Cinemark Holdings, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

Commission File Number 001-33401

CINEMARK HOLDINGS, INC

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 665-1000

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

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 Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or 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.

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 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 common equity owned by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2017, computed by reference to the closing price for the registrant’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date was approximately $4.1 billion (105,858,139 shares at a closing price per share of $38.85).

As of February 16, 2018, 116,471,354 shares of common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement, in connection with its 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed within 120 days of December 31, 2017, are incorporated by reference into Part III, Items 10-14, of this annual report on Form 10-K.

Table of Contents

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report on Form 10-K includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The “forward looking statements” include our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and our industry. They include statements relating to:

You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “plans,” “expects,” “future” and “intends” and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section in Item 1A of this Form 10-K and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in this Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K reflect our view only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation, other than as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Certain Definitions

Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “our,” “us,” the “issuer” or “Cinemark” relate to Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. All references to Latin America are to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao and Paraguay. Unless otherwise specified, all operating and other statistical data are as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017.

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PART I

Item 1. Business

Our Company

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries, or the Company, us or our, is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, with theatres in the United States, or U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao and Paraguay.

As of December 31, 2017, we managed our business under two reportable operating segments: U.S. markets and international markets. See Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements.

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a Delaware corporation incorporated on August 2, 2006. Our principal executive offices are at 3900 Dallas Parkway, Suite 500, Plano, Texas 75093. Our telephone number is (972) 665-1000. We maintain a corporate website at www.cinemark.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, are available on our website free of charge under the heading “Investor Relations – Financials - SEC Filings” as soon as practicable after such reports are filed or furnished electronically to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. Additionally, all of our filings with the SEC can be accessed on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Description of Business

We are one of the leaders in the motion picture exhibition industry. As of December 31, 2017, we operated 533 theatres and 5,959 screens in the U.S. and Latin America and approximately 277 million guests attended our theatres worldwide during the year ended December 31, 2017. We are one of the most geographically diverse worldwide exhibitors, with theatres in sixteen countries as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, our U.S. circuit had 339 theatres and 4,561 screens in 41 states and our international circuit had 194 theatres and 1,398 screens in 15 countries.

Revenues, operating income and net income attributable to Cinemark Holdings, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2017, were $2,991.5 million, $392.3 million and $264.2 million, respectively. At December 31, 2017 we had cash and cash equivalents of $522.5 million and total long-term debt of $1,817.3 million. Approximately $659.5 million, or 36%, of our long-term debt accrues interest at variable rates and $7.1 million of our long-term debt matures in 2018.

We selectively build or acquire new theatres in markets where we can establish and maintain a strong market position. During the year ended December 31, 2017, we built eight new theatres with 66 screens and acquired three theatres with 26 screens.

Our significant and diverse presence in the U.S. and Latin America has made us an important distribution channel for movie studios. We believe our portfolio of modern, high-quality theatres with multiple platforms provides a preferred destination for moviegoers and contributes to our consistent cash flows from operating activities.  We continue to develop and expand new platforms and market-adaptive concepts for our theatre circuit, such as Luxury Lounger recliner seats, XD, enhanced food and beverage, motion seats, virtual reality and other premium concepts.

We have incorporated Luxury Lounger recliner seats in the majority of our recent domestic new builds and have also repositioned many of our existing domestic theatres to offer this premium seating feature. We currently feature Luxury Loungers in 2,037 domestic auditoriums, representing 45% of our domestic circuit. We plan to continue to add additional Luxury Loungers in certain of our domestic locations during 2018.

Our XD screens represent the largest private label premium large format footprint in the industry. Our XD auditoriums offer a premium experience utilizing the latest in digital projection and enhanced custom sound, including a Barco Auro 11.1 or Dolby Atmos sound system in select locations. The XD experience includes wall-to-

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wall screens, wrap-around sound, plush seating and a maximum comfort entertainment environment for an immersive experience. The exceptional XD technology does not require special format movie prints, which allows us the flexibility to program any available digital print we choose, including 3-D content, in our XD auditoriums. We also prefer the economies of our private label format since there is no additional revenue share component outside of routine film rental. As of December 31, 2017, we had 242 XD auditoriums in our worldwide circuit with plans to install more XD auditoriums during 2018.

We offer enhanced food and beverages such as fresh wraps, hot sandwiches, burgers, and gourmet pizzas, and a selection of beers, wines, and frozen cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the auditoriums, at approximately 48% of our worldwide theatres. We also offer market-adaptive concepts with full bars or dine-in areas in certain of our theatres.

We currently have auditoriums that offer seats with immersive cinematic motion, which we refer to as motion seats, throughout our worldwide circuit. These motion seats are programmed in harmony with the audio and video content of the film and further immerse guests in the on-screen action. We offer motion seats in 208 auditoriums throughout our worldwide circuit. We plan to continue to add motion seats to additional locations during 2018.  

We recently announced plans to collaborate on an in-theatre immersive virtual reality technology. The advanced technology takes guests on a real-life, full-body journey where they engage with characters and their environment through sight, sound, touch, smell and motion. We plan to install this technology in at least one domestic theatre during 2018 and we are continuing to evaluate other locations at which we can offer our guests this unique entertainment option.

Motion Picture Exhibition Industry Overview

Technology Platform

All of our domestic and first-run international theatres are fully digital. Digital projection technology allows filmmakers the ability to showcase imaginative works of art exactly as they were intended, with incredible realism and detail. Digital projection has enabled us to offer a wider array of content, including 3-D programming and alternative entertainment such as live and pre-recorded sports programs, concert events, the Metropolitan Opera, e-sports and gaming events and other special presentations.

All of our domestic locations can receive movie and movie-related content via satellite through the content delivery network of Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition, or DCDC, the motion picture exhibition industry joint venture established during 2013. Approximately 97% of our domestic locations can also receive film content and live content via satellite. Delivery of content via satellite is more cost effective for both distributors and exhibitors, as compared to the costs to produce and ship hard drives.

During 2015, we began the expansion of satellite delivery technology into our Latin American markets, initially for live event presentations. Ninety-six percent of our international theatres have the capability to receive film content and live event feeds via satellite. We expect that all of our international locations will have this capability by the end of 2018.

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Domestic Markets

The U.S. motion picture exhibition industry set an all-time box office record during 2016 with $11.4 billion in revenues and preliminary box office estimates indicate revenues of approximately $11.1 billion for 2017, a 2.5% decrease. The following table represents the results of a survey by MPAA published during March 2017, outlining the historical trends in U.S. box office performance for the ten year period from 2007 to 2016 (industry data for 2017 has not yet been released):

Over the past ten years, industry statistics have shown slight increases and decreases in attendance from one year to another, however domestic box office revenues have remained relatively stable during this period.  The industry has not experienced highly volatile results, even during recessionary periods, demonstrating the stability of the industry, its continued ability to attract consumers and the fact that box office performance is primarily dependent on film product rather than economic cycles.  

Films leading the box office during the year ended December 31, 2017 included Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Beauty and the Beast, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider Man: Homecoming, It, Thor: Ragnarok, Despicable Me 3, Logan, The Fate of the Furious, Justice League, Dunkirk, Coco, The LEGO Batman Movie, Get Out, The Boss Baby, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Kong: Skull Island, Hidden Figures, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and other films.

Films scheduled for release during 2018 include well-known franchise films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Black Panther, The Incredibles 2, Deadpool 2, Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Mission Impossible 6, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, among other films.

International Markets

According to MPAA, international box office revenues were $27.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $27.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2015.  More specifically, Latin American box office revenues were $2.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $3.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2015.  (Industry data for 2017 has not yet been released.)

While certain Latin American countries have experienced recent political and economic challenges, strong performance continues to be fueled by a combination of social behaviors, growing populations, continued retail development in select markets, and quality product from Hollywood, including 3-D and alternative content offerings. In many Latin American countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile, successful local film product can also provide incremental box office growth opportunities.

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We believe many international markets will expand as new theatre technologies are introduced, as film and other content offerings continue to broaden, as ancillary revenue opportunities grow and as local economies continue to strengthen. We also believe most of these markets are underscreened in comparison to the U.S. and European markets.

Drivers of Continued Industry Success

We believe the following market trends will drive the continued strength of our industry:

Importance of Theatrical Success in Establishing Movie Brands. Theatrical exhibition has long been the primary distribution channel for new major motion picture releases. A successful theatrical release “brands” a film and is one of the major contributors to a film’s success in “downstream” markets, such as digital downloads, video on-demand, pay-per-view television, DVDs, and network and syndicated television, as well as branded retail merchandise.

Increased Importance and Growth of International Markets for Box Office Success. International markets continue to be an increasingly important component of the overall box office revenues generated by Hollywood films, accounting for $27.2 billion, or approximately 71%, of 2016 total worldwide box office revenues according to MPAA. (As of the date of this report, 2017 industry data was not yet available.) With the continued strength of the international motion picture exhibition industry, we believe the relative contribution of markets outside North America will continue to be meaningful. Many of the top U.S. films released during 2017 also performed exceptionally well in international markets. Despicable Me 3 grossed approximately $767.8 million in international markets, or approximately 74% of its worldwide box office, Beauty and the Beast grossed approximately $759.7 million in international markets, or approximately 60% of its worldwide box office, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi grossed approximately $632.7 million in international markets, or approximately 53% of its worldwide box office.

Convenient and Affordable Form of Out-Of-Home Entertainment.  Movie going continues to be one of the most convenient and affordable forms of out-of-home entertainment, with an estimated average ticket price in the U.S. of $8.65 in 2016. Average prices in 2016 for other forms of out-of-home entertainment in the U.S., including sporting events and theme parks, ranged from approximately $31.00 to $92.98 per ticket according to MPAA. (As of the date of this report, 2017 industry data was not yet available.)

Introduction of New Platforms and Product Offerings that Enhance the Movie-Going Experience.  The motion picture exhibition industry continues to develop new movie theatre platforms and concepts to respond to varying and changing consumer preferences and to continue to differentiate the movie-going experience from watching a movie at home. In addition to changing the overall style of, and amenities offered in, some theatres, concession product offerings have continued to expand to more than just traditional popcorn and candy items. Many locations now offer hot foods, alcohol offerings and/or healthier snack options for guests.  

Innovation Using Satellite and Other Technology.  Our industry began the development of a content delivery network in domestic markets during 2013 and international markets during 2015.  Satellite delivery allows exhibitors to expand their product offerings, including the presentation of live content and alternative entertainment. Alternative entertainment may include pre-recorded programs as well as live sports programs, concert events, the Metropolitan Opera, e-sports gaming events and other special presentations. Motion seats are offered in some locations, further enhancing the movie viewing experience. Virtual reality is also being developed for in-theatre enjoyment. New and enhanced programming alternatives expand the industry’s offerings to attract a broader customer base.  

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Competitive Strengths

We believe the following strengths allow us to compete effectively:

Disciplined Operating Philosophy. We generated operating income and net income attributable to Cinemark Holdings, Inc. of $392.3 million and $264.2 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017. Our solid operating performance is a result of our disciplined and consistent operating philosophy that centers on building new, and reinvesting in our existing, high-quality theatres, focusing on the guest experience and maintaining favorable theatre-level economics, controlling operating costs and effectively reacting to economic and market changes.

Leading Position in Our U.S. Markets. We have a leading market share in most of the U.S. markets we serve, which includes a presence in 41 states. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we ranked either first or second, based on box office revenues, in 19 out of our top 25 U.S. markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Cleveland, Austin and Las Vegas.

Located in Top Latin American Markets. We have successfully established a significant presence in major cities in Latin America, with theatres in fourteen of the twenty largest metropolitan areas in South America. As of December 31, 2017, we operated 194 theatres and 1,398 screens in 15 countries. Our international screens generated revenues of $769.4 million, or 25.7% of our total revenues, for the year ended December 31, 2017. We are the largest exhibitor in Brazil and Argentina and have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile. Our geographic diversity makes us an important distribution channel for the movie studios.

State-of-the-Art Theatre Circuit. We offer a state-of-the-art movie-going experience, which we believe makes our theatres a preferred destination for moviegoers in our markets. During 2017, we built 66 new screens worldwide. As of December 31, 2017, we had commitments to open 197 additional new screens over the next three years. We have installed digital projection technology in all of our worldwide auditoriums. We currently have 15 digital IMAX screens. As of December 31, 2017, we had the industry-leading private label premium large format circuit with 242 XD auditoriums in our theatres. We have plans to install additional XD auditoriums during 2018. We also continue to develop new market-adaptive theatre concepts in various markets. We believe we offer the brightest picture in the industry, with our Doremi servers and Barco digital projectors, and custom surround sound in our auditoriums.  We have also established a centralized theatre support center that monitors and responds to projection performance and theatre network connectivity issues across our worldwide circuit on a real-time basis.

Disciplined and Targeted Growth Strategy. We continue to grow organically as well as through the acquisition of high-quality theatres in select markets.  Our growth strategy has centered around exceeding our return on investment thresholds while also complementing our existing theatre circuit.  We continue to generate consistent cash flows from operating activities, which demonstrates the success of our growth strategy. We believe the combination of our strong balance sheet and our continued commitment to taking advantage of accretive growth opportunities, will continue to provide us with the financial flexibility to pursue further expansion opportunities and maintain our existing locations at a high standard, while also allowing us to effectively service our debt obligations and continue to offer our stockholders a strong dividend yield.

Experienced Management. Led by Chairman and founder Lee Roy Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zoradi, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Sean Gamble, and President-International Valmir Fernandes, our operational management team has many years of industry experience.  Each of our international offices is led by general managers that are local citizens familiar with cultural, political and economic factors impacting each country. Our worldwide management team has successfully navigated us through many industry and economic cycles.

Our Strategy

We believe our disciplined operating philosophy and experienced operational management team will enable us to continue to enhance our leading position in the motion picture exhibition industry. Key components of our strategy include:

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Focus on Providing an Extraordinary Guest Experience. We differentiate our theatres by focusing on providing an extraordinary guest experience through a variety of initiatives. We have a market-adaptive approach with our theatre amenities, including Luxury Lounger recliner seats, enhanced food and beverage offerings, and our private-label premium large format, XD. We also feature loyalty programs in our largest markets, including the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Central America, which allows us to perform advanced analytics for more insight about our guest preferences and further enrich their movie-going experience. Our new Movie Club membership program also rewards our frequent guests with specially-priced tickets, concessions discounts and other benefits. Our innovative and advanced technology selections allow us to consistently deliver the highest quality presentation to fully immerse our guests in the on-screen action.   We train, motivate, and empower our staff to provide first-rate customer service, ensuring our guests are continually pleased with their Cinemark experience.

Grow Attendance. We believe our focus on the guest experience is a catalyst for attendance growth and is a primary factor in our consistent industry-leading results. In addition to optimizing schedules for Hollywood content, we also have initiatives to drive attendance during non-peak times, such as variable pricing strategies and alternative content, including both participatory and spectator e-sports, Metropolitan Opera, concerts, live and pre-recorded sports, gaming, and other special presentations and we continue to explore other alternatives.  We recently announced plans to collaborate on an in-theatre virtual reality technology that will provide our guests with another entertainment experience in our theatres.

Sustain Investment in Core Circuit Combined with Targeted Growth. We continually utilize our cash flows from operations to invest in our existing circuit to ensure the highest quality experience for our guests.  We routinely service and update theatre furniture, fixtures and equipment as well as invest in a variety of theatre upgrades such as Luxury Lounger recliner seats, enhanced food and beverage offerings, our XD private-label premium large format, and other entertainment features such as virtual reality and gaming. Our commitment to investing in our existing circuit is demonstrated by our level of maintenance capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017, at approximately $237.1 million and $322.6 million, respectively. We also continue to target organic growth throughout our global circuit and seek accretive acquisition opportunities, with the objectives of deeper market penetration in the territories in which we currently operate and as a means to enter new and developing markets. We built 66 new auditoriums and acquired 26 auditoriums during the year ended December 31, 2017.

Theatre Operations

As of December 31, 2017, we operated 533 theatres and 5,959 screens in 41 U.S. states and 15 Latin American countries. The following tables summarize the geographic locations of our theatre circuit as of December 31, 2017.

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United States Theatres

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International Theatres

We first entered Latin America when we opened a theatre in Chile in 1993. Since then, through our focused international growth strategy, we have developed one of the most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the region. We have balanced our risk through a diversified international portfolio, which includes theatres in fourteen of the twenty largest metropolitan areas in South America. We have established significant presence in Brazil and Argentina, where we are the largest exhibitor. We also have significant market presence in Colombia, Peru and Chile.

We believe that certain markets within Latin America continue to be underserved as penetration of movie screens per capita in these markets is substantially lower than in the U.S. and European markets. We intend to continue to expand our presence in international markets, with emphasis on Latin America, and fund our expansion primarily with cash flow generated from operations. We are able to mitigate cash flow exposure to currency fluctuations by transacting local operating expenses primarily in their respective local currencies. Our geographic diversity throughout South and Central America has allowed us to maintain consistent local currency revenue performance, notwithstanding currency and economic fluctuations that may affect any particular market.

Content

We offer a variety of content at our theatres.  We monitor upcoming films and other content and work diligently with film distributors to license the content that we believe will be most successful in our theatres. We play mainstream films from many different genres, such as animated films, family films, dramas, comedies, horror and action films. We offer content in both 2-D and 3-D formats in all of our theatres, and in many locations, we offer our private-label premium format, XD. We also offer a format that features motion seats and added sensory features in addition to the ultra-realistic images of 3-D technology in select locations.

We regularly play art and independent films at many of our U.S. theatres and offer local film product in our international markets, providing a variety of film choices to our guests. We offer a Classic Series at a majority of our U.S. theatres and some of our international theatres, which involves playing digitally re-mastered classic movies that change on a weekly basis. The program covers a variety of genres of classic films that are generally exhibited during non-peak times.

During December 2013, we formed a joint venture, named AC JV, LLC, with Regal Entertainment Group, or Regal, and AMC Entertainment, Inc., or AMC, which then purchased the Fathom event business from National CineMedia, LLC. The Fathom event business generally focuses on the marketing and distribution of live and pre-recorded entertainment programming to movie theatres to augment theatres’ feature film schedules. AC JV, LLC continues to bring alternative events to our theatres, including the Metropolitan Opera, sports programs, concert events, e-sports gaming events and other special presentations, that may be live or pre-recorded. We, along with AC JV, LLC, continue to identify new ways to utilize our theatre platform to provide entertainment to consumers.

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Film Licensing

In the domestic marketplace, our corporate film department negotiates with film distributors to license films for each of our domestic theatres. In each of our international offices, our local film personnel negotiate with local offices of major film distributors as well as local film distributors to license films for our international theatres. Film distributors are responsible for determining film release dates and film marketing campaigns and the related expenditures, while we are responsible for booking the films at each of our theatres at the optimal showtimes for our guests. In most instances, we are able to license each first-run, wide-release film without regard to the bookings of other exhibitors within that area. In certain limited situations, our theatres compete with other nearby theatres for film content from film distributors. We face competition for patrons from other exhibitors and other forms of entertainment, as discussed under Competition below, at all of our theatres in all markets. Our theatre personnel focus on providing an extraordinary guest experience, and we provide a high-quality facility with the most up-to-date sound systems, comfortable seating and other amenities preferred by our guests, which we believe gives us a competitive advantage in markets where competing theatres play the same films.

In both our domestic and international locations, we pay film rental fees based on a film’s box office receipts at each of our theatres. Film rental rates are negotiated based on either a sliding scale formula under which the rate is based on a standard rate matrix that is established prior to a film’s run; a firm terms formula, as determined prior to a film’s run, under which we pay a negotiated rate; or a rate that is negotiated after a film’s run.  

Food and Beverage

Concession sales are our second largest revenue source, representing approximately 35% of total revenues. We have devoted considerable management effort to expanding concession sales by enhancing our offerings and adapting to our customers’ changing preferences, as discussed below.

Concession Product Mix. Common concession products offered at all of our theatres include various sizes and types of popcorn, soft drinks, coffees, non-carbonated drinks, candy and quickly-prepared or pre-prepared food, such as hot dogs, pizza, pretzel bites, nachos and ice cream. The food and beverage offerings vary based on consumer preferences in a particular market. We have introduced some healthier snack and beverage options for our guests, which are available at some locations, added alcohol offerings in a growing number of theatres, and also offer diverse ethnic foods based on market demographics.

In select locations, we have expanded concession product offerings to include a broader variety of food and drink options, such as fresh wraps, hot sandwiches, burgers, gourmet pizzas, and a selection of beers, wines, and frozen cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the auditoriums.  We also have lobby bars and VIP lounges in many domestic and international theatres.

Our proprietary point-of-sale system allows our category managers to monitor product sales and readily make adjustments to product mix on a theatre-by-theatre or market-by-market basis, when necessary. This program flexibility also allows us to efficiently activate and manage both national or regional product launches and promotional initiatives to further grow food and beverage sales.  

Pricing. New products and promotions are introduced on a regular basis to increase concession purchase incidence by existing buyers as well as to attract new buyers. We offer specially-priced product combinations at our theatres. We routinely offer discounts to our guests on certain products by offering weekly coupons as well as reusable popcorn tubs and soft drink cups that can be refilled at a discounted price. In certain international countries and in all of our domestic theatres, we offer a loyalty program to our frequent guests that includes food and beverage discounts. Our new Cinemark Movie Club membership program also allows our domestic guests to sign-up for exclusive concessions discounts.

Staff Training. Employees are continually trained in proper sales techniques, food preparation and handling and maintaining concession product quality. Some of our product promotions include a motivational element that rewards theatre staff for exceptional sales of certain promotional items.

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Theatre Design. Our theatres are designed to optimize the guest purchase experience at the concession stands, which includes multiple concession counters throughout a theatre to facilitate serving guests in an expedited manner. We strategically place large concession stands within theatres to heighten visibility, reduce the length of concession lines, and improve traffic flow around the concession stands. We incorporate self-serve candy cases and bottled drink coolers at our traditional crew-serve theatres to help provide convenience for our guests, drive purchase incidence and increase product availability for these two core categories. We also have self-service cafeteria-style concession areas in many of our domestic theatres, which allow customers to select their own refreshments and proceed to the cash register when they are ready. This design allows for more efficient service, and superior visibility of concession items. In some of our international locations, we allow guests to pre-order concession items, either online or at a kiosk, and pick them up in a dedicated line at the concession counter.  

Cost Control. We negotiate prices for concession supplies directly with concession vendors and manufacturers to obtain volume discounts and also negotiate volume-based and promotional-based rebates with our larger suppliers. Concession supplies are generally distributed through a distribution network. The concession distributor delivers inventory to the theatres after receiving orders directly from the theatres or through an online electronic ordering system.  We conduct frequent inventory counts of concession products at every theatre to ensure proper stock levels are maintained to appropriately serve our guests.

Pre-Feature Screen Advertising

In our domestic markets, our theatres are part of the in-theatre digital network operated by National CineMedia, LLC, or NCM. NCM provides advertising to our theatres through its branded “Noovie” pre-show entertainment program and also handles lobby promotions and displays for our theatres. We believe that the reach, scope and digital delivery capability of NCM’s network provides an effective platform for national, regional and local advertisers to reach our engaged audience. We receive a monthly theatre access fee for participation in the NCM network and also earn screen advertising revenue on a per patron basis. As of December 31, 2017, we had an approximate 18% ownership interest in NCM. See Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our investment in NCM.

In our international markets, our wholly-owned subsidiary Flix Media Publicidade E Entretenimento, Ltda., or Flix Media, handles our screen advertising functions in Brazil. Our Flix Media marketing personnel work with local agencies and advertisers to coordinate screen advertising in our Brazil theatres. We have expanded the Flix Media advertising services to other exhibitors in Brazil through revenue share agreements. In Argentina, we have in-house personnel that work with local advertisers to arrange screen advertising in our Argentina theatres. We recently acquired advertising businesses in Chile, Central America and Colombia, which are being integrated with our Flix Media division. In addition to screen advertising in our theatres, we intend to expand Flix Media’s services to include, among other things, alternative content, digital media and other synergistic media opportunities. In some of our other international markets, we outsource our screen advertising to local companies who have established relationships with local advertisers that provide similar programming benefits. The terms of our international screen advertising contracts vary by country, however, we generally earn a percentage of the screen advertising revenues for access to our screens.

Technology Innovations

The motion picture exhibition industry has undertaken many technology initiatives over the past several years, as discussed below.

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition

Through the joint venture DCDC with Regal, AMC, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. and Universal Pictures, we began delivering digital content to domestic theatres via satellite during October 2013. As of December 31, 2017, 100% of our domestic auditoriums were capable of receiving content via satellite. Delivery of content via satellite reduces film transportation costs for both distributors and exhibitors by eliminating the costs to produce and ship hard drives. The satellite delivery system established by DCDC is available to all exhibitors and content providers and allows live and store-and-forward content to be delivered to our theatres.

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Satellite Delivery - International

Satellite delivery technology started to expand to certain Latin American markets in 2016.  Currently, a majority of our international theatres have the ability to receive live events via satellite, with many of these also able to receive film content via satellite. We expect all of our international theatres to have the ability to receive content via satellite by the middle of 2018.

Virtual Reality

We recently announced plans to collaborate on an in-theatre virtual reality technology that will provide our guests with a new entertainment experience.  The advanced technology takes guests on a real-life, full-body journey where they engage with characters and their environment through sight, sound, touch, smell and motion.  We plan to install this technology in at least one theatre during 2018 and are continuing to evaluate other locations at which we can offer our guests this advanced entertainment option.

Marketing and Promotions

We generally market our theatres and special events, including new theatre grand openings, remodel openings and VIP events, using Internet digital advertising, directory film schedules, and radio and television advertising spots. We exhibit previews of coming attractions and current films as part of our on-screen pre-feature program. We offer guests access to movie times, the ability to buy their tickets and reserve their seats in advance and purchase gift cards at our website www.cinemark.com and via our smart phone and tablet applications. Customers can subscribe to our weekly emails to receive information about current and upcoming films at their preferred Cinemark theatre(s), including details about upcoming Cinemark XD movies, advanced ticket sales, screenings, special events, concerts and live broadcasts; as well as contests, promotions, and coupons for concession savings. Email communications and push notifications are utilized to provide customers with the latest information or exclusive offers such as screenings, contests or promotions. We partner with film distributors on a regular basis to promote upcoming films through local, regional and national programs that are exclusive to our theatres. These programs may involve customer contests that include exclusive giveaways, cross-promotions with the media and other third parties and other means to impact patronage for films showing at our theatres.

We interact with guests every day on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to provide relevant information, quick access to advanced ticketing information and upcoming movies and events, as well as to respond to guest feedback. Guests can utilize social media to ask us questions regarding their local Cinemark theatre offerings, movie-related information or to provide suggestions.

We offer a domestic loyalty program to our guests, called Connections, which was launched in 2016. Connections allows our guests to earn points for different types of transactions and interactions as tracked through our Cinemark smart phone app.  Points can then be redeemed for various concession items and discounts, as well as unique and limited edition experiential rewards that relate to films currently playing at our theatres. We also offer a feature in our app, called CineMode, which dims the phone’s screen and rewards guests for silencing their phones during the movie. Guests are rewarded for use of CineMode with loyalty points as well as other exclusive digital rewards that can be used at a future visit to one of our theatres.  

We have loyalty programs in most of our international markets that either allow customers to pay a nominal fee for an annual membership card that provides them with certain admissions and concession discounts or that allows guests to earn loyalty points for each purchase. Similar to the Connections program, our points-based international programs offer discounts on concessions and movie tickets. Our global loyalty programs put us in direct contact with our guests and provides additional opportunities for us to enhance our relationships with the studios and our vendors through targeted promotions. 

Our domestic and international marketing departments also focus on expanding ancillary revenue, which includes the sale of our gift cards and our SuperSaver discount tickets. We generally market these programs to businesses as an employee-incentive or rewards program. Our marketing departments also coordinate the use of our auditoriums, generally during off-peak times, for corporate meetings, private movie screenings, brand and product launches, education and training sessions or other private events, which contribute to our ancillary revenue.  

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We launched a unique membership program for our domestic circuit in December 2017.  Cinemark Movie Club offers guests a monthly fixed-price 2D ticket, member-pricing for a companion ticket and concession and other transaction discounts.  Cinemark Movie Club is another unique option for our loyal guests and allows us to stay informed of our frequent guests’ preferences.

Competition

We are one of the leaders in the motion picture exhibition industry. We compete against local, regional, national and international exhibitors with respect to attracting guests, licensing films and developing new theatre sites. Our primary U.S. competitors include Regal and AMC and our primary international competitors, which vary by country, include Cinépolis, Cine Colombia, CinePlanet, Kinoplex (GSR), and Araujo.

We are generally able to book films without regard to the film bookings of other exhibitors at many of our theatres. In certain limited situations, distributors allocate movies to only one theatre in a market generally based on demographics, the conditions, capacity and grossing potential of each theatre, and the terms of exhibition. In all theatres, our success in attracting guests can depend on customer service quality, location, theatre capacity, quality of projection and sound equipment, film showtime availability and ticket prices.

We compete for new theatre sites with other movie theatre exhibitors as well as other entertainment venues. Securing a potential site depends upon factors such as committed investment and resources, theatre design and capacity, revenue potential, and financial stability.  

We face competition from a number of other movie exhibition delivery systems, such as digital downloads, video on-demand, pay-per-view television, DVDs, network and syndicated television. We also face competition from other forms of entertainment competing for the public’s leisure time and disposable income, such as family entertainment centers, concerts, theme parks and sporting events.

Seasonality

Our revenues have historically been seasonal, coinciding with the timing of releases of motion pictures by the major distributors. Generally, the most successful motion pictures have been released during summer months in the U.S., extending from May to July, and during the holiday season, extending from November through year-end. The timing of releases, however, has become less pronounced as distributors have begun releasing content more evenly throughout the year.  In our Latin American markets, while Hollywood content has similar release dates as in the U.S., the local holidays and seasons can vary. The unexpected emergence of a hit film during other periods can impact this seasonality trend. The timing and quality of film releases can have a significant impact on our results of operations, and the results of one period are not necessarily indicative of results for the following period or for the same period in the following year.

Corporate Operations

Our worldwide headquarters is located in Plano, Texas. Personnel at our corporate headquarters provide oversight and support for our domestic and international theatres, including our executive team and department heads in charge of film licensing, food and beverage, theatre operations, theatre construction and maintenance, real estate, human resources, marketing, legal, finance, accounting, tax, audit and information technology. Our U.S. operations are comprised of nineteen regions, each of which is headed by a region leader. We have nine regional offices in Latin America responsible for the local management of theatres in fifteen countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and Curacao are managed out of one Central American regional office). Each regional office is headed by a general manager with additional personnel responsible for film licensing, marketing, human resources, information technology, operations and finance. We have chief financial officers in Brazil and Argentina, which are our two largest international markets and a regional chief financial officer located in Chile that oversees Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay.

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Employees

We have approximately 18,700 employees in the U.S., approximately 21% of whom are full time employees and 79% of whom are part time employees. We have approximately 9,400 employees in our international markets, approximately 83% of whom are full time employees and approximately 17% of whom are part time employees. Due to the seasonal nature of our business as discussed above, our headcount can vary throughout the year, depending on the timing and success of movie releases. Some of our international locations are subject to union regulations. We regard our relations with our employees to be satisfactory.

Regulations

The distribution of motion pictures is largely regulated by federal and state antitrust laws and has been the subject of numerous antitrust cases. The manner in which we can license films from certain major film distributors has been influenced by consent decrees resulting from these cases. Consent decrees bind certain major film distributors and require the films of such distributors to be offered and licensed to exhibitors, including Cinemark, on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis. Consequently, exhibitors cannot enter into long-term arrangements with major distributors, but must negotiate for licenses on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis.

We are subject to various general regulations applicable to our operations including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or the ADA, and regulations recently issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that require nutrition labels for certain menu items. Our domestic and international theatre operations are also subject to federal, state and local laws governing such matters as wages, working conditions, citizenship, health and sanitation requirements and various business licensing and permitting.

Financial Information About Geographic Areas

We currently have operations in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao, and Paraguay, which are reflected in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements for segment information and financial information by geographic area.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Our business depends on film production and performance.

Our business depends on both the availability of suitable films for exhibition in our theatres and the success of those films in our markets. Reduced volume of film releases, poor performance of films, the disruption in the production of films due to events such as a strike by directors, writers or actors, a reduction in financing options for the film distributors, or a reduction in the marketing efforts of the film distributors to promote their films could have an adverse effect on our business by resulting in fewer patrons and reduced revenues.

Our results of operations fluctuate on a seasonal basis.

Our results of operations vary from period to period based upon the quantity and quality of the motion pictures that we show in our theatres. The major film distributors generally release the films they anticipate will be most successful during the summer and holiday seasons. Consequently, we typically generate higher revenues during these periods.  The timing of releases, however, has become less pronounced as distributors have begun releasing content more evenly throughout the year.  In our Latin American markets, while Hollywood content has similar release dates as in the U.S., the local holidays and seasons can vary. The unexpected emergence of a successful film during other periods or the failure of an expected success at a key time could alter this seasonality trend. Due to the dependency on the success of films released from one period to the next, results of operations for one period may not be indicative of the results for the following period or the same period in the following year.

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A deterioration in relationships with film distributors could adversely affect our ability to obtain commercially successful films.

We rely on the film distributors to supply the films shown in our theatres. The film distribution business is highly concentrated, with seven major film distributors accounting for approximately 89% of U.S. box office revenues and 49 of the top 50 grossing films during 2017. Numerous antitrust cases and consent decrees resulting from the antitrust cases impact the distribution of films. Film distributors license films to exhibitors on a theatre-by-theatre and film-by-film basis. Consequently, we cannot guarantee a supply of films by entering into long-term arrangements with major distributors. We are therefore required to negotiate licenses for each film and for each theatre. A deterioration in our relationship with any of the seven major film distributors could adversely affect our ability to obtain commercially successful films and to negotiate favorable licensing terms for such films, both of which could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We face intense competition for patrons and films which may adversely affect our business.

The motion picture exhibition industry is highly competitive. We compete against local, regional, national and international exhibitors in many of our markets. We compete for both patrons and licensing of films. In markets where we do not face nearby competitive theatres, there is a risk of new theatres being built. The degree of competition for patrons is dependent upon such factors as location, theatre capacity, quality of projection and sound equipment, film showtime availability, customer service quality, products and amenities offered, and ticket prices. The principal competitive factors with respect to film licensing include the theatre’s location and its demographics, the condition, capacity and grossing potential of each theatre, and licensing terms. We also face competition from new concept theatres such as dine-in theatres and tavern style theatres that open in close proximity to our conventional theatres. If we are unable to attract patrons or to license successful films, our business may be adversely affected.

An increase in the use of alternative film distribution channels or other competing forms of entertainment may reduce movie theatre attendance and limit revenue growth.

We face competition for patrons from a number of alternative film distribution channels, such as digital downloads, video on-demand, subscription video-on-demand, pay-per-view television, DVDs, network and syndicated television. Some of these distribution channels have seen growth in production in recent years. We also compete with other forms of entertainment, such as family entertainment centers, concerts, theme parks, gaming and sporting events, for our patrons’ leisure time and disposable income. A significant increase in popularity of these alternative film distribution channels, competing forms of entertainment or improvements in technologies available at home could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our results of operations may be impacted by shrinking video and digital release windows.

The average video and digital release window, which represents the time that elapses from the date of a film’s theatrical release to the date a film is available to consumers at home, has decreased from six months to approximately ninety days over the past few years. If patrons choose to wait for an in-home release rather than attend a theatre to view the film, it may adversely impact our business and results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. These release windows, which are determined by the studios, may shrink further or be eliminated altogether, which could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

General political, social and economic conditions can adversely affect our attendance.

Our results of operations are dependent on general political, social and economic conditions, and the impact of such conditions on our theatre operating costs and on the willingness of consumers to spend money at movie theatres. If consumers’ discretionary income declines during a period of an economic downturn or political uncertainty, our operations could be adversely affected. If theatre operating costs, such as utility costs, increase due to political or economic changes, our results of operations could be adversely affected. Political events, such as terrorist attacks, and health-related epidemics, such as flu outbreaks, could cause people to avoid our theatres or other public places where large crowds are in attendance, which could adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or an earthquake, could impact our ability to operate certain of our theatres, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

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Our foreign operations are subject to adverse regulations, economic instability and currency exchange risk.

We have 194 theatres with 1,398 screens in fifteen countries in Latin America. Brazil represented approximately 11% of our consolidated 2017 revenues. Governmental regulation of the motion picture industry in foreign markets differs from that in the U.S. Changes in regulations affecting prices and quota systems requiring the exhibition of locally-produced films may adversely affect our international operations. Our international operations are subject to certain political, economic and other uncertainties not encountered by our domestic operations, including risks of severe economic downturns and high inflation. We also face risks of currency fluctuations, hard currency shortages and controls of foreign currency exchange and cash transfers to the U.S., all of which could have an adverse effect on the results of our operations.

We have substantial long-term lease and debt obligations, which may restrict our ability to fund current and future operations and that restrict our ability to enter into certain transactions.

We have, and will continue to have, significant long-term debt service obligations and long-term lease obligations. As of December 31, 2017, we had $1,817.3 million in long-term debt obligations, $276.7 million in capital lease obligations and $1,747.5 million in long-term operating lease obligations. Our substantial lease and debt obligations pose risk by:

Our ability to make scheduled payments of principal and interest with respect to our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate positive cash flows and on our future financial results. Our ability to generate positive cash flows is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We may not be able to continue to generate cash flows at current levels, or guarantee that future borrowings will be available under our senior secured credit facility, in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our lease and debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets or operations, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to take any of these actions, and these actions may not be successful or permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations and these actions may be restricted under the terms of our existing or future debt agreements, including our senior secured credit facility.

If we fail to make any required payment under the agreements governing our leases and indebtedness or fail to comply with the financial and operating covenants contained in them, we would be in default, and as a result, our debt holders would have the ability to require that we immediately repay our outstanding indebtedness and the lenders under our senior secured credit facility could terminate their commitments to lend us money and foreclose against the assets securing their borrowings. We could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. The acceleration of our indebtedness under one agreement may permit acceleration of indebtedness under other agreements that contain cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. Even if we are able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms or on terms that are acceptable to us. If our debt holders require immediate payment, we may not have sufficient assets to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness.

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A failure to adapt to future technological innovations could impact our ability to compete effectively and could adversely affect our results of operations.

While we continue to implement the latest technological innovations, such as motion seats and satellite distribution technologies, new technological innovations continue to impact our industry. If we are unable to respond to or invest in changes in technology and the technological preferences of our customers, we may not be able to compete with other exhibitors or other entertainment venues, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

We are subject to uncertainties relating to future expansion plans, including our ability to identify suitable acquisition candidates or new theatre site locations, and to obtain financing for such activities on favorable terms or at all.

We have greatly expanded our operations over the last decade through targeted worldwide theatre development and acquisitions. We continue to pursue a strategy of expansion that will involve the development of new theatres and may involve acquisitions of existing theatres and theatre circuits both in the U.S. and internationally. There is significant competition for new site locations and for existing theatre and theatre circuit acquisition opportunities. As a result of such competition, we may not be able to acquire attractive site locations, existing theatres or theatre circuits on terms we consider acceptable. The pace of our growth may also be impacted by delays in site development caused by other parties. Acquisitions and expansion opportunities may divert a significant amount of management’s time away from the operation of our business. Growth by acquisition also involves risks relating to difficulties in integrating the operations and personnel of acquired companies and the potential loss of key employees of acquired companies. Our expansion strategy may not result in improvements to our business, financial condition, profitability, or cash flows. Further, our expansion programs may require financing above our existing borrowing capacity and operating cash flows. We may not be able to obtain such financing or ensure that such financing will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

If we do not comply with the ADA and the safe harbor framework included in the consent order we entered into with the Department of Justice, or the DOJ, we could be subject to further litigation.

Our theatres must comply with Title III of the ADA and analogous state and local laws. Compliance with the ADA requires among other things that public facilities “reasonably accommodate” individuals with disabilities and that new construction or alterations made to “commercial facilities” conform to accessibility guidelines unless “structurally impracticable” for new construction or technically infeasible for alterations. On November 15, 2004, Cinemark and the DOJ entered into a consent order, which was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. Under the consent order, the DOJ approved a safe harbor framework for us to construct all of our future stadium-style movie theatres. The DOJ has stipulated that all theatres built in compliance with the consent order will comply with the wheelchair seating requirements of the ADA. If we fail to comply with the ADA, remedies could include imposition of injunctive relief, fines, awards for damages to private litigants and additional capital expenditures to remedy non-compliance. Imposition of significant fines, damage awards or capital expenditures to cure non-compliance could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We may be subject to increased labor and benefits costs.

In the U.S., we are subject to United States federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, working conditions and overtime. We are also subject to union regulations in certain of our international markets, which can specify wage rates as well as minimum hours to be paid to certain employees. As federal and state minimum wage rates increase, we may need to increase not only the wages of our minimum wage employees, but also the wages paid to employees at wage rates that are above minimum wage. Labor shortages, increased employee turnover and health care mandates could also increase our labor costs. This in turn could lead us to increase prices, which could impact our sales. Conversely, if competitive pressures or other factors prevent us from offsetting increased labor costs by increases in prices, our results of operations may be adversely impacted.

A credit market crisis may adversely affect our ability to raise capital and may materially impact our operations.

Severe dislocations and liquidity disruptions in the credit markets could materially impact our ability to obtain debt financing on reasonable terms or at all. The inability to access debt financing on reasonable terms could materially impact our ability to make acquisitions, invest in technology innovations or significantly expand our business in the future.

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Our ability to pay dividends may be limited or otherwise restricted.

Our ability to pay dividends is limited by our status as a holding company and the terms of our senior notes indentures, our senior subordinated notes indenture,  and our senior secured credit facility, which restrict our ability to pay dividends and the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to pay dividends, directly or indirectly, to us. Under our debt instruments, we may pay a cash dividend up to a specified amount, provided we have satisfied certain financial covenants in, and are not in default under, our debt instruments. The declaration of future dividends on our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, or Common Stock, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon many factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, limitations in our debt agreements and legal requirements.

Provisions in our corporate documents and certain agreements, as well as Delaware law, may hinder a change of control.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, could discourage unsolicited proposals to acquire us. These provisions include:

Certain provisions of our 4.875% senior notes indenture and our 5.125% senior notes indenture and our senior secured credit facility may have the effect of delaying or preventing future transactions involving a “change of control.” A “change of control” would require us to make an offer to the holders of each of our 4.875% senior notes and our 5.125% senior notes to repurchase all of the outstanding notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase. A “change of control” would also be an event of default under our senior secured credit facility.

Future sales of our Common Stock may adversely affect the prevailing market price.

If a large number of shares of our Common Stock is sold in the open market, or if there is a perception that such sales will occur, the trading price of our Common Stock could decrease. In addition, the sale of these shares could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional Common Stock. As of December 31, 2017, we had an aggregate of 170,613,555 shares of our Common Stock authorized but unissued and not reserved for specific purposes. In general, we may issue all of these shares without any action or approval by our stockholders. We may issue shares of our Common Stock in connection with acquisitions.

As of December 31, 2017, we had 116,475,033 shares of our Common Stock outstanding. Of these shares, approximately 105,665,090 shares were freely tradable. The remaining shares of our Common Stock were “restricted securities” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Restricted securities may not be resold in a public distribution except in compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, including the exemptions provided by Regulation S and Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

We cannot predict whether substantial amounts of our Common Stock will be sold in the open market in anticipation of, or following, any divestiture by any of our large stockholders, our directors or executive officers of their shares of Common Stock.

As of December 31, 2017, there were 7,980,476 shares of our Common Stock reserved for issuance under our 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

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Legislative or regulatory initiatives related to global warming/climate change concerns may negatively impact our business.

Recently, there has been an increasing focus and continuous debate on global climate change including increased attention from regulatory agencies and legislative bodies. This increased focus may lead to new initiatives directed at regulating an as yet unspecified array of environmental matters. Legislative, regulatory or other efforts in the U.S. to combat climate change could result in future increases in the cost of raw materials, taxes, transportation and utilities for our vendors and for us which would result in higher operating costs for the Company. Also, compliance of our theatres and accompanying real estate with new and revised environmental, zoning, land-use or building codes, laws, rules or regulations, could have a material and adverse effect on our business.  However, we are unable to predict at this time, the potential effects, if any, that any future environmental initiatives may have on our business.

We may be subject to liability under environmental laws and regulations.

We own and operate a large number of theatres and other properties within the U.S. and internationally, which may be subject to various foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment or human health. Such environmental laws and regulations include those that impose liability for the investigation and remediation of spills or releases of hazardous materials. We may incur such liability, including for any currently or formerly owned, leased or operated property, or for any site, to which we may have disposed, or arranged for the disposal of, hazardous materials or wastes. Certain of these laws and regulations may impose liability, including on a joint and several liability, which can result in a liable party being obliged to pay for greater than its share, regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal. Environmental conditions relating to our properties or operations could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations and cash flows.

Cyber security threats and our failure to protect our electronically stored data could adversely affect our business.

We collect, use, store and maintain electronic information and data necessary to conduct our business, including confidential and proprietary information of the company, our customers, and our employees. We also rely on the availability of information technology systems to operate our business, including for communications, receiving and displaying movies, ticketing, guest services, payments, and other general operations. We rely on some of our vendors to store and process certain data and to manage, host, and/or provide some of our information technology systems. Because of the scope and complexity of our information technology systems, our reliance on vendors to provide, support and protect our systems and data, and the constantly evolving cyber-threat landscape, our information technology systems are subject to the risk of disruption, failure, unauthorized access, cyber-terrorism, human error, misuse, tampering, theft, and other cyber-attacks. These or similar events, whether accidental or intentional, could result in theft, unauthorized access or disclosure, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, which could harm our reputation or result in a loss of business, as well as remedial and other costs, fines, investigations, enforcement actions or lawsuits. These or similar events could also lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems resulting in business impact, including loss of business. Those same scope, complexity, reliance, and changing cyber-threat landscape factors could also affect our ability to adapt to and comply with changing regulations and contractual obligations applicable to data security and privacy, which are increasingly demanding, both in the United States and in other jurisdictions where we operate.  In order to address these risks, we have adopted security measures and technology, operate a security program, and work continuously to evaluate and improve our security posture. However, the development and maintenance of these systems and programs are costly and require ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. As such, there can be no assurance that these or similar events will not occur in the future or will not have an adverse effect on our business and results of operation. In addition to Company-specific cyber threats or events, our business and results of operations could also be impacted by cyber-related events affecting our peers and partners within the entertainment industry, as well as other retail companies. We maintain insurance designed to provide coverage for cyber risks related to what we believe to be adequate and collectible insurance in the event of the theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, but the foregoing events or future events could result in costs and business impacts which may not be covered or may be in excess of any available insurance that we may have procured. As a result, future events could have a material impact on our business and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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Product recalls and associated costs could adversely affect our reputation and financial condition.

We may be found liable if the consumption of any of the products we sell causes illness or injury. We are also subject to recall by product manufacturers or if the food products become contaminated. Recalls could result in losses due to the cost of the recall, the destruction of the product and lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time.

Changes in privacy laws could adversely affect our ability to market our products effectively.

Our cinemas rely on a variety of direct marketing techniques, including email marketing. Any expansion on existing and/or new laws and regulations regarding marketing, solicitation or data protection could adversely affect the continuing effectiveness of our email and other marketing techniques and could result in changes to our marketing strategy which could adversely impact our attendance levels and revenues.

We are subject to complex taxation and could be subject to changes in our tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities.

We are subject to many different forms of taxation both in the U.S. and in the foreign jurisdictions where we operate. The tax authorities may not agree with the determinations that we made and such disagreements could result in lengthy legal disputes and, ultimately, in the payment of substantial amounts for tax, interest and penalties, which could have a material impact on our results.  Additionally, current economic and political conditions make tax rates in any jurisdiction, including the U.S., subject to significant change. Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. If the Company’s effective tax rates were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of the Company’s taxes owed in the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, the Company’s operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We may not be able to generate additional revenues or continue to realize value from our investment in NCM.

As of December 31, 2017, we owned 27,871,862 common units of NCM, which represented an ownership interest in NCM of approximately 18%. We receive a monthly theatre access fee under our Exhibitor Services Agreement with NCM and we are entitled to receive mandatory quarterly distributions of excess cash from NCM.  During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Company received approximately $11.3 million, $11.0 million and $11.3 million in other revenues from NCM, respectively, $18.1 million, $14.7 million and $16.4 million in cash distributions recorded as a reduction of our investment in NCM, respectively, and $18.1 million $14.7 million, $16.4 million in cash distributions in excess of our investment in NCM, respectively. Cinema advertising is a small component of the U.S. advertising market and therefore, NCM competes with larger, more established and well known media platforms such as broadcast radio and television, cable and satellite television, outdoor advertising and Internet portals. In-theatre advertising may not continue to attract advertisers or NCM’s in-theatre advertising format may not continue to be received favorably by theatre patrons. If NCM is unable to continue to generate consistent advertising revenues, its results of operations may be adversely affected and our investment in and distributions and revenues from NCM may be adversely impacted.

Each of our common units in NCM is convertible into one share of NCM, Inc. common stock.  As of December 31, 2017, the estimated fair value of our investment in NCM was approximately $191.2 million based on NCM, Inc.’s stock price as of December 31, 2017 of $6.86 per share, which was less than our carrying value of $200.6 million.  We do not believe that the decline in NCM, Inc.’s stock price is other than temporary and therefore, we did not record an impairment of our investment in NCM during the year ended December 31, 2017.  The market value of NCM, Inc.’s stock price may continue to vary due to the performance of the business, industry trends, general and economic conditions and other factors.  If NCM, Inc.’s stock price continues to decline or stays at a level below our carrying value for an extended period of time, we may record an impairment in our investment.

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We are subject to impairment losses due to potential declines in the fair value of our assets.

We have a significant amount of long-lived assets. We evaluate long-lived assets for impairment at the theatre level, therefore if a theatre is directly and individually impacted by increased competition, adverse changes in market demographics, or adverse changes in the development or condition of the areas surrounding the theatre, we may record impairment charges to reflect the decline in estimated fair value of that theatre.  

We also have a significant amount of goodwill and tradename intangible assets. Declines in our stock price or market capitalization, declines in our attendance due to increased competition in certain regions and/or countries or economic factors that lead to a decline in attendance in any given region or country could result in impairments of goodwill and our intangible assets. As of December 31, 2017, we performed quantitative analyses on all of our goodwill and tradename intangible assets and determined that the fair values of such assets are not below their respective carrying values.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

United States

As of December 31, 2017, in the U.S., we operated 298 theatres with 3,953 screens pursuant to leases and own the land and building for 41 theatres with 608 screens. Our leases are generally entered into on a long-term basis with terms, including optional renewal periods, generally ranging from 20 to 45 years. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 8% of our theatre leases in the U.S., covering 24 theatres with 190 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of less than six years. Approximately 8% of our theatre leases in the U.S., covering 25 theatres with 307 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of between six and 15 years and approximately 84% of our theatre leases in the U.S., covering 249 theatres with 3,456 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of more than 15 years. The leases generally provide for a fixed monthly minimum rent payment, with certain leases also subject to additional percentage rent if a target annual revenue level is achieved. We currently own an office building in Plano, Texas, which is our worldwide headquarters. We lease office space in Frisco, Texas and McKinney, Texas for theatre support and maintenance personnel.

International

As of December 31, 2017, internationally, we operated 194 theatres with 1,398 screens, all of which are leased. Our international leases are generally entered into on a long term basis with terms, including optional renewal periods, generally ranging from 10 to 30 years. The leases generally provide for contingent rental based upon operating results with an annual minimum. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 13% of our international theatre leases, covering 25 theatres with 220 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of less than six years. Approximately 49% of our international theatre leases, covering 96 theatres and 708 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of between six and 15 years and approximately 38% of our international theatre leases, covering 73 theatres and 470 screens, have remaining terms, including optional renewal periods, of more than 15 years. The leases generally provide for a fixed monthly minimum rent payment, with certain leases also subject to additional percentage rent if a target annual revenue level is achieved. We also lease office space in seven regions in Latin America for our local management.

See Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our minimum lease commitments. We periodically review the profitability of each of our theatres, particularly those whose lease terms are nearing expiration, to determine whether to continue its operations.

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Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Joseph Amey, et al. v. Cinemark USA, Inc., Case No. 3:13cv05669, In the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division. The case presents putative class action claims for damages and attorney’s fees arising from employee wage and hour claims under California law for alleged meal period, rest break, reporting time pay, unpaid wages, pay upon termination, and wage statements violations. The claims are also asserted as a representative action under the California Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”). We deny the claims, deny that class certification is appropriate and deny that a PAGA representative action is appropriate, and are vigorously defending against the claims. We deny any violation of law and plan to vigorously defend against all claims. The Court determined that class certification is not appropriate and determined that a PAGA representative action is not appropriate. The plaintiff has appealed these rulings. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal reversed portions of the ruling and remanded it back to the District Court.  We are unable to predict the outcome of this litigation or the range of potential loss.

Flagship Theatres of Palm Desert, LLC d/b/a Cinemas Palme D’Or v. Century Theatres, Inc., and Cinemark USA, Inc.; Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.  Plaintiff in this case alleges that the Company violated California antitrust and unfair competition laws by engaging in “circuit dealing” with various motion picture distributors and tortuously interfered with Plaintiff’s business relationships. Plaintiff seeks compensatory damages, trebling of those damages under California law, punitive damages, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees, costs and interest. Plaintiff also alleges that our conduct ultimately resulted in closure of its theatre in June 2016. We denied the allegations. In 2008, we moved for summary judgment on Plaintiff’s claims, arguing primarily that clearances between the theatres at issue were lawful and that Plaintiff lacked proof sufficient to support certain technical elements of its antitrust claims. The trial court granted that motion and dismissed Plaintiff’s claims. Plaintiff appealed and, in 2011, the Court of Appeal reversed, holding, among other things, that Plaintiff’s claims were not about the illegality of clearances but were focused, instead, on “circuit dealing.” Having re-framed the claims in that manner, the Court of Appeal held that the trial court’s decision to limit discovery to the market where the theatres at issue operated was an error, as “circuit dealing” necessarily involves activities in different markets. Upon return to the trial court, the parties engaged in additional, broadened discovery related to Plaintiff’s “circuit dealing” claim. Thereafter, we moved again for summary judgment on all of Plaintiff’s claims. That new motion for summary judgment was pending when, on or about April 11, 2014, the trial court granted the Company’s motion for terminating sanctions and entered a judgment dismissing the case with prejudice. Plaintiff then appealed that second dismissal, seeking to have the judgment reversed and the case remanded to the trial court. The Court of Appeal issued a ruling on May 24, 2016, reversing the granting of terminating sanctions and instead imposed a lesser evidentiary and damages preclusion sanction. The case returned to the trial court on October 6, 2016. We have denied Plaintiff’s allegations and are vigorously defending these claims. We are unable to predict the outcome of this litigation or the range of potential loss.

We received a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) from the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice. The CID relates to an investigation under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. We also received CIDs from the Antitrust Section of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Ohio and later from other states regarding similar inquiries under state antitrust laws. The CIDs request us to answer interrogatories, and produce documents, or both, related to the investigation of matters including film clearances, potential coordination and/or communication with other major theatre circuits and related joint ventures. We intend to fully cooperate with all federal and state government agencies. Although we do not believe that it has violated any federal or state antitrust or competition laws, we cannot predict the ultimate scope, duration or outcome of these investigations.

From time to time, we are involved in other various legal proceedings arising from the ordinary course of business operations, such as personal injury claims, employment matters, landlord-tenant disputes, patent claims and contractual disputes, some of which are covered by insurance or by indemnification from vendors. We believe our potential liability with respect to these types of proceedings currently pending is not material, individually or in the aggregate, to our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common equity consists of common stock, which has traded on the New York Stock Exchange since April 24, 2007 under the symbol “CNK."  The following table sets forth the historical high and low sales prices per share of our Common Stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange for the years indicated.

Holders of Common Stock

As of December 31, 2017, there were 440 holders of record of the Company’s common stock and there were no other classes of stock issued and outstanding.

Dividend Policy

Below is a summary of dividends declared for the fiscal periods indicated:

We, at the discretion of the board of directors and subject to applicable law, anticipate paying regular quarterly dividends on our common stock. The amount, if any, of the dividends to be paid in the future will depend upon our then available cash, anticipated cash needs, overall financial condition, loan agreement restrictions, future prospects for earnings and cash flows, as well as other relevant factors. See Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Financing Activities for a discussion of dividend restrictions under our debt agreements.

Performance Graph

The performance graph is incorporated by reference to the Company’s proxy statement for its annual stockholders meeting to be held on May 24, 2018 and to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2017.

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Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

Information regarding securities authorized for issuance under the Company’s long-term compensation plan is incorporated by reference to the Company’s proxy statement for its annual stockholders meeting to be held on May 24, 2018 and to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2017.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following table provides our selected consolidated financial and operating data for the periods and at the dates indicated for each of the five most recent years ended December 31, 2017. During May 2013, we acquired 32 theatres with 483 screens in the U.S. The results of operations for these theatres are included in our consolidated results of operations beginning on the dates of the respective acquisitions. During November 2013, we sold our Mexico theatres, which included 31 theatres and 290 screens. You should read the selected consolidated financial and operating data set forth below in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this report.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying notes included in this report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” for a discussion of the uncertainties and risk associated with these statements.

Overview

We are a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, with theatres in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao and Paraguay. As of December 31, 2017, we managed our business under two reportable operating segments – U.S. markets and international markets. See Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements.

Revenues and Expenses

We generate revenues primarily from filmed entertainment box office receipts and concession sales with additional revenues from screen advertising sales and other revenue streams, such as vendor marketing promotions, studio trailer placements, meeting rentals and electronic video games located in some of our theatres. NCM provides our domestic theatres with various forms of in theatre advertising. We also offer alternative entertainment, such as live and pre-recorded sports programs, concert events, the Metropolitan Opera, in-theatre gaming and other special events in our theatres through our joint venture, AC JV, LLC. Our Flix Media initiative has also allowed us to expand our screen advertising and alternative content within our international circuit and to other international exhibitors.

Films leading the box office during the year ended December 31, 2017 included Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Beauty and the Beast, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider Man: Homecoming, It, Thor: Ragnarok, Despicable Me 3, Logan, The Fate of the Furious, Justice League, Dunkirk, Coco, The LEGO Batman Movie, Get Out, The Boss Baby, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Kong: Skull Island, Hidden Figures, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and other films.

Films scheduled for release during 2018 include well-known franchise films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Black Panther, The Incredibles 2, Deadpool 2, Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Mission Impossible 6, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, among other films.

Film rental costs are variable in nature and fluctuate with our admissions revenues. Film rental costs as a percentage of revenues are generally higher for periods in which more blockbuster films are released. Advertising costs, which are expensed as incurred, are primarily related to campaigns for new and renovated theatres and brand advertising that vary depending on the timing of such campaigns.

Concession supplies expense is variable in nature and fluctuates with our concession revenues. We negotiate prices for concession supplies directly with concession vendors and manufacturers to obtain volume rates.

Although salaries and wages include a fixed cost component (i.e. the minimum staffing costs to operate a theatre facility during non-peak periods), salaries and wages move in relation to revenues as theatre staffing is adjusted to respond to changes in attendance. In some international locations, staffing levels are also subject to local regulations.

Facility lease expense is primarily a fixed cost at the theatre level as most of our facility leases require a fixed monthly minimum rent payment. Certain leases are subject to percentage rent only, while others are subject to percentage rent in addition to their fixed monthly rent if a target annual performance level is achieved. Facility lease expense as a percentage of revenues is also affected by the number of theatres under operating leases, the number of theatres under capital leases and the number of fee-owned theatres.

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Utilities and other costs include both fixed and variable costs and primarily consist of utilities, expenses for projection and sound equipment maintenance and monitoring, property taxes, janitorial costs, repairs, maintenance and security services.

General & administrative expenses are primarily fixed in nature and consists of the costs to support the overall management of the Company, including salaries and wages, incentive compensation and benefit costs for our corporate office personnel, facility expenses for our corporate offices, professional fees, audit fees, general supplies and other costs that are not specifically associated with the operations of our theatres.

Critical Accounting Policies

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S., or U.S. GAAP. As such, we are required to make certain estimates and assumptions that we believe are reasonable based upon the information available. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. The significant accounting policies, which we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our reported consolidated financial results, include the following:

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Revenues are recognized when admissions and concession sales are received at the box office. Other revenues primarily consist of screen advertising. Screen advertising revenues are recognized over the period that the related advertising is delivered on-screen or in-theatre. We record proceeds from the sale of gift cards and other advanced sale-type certificates in current liabilities and recognize admissions or concession revenue when a holder redeems the card or certificate. We recognize unredeemed gift cards and other advanced sale-type certificates as revenue only after such a period of time indicates, based on historical experience, the likelihood of redemption is remote, and based on applicable laws and regulations. In evaluating the likelihood of redemption, we consider the period outstanding, the level and frequency of activity, and the period of inactivity. See “Impact of Recent Accounting Developments” below.

Film rental costs are accrued based on the applicable box office receipts and either firm terms or a sliding scale formula, which are generally established prior to the opening of the film, or estimates of the final settlement rate, which occurs at the conclusion of the film run, subject to the film licensing arrangement. Under a firm terms formula, we pay the distributor a percentage of box office receipts, which reflects either an aggregate rate for the life of the film or rates that decline over the term of the run. Under a sliding scale formula, we pay a percentage of box office revenues using a pre-determined matrix that is based upon box office performance of the film. The settlement process allows for negotiation of film rental fees upon the conclusion of the film run based upon how the film performs. Estimates are based on the expected success of a film. The success of a film can typically be determined a few weeks after a film is released when initial box office performance of the film is known. If actual settlements are different than those estimates, film rental costs are adjusted at that time. Our advertising costs are expensed as incurred.

Facility lease expense is primarily a fixed cost at the theatre level as most of our facility leases require a fixed monthly minimum rent payment. Certain of our leases are subject to monthly percentage rent only, which is accrued each month based on actual revenues. Certain of our other theatres require payment of percentage rent in addition to fixed monthly rent if an annual target revenue level is achieved. Percentage rent expense is estimated and recorded for these theatres on a monthly basis if the theatre’s historical performance or forecasted performance indicates that the annual target revenue level will be reached. Once annual revenues are known, which is generally at the end of the year, the percentage rent expense is adjusted at that time. We record the fixed minimum rent payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Theatre properties and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. In estimating the useful lives of our theatre properties and equipment, we have relied upon our experience with such assets and our historical replacement period. We periodically evaluate these estimates and assumptions and adjust them as necessary. Adjustments to the expected lives of assets are accounted for on a prospective basis through depreciation expense. Leasehold improvements for which we pay and to which we have title are amortized over the lesser of useful life or the lease term.

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

We review long-lived assets for impairment indicators on a quarterly basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. We also perform a full quantitative impairment evaluation on an annual basis. We assess many factors including the following to determine whether to impair individual theatre assets:

Long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment on an individual theatre basis, which we believe is the lowest applicable level for which there are identifiable cash flows. The impairment evaluation is based on the estimated undiscounted cash flows from continuing use through the remainder of the theatre’s useful life. The remainder of the theatre’s useful life correlates with the available remaining lease period, which includes the probability of renewal periods for leased properties and the lesser of twenty years or the building’s remaining useful life for fee owned properties. If the estimated undiscounted cash flows are not sufficient to recover a long-lived asset’s carrying value, we then compare the carrying value of the asset group (theatre) with its estimated fair value. When estimated fair value is determined to be lower than the carrying value of the asset group (theatre), the asset group (theatre) is written down to its estimated fair value. Significant judgment is involved in estimating cash flows and fair value. Management’s estimates, which fall under Level 3 of the U.S. GAAP fair value hierarchy as defined by FASB ASC Topic 820-10-35, are based on historical and projected operating performance, recent market transactions and current industry trading multiples. Fair value is determined based on a multiple of cash flows, which was six and a half times for the evaluations performed during 2015, 2016 and 2017. The long-lived asset impairment charges related to theatre properties recorded during each of the periods presented are specific to theatres that were directly and individually impacted by increased competition, adverse changes in market demographics, or adverse changes in the development or the conditions of the areas surrounding the theatre.

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the goodwill may not be fully recoverable.  We evaluate goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level and we have allocated goodwill to the reporting unit based on an estimate of its relative fair value. Management considers the reporting unit to be each of its nineteen regions in the U.S. and nine countries internationally with Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala considered one reporting unit (the Company does not have goodwill recorded for all of its international locations). We adopted ASU 2017-04 Intangibles – Goodwill and other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment effective for our annual goodwill impairment evaluation performed during 2017. We performed a quantitative goodwill impairment analysis for all reporting units during 2017, which required us to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit and compare it with its carrying value. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, goodwill would be written down such that the carrying value would equal estimated fair value. Significant judgment is involved in estimating cash flows and fair value. Management’s estimates, which fall under Level 3 of the U.S. GAAP fair value hierarchy as defined by FASB ASC Topic 820-10-35, are based on historical and projected operating performance, recent market transactions and current industry trading multiples. Fair value is determined based on a multiple of cash flows, which was eight times for the evaluations performed during 2017.  As of December 31, 2017, the estimated fair value of our goodwill for each reporting unit exceeded their carrying values by more than 10%.  

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Tradename intangible assets are tested for impairment at least annually during the fourth quarter or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. During 2017, we performed a quantitative tradename impairment assessment for each tradename asset, which included comparing their carrying values to an estimated fair value. We estimated the fair value of our tradenames by applying an estimated market royalty rate that could be charged for the use of our tradename to forecasted future revenues, with an adjustment for the present value of such royalties. If the estimated fair value is less than the carrying value, the tradename intangible asset is written down to its estimated fair value. Significant judgment is involved in estimating market royalty rates and long-term revenue forecasts. Management’s estimates, which fall under Level 3 of the U.S. GAAP fair value hierarchy as defined by FASB ASC Topic 820-10-35, are based on historical and projected revenue performance and industry trends. As of December 31, 2017, the estimated fair value of the Company’s tradename intangible assets exceeded their carrying values by more than 10%.

Income Taxes

We use an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income taxes are provided when tax laws and financial accounting standards differ with respect to the amount of income for a year and the basis of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amount of deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that such assets will be realized. Income taxes are provided on unremitted earnings from foreign subsidiaries unless such earnings are expected to be indefinitely reinvested. Income taxes have also been provided for potential tax assessments. The evaluation of an uncertain tax position is a two-step process. The first step is recognition: We determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, we presume that the position would be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Differences between tax positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in the financial statements result in (1) a change in a liability for income taxes payable or (2) a change in an income tax refund receivable, a deferred tax asset or a deferred tax liability or both (1) and (2). We accrue interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions. See “Impact of Recent Accounting Developments” below.

Accounting for Investment in National CineMedia, LLC and Related Agreements

We have an investment in NCM. NCM operates a digital in-theatre network in the U.S. for providing cinema advertising and non-film events. Upon joining NCM, the Company and NCM entered into an Exhibitor Services Agreement (“ESA”), pursuant to which NCM provides advertising, promotion and event services to the Company’s theatres. On February 13, 2007, National CineMedia, Inc., or NCM Inc., a newly formed entity that serves as a member and the sole manager of NCM, completed an initial public offering of its common stock. In connection with the NCM Inc. initial public offering, the Company amended its operating agreement and the Exhibitor Services Agreement, or ESA, with NCM and received proceeds related to the modification of the ESA and the Company’s sale of certain of its shares in NCM. The ESA modification reflected a shift from circuit share expense under the prior Exhibitor Services Agreement, which obligated NCM to pay the Company a percentage of revenue, to a monthly theatre access fee, which significantly reduced the contractual amounts paid to the Company by NCM. The Company recorded the proceeds related to the ESA modification as deferred revenue, which is being amortized into other revenues over the life of the agreement using the units of revenue method. As a result of the proceeds received as part of the NCM, Inc. initial public offering, the Company had a negative basis in its original membership units in NCM (referred to herein as its Tranche 1 Investment). The Company does not recognize undistributed equity in the earnings on its Tranche 1 Investment until NCM's future net earnings, less distributions received, surpass the amount of the excess distribution. The Company recognizes equity in earnings on its Tranche 1 Investment only to the extent it receives cash distributions from NCM. The Company believes that the accounting model provided by ASC 323-10-35-22 for recognition of equity investee losses in excess of an investor's basis is analogous to the accounting for equity income subsequent to recognizing an excess distribution.

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Pursuant to a Common Unit Adjustment Agreement dated as of February 13, 2007 between NCM, Inc. and Cinemark, AMC and Regal, collectively referred to as its Founding Members, annual adjustments to the common membership units are made primarily based on increases or decreases in the number of theatre screens operated and theatre attendance generated by each Founding Member.  To account for the receipt of additional common units under the Common Unit Adjustment Agreement, the Company follows the guidance in ASC 323-10-35-29 (formerly EITF 02-18, Accounting for Subsequent Investments in an Investee after Suspension of Equity Loss Recognition) by analogy, which also refers to AICPA Technical Practice Aid 2220.14, which indicates that if a subsequent investment is made in an equity method investee that has experienced significant losses, the investor must determine if the subsequent investment constitutes funding of prior losses.  The Company concluded that the construction or acquisition of new theatres that has led to the common unit adjustments equates to making additional investments in National CineMedia. The Company evaluated the receipt of the additional common units in National CineMedia and the assets exchanged for these additional units and has determined that the right to use its incremental new screens would not be considered funding of prior losses. The Company accounts for these additional common units (referred to herein as its Tranche 2 Investment) as a separate investment than its Tranche 1 Investment.  The common units received are recorded at fair value as an increase in the Company’s investment in NCM with an offset to deferred revenue.  The deferred revenue is amortized over the remaining term of the ESA.  The Tranche 2 Investment is accounted for following the equity method, with undistributed equity earnings related to its Tranche 2 Investment included as a component of equity in income of affiliates and distributions received related to its Tranche 2 Investment are recorded as a reduction of its investment basis. See “Impact of Recent Accounting Developments” below.

Impact of Recent Accounting Developments

Impact of New Revenue Recognition Standard

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), (“ASC 606”), which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. ASC 606 will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles when it becomes effective. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from the contracts with customers.

ASC 606 permits two methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (modified retrospective method).

We adopted ASC 606 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The new standard will therefore be applied to all contracts not completed as of January 1, 2018.  While we do not believe the adoption of ASC 606 will have a material impact to our results of operations or cash flows, we do expect ASC 606 to have an impact on the classification of certain revenues and related expenses, as summarized below.  Quantitative amounts included below are estimates of the expected effects of our adoption of ASC 606 and represent management’s best estimates of the impact of adopting ASC 606 at the time of the preparation of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  The actual impact of ASC 606 is subject to change from these estimates, pending the completion of our assessment during the first quarter of 2018.  

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The timing of revenue recognition for other revenue streams, including revenues for unredeemed gift cards and other advanced sales-type certificates, will also be impacted by the adoption of ASC 606, but we do not expect such changes to be material.

Impact of Tax Reform

On December 22, 2017, the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act, among other things, lowered the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018 and included a one-time transition tax on certain undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. We recorded a net one-time benefit of $44.9 million, all non-cash, related to enactment of the Tax Act, including a re-measurement of deferred tax liabilities using the lower U.S. corporate income tax rate, a reassessment of permanently reinvested earnings, a deemed repatriation tax, and a reduction in a deferred tax asset with regard to foreign tax credit carryforwards.

While we have substantially completed our provisional analysis of the income tax effects of the Tax Act and recorded a reasonable estimate of such effects, the net one-time charge related to the Tax Act may differ, possibly materially, due to: further refinement of our calculations, changes in interpretations and assumptions that we have made, and additional guidance that may be issued by the U.S. government. We will complete our analysis over a one-year measurement period ending December 22, 2018, and any adjustments during this measurement period will be included in net income from continuing operations as an adjustment to income tax expense in the reporting period when such adjustments are determined.

Recent Developments

On February 22, 2018, our board of directors approved an increase to our annual dividend of approximately 10%, to $1.28 per common share. The cash dividend for the fourth quarter of 2017 of $0.32 per share of common stock is payable to stockholders of record on March 8, 2018, and will be paid on March 22, 2018.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the amounts for certain items reflected in our consolidated statements of income along with each of those items as a percentage of revenues.

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Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016

Revenues. Total revenues increased $72.8 million to $2,991.6 million for 2017 from $2,918.8 million for 2016, representing a 2.5% increase. The table below, presented by reportable operating segment, summarizes our year-over-year revenue performance and certain key performance indicators that impact our revenues.

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Cost of Operations. The table below summarizes certain of our theatre operating costs by reportable operating segment (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017.

Salaries and wages increased to $265.8 million for 2017 from $248.2 million for 2016 primarily due to incremental staffing at new and recently remodeled theatres, increases in minimum wages and increased staffing for food and beverage initiatives. Facility lease expense increased to $241.0 million for 2017 from $240.7 million for 2016 due to the impact of new theatres. Utilities and other costs decreased to $241.6 million for 2017 from $250.9 million for the 2016 period.  The decrease was primarily due to the change in classification of transactional fees and decreased equipment lease expenses for 3-D presentations.  

Salaries and wages increased to $88.7 million ($88.2 million in constant currency) for 2017 from $77.6 million for 2016. The as reported increase was due to increased local currency wage rates primarily due to inflation, new theatres and limited flexibility in scheduling staff caused by shifting government regulations.  Facility lease expense increased to $87.2 million ($84.6 million in constant currency) for 2017 from $80.6 million for 2016. The as reported increase was due to the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates in certain countries in which we operate and new theatres. Utilities and other costs increased to $113.4 million ($111.6 million in constant currency) for 2017 from $105.0 million for 2016. The as reported increase was due to new theatres, increases in repairs and maintenance expenses and utility expenses and the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates in certain countries in which we operate.    

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses increased to $153.3 million for 2017 from $143.4 million for 2016. The increase was primarily due to increased salaries and wages partially due to inflation, professional fees and the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates in certain countries in which we operate.

Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense was $237.5 million for 2017 compared to $209.1 million for 2016. The increase was primarily due to depreciation expense related to theatre remodels and new theatres.

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. We recorded asset impairment charges on assets held and used of $15.1 million for 2017 compared to $2.8 million for 2016. Impairment charges for 2017 consisted of theatre properties in the U.S., Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala and Curacao, impacting fifteen of our twenty-seven reporting units. Impairment charges for 2016 consisted of theatre properties in the U.S., Colombia and Ecuador, impacting fourteen of our twenty-seven reporting units. The long-lived asset impairment charges recorded during each of the periods presented were specific to theatres that were directly and individually impacted by increased competition, adverse changes in market demographics, or adverse changes in the development or the conditions of the areas surrounding the theatre. See Notes 1 and 8 to our consolidated financial statements.

Loss on Sale of Assets and Other. We recorded a loss on sale of assets and other of $22.8 million during 2017 compared to $20.4 million during 2016. The loss recorded during 2017 included the retirement of assets due to theatre remodels and closures and the write-off of a favorable lease intangible asset due to the amendment of a theatre lease, partially offset by gains related to the sale of excess land parcels and a gain on a landlord buyout of a theatre lease.  The loss recorded during 2016 included the retirement of assets due to theatre remodels and closures, partially offset by a gain on the sale of our investment in RealD stock (see Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements) and a gain on the sale of a land parcel.