LodgeNet Interactive annual 2010 revenue decreases to $452.2 million

LodgeNet Interactive Corporation (Nasdaq: LNET) today reported annual 2010 revenue of $452.2 million compared to $484.5 million in 2009.  Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $(17.4) million or $(0.71) per share (basic and diluted) for 2010 compared to $(13.3) million or $(0.59) per share (basic and diluted) for 2009.  The 2009 net loss included a $9.3 million, or $0.41 per common share, gain related to the acquisition of $31.5 million of our outstanding debt. Without considering that one-time benefit, the net loss attributable to common stockholders improved 29% in 2010 as compared to 2009. LodgeNet also reported $79.9 million in free cash flow for 2010, a 23% increase as compared to $64.8 million for the prior year.  At the end of the year, the Company had reduced its long-term leverage ratio to 3.35 times on a net debt basis versus a covenant of 3.50 times, and a net debt leverage ratio of 3.68 times one year ago.

For the fourth quarter of 2010, revenue was $107.3 million compared to $113.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $(5.8) million or $(0.23) per share (basic and diluted) for the fourth quarter of 2010, a 21% improvement compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $(7.4) million or $(0.33) per share (basic and diluted) for the fourth quarter of 2009.  LodgeNet also reported $18.4 million in free cash flow for the current quarter compared to $18.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2009.  

"During 2010, we grew free cash flow, strengthened our balance sheet and generated significant revenue increases from our strategic initiatives," said Scott C. Petersen, LodgeNet Chairman and CEO.  "Our growth strategy is delivering results; we have a number of initiatives focused on improving our Guest Entertainment revenues, introducing new products and expanding our advertising business. We believe LodgeNet is well positioned for 2011."

Key 2010 Strategic Highlights:

• Revenue Diversification:  Per-room revenue up 7.8% to 43% of total revenue
• High Definition Interactive TV Growth:  Room base up 39,000 at 36% lower capital cost per room
• High Definition Revenues:  61% higher per-room revenue than analog systems
• Broadband Business: Relaunched with strategic alliance with DoCoMo InterTouch
• Free Cash Flow:  Up 23% to $79.9 million
• Strengthened Balance Sheet:  Net debt reduced 21%
• Lowered Leverage Ratio:  3.35x (net debt) at year-end

"There were many positive trends underlying our operating performance during 2010," said Frank P. Elsenbast, LodgeNet Senior Vice President and CFO. "Our revenue diversification initiatives had an outstanding year and continued their strong performance in the fourth quarter, delivering a 13% revenue increase on a per-room basis.  We improved our gross margins to 43.8%, principally driven by a 100 basis point improvement within Guest Entertainment revenues. We accelerated our High Definition growth in the fourth quarter of 2010, installing more than 16,000 HD interactive TV rooms. We continue to see very strong performance in our High Definition systems with revenue per room 61% higher than an average analog room.  A key highlight continues to be the rapid decline in the amount of capital we invest to equip a room with our HD platform.  In the last year alone, that level dropped 36% to $171 per room as we leverage the technology cost curve and benefit from ongoing operating efficiencies. Throughout 2010 we also continued to delever the company by paying down over $96 million of debt and ending the year with a leverage ratio of 3.35x, well below our current covenant of 3.50x."

"The core asset of LodgeNet is our 85% market share of VOD-served rooms within the North American hospitality market.  We provide services to 1.7 million rooms in more than 9,000 hotels throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, touching 500 million travelers annually," continued Petersen.  "Our business strategy is focused on unlocking the full value that those rooms represent, and we believe there is substantial value beyond the returns we are generating from our current analog base today.  Converting that base to high-definition represents a significant and proven opportunity.  On top of that, we believe Envision, our next generation, interactive television platform that brings the Internet-connected TV experience to the guestroom, will create even greater revenues from Internet-sourced and other interactive applications, information and entertainment.  We successfully installed our first Envision system in January and we are very pleased with the results.  Additionally, we are also working strategically beyond our interactive television platform.  We are in early testing on a very unique mobile app that controls the guestroom television and connects the guest with services and functionality beyond the confines of any given hotel.  And, we believe our newly announced strategic relationship with DoCoMo InterTouch will further enhance the success of our broadband and connectivity offerings to our core hotel media customers."

Total revenue for 2010 was $452.2 million, a decrease of $32.3 million or 6.7%, compared to 2009.  The decrease in revenue resulted from reductions in Guest Entertainment and System Sales and Related Services revenue, partially offset by increases in revenue from TV Programming, Advertising Services, and Healthcare.  The $37.2 million decline in Guest Entertainment revenue resulted from an 8.0% reduction in revenue per installed room and a 5.0% reduction in the average number of rooms served over the prior year period.  Hotel Services revenue, which includes recurring revenue from hotels for television programming and broadband Internet service and support, increased 3.4%  to $136.1 million in 2010.  This increase resulted from price changes and higher priced programming packages purchased by hotels as they installed high definition television systems.  System Sales and Related revenue declined 7.8% due to a decline in Broadband system sales.  The Hotel Networks ("THN"), our advertising services subsidiary, generated revenue of $9.9 million, an increase of 42.7% over 2009.  This increase was driven primarily by an expansion of channel carriage revenue.  Our Healthcare revenue also increased 8.7% to $8.5 million for 2010 and ended the year with systems installed in 56 facilities healthcare facilities.

Total direct costs (exclusive of operating expenses and depreciation and amortization discussed separately below) decreased 7.3% or $19.9 million, to $254.0 million in 2010 as compared to $273.9 million in 2009.  The decrease in total direct costs was primarily due to decreased hotel commissions and content royalties, lower system and equipment costs and a reduction in recurring connectivity and other Internet support costs.  Advertising Services also experienced lower fixed costs this year, due to lower satellite distribution costs.  Partially offsetting the reductions was an increase in TV programming costs, which vary with the increased revenue and the services provided.   These changes improved gross margins to 43.8% in 2010 compared to 43.5% for last year.

System Operations expenses increased $0.3 million or 0.8%, to $42.9 million in 2010 as compared to $42.6 million in 2009.  Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses increased $2.7 million or 5.8%, to $48.2 million in the current year as compared to $45.5 million in 2009.  The increase resulted from debt issuance costs related to financing options, higher legal fees, service and maintenance costs, travel and other business development costs.  Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased $17.1 million, or 17.0%, to $83.2 million in 2010 as compared to $100.3 million in 2009.  The decline was a result of assets becoming fully depreciated and the reduction in capital investments levels over the past two years.  

As a result of factors described above, operating income increased 7.9% or $1.7 million, to $23.4 million in 2010 as compared to $21.7 million in 2009.  Adjusted Operating Cash Flow (AOCF), a non-GAAP measure which we define as operating income exclusive of depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation, restructuring expenses and debt issuance costs, was $109.5 million for 2010 as compared to $124.3 million in 2009.

Interest expense declined $4.6 million to $33.5 million in 2010 versus $38.1 million in 2009.  The decrease resulted primarily from a reduction in outstanding debt which decreased 20.5% to $373.6 million at the end 2010.  The average interest rate during 2010 was 7.4% versus 7.0% for 2009.  

Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $(17.4) million for 2010 versus $(13.3) million in the prior year.  Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was $(0.71) for 2010 (basic and diluted), compared to $(0.59) (basic and diluted) in 2009.  The 2009 net loss included a $9.3 million, or $0.41 per common share, gain related to the acquisition of $31.5 million of our outstanding debt.

For 2010, cash provided by operating activities was $101.7 million, an 18.0% increase as compared to $86.2 million in 2009.  The increase was primarily driven by favorable changes working capital.  Cash used for capital investments was $21.8 million during 2010 compared to $21.3 million in 2009.  During 2010, we made debt repayments in the amount of $96.3 million.  Additionally, we used $5.8 million of cash for preferred stock dividends in 2010 versus $1.7 million in 2009.  The leverage ratio at the end of this year, calculated on a net debt basis, was 3.35 times versus the covenant of 3.50 times.

The Company installed 12,194 new rooms and converted 26,705 rooms to our High Definition interactive TV platform in 2010 as compared to 15,259 new rooms and 23,131 converted rooms during 2009.  The average investment per newly-installed HD room decreased to $200 per room during 2010, compared to $339 per room during 2009.  Factors contributing to the 41% cost reduction included lower overhead and component costs, larger average room size for properties installed, and hotels contributing a greater share of total installation cost through purchases of equipment during 2010 compared to 2009.  The average investment per converted HD room decreased by 31% to $167 during 2010, compared to $241 during 2009, due to the same general factors noted above.  

Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $107.3 million, a decrease of $6.0 million or 5.3%, compared to the same period of 2009.  The decrease in revenue resulted from reductions in Guest Entertainment revenue, offset in part by increases in revenue from all of our other service lines, including Hotel Services, System Sales and Related Services, Advertising Services and Healthcare.  The $9.2 million decline in Guest Entertainment revenue resulted from an 8.4% reduction in revenue per installed room and a 5.7% reduction in the average number of rooms served over the prior year period.  The top five theatrical titles generated $6.5 million, or 39% less revenue this quarter vs. prior year.  This reduction accounted for approximately 44% of the revenue decline experienced by Guest Entertainment this quarter.  Hotel Services revenue increased 2.9% to $33.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.  This increase resulted primarily from pricing increases and larger programming packages purchased by hotels as they installed high definition television systems.  System Sales and Related Services revenue increased 11.2% to $10.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2010.  The increase was from increases to network design and TV installation services as well as increased revenue from the sale of High Definition TV systems partially offset by reductions in our broadband equipment sales.  The Hotel Networks ("THN"), our advertising services subsidiary, generated revenue of $2.7 million, an increase of 52.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2009.  This increase was driven by an increase in channel carriage revenues and growth in advertising purchases by national advertisers on our platform.  Healthcare revenue also increased 16.0% to $2.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2010.

Total direct costs (exclusive of operating expenses and depreciation and amortization discussed separately below) decreased 5.4% or $3.5 million, to $60.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to $63.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The decrease in total direct costs was primarily due to decreased hotel commissions and content royalties, which vary with revenue.  Advertising Services also experienced lower fixed costs in the current quarter, due to lower satellite distribution costs.  Partially offsetting the reductions were increases in system and equipment costs million and TV programming costs, which vary with the increased revenue and the services provided.  Gross margin was unchanged at 43.8% period over period.

System Operations expenses increased $0.7 million or 6.9%, to $11.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to $10.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The increase was primarily from higher facilities, compensation, and travel related expenses offset by lower service and repair expenses.  Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses increased $0.3 million or 2.4%, to $11.9 million in the current quarter as compared to $11.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The increase resulted primarily from debt issuance costs related to financing options. Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased $2.7 million, or 12.0% to $20.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to $22.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The decline was due to assets becoming fully depreciated and the reduction in capital investments levels over the past two years.

As a result of factors described above, operating income decreased $0.7 million, to $3.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to $4.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  Adjusted Operating Cash Flow (AOCF), a non-GAAP measure which we define as operating income exclusive of depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation, restructuring expenses and debt issuance costs, also decreased to $24.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to $28.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Interest expense was $8.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 versus $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The decrease resulted primarily from a reduction in outstanding debt, which decreased 20.5% to $373.6 million at the end of fourth quarter of 2010.  The average interest rate during the fourth quarter of 2010 was 7.8% versus 7.3% for the fourth quarter 2009.  

Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $(5.8) million for the fourth quarter of 2010, a 21.1% improvement compared to $(7.4) million in the prior year quarter.  Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was $(0.23) for the fourth quarter of 2010 (basic and diluted), a 30.3% improvement versus $(0.33) in the fourth quarter of 2009 (basic and diluted).

For the fourth quarter of 2010, cash provided by operating activities was $26.6 million, an 8.7% increase as compared to $24.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The increase was driven by favorable changes in working capital.  Cash used for capital investments was $8.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to $5.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.  During the quarter, the Company installed 5,040 new rooms and converted 11,214 rooms to our High Definition interactive TV platform in the fourth quarter of 2010 as compared to 2,068 new rooms and 7,242 converted rooms during the fourth quarter of 2009.  In the quarter, we made debt repayments in the amount of $16.9 million.  Additionally, we used $1.4 million of cash for preferred stock dividends in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Outlook

For the first quarter of 2011, LodgeNet expects to report revenue in the range of $107.0 million to $111.0 million. This guidance reflects a 4% to 9% decline in Guest Entertainment revenue on a per room basis.  Additionally, we expect Adjusted Operating Cash Flow to be in a range from $25.0 million to $28.0 million and Net Income (Loss) per common share in a range from $(0.15) to $(0.06).  

SOURCE LodgeNet Interactive Corporation