrict our ability to raise debt or certain types of equity to be used to repay other indebtedness when it becomes due. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or to obtain proceeds in an amount sufficient to meet any debt service obligations then due. Additionally, there can also be no assurance that we will not face credit rating downgrades as a result of weaker than anticipated performance of our businesses, fluctuations in our leverage or cost of capital or other factors. Future downgrades could further adversely affect our cost of funds and related margins, liquidity, competitive position and access to capital markets, and a significant downgrade could have an adverse commercial impact on our business.

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In addition, we conduct a substantial portion of our operations through our subsidiaries, certain of which are not guarantors of the Senior Notes or our other indebtedness. Accordingly, repayment of our indebtedness, including the Senior Notes, is dependent on the generation of cash flow by our subsidiaries and their ability to make such cash available to us, by dividend, debt repayment or otherwise. Unless they are guarantors of the Senior Notes or our other indebtedness, our subsidiaries do not have any obligation to pay amounts due on the Senior Notes or our other indebtedness or to make funds available for that purpose. Our subsidiaries may not be able to, or may not be permitted to, make distributions to enable us to make payments in respect of our indebtedness, including the Senior Notes. Each subsidiary is a distinct legal entity, and, under certain circumstances, legal and contractual restrictions may limit our ability to obtain cash from our subsidiaries. While the Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes limit the ability of our subsidiaries to incur consensual restrictions on their ability to pay dividends or make other intercompany payments to us, these limitations are subject to qualifications and exceptions. In the event that we do not receive distributions from our subsidiaries, we may be unable to make required principal and interest payments on our indebtedness.

Despite our current level of indebtedness, we and our subsidiaries may still be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks to our financial condition described above.

We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. The COVID-19 global pandemic may add to our indebtedness. Although the Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, and the additional indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. These restrictions also will not prevent us from incurring obligations that do not constitute indebtedness under the indenture governing the Senior Notes, such as certain qualified receivables financings. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we and our guarantors now face could intensify.

The terms of the Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes or to take certain actions.

The Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes contain a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long-term best interest, including restrictions on our ability to: incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness; issue certain disqualified stock; pay dividends or distributions or redeem or repurchase capital stock; prepay, redeem or repurchase debt that is junior in right of payment to the debt under the Senior Credit Facilities and Notes; make loans or investments; incur liens; restrict dividends, loans or asset transfers from our restricted subsidiaries; sell or otherwise dispose of assets, including capital stock of subsidiaries and sale/leaseback transactions; enter into transactions with affiliates; and enter into new lines of business.

The Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes also limit the ability of Lions Gate and our guarantors to consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of our assets to, another person. In addition, the restrictive covenants in the Senior Credit Facilities require us to maintain specified financial ratios, tested quarterly. Our ability to meet those financial ratios and tests can be affected by events beyond our control, including the effects on our business from the COVID-19 global pandemic and related government actions and consumer behavior; as such, we may be unable to meet such financial ratios and tests.

A breach of the covenants or restrictions under the Senior Credit Facilities or the indenture that governs the Senior Notes, or nonpayment of any principal or interest due thereunder, could result in an event of default under the applicable indebtedness. Such a default may allow the creditors to accelerate the related debt and may result in the acceleration of any other debt to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies. In addition, an event of default under the Senior Credit Facilities would permit the lenders under our revolving facility to terminate all commitments to extend further credit pursuant to the revolving facility thereunder. Furthermore, if we were unable to repay the amounts due and payable under the Senior Credit Facilities, the lenders thereof could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure the Senior Credit Facilities. In the event our lenders or noteholders accelerate the repayment of our borrowings, we and our subsidiaries may not have sufficient assets to repay that indebtedness.

As a result of these restrictions, we may be: limited in how we conduct our business; unable to raise additional debt or equity financing to operate during general economic or business downturns; or unable to compete effectively or to take advantage of new business opportunities. These restrictions may affect our ability to grow in accordance with our strategy. In addition, our financial results, our substantial indebtedness and our credit ratings could adversely affect the availability and terms of our financing.

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Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.

Borrowings under the Senior Credit Facilities and advances under the Production Tax Credit Facility are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk, including in connection with the COVID-19 global pandemic and its effects, which could increase the cost of capital. If interest rates were to increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even though the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash flows, including cash available for servicing our indebtedness, will correspondingly decrease.

An increase in the ownership of our Class A voting common shares by certain shareholders could trigger a change in control under the agreements governing our indebtedness.

The agreements governing certain of our long-term indebtedness contain change in control provisions that are triggered when any of our shareholders, directly or indirectly, acquires ownership or control of in excess of a certain percentage of the total voting power of our Class A voting common shares, no par value per share (the "Class A voting shares").

Upon the occurrence of certain change of control events, an event of default may occur under our Senior Credit Facilities and the holders of the Senior Notes may require us to repurchase all or a portion of such notes. Dr. Mark H. Rachesky, M.D. and his affiliates, who collectively currently hold over 23% of our voting stock and 11% of our non-voting common stock are “Permitted Holders” for purposes of the Senior Credit Facilities and the indenture that governs the Senior Notes. Accordingly, certain increases of ownership or other transactions involving Dr. Rachesky and his affiliates would not constitute a change of control under the Senior Credit Facilities or the indenture that governs the Senior Notes, but could constitute a change of control under the other existing or future indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries.

Risk Related to Tax Rules and Regulations

The Internal Revenue Service may not agree that we should be treated as a non-U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes and may not agree that our U.S. affiliates should not be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax rules.

Under current U.S. federal tax law, a corporation is generally considered for U.S. federal tax purposes to be a tax resident in the jurisdiction of its organization or incorporation. Because we are incorporated in Canada, we would generally be classified as a non-U.S. corporation (and, therefore, a non-U.S. tax resident) under these rules. However, Section 7874 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) (“Section 7874”) provides an exception to this general rule under which a non-U.S. incorporated entity may, in certain circumstances, be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes.

Under Section 7874, if (a) the STARZ stockholders held (within the meaning of Section 7874) 80% or more (by vote or value) of our post-reclassification shares after the STARZ merger by reason of holding STARZ common stock (the “80% ownership test,” and such ownership percentage the “Section 7874 ownership percentage”), and (b) our “expanded affiliated group” did not have “substantial business activities” in Canada when compared to the total business activities of such expanded affiliated group (the “substantial business activities test”), we will be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes. If the Section 7874 ownership percentage of the STARZ stockholders in Lions Gate after the merger was less than 80% but at least 60% (the “60% ownership test”), and the substantial business activities test was not met, STARZ and its U.S. affiliates (including the U.S. affiliates historically owned by us) may, in some circumstances, be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax rules (which, among other things, could limit our ability to utilize certain U.S. tax attributes to offset U.S. taxable income, such as the use of net operating losses and certain tax credits, or to offset the gain resulting from certain transactions, such as from the transfer or license of property to a foreign related person during the 10-year period following the merger).

Based on the terms of the merger, the rules for determining share ownership under Section 7874 and certain factual assumptions, STARZ stockholders are believed to have held (within the meaning of Section 7874) less than 60% (by both vote and value) of our post-reclassification shares after the merger by reason of holding shares of STARZ common stock. Therefore, under current law, it is expected that we should not be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes and that Section 7874 should otherwise not apply to us or our affiliates as a result of the merger. However, since the rules are relatively new, there is limited guidance regarding the application of Section 7874, including the application of the ownership test and the application of the rules to the facts as they existed at the time of the closing of the acquisition. If we were to be treated as a U.S. corporation for federal tax purposes, we could be subject to substantially greater U.S. tax liability than currently contemplated as a non-U.S. corporation. In addition, non-U.S. shareholders of Lions Gate would be subject to U.S. withholding tax on the gross amount of any dividends paid by us to such shareholders (subject to an exemption or reduced rate available under an applicable tax treaty).

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Recent and proposed changes to the tax laws could result in Lions Gate being treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes or in STARZ and its U.S. affiliates (including the U.S. affiliates historically owned by us) being subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax rules on financing and other activities.

As discussed above, under current law, we are expected to be treated as a non-U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes and Section 7874 is not otherwise expected to apply as a result of the merger. However, changes to Section 7874 and the U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, as well as the treatment of expatriated companies under Section 7874 for income treaty purposes, could affect our status as a non-U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes or could result in the application of certain adverse U.S. federal income tax rules to STARZ and its U.S. affiliates (including the U.S. affiliates historically owned by us). Any such changes could have prospective or retroactive application. If we were to be treated as a U.S. corporation for federal tax purposes or if STARZ and its U.S. affiliates (including the U.S. affiliates historically owned by us) were to become subject to such adverse U.S. federal income tax rules, we and our U.S. affiliates could be subject to substantially greater U.S. tax liability than currently contemplated.

Recent legislative proposals under President Joe Biden’s “Made in America Tax Plan” are aimed to expand the scope of U.S. corporate tax residence to address certain perceived issues arising from so-called inversion transactions, by reducing the ownership threshold (discussed above) to 50% from 80% and by treating the foreign acquiring company as a U.S. corporation if it is determined to be managed and controlled in the U.S. Such proposals, if enacted and applicable on or prior to the date of the closing of the merger, could cause us to be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes or cause our affiliates to be subject to adverse U.S. tax rules, in which case, we would be subject to substantially greater U.S. tax liability than currently contemplated.

Recent legislative changes enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (discussed in more detail below), including the limitations on deduction of interest expense and the adoption of the base erosion and anti-abuse tax, contain provisions intended to broaden the tax base and could affect our financing arrangements. Further, additional legislative and other proposals (including the final Treasury regulations under Section 385 of the Code issued by the IRS on October 13, 2016 (the “Final Section 385 Regulations”), if permitted to go into full effect, could cause us and our affiliates to be subject to certain intercompany financing limitations, including with respect to their ability to deduct certain interest expense. These recent and proposed legislative changes could cause us and our affiliates to recognize additional taxable income and could have a significant adverse effect on us and our affiliates.

It is presently uncertain whether any such proposals or other legislative action relating to the scope of U.S. tax residence, Section 7874 or so-called inversion transactions and inverted groups will be enacted into law and/or how new laws will be interpreted or applied.

Future changes to U.S. and non-U.S. tax laws could adversely affect us.

The U.S. Congress, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) and other government agencies in jurisdictions where we and our affiliates will conduct business have had an extended focus on issues related to the taxation of multinational corporations. For the past several years, the primary focus has been in the area of “base erosion and profit shifting,” including situations where payments are made between affiliates from a jurisdiction with high tax rates to a jurisdiction with lower tax rates. As part of its so-called Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) project, OECD and the G-20 developed changes to numerous long-standing international tax principles. More recently, countries are increasingly seeking ways to tax what is sometimes referred to as the digitalized economy.

Tax laws are dynamic and subject to change as new laws are passed and new interpretations of the law are issued or applied. As discussed in more detail below, the U.S. recently enacted significant tax reform, and certain provisions of the new law may adversely affect us. Further, President Biden has proposed changes to the U.S. tax rules under the Made in America Tax Plan which would, among other things, raise the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28%, deny U.S. tax deductions to companies that make payments to affiliates in low-tax jurisdictions, and strengthen the anti-inversion rules (discussed above). In addition, governmental tax authorities are increasingly scrutinizing the tax positions of companies. Many countries in the European Union, as well as a number of other countries and organizations such as OECD, are actively considering changes to existing tax laws that, if enacted, could increase our tax obligations in countries where we do business. For example, the U.K. has announced plans to increase its corporate tax rate from 19% to 25%, starting in April 2023. If U.S. or other foreign tax authorities change applicable tax laws, our overall taxes could increase, and our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely impacted

Changes in foreign, state and local tax incentives may increase the cost of original programming content to such an extent that they are no longer feasible.

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Original programming requires substantial financial commitment, which can occasionally be offset by foreign, state or local tax incentives. However, there is a risk that the tax incentives will not remain available for the duration of a series. If tax incentives are no longer available or reduced substantially, it may result in increased costs for us to complete the production, or make the production of additional seasons more expensive. If we are unable to produce original programming content on a cost effective basis our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

Our tax rate is uncertain and may vary from expectations.

There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain any particular worldwide effective corporate tax rate because of uncertainty regarding the tax policies jurisdictions in which we and our affiliates operate. Our actual effective tax rate may vary from our expectations, and such variance may be material. Additionally, tax laws or their implementation and applicable tax authority practices in any particular jurisdiction could change in the future, possibly on a retroactive basis, and any such change could have an adverse impact on us and our affiliates.

Legislative or other governmental action in the U.S. could adversely affect our business.

Legislative action may be taken by the U.S. Congress that, if ultimately enacted, could limit the availability of tax benefits or deductions that we currently claim, override tax treaties upon which we rely, or otherwise increase the taxes that the U.S. imposes on our worldwide operations. Such changes could materially adversely affect our effective tax rate and/or require us to take further action, at potentially significant expense, to seek to preserve our effective tax rate. In addition, if proposals were enacted that had the effect of limiting our ability as a Canadian company to take advantage of tax treaties with the U.S., we could incur additional tax expense and/or otherwise incur business detriment.