“IMAX delivered excellent results in 2023 — we grew Net Income by $48 million, Adjusted EPS by 88 cents, Adjusted EBITDA by 52%, and system installations by nearly 40% — on the strength of demand for our technology, our unique premium model, and a clear preference among consumers worldwide for awe-inspiring IMAX experiences,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX.
“As the entertainment landscape transforms, it is clear that IMAX is among its premier, in-demand destinations. We drove significant expansion and diversification of our global footprint, with a record 61 of our system installations coming from strategic Rest of World markets such as Japan, South Korea and Europe. Even as we deliver an outsized share of the global box office, we estimate the current IMAX network is only at 47% penetration — with the opportunity to open nearly 2,000 additional locations worldwide.”
“Our strong network growth is a direct result of our global content strategy, which has yielded the biggest and most diverse portfolio of IMAX Experiences ever. 2023 saw IMAX deliver a record at the North American box office, highest grossing year ever for local language films and overall box office approaching our best year ever. We are strategically managing our content portfolio to drive greater share of Hollywood releases, grow local language, accelerate our pipeline of IMAX Documentaries, and push further into emerging verticals including music and gaming, live experiences and recurring programming.”
“Through our global technology platform, IMAX powers awe-inspiring experiences for audiences around the world — capitalizing on the limitlessness of human imagination and need for shared experiences. We look forward to further capturing this opportunity, growing our network and content portfolio, to deliver results for our shareholders.”
Content Solutions Segment
- Content Solutions revenue of $126.7 million increased 24% year-over-year for the full year 2023 while Q4 revenue of $19.1 million decreased 35% year-over-year. Gross box office from IMAX locations for full year 2023 of approximately $1.1 billion was up 25% while Q4 2023 of $170 million was down 32% year-over-year. IMAX set numerous records for box office during 2023 including:
- Highest full year local language box office of $227 million
- Highest full year domestic box office of $393 million
- Highest Q3 box office of $347 million
- Gross margin for Content Solutions of $74.1 million for the full year 2023 increased 45% year-over-year while Q4 gross margin of $9.7 million decreased 20% year-over-year. The Company saw significant margin expansion for the full year 2023 (up 800 basis points) and Q4 2023 (up 1000 basis points) driven by the operating leverage in our business along with our disciplined cost management.
Technology Products and Services Segment
- Technology Products and Services revenues and gross margin for full year 2023 increased 22% year-over-year to $234.3 million and 28% year-over-year to $129.9 million, respectively. Q4 revenue and gross margin decreased 5% year-over-year to $62.5 million and 15% year-over-year to $29.9 million, respectively.
- For the full year 2023 the Company installed 128 systems compared to 92 systems in full year 2022. Of those, 75 systems were under sales and hybrid JRSA arrangements, compared to 46 systems in the prior year.
- During the fourth quarter the Company installed 69 systems compared to 52 systems in the fourth quarter of 2022. Of those, 38 systems were under sales and hybrid JRSA arrangements, compared to 24 systems in the prior year.
- Commercial network growth accelerated with the number of IMAX locations increasing 4% year-over-year to 1,693. The Company ended 2023 with a backlog of 450 IMAX systems.
Operating Cash Flow and Liquidity
Net cash provided by operating activities for full year 2023 was $58.6 million compared to $17.3 million in the prior period with the increase reflecting the higher profits year-over-year and improvements in working capital.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s available liquidity was $407 million. The Company’s liquidity includes cash and cash equivalents of $76 million, $276 million in available borrowing capacity under the Credit Facility, and $55 million in available borrowing capacity under IMAX China’s revolving facilities. Total debt, excluding deferred financing costs, was $257 million as of December 31, 2023.
In 2021, the Company issued $230.0 million of 0.500% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (“Convertible Notes”). In connection with the pricing of the Convertible Notes, the Company entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with an initial cap price of $37.2750 per share of the Company’s common shares.
Share Count and Capital Return
The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding used in the calculation of adjusted EPS for the full year of 2023 were 54.3 million and 55.1 million, respectively, compared to 56.7 million and 57.4 million, respectively for the full year 2022, a decrease year-over-year of 4% for both basic and diluted shares outstanding.
For the full year 2023, the Company repurchased 1.6 million common shares at an average price of $16.45 per share, for a total of $26.4 million, excluding commission, with $24.2 million of repurchases coming in the fourth quarter of 2023. Subsequent to year-end, the Company repurchased 1.2 million common shares at an average price of $13.99 per share, for a total of $16.2 million, excluding commission, year-to-date through February 26, 2024.
On June 14, 2023, the Company announced a 3-year extension to its share-repurchase program through June 30, 2026. The current share-repurchase program authorizes the Company to repurchase up to $400.0 million of its common shares, of which approximately $151.0 million remains available.
2024 Guidance
The Company expects the following for the full year 2024:
- IMAX Gross Box Office: Similar to 2023
- System Installations: 120 to 150 Systems
- Total Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin: High 30’s percent
Supplemental Materials
For more information about the Company’s results, please refer to the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com.
Investor Relations Website and Social Media
On a monthly basis, the Company posts quarter-to-date box office results on the IMAX Investor Relations website located at investors.imax.com. The Company expects to provide such updates within five business days of month-end, although the Company may change this timing without notice.
The Company may post additional information on the Company’s corporate and Investor Relations website which may be material to investors. Accordingly, investors, media and others interested in the Company should monitor the Company’s website in addition to the Company’s press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts, for additional information about the Company.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call today at 4:30 PM ET to discuss its full year and fourth quarter 2023 financial results. This call is being webcast and can be accessed at investors.imax.com. To access the call via telephone, interested parties please pre-register here: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI5eba9aa253da46dfb62bb6d573394a9d and you will be provided with a dial-in number and unique pin. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call ten minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the call will be available via webcast at investors.imax.com.
