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AMC Networks (AMC Global Media) · AMCX
PUBLIC DATA CASEHYPOTHETICAL INVESTMENT TERMSHOLDItems
14
Complete
2
In progress
4
Not started
6
Issues identified
2
Unresolved HIGH priority
6
Status reflects work actually done on this case: historical financials were verified against the filings; other items are open questions an investment team would pursue. ANALYST PROJECTION notes are not facts.
Financial
| Item | Status | Priority | Notes / findings | Open question | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical financials tied to filings | Complete | High | All 88 numeric inputs verified against the FY2025 10-K / FY2024 10-K / Q2-2026 10-Q text; calculated AOI equals company-reported AOI in all five periods. | — | scripts/real_cases.py | 2026-10-07 |
| Quality of earnings: AOI vs cash | Issue Identified | High | AOI adds back share-based comp, cloud-computing amortization and JV AOI; AOI fell 46% in H1-2026 while CFO−capex stayed positive on program-rights timing. | How much of LTM FCF of ~$190M is timing from program-rights amortization vs spend? | 10-Q Q2-2026, Non-GAAP reconciliation | 2026-10-07 |
| Programming spend vs amortization | In Progress | High | Amortization of program rights $846.8M vs net program-rights cash investment $815.2M in FY2025; the gap is a one-off cash benefit if content spend rises. | What is the steady-state content cash need? | 10-K FY2025, Cash flow statement | 2026-10-07 |
| Capex and working-capital run-rate | Complete | Low | Capex 1.3% of revenue; asset-light. | — | 10-K FY2025 | 2026-10-07 |
Business
| Item | Status | Priority | Notes / findings | Open question | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear subscriber and ad-revenue decline | In Progress | High | Subscription −2.9%, advertising −5.5%, content licensing −20.3% (H1-2026 vs H1-2025). | Is the decline rate accelerating beyond the base case (−4.5%)? | 10-Q Q2-2026, MD&A | 2026-10-07 |
| Streaming profitability and affiliate renewals | Not Started | Medium | Streaming price increases are offsetting basic-subscriber losses. | Which carriage agreements renew inside the hold period? | 10-Q Q2-2026 | 2026-10-07 |
Debt
| Item | Status | Priority | Notes / findings | Open question | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indenture review: priming and drop-down protections | Not Started | High | Feb-2026 consent solicitation amended the 2032 indenture (restricted payments up to $50M; trademark transfers limited to non-exclusive licences). | Can collateral be moved to unrestricted subsidiaries? | 10-Q Q2-2026, Note 9 | 2026-10-07 |
| Maturity profile and refinancing plan | In Progress | High | 2029 Secured Notes ($875M) were exchanged into additional 2032 secured notes in March 2026; $420M of unsecured/convertible notes remain due Feb-2029; cash $464M. | Will the company pre-fund the Feb-2029 maturities from cash or refinance? | 10-Q Q2-2026, Note 9 | 2026-10-07 |
| Covenant package after revolver termination | Issue Identified | High | Revolver and Term Loan A were terminated May 2026, so maintenance covenants no longer apply; liquidity is cash only. | Do we require maintenance covenants / a minimum-liquidity test in new money? | 10-Q Q2-2026, Note 9 | 2026-10-07 |
| Collateral and lien perfection | Not Started | Medium | First-priority lien on substantially all assets of AMC Networks and guarantors. | Which subsidiaries are non-guarantors (International)? | 10-K FY2025, Note 9 | 2026-10-07 |
Legal
| Item | Status | Priority | Notes / findings | Open question | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litigation / contingencies | Not Started | Low | See 10-K Item 3 and Note 14. | Any claims ranking ahead of secured creditors? | 10-K FY2025 | 2026-10-07 |
| Program-rights obligations and leases (claims in distress) | Not Started | Medium | $382M of program-rights obligations and $89M of leases at 2026-06-30 would be general claims. | Priority of programming creditors vs secured notes? | 10-Q Q2-2026, Balance sheet | 2026-10-07 |
Commercial
| Item | Status | Priority | Notes / findings | Open question | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry conditions and valuation multiples | In Progress | Medium | Linear TV network EV/AOI multiples compressed; model uses 4.0x–5.0x in distress. | Transaction comps for cable-network portfolios? | Analyst assumption | 2026-10-07 |
| Macro sensitivity: advertising cycle | Not Started | Low | Advertising is ~25% of revenue. | — | 10-K FY2025 | 2026-10-07 |