NYSE:MSGE Madison Square Garden Entertainment Q2 2025 Earnings Report $78.40 -1.77 (-2.21%) Closing price 03:59 PM EasternExtended Trading$79.97 +1.57 (+2.01%) As of 07:30 PM Eastern Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more. ProfileEarnings HistoryForecast Madison Square Garden Entertainment EPS ResultsActual EPS$1.56Consensus EPS $2.16Beat/MissMissed by -$0.60One Year Ago EPSN/AMadison Square Garden Entertainment Revenue ResultsActual Revenue$407.42 millionExpected Revenue$411.41 millionBeat/MissMissed by -$3.99 millionYoY Revenue GrowthN/AMadison Square Garden Entertainment Announcement DetailsQuarterQ2 2025Date2/6/2025TimeBefore Market OpensConference Call DateThursday, February 6, 2025Conference Call Time10:00AM ETUpcoming EarningsMadison Square Garden Entertainment's Q1 2027 earnings is estimated for Thursday, November 5, 2026, based on past reporting schedules, with a conference call scheduled at 10:00 AM ET. Check back for transcripts, audio, and key financial metrics as they become available.Conference Call ResourcesConference Call AudioConference Call TranscriptSlide DeckPress Release (8-K)Quarterly Report (10-Q)Earnings HistoryCompany ProfileSlide DeckFull Screen Slide DeckPowered by Madison Square Garden Entertainment Q2 2025 Earnings Call TranscriptProvided by QuartrFebruary 6, 2025ShareShareShare This ReportLink copied to clipboard.Key Takeaways MSG's fiscal Q2 revenues of $407.4 M (up 1% YoY) and adjusted operating income of $164 M (up 2% YoY) demonstrate continued growth and robust consumer demand. The Christmas Spectacular achieved record results with 200 shows, ~1.1 M tickets sold, the strongest sell-through rate in 25 years, and over $170 M in revenue driven by higher yields and per-cap spending. Concert bookings declined year-over-year—primarily reflecting the end of the Billy Joel residency and a tougher calendar comparison—though most shows still sold out and per-cap spend rose. Capital returned to shareholders resumed with a $25 M share buyback in the quarter, leaving $85 M remaining under the current authorization. As of quarter-end, MSGE held $55 M in unrestricted cash against $618 M of debt (net leverage ~3.0×), and expects mid-to-high single-digit AOI growth for fiscal 2025. AI Generated. May Contain Errors.Conference Call Audio Live Call not available Earnings Conference CallMadison Square Garden Entertainment Q2 202500:00 / 00:00Speed:1x1.25x1.5x2xTranscript SectionsPresentationParticipantsPresentationSkip to Participants Operator00:00:00Good morning. Thank you for standing by and welcome to the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. I would now like to turn the call over to Ari Danes, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury. Please go ahead. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:00:23Thank you. Good morning and welcome to MSG Entertainment's Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. On today's call, Lee Weinberg, our Interim Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Business and Financial Operations, will provide an update on the company's operations. I will then conclude with a review of our financial results for the period. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:00:47After our prepared remarks, we will open up the call for questions. If you do not have a copy of today's earnings release, it is available in the investor section of our corporate website. Please take note of the following: Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:00Today's discussion may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:21Please refer to the company's filings with the SEC for a discussion of risks and uncertainties. The company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements that may be discussed during this call. On pages five and six of today's earnings release, we provide consolidated statements of operations and a reconciliation of operating income to adjusted operating income or AOI, a non-GAAP financial measure. And with that, I'll now turn the call over to Lee. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:52Thank you, Ari, and good morning, everyone. As we move into the second half of our fiscal year, we are seeing strong demand from our offerings as consumers continue to demonstrate their desire for shared in-person experiences. This was evident in the company's fiscal second quarter results with revenues of $407 million and adjusted operating income of $164 million. This was led by the Christmas Spectacular, which, in its 91st holiday season, achieved record-setting results across a number of metrics. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:02:30During the quarter, we also welcomed back the Knicks and Rangers to the Garden for the start of their 2024-2025 regular seasons, and we are seeing positive momentum in our economic arrangements with the teams.On the bookings front, while we are facing a tough year-over-year comparison at the Garden, which had a record number of concerts last year, we continue to fill our calendar and expect to grow the overall number of bookings events at our venues in fiscal 2025. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:03:02So, coming off of our seasonally busiest quarter, we remain on track to deliver mid to high single-digit AOI growth this year. In addition, the strength of our business has enabled us to opportunistically return capital to shareholders. During the quarter, we resumed our buyback program with the repurchase of $25 million of our Class A common stock. Let's now review second quarter operational highlights. Across our portfolio of venues, we hosted nearly 2.7 million guests at more than 440 live entertainment and sporting events during the quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:03:45As I mentioned earlier, these results were led by the success of the Christmas Spectacular.For the show's 91st holiday season, the production included new immersive elements, which were well received by our guests. While we initially went on sale with 197 performances, we added shows throughout the run due to strong demand, ending at 200 total performances. This compares to 193 shows last season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:04:17Across eight weeks of performances, we sold approximately 1.1 million tickets, leading to the show's strongest sell-through rate in 25 years. These results were driven by robust demand for individual tickets as our business continues to benefit from the ongoing recovery of New York City tourism. At the same time, average ticket yields across both individual and group sales grew year over year as we continue to thoughtfully manage, market, and price our ticket inventory. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:04:55In addition, per-cap spending on food, beverage, and merchandise reached record levels for the show.Putting it all together, average per-show revenue increased by a low double-digit % as compared to fiscal 2024 and resulted in over $170 million in total revenue for the Christmas Spectacular this season, a new record for the production and a testament to the show's enduring appeal. Turning to bookings, during the fiscal second quarter, we saw a decrease year over year in the number of events across our venues. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:05:37This was primarily driven by a lower number of concerts at both our theaters and the Garden, which includes the absence of three Billy Joel performances that took place in the prior year quarter. That said, consumers continue to show their enthusiasm for our in-person events, with the majority of concerts selling out during the quarter. In terms of in-venue spending, combined food, beverage, and merchandise per-caps at concerts were up year over year. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:06:11Outside of concerts, we had a busy schedule of family shows and sporting events during the quarter. At The Chicago Theatre and The Theater at Madison Square Garden, we welcomed the musical Annie for an extended holiday run. At the Garden, we hosted UFC, which was the second highest-grossing event in the arena's history, as well as a sold-out professional tennis event, which made its first appearance at the Garden since 2018. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:06:39We continue to expect strong growth in our special events category this fiscal year and are looking forward to a number of high-profile events in the coming months. This includes Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, set to take place at Radio City Music Hall next week, as well as the Tony Awards in June.During the quarter, the Knicks and Rangers began their 2024-2025 regular seasons at the Garden, and so far, we are seeing positive momentum across our various revenue and profit-sharing arrangements with the teams. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:07:16I would also note that as a result of this year's schedules, the Knicks and Rangers played a combined three more home games during the fiscal second quarter as compared to the prior year quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:07:29This timing impact will reverse over the balance of the fiscal year. Turning to marketing partnerships and premium hospitality, fiscal 2025 has been highlighted by a number of sponsorship announcements, including new multi-year deals with Lenovo and its subsidiary Motorola, as well as with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, and a multi-year renewal with Verizon. In terms of premium hospitality, we continue to see strong new sales and renewal activity for suites at the Garden. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:08:05That includes our expanded event-level club space, as well as a number of event and Lexus Level suites that were recently renovated. In summary, our fiscal second quarter reflects the robust demand we continue to see in our business. We remain confident in our outlook for solid AOI growth this fiscal year and our ability to generate long-term value for our shareholders. With that, I will now turn the call back over to Ari. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:08:34Thank you, Lee. For the fiscal 2025 second quarter, we reported revenues of $407.4 million, an increase of 1% as compared to the prior year quarter. Revenues from entertainment offerings were essentially unchanged year over year, while we saw increases in revenues from food, beverage, and merchandise, as well as arena license fees and other leasing revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:00Revenues from entertainment offerings primarily reflected lower per-concert revenues, mainly due to a mixed shift at the Garden from promoted events to rentals, and a decrease in the number of concerts at the Garden. In addition, revenues from other live entertainment and sporting events decreased year over year. These decreases were largely offset by growth in the Christmas Spectacular production, primarily due to higher ticket-related revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:29This reflected higher per-show revenue and, to a lesser extent, two additional performances as compared to the prior year period.In addition, revenues subject to the sharing of economics with MSG Sports pursuant to the arena license agreements also grew year over year, primarily due to higher suite license fee revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:51The increase in food, beverage, and merchandise revenues primarily reflected the impact of more Knicks and Rangers games and two additional Christmas Spectacular performances, as well as higher per-event revenues across both categories and other revenue increases. This was partially offset by lower food and beverage sales at concerts, primarily at the Garden. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:10:13The increase in arena license fees and other leasing revenues included the impact of the Knicks and Rangers playing a combined three additional home games during the fiscal second quarter. Second quarter adjusted operating income of $164 million increased $3.9 million, or 2%, as compared to the prior year quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:10:38The increase in adjusted operating income primarily reflects lower direct operating expenses and the increase in revenues, partially offset by higher selling, general, and administrative costs. I would note that the increase in SG&A expenses includes the impact of $3.1 million of executive management transition cash costs incurred in the quarter. Excluding these costs, AOI would have increased $7.1 million, or 4%, as compared to the prior year quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:11:10Turning to our balance sheet, as of December 31st, we had approximately $55 million of unrestricted cash. Our debt balance was approximately $618 million, which reflects the paydown of the full $55 million balance under our revolving credit facility during the quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:11:32As Lee mentioned earlier, during the quarter, we repurchased $25 million for approximately 682,000 shares of our Class A common stock. As a reminder, we continue to have $85 million remaining under our current buyback authorization.Going forward, we will continue to explore ways to opportunistically return capital to shareholders. With that, Operator, can we now open up the call for questions? Operator00:12:01Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad to raise your hand and join the queue. If you would like to withdraw your question, simply press star one again. Your first question comes from the line of Peter Henderson from Bank of America. Your line is open. Peter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of America00:12:19Good morning, and thank you for taking the question. I'm just wondering, can you provide an update on how concert bookings are pacing for the rest of fiscal 2025, and then also for the first half of fiscal 2026? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:12:35Thank you, Peter. In terms of this fiscal year, we continue to face a tough year-over-year comparison at the Garden for a number of factors, including the end of the Billy Joel residency. Similar to what we shared on our last Earnings Call, the Garden continues to pace behind for the March and June quarters. Our theaters also continue to pace behind for the March quarter, but they're pacing up for the June quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:01However, as we look ahead to fiscal 2026, we are seeing a number of positive signs in our bookings business. In terms of the Garden, as you know, our typical booking window is about six to nine months. So now we have a meaningful sample size of the first quarter of fiscal 2026, and we're pleased to say we are pacing up versus what was a record first quarter in fiscal 2025. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:27This is being driven by a diverse set of acts, including a number of multi-night runs, residencies, new headliners, and repeat headliners, and then with respect to our theaters, our typical booking window is through the six months, so it's still a little early there, and it's a relatively small sample size at this stage. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:48That said, our theaters are currently pacing ahead for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, so while we're dealing with a tough comp at the Garden this year, it's important to note that we are still expecting a solid year of concerts at the arena, and as we look ahead, we're encouraged by the positive signs we're seeing for fiscal 2026 so far. Peter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of America00:14:11Thank you. Operator00:14:14Your next question comes from the line of Stephen Laszczyk from Goldman Sachs. Your line is open. Stephen LaszczykVP at Goldman Sachs00:14:20Great. Thanks for taking the question. Lee, on Christmas Spectacular, nice performance this year. Could you maybe talk a little bit more about the pricing demand and some of the audience demo trends that played out over the course of this holiday season and how that compared to prior years? And then looking ahead, I'd be curious, any early thoughts on the opportunity to grow Christmas Spectacular off this new higher base? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:14:44Thanks, Stephen. As you know, the Christmas Spectacular is a cherished New York tradition with a rich history. The show continues to be beloved by guests and consistently generates outstanding customer feedback. This translated into a number of positive signs across ticket demand and pricing, which we believe sets us up for further success. First, we saw strong demand driven by individuals as tourism to New York approaches pre-pandemic levels. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:15:14In terms of individual ticket sales, we saw a high teens % increase in tourists attending the show. This strong demand led us to add additional performances during this year's run, and with tourism projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, we think there is an opportunity to increase our show count again next season. Second, we were able to increase our average ticket yield across both individual and group sales by thoughtfully managing, marketing, and pricing our ticket inventory. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:15:49The Christmas Spectacular continues to be a premium entertainment product, and it is still priced well below Broadway during the holiday season. Going forward, we continue to believe there are opportunities to more effectively price our ticket inventory and maximize revenues, so we're optimistic that there is continued ticket pricing upside, along with the potential to increase our show count as we look ahead to next year. Stephen LaszczykVP at Goldman Sachs00:16:18Thank you. Operator00:16:19Our next question comes from a line of David Karnovsky from JPMorgan. Your line is open. David KarnovskyExecutive Director and Senior Research Analyst at JPMorgan00:16:29Oh, hey. Thank you. So just, you know, as noted, last quarter, you were buying back stock at a price above where you're trading now. I think you called those repurchases prudent in light of your long-term growth. So thought I would ask for an update on your approach, given the outstanding authorization and also considering factors like leverage or cash flow timing? Thank you. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:16:55Sure. Hey, David, it's Ari. I'll take your question, so stepping back, I'd start by saying that our company is in a strong position. Our business continues to grow, and we're generating significant free cash flow. In terms of capital allocation, as you've heard us discuss before, we have three core priorities. The first is to make sure we continue to have a strong balance sheet. On that front, our net debt leverage is now approximately three times. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:17:20We should naturally deleverage as the business continues to grow, and going forward, we'll continue to make our quarterly principal payments, which are currently $4.1 million per quarter. Our second priority is to ensure we have flexibility to invest in our core business when we see compelling opportunities.Now, this fiscal year, as you know, our capital needs have been modest, and looking out over the near-term horizon, there aren't any material capital projects to flag. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:17:47And then lastly, our third priority is to opportunistically return capital to our shareholders, which is precisely what we did this past quarter when we repurchased $25 million of stock. That brought our total share repurchases to $165 million since our April 2023 spinoff. We have $85 million remaining under our current authorization. And looking ahead, we'll continue to explore ways to opportunistically return capital to our holders. Operator00:18:18Your next question comes from a line of Cameron Mansson-Perrone from Morgan Stanley. Your line is open. Cameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan Stanley00:18:25Thank you. Good morning. Lee, a couple of questions related to the Garden for you, just more generally. First, there's been a lot of news and various proposals over the years around the renovation of Penn Station. I'd be interested to hear your latest expectations there. And then second, there's also been some speculation the Garden may lose its property tax exemption, at least claims that the original intent or logic behind that exemption may be less relevant today than it was historically. We'd like to hear your view or outlook there as well. Thanks. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:03Hi, Cameron. It's Ari. I'll take your second question first, and then I'll pass it over to Lee on Penn Station. So on the property tax exemption, there's a few points I'll make on this topic that I hope will frame the issue for you. So first, the Garden is an important creator of jobs and economic activity, both in our community and in the city. In addition, the vast majority of major New York sports venues receive some type of governmental incentives and subsidies. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:34And in fact, our tax abatement is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars lower than the amounts received by those sports venues as measured over several decades. I know we know this next point, but in 2013, we obviously completed a $1 billion top-to-bottom renovation of the Garden, and that was done without any subsidies from either New York City or state. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:56The last point I would note for you is that any repeal of the tax exemption would require action by both houses of the New York State Legislature. Hopefully that color is helpful, and I'll pass it over to Lee. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:20:08Thanks, Cameron. As invested members of our community, we're committed to improving Penn Station and the surrounding area. We and our guests are already seeing the benefits of some of the recent improvements that have taken place. We've seen improved ingress and egress at the arena. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:20:25The beautification and commercialization efforts have created an enhanced experience for guests that are attending our events. As redevelopment of the area continues, we remain in very close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, and we have nothing further to report at this time. Cameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan Stanley00:20:43Helpful. Thank you both. Operator00:20:44Your next question comes from a line of Peter Supino from Wolfe Research. Your line is open. Peter SupinoManaging Director and Senior Analyst at Wolfe Research00:20:53Good morning. Two, if I may. The first is that last quarter, you talked about seeing increased cancellations, and so I wondered if you could update us on that subject, and on Christmas Spectacular, you discussed dynamic pricing. In your prepared remarks, you talked about revenue optimization, and I just wondered how much room there might be to extract more value from dynamic pricing or other tools for the Christmas Spectacular. Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:21:22Great. Thank you for both of those. I'll start with cancellations. Quickly, just to say, things have returned to normal levels. We are not seeing anything out of the ordinary as it comes to cancellations. As you know, cancellations or postponements can happen for a variety of different reasons: artist health, changes in ticket demand, or album release schedules. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:21:43At the time of our last Earnings Call in November, we had seen a number of cancellations, primarily at the Garden, and that impacted our concert outlook for fiscal 2025. Subsequent to that call, cancellations have returned to normal levels, and we're not seeing anything out of the ordinary. So for your second question on Christmas and dynamic pricing, as we touched on earlier, we continue to strategically manage, market, and price our ticketing inventory to maximize revenue each season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:22:13Revenue potential for each individual show varies by time of day, day of week, and where we are in the run. And we are continually analyzing sales performance, trends, and market dynamics to inform our sales strategy. On the pricing side, we have multiple levers we use, including dynamic pricing and discounting, to name a few. In terms of dynamic pricing, we implemented a number of tactics this season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:22:39For example, we utilized our data and insights to take a fresh approach to build our show schedule in order to maximize pricing for the highest demand shows. We also started our dynamic pricing efforts earlier in the season based on early data we received. From there, we continued to monitor every show on a seat-by-seat basis and on a week-by-week trend versus the prior year. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:23:05All of this allows us to recognize where we can make price changes to maximize revenue. So we continue to get smarter on dynamically pricing our performance throughout the run. While our yield has grown, we remain priced well below Broadway, and we believe there is an opportunity to continue to narrow that gap. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:23:24Thanks, Peter. Operator, we will take one last caller. Operator00:23:31Your final question comes from a line of David Joyce from Seaport Research Partners. Your line is open. David JoyceSenior Media and Technology Analyst at Seaport Research Partners00:23:39Thank you. Two questions. First, if you could please provide some more color on the opportunity for residencies at your venues. I know you did mention them in your earlier remarks, but do you have any specifics of who would be coming, when, and at which venues? And then separately, on the per-cap spending, just wanted to think about how the signs of the general consumer health look to you in the coming months? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:24:12Thanks for both of those. On the residency front, we are proud to have hosted 10 years of Billy Joel's residency. It was an incredible run, and it was a great example of how we've developed new ways to increase venue utilization. We continue to be in discussions with a number of artists for other residencies, and we're excited by the conversations that are taking place. Future residencies at the Garden probably won't look exactly like the Billy Joel one did. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:24:39Artists want to put their own unique structure and spin on something like this. Beyond MSG, looking forward, we have a number of upcoming residencies across our theaters. Last month, Hugh Jackman kicked off his 24-show residency at Radio City Music Hall, which runs through October of this year. Next month, at the Beacon, Mike Birbiglia and Nikki Glaser will start their multi-night runs. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:02And at the Chicago Theatre, next week, Taylor Tomlinson kicks off her multi-night run. Going forward, we'll continue to work with artists to look for unique ways to increase venue utilization. And the second part on consumer demand, we are not seeing any slowdown in consumer demand. In our booking business, the majority of concerts were once again sold out during the quarter. This led to over 90% sell-through for concerts at our venues in the quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:30For shows that have or will take place in the fiscal third quarter, our sell-through is roughly in line with what we saw last year. And as I mentioned earlier, combined F&B and merchandise per-caps at concerts were up as compared to the Fiscal 2024 second quarter, as well as the Fiscal 2024 full-year average. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:49Then, of course, we saw very strong consumer demand for this year's Christmas Spectacular, with record revenues, the strongest sell-through rate in 25 years, and record high ticket, food, beverage, and merchandise per caps. We continue to see strong demand for consumers. Operator00:26:10That concludes our question and answer session. I will now turn the call back over to Ari Danes for closing remarks. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:26:17Thank you all for joining us. We look forward to speaking with you on our next earnings call. Have a good day. Operator00:26:23This concludes today's Conference Call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.Read moreParticipantsExecutivesAri DanesSVP of Investor Relations and TreasuryLee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial OperationsAnalystsPeter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of AmericaStephen LaszczykVP at Goldman SachsDavid KarnovskyExecutive Director and Senior Research Analyst at JPMorganCameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan StanleyPeter SupinoManaging Director and Senior Analyst at Wolfe ResearchDavid JoyceSenior Media and Technology Analyst at Seaport Research PartnersPowered by Earnings DocumentsSlide DeckPress Release(8-K) Madison Square Garden Entertainment Earnings HeadlinesRockettes ‘Ring' in Their Next Century With New Tap Number and Immersive Camera Technology That Brings Audiences Closer to the MagicSeptember 23 at 11:00 AM | businesswire.comMSG Entertainment Appoints Josephine Vaccarello As PresidentSeptember 21 at 6:08 PM | rttnews.comMy top 3 AI picks for the next decadeAlexander Green bought Apple in 1996, recommended Nvidia at a split-adjusted 66 cents in 2004, and picked up Amazon and Netflix under $3 per share in 2005. Now the chief investment strategist at The Oxford Club has identified three AI stocks he believes could be the most profitable investments of the next decade.September 23 at 1:00 AM | The Oxford Club (Ad)MSG Springs on Share BuybackSeptember 21 at 6:08 PM | baystreet.caMadison Square Garden Entertainment Appoints Josephine Vaccarello as PresidentSeptember 21 at 6:08 PM | marketscreener.comMJosephine Vaccarello Named President of MSG EntertainmentSeptember 21 at 8:30 AM | businesswire.comSee More Madison Square Garden Entertainment Headlines Get Earnings Announcements in your inboxWant to stay updated on the latest earnings announcements and upcoming reports for companies like Madison Square Garden Entertainment? Sign up for Earnings360's daily newsletter to receive timely earnings updates on Madison Square Garden Entertainment and other key companies, straight to your email. Email Address About Madison Square Garden EntertainmentMadison Square Garden Entertainment (NYSE:MSGE) is a live entertainment company that owns, operates and produces events at prominent venues in the United States. Its portfolio includes Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall in New York City, as well as the Beacon Theatre in New York and The Chicago Theatre in Illinois. The company presents concerts, comedy shows, family entertainment, sporting events and other live performances. Its productions include the annual Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, along with original entertainment and special events. Madison Square Garden Entertainment also generates revenue through venue bookings, sponsorships, premium hospitality and related media and entertainment activities. Madison Square Garden Entertainment was established as a separate public company in 2020 following the restructuring of the former Madison Square Garden Company. Its operations are concentrated primarily in New York and Chicago, while its productions and entertainment offerings can reach audiences in other markets. James L. 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PresentationSkip to Participants Operator00:00:00Good morning. Thank you for standing by and welcome to the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. I would now like to turn the call over to Ari Danes, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury. Please go ahead. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:00:23Thank you. Good morning and welcome to MSG Entertainment's Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. On today's call, Lee Weinberg, our Interim Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Business and Financial Operations, will provide an update on the company's operations. I will then conclude with a review of our financial results for the period. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:00:47After our prepared remarks, we will open up the call for questions. If you do not have a copy of today's earnings release, it is available in the investor section of our corporate website. Please take note of the following: Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:00Today's discussion may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:21Please refer to the company's filings with the SEC for a discussion of risks and uncertainties. The company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements that may be discussed during this call. On pages five and six of today's earnings release, we provide consolidated statements of operations and a reconciliation of operating income to adjusted operating income or AOI, a non-GAAP financial measure. And with that, I'll now turn the call over to Lee. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:01:52Thank you, Ari, and good morning, everyone. As we move into the second half of our fiscal year, we are seeing strong demand from our offerings as consumers continue to demonstrate their desire for shared in-person experiences. This was evident in the company's fiscal second quarter results with revenues of $407 million and adjusted operating income of $164 million. This was led by the Christmas Spectacular, which, in its 91st holiday season, achieved record-setting results across a number of metrics. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:02:30During the quarter, we also welcomed back the Knicks and Rangers to the Garden for the start of their 2024-2025 regular seasons, and we are seeing positive momentum in our economic arrangements with the teams.On the bookings front, while we are facing a tough year-over-year comparison at the Garden, which had a record number of concerts last year, we continue to fill our calendar and expect to grow the overall number of bookings events at our venues in fiscal 2025. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:03:02So, coming off of our seasonally busiest quarter, we remain on track to deliver mid to high single-digit AOI growth this year. In addition, the strength of our business has enabled us to opportunistically return capital to shareholders. During the quarter, we resumed our buyback program with the repurchase of $25 million of our Class A common stock. Let's now review second quarter operational highlights. Across our portfolio of venues, we hosted nearly 2.7 million guests at more than 440 live entertainment and sporting events during the quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:03:45As I mentioned earlier, these results were led by the success of the Christmas Spectacular.For the show's 91st holiday season, the production included new immersive elements, which were well received by our guests. While we initially went on sale with 197 performances, we added shows throughout the run due to strong demand, ending at 200 total performances. This compares to 193 shows last season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:04:17Across eight weeks of performances, we sold approximately 1.1 million tickets, leading to the show's strongest sell-through rate in 25 years. These results were driven by robust demand for individual tickets as our business continues to benefit from the ongoing recovery of New York City tourism. At the same time, average ticket yields across both individual and group sales grew year over year as we continue to thoughtfully manage, market, and price our ticket inventory. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:04:55In addition, per-cap spending on food, beverage, and merchandise reached record levels for the show.Putting it all together, average per-show revenue increased by a low double-digit % as compared to fiscal 2024 and resulted in over $170 million in total revenue for the Christmas Spectacular this season, a new record for the production and a testament to the show's enduring appeal. Turning to bookings, during the fiscal second quarter, we saw a decrease year over year in the number of events across our venues. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:05:37This was primarily driven by a lower number of concerts at both our theaters and the Garden, which includes the absence of three Billy Joel performances that took place in the prior year quarter. That said, consumers continue to show their enthusiasm for our in-person events, with the majority of concerts selling out during the quarter. In terms of in-venue spending, combined food, beverage, and merchandise per-caps at concerts were up year over year. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:06:11Outside of concerts, we had a busy schedule of family shows and sporting events during the quarter. At The Chicago Theatre and The Theater at Madison Square Garden, we welcomed the musical Annie for an extended holiday run. At the Garden, we hosted UFC, which was the second highest-grossing event in the arena's history, as well as a sold-out professional tennis event, which made its first appearance at the Garden since 2018. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:06:39We continue to expect strong growth in our special events category this fiscal year and are looking forward to a number of high-profile events in the coming months. This includes Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, set to take place at Radio City Music Hall next week, as well as the Tony Awards in June.During the quarter, the Knicks and Rangers began their 2024-2025 regular seasons at the Garden, and so far, we are seeing positive momentum across our various revenue and profit-sharing arrangements with the teams. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:07:16I would also note that as a result of this year's schedules, the Knicks and Rangers played a combined three more home games during the fiscal second quarter as compared to the prior year quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:07:29This timing impact will reverse over the balance of the fiscal year. Turning to marketing partnerships and premium hospitality, fiscal 2025 has been highlighted by a number of sponsorship announcements, including new multi-year deals with Lenovo and its subsidiary Motorola, as well as with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, and a multi-year renewal with Verizon. In terms of premium hospitality, we continue to see strong new sales and renewal activity for suites at the Garden. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:08:05That includes our expanded event-level club space, as well as a number of event and Lexus Level suites that were recently renovated. In summary, our fiscal second quarter reflects the robust demand we continue to see in our business. We remain confident in our outlook for solid AOI growth this fiscal year and our ability to generate long-term value for our shareholders. With that, I will now turn the call back over to Ari. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:08:34Thank you, Lee. For the fiscal 2025 second quarter, we reported revenues of $407.4 million, an increase of 1% as compared to the prior year quarter. Revenues from entertainment offerings were essentially unchanged year over year, while we saw increases in revenues from food, beverage, and merchandise, as well as arena license fees and other leasing revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:00Revenues from entertainment offerings primarily reflected lower per-concert revenues, mainly due to a mixed shift at the Garden from promoted events to rentals, and a decrease in the number of concerts at the Garden. In addition, revenues from other live entertainment and sporting events decreased year over year. These decreases were largely offset by growth in the Christmas Spectacular production, primarily due to higher ticket-related revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:29This reflected higher per-show revenue and, to a lesser extent, two additional performances as compared to the prior year period.In addition, revenues subject to the sharing of economics with MSG Sports pursuant to the arena license agreements also grew year over year, primarily due to higher suite license fee revenues. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:09:51The increase in food, beverage, and merchandise revenues primarily reflected the impact of more Knicks and Rangers games and two additional Christmas Spectacular performances, as well as higher per-event revenues across both categories and other revenue increases. This was partially offset by lower food and beverage sales at concerts, primarily at the Garden. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:10:13The increase in arena license fees and other leasing revenues included the impact of the Knicks and Rangers playing a combined three additional home games during the fiscal second quarter. Second quarter adjusted operating income of $164 million increased $3.9 million, or 2%, as compared to the prior year quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:10:38The increase in adjusted operating income primarily reflects lower direct operating expenses and the increase in revenues, partially offset by higher selling, general, and administrative costs. I would note that the increase in SG&A expenses includes the impact of $3.1 million of executive management transition cash costs incurred in the quarter. Excluding these costs, AOI would have increased $7.1 million, or 4%, as compared to the prior year quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:11:10Turning to our balance sheet, as of December 31st, we had approximately $55 million of unrestricted cash. Our debt balance was approximately $618 million, which reflects the paydown of the full $55 million balance under our revolving credit facility during the quarter. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:11:32As Lee mentioned earlier, during the quarter, we repurchased $25 million for approximately 682,000 shares of our Class A common stock. As a reminder, we continue to have $85 million remaining under our current buyback authorization.Going forward, we will continue to explore ways to opportunistically return capital to shareholders. With that, Operator, can we now open up the call for questions? Operator00:12:01Thank you. We will now begin the question-and-answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad to raise your hand and join the queue. If you would like to withdraw your question, simply press star one again. Your first question comes from the line of Peter Henderson from Bank of America. Your line is open. Peter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of America00:12:19Good morning, and thank you for taking the question. I'm just wondering, can you provide an update on how concert bookings are pacing for the rest of fiscal 2025, and then also for the first half of fiscal 2026? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:12:35Thank you, Peter. In terms of this fiscal year, we continue to face a tough year-over-year comparison at the Garden for a number of factors, including the end of the Billy Joel residency. Similar to what we shared on our last Earnings Call, the Garden continues to pace behind for the March and June quarters. Our theaters also continue to pace behind for the March quarter, but they're pacing up for the June quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:01However, as we look ahead to fiscal 2026, we are seeing a number of positive signs in our bookings business. In terms of the Garden, as you know, our typical booking window is about six to nine months. So now we have a meaningful sample size of the first quarter of fiscal 2026, and we're pleased to say we are pacing up versus what was a record first quarter in fiscal 2025. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:27This is being driven by a diverse set of acts, including a number of multi-night runs, residencies, new headliners, and repeat headliners, and then with respect to our theaters, our typical booking window is through the six months, so it's still a little early there, and it's a relatively small sample size at this stage. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:13:48That said, our theaters are currently pacing ahead for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, so while we're dealing with a tough comp at the Garden this year, it's important to note that we are still expecting a solid year of concerts at the arena, and as we look ahead, we're encouraged by the positive signs we're seeing for fiscal 2026 so far. Peter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of America00:14:11Thank you. Operator00:14:14Your next question comes from the line of Stephen Laszczyk from Goldman Sachs. Your line is open. Stephen LaszczykVP at Goldman Sachs00:14:20Great. Thanks for taking the question. Lee, on Christmas Spectacular, nice performance this year. Could you maybe talk a little bit more about the pricing demand and some of the audience demo trends that played out over the course of this holiday season and how that compared to prior years? And then looking ahead, I'd be curious, any early thoughts on the opportunity to grow Christmas Spectacular off this new higher base? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:14:44Thanks, Stephen. As you know, the Christmas Spectacular is a cherished New York tradition with a rich history. The show continues to be beloved by guests and consistently generates outstanding customer feedback. This translated into a number of positive signs across ticket demand and pricing, which we believe sets us up for further success. First, we saw strong demand driven by individuals as tourism to New York approaches pre-pandemic levels. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:15:14In terms of individual ticket sales, we saw a high teens % increase in tourists attending the show. This strong demand led us to add additional performances during this year's run, and with tourism projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, we think there is an opportunity to increase our show count again next season. Second, we were able to increase our average ticket yield across both individual and group sales by thoughtfully managing, marketing, and pricing our ticket inventory. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:15:49The Christmas Spectacular continues to be a premium entertainment product, and it is still priced well below Broadway during the holiday season. Going forward, we continue to believe there are opportunities to more effectively price our ticket inventory and maximize revenues, so we're optimistic that there is continued ticket pricing upside, along with the potential to increase our show count as we look ahead to next year. Stephen LaszczykVP at Goldman Sachs00:16:18Thank you. Operator00:16:19Our next question comes from a line of David Karnovsky from JPMorgan. Your line is open. David KarnovskyExecutive Director and Senior Research Analyst at JPMorgan00:16:29Oh, hey. Thank you. So just, you know, as noted, last quarter, you were buying back stock at a price above where you're trading now. I think you called those repurchases prudent in light of your long-term growth. So thought I would ask for an update on your approach, given the outstanding authorization and also considering factors like leverage or cash flow timing? Thank you. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:16:55Sure. Hey, David, it's Ari. I'll take your question, so stepping back, I'd start by saying that our company is in a strong position. Our business continues to grow, and we're generating significant free cash flow. In terms of capital allocation, as you've heard us discuss before, we have three core priorities. The first is to make sure we continue to have a strong balance sheet. On that front, our net debt leverage is now approximately three times. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:17:20We should naturally deleverage as the business continues to grow, and going forward, we'll continue to make our quarterly principal payments, which are currently $4.1 million per quarter. Our second priority is to ensure we have flexibility to invest in our core business when we see compelling opportunities.Now, this fiscal year, as you know, our capital needs have been modest, and looking out over the near-term horizon, there aren't any material capital projects to flag. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:17:47And then lastly, our third priority is to opportunistically return capital to our shareholders, which is precisely what we did this past quarter when we repurchased $25 million of stock. That brought our total share repurchases to $165 million since our April 2023 spinoff. We have $85 million remaining under our current authorization. And looking ahead, we'll continue to explore ways to opportunistically return capital to our holders. Operator00:18:18Your next question comes from a line of Cameron Mansson-Perrone from Morgan Stanley. Your line is open. Cameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan Stanley00:18:25Thank you. Good morning. Lee, a couple of questions related to the Garden for you, just more generally. First, there's been a lot of news and various proposals over the years around the renovation of Penn Station. I'd be interested to hear your latest expectations there. And then second, there's also been some speculation the Garden may lose its property tax exemption, at least claims that the original intent or logic behind that exemption may be less relevant today than it was historically. We'd like to hear your view or outlook there as well. Thanks. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:03Hi, Cameron. It's Ari. I'll take your second question first, and then I'll pass it over to Lee on Penn Station. So on the property tax exemption, there's a few points I'll make on this topic that I hope will frame the issue for you. So first, the Garden is an important creator of jobs and economic activity, both in our community and in the city. In addition, the vast majority of major New York sports venues receive some type of governmental incentives and subsidies. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:34And in fact, our tax abatement is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars lower than the amounts received by those sports venues as measured over several decades. I know we know this next point, but in 2013, we obviously completed a $1 billion top-to-bottom renovation of the Garden, and that was done without any subsidies from either New York City or state. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:19:56The last point I would note for you is that any repeal of the tax exemption would require action by both houses of the New York State Legislature. Hopefully that color is helpful, and I'll pass it over to Lee. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:20:08Thanks, Cameron. As invested members of our community, we're committed to improving Penn Station and the surrounding area. We and our guests are already seeing the benefits of some of the recent improvements that have taken place. We've seen improved ingress and egress at the arena. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:20:25The beautification and commercialization efforts have created an enhanced experience for guests that are attending our events. As redevelopment of the area continues, we remain in very close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, and we have nothing further to report at this time. Cameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan Stanley00:20:43Helpful. Thank you both. Operator00:20:44Your next question comes from a line of Peter Supino from Wolfe Research. Your line is open. Peter SupinoManaging Director and Senior Analyst at Wolfe Research00:20:53Good morning. Two, if I may. The first is that last quarter, you talked about seeing increased cancellations, and so I wondered if you could update us on that subject, and on Christmas Spectacular, you discussed dynamic pricing. In your prepared remarks, you talked about revenue optimization, and I just wondered how much room there might be to extract more value from dynamic pricing or other tools for the Christmas Spectacular. Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:21:22Great. Thank you for both of those. I'll start with cancellations. Quickly, just to say, things have returned to normal levels. We are not seeing anything out of the ordinary as it comes to cancellations. As you know, cancellations or postponements can happen for a variety of different reasons: artist health, changes in ticket demand, or album release schedules. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:21:43At the time of our last Earnings Call in November, we had seen a number of cancellations, primarily at the Garden, and that impacted our concert outlook for fiscal 2025. Subsequent to that call, cancellations have returned to normal levels, and we're not seeing anything out of the ordinary. So for your second question on Christmas and dynamic pricing, as we touched on earlier, we continue to strategically manage, market, and price our ticketing inventory to maximize revenue each season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:22:13Revenue potential for each individual show varies by time of day, day of week, and where we are in the run. And we are continually analyzing sales performance, trends, and market dynamics to inform our sales strategy. On the pricing side, we have multiple levers we use, including dynamic pricing and discounting, to name a few. In terms of dynamic pricing, we implemented a number of tactics this season. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:22:39For example, we utilized our data and insights to take a fresh approach to build our show schedule in order to maximize pricing for the highest demand shows. We also started our dynamic pricing efforts earlier in the season based on early data we received. From there, we continued to monitor every show on a seat-by-seat basis and on a week-by-week trend versus the prior year. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:23:05All of this allows us to recognize where we can make price changes to maximize revenue. So we continue to get smarter on dynamically pricing our performance throughout the run. While our yield has grown, we remain priced well below Broadway, and we believe there is an opportunity to continue to narrow that gap. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:23:24Thanks, Peter. Operator, we will take one last caller. Operator00:23:31Your final question comes from a line of David Joyce from Seaport Research Partners. Your line is open. David JoyceSenior Media and Technology Analyst at Seaport Research Partners00:23:39Thank you. Two questions. First, if you could please provide some more color on the opportunity for residencies at your venues. I know you did mention them in your earlier remarks, but do you have any specifics of who would be coming, when, and at which venues? And then separately, on the per-cap spending, just wanted to think about how the signs of the general consumer health look to you in the coming months? Thank you. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:24:12Thanks for both of those. On the residency front, we are proud to have hosted 10 years of Billy Joel's residency. It was an incredible run, and it was a great example of how we've developed new ways to increase venue utilization. We continue to be in discussions with a number of artists for other residencies, and we're excited by the conversations that are taking place. Future residencies at the Garden probably won't look exactly like the Billy Joel one did. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:24:39Artists want to put their own unique structure and spin on something like this. Beyond MSG, looking forward, we have a number of upcoming residencies across our theaters. Last month, Hugh Jackman kicked off his 24-show residency at Radio City Music Hall, which runs through October of this year. Next month, at the Beacon, Mike Birbiglia and Nikki Glaser will start their multi-night runs. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:02And at the Chicago Theatre, next week, Taylor Tomlinson kicks off her multi-night run. Going forward, we'll continue to work with artists to look for unique ways to increase venue utilization. And the second part on consumer demand, we are not seeing any slowdown in consumer demand. In our booking business, the majority of concerts were once again sold out during the quarter. This led to over 90% sell-through for concerts at our venues in the quarter. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:30For shows that have or will take place in the fiscal third quarter, our sell-through is roughly in line with what we saw last year. And as I mentioned earlier, combined F&B and merchandise per-caps at concerts were up as compared to the Fiscal 2024 second quarter, as well as the Fiscal 2024 full-year average. Lee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:25:49Then, of course, we saw very strong consumer demand for this year's Christmas Spectacular, with record revenues, the strongest sell-through rate in 25 years, and record high ticket, food, beverage, and merchandise per caps. We continue to see strong demand for consumers. Operator00:26:10That concludes our question and answer session. I will now turn the call back over to Ari Danes for closing remarks. Ari DanesSVP of Investor Relations and Treasury at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.00:26:17Thank you all for joining us. We look forward to speaking with you on our next earnings call. Have a good day. Operator00:26:23This concludes today's Conference Call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.Read moreParticipantsExecutivesAri DanesSVP of Investor Relations and TreasuryLee WeinbergInterim CFO and SVP, Business and Financial OperationsAnalystsPeter HendersonResearch Analyst at Bank of AmericaStephen LaszczykVP at Goldman SachsDavid KarnovskyExecutive Director and Senior Research Analyst at JPMorganCameron Mansson-PerroneEquity Research Lead Analyst at Morgan StanleyPeter SupinoManaging Director and Senior Analyst at Wolfe ResearchDavid JoyceSenior Media and Technology Analyst at Seaport Research PartnersPowered by