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Shaw Announces Third Quarter and Year-To-Date Fiscal 2018 Results
[June 28, 2018]

Shaw Announces Third Quarter and Year-To-Date Fiscal 2018 Results


  • Consolidated revenue and operating income before restructuring costs and amortization1 each improved 7% year-over-year due to continued growth in the Wireless and Business segments and realization of cost saving initiatives in the quarter
  • Continued momentum in Wireless including strong customer demand for Big Gig data plans resulting in 27% year-over-year increase in service revenue and over 54,000 postpaid Wireless subscriber net additions in the quarter
  • Company remains on track to deliver fiscal 2018 guidance

CALGARY, Alberta, June 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX:SJR.B) (TSX:SJR.PR.A) (TSX:SJR.PR.B) (NYSE:SJR) (TSX-V:SJR.A) announces consolidated financial and operating results for the quarter ended May 31, 2018. Revenue from continuing operations for the quarter of $1.30 billion increased 6.9% over the prior year led by Wireless and Business results. Operating income before restructuring costs and amortization1 for the quarter of $547 million increased 7.0% over the third quarter of fiscal 2017.  Net loss for the quarter of $91 million compared to net income of $133 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.  The decrease substantially reflects a $284 million impairment charge this quarter relating to the Company’s investment in Corus Entertainment Inc.

“We are pleased with another strong quarter of Wireless performance as evidenced by over 54,000 postpaid net additions and ARPU growth of almost 8% compared to a year ago. Customers continue to reward us by choosing Freedom Mobile as their wireless provider due to our differentiated value proposition led by data-centric service plans,” said Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer. “Momentum is building and we will continue to be focused and execute on our strategic initiatives to drive greater market share by giving our customers the connectivity they want, on the devices they want.”

“We’re excited to announce our continued expansion of our Wireless retail distribution network, ensuring that more Canadians will have access to the value provided by Freedom Mobile.  We’ve recently completed our successful fifteen store operational trial with Loblaws’ ‘The Mobile Shop’ and are working closely with Loblaws’ leadership on our broader launch that will reach nearly 100 stores in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia,” said Mr. Shaw.  “In addition, we’re very pleased to announce that we’ve recently signed a comprehensive distribution agreement with Walmart, which will provide for our Wireless products to be distributed in approximately 140 Walmart locations.  These retail growth initiatives, both of which we expect to begin this summer, will substantially improve the accessibility of our Wireless products and help close our historical retail distribution gap.  When combined with our existing corporate and dealer store network, Freedom Mobile expects to have approximately 600 retail locations operational in early 2019.”

The Company is currently focused on building out its 700 MHz spectrum, which will continue throughout fiscal 2019 and once fully deployed will enable Wireless customers with compatible devices to receive an improved service experience. 

Mr. Shaw continued, “While the distribution and network improvements that we have made, and continue to make, provide significant benefits to customers today, we are also making decisions that reflect our long-term view regarding new technology that is on the horizon. The government recently announced consultations to release certain spectrum bands that will support 5G wireless network deployment. This exciting step provides further visibility into the deployment of 5G where our Wireline and Wireless networks are very well positioned. We are pleased that our initial trials have been a success and, through our partnerships with best-in-class industry leaders, we will work to better understand 5G’s strengths and capabilities while continuing to invest in our network to offer Canadians a new era of strong and sustainable competition for the next generation of wireless technologies.”



Capital Resources

There has been no material change in the Company’s capital resources, including commitments for capital expenditures, between August 31, 2017 and May 31, 2018.


Accounting standards

The MD&A included in the Company’s August 31, 2017 Annual Report outlined critical accounting policies, including key estimates and assumptions that management has made under these policies, and how they affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements. The MD&A also describes significant accounting policies where alternatives exist. See “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in the Company’s Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended August 31, 2017. The condensed interim consolidated financial statements follow the same accounting policies and methods of application as the most recent annual consolidated financial statements except as described below.

Standards and amendments to standards issued but not yet effective

The Company has not yet adopted certain standards and amendments that have been issued but are not yet effective. The following pronouncements are being assessed to determine their impact on the Company’s results and financial position.

  • IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, was issued in May 2014 and replaces IAS 11 Construction Contracts, IAS 18 Revenue, IFRIC 13 Customer Loyalty Programs, IFRIC 15 Agreements for the Construction of Real Estate, IFRIC 18 Transfers of Assets from Customers and SIC-31 Revenue—Barter Transactions Involving Advertising Services. The new standard requires revenue to be recognized in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services. The principles are to be applied in the following five steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

    The application of IFRS 15 will impact the Company’s reported results, including the classification and timing of revenue recognition and the treatment of costs incurred to obtain contracts with customers. IFRS 15 requires the estimation of total consideration to be received over the contract term at contract inception, and the allocation of that consideration to performance obligations in the contract, typically based on the relative stand-alone selling price of each obligation.  IFRS 15 also requires that incremental costs to obtain a contract with a customer (for example, commissions) be capitalized and amortized into operating expenses over time. The Company currently expenses such costs as incurred.

    The Company’s financial position will also be impacted by the adoption of IFRS 15, with new contract asset and contract liability categories recognized to reflect differences between the timing of revenue recognition and the actual billing of those goods and services to customers. While similar differences are recognized currently, IFRS 15 introduces additional requirements and disclosures specific to contracts with customers.

    Shaw continues to evaluate the impacts of IFRS 15 and preparations are underway for the adoption of the new standard.  Initial planning and scoping efforts were conducted during fiscal 2017, with ongoing development of the required accounting policies, significant judgments and estimates, processes, information systems and internal controls expected to continue throughout the Company’s 2018 fiscal year.  In connection with these development efforts, the Company has undertaken a significant historical data gathering initiative to identify and account for multi-year contracts with customers at the date of adoption. We are implementing a new system to enable us to comply with the requirements of IFRS 15 on a contract-by-contract basis, including appropriately allocating revenue between different performance obligations for certain revenue streams. System configuration and data validation have commenced, which we expect will continue throughout the course of fiscal 2018. At this stage in the Company’s IFRS 15 implementation process, it is not possible to make reasonable quantitative estimates of the effects of the new standard. We will disclose the estimated financial impacts of IFRS 15 in our 2018 annual report.

    The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, which for the Company will be the annual period commencing September 1, 2018 and must be applied either retrospectively or on a modified retrospective basis for all contracts that are not complete as at that date.  We intend to make a policy choice to restate each prior period presented and recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying IFRS 15 as an adjustment to the opening balance of equity at the beginning of the earliest period presented, subject to certain practical expedients we anticipate we will adopt.

  • IFRS 16 Leases requires entities to recognize lease assets and lease obligations on the balance sheet. For lessees, IFRS 16 removes the classification of leases as either operating leases or finance leases, effectively treating all leases as finance leases. Certain short-term leases (less than 12 months) and leases of low-value are exempt from the requirements and may continue to be treated as operating leases. Lessors will continue with a dual lease classification model. Classification will determine how and when a lessor will recognize lease revenue, and what assets would be recorded.

    As the Company has significant contractual obligations currently being recognized as operating leases, we anticipate that the application of IFRS 16 will result in a material increase to both assets and liabilities and material changes to the timing of the recognition of expenses associated with the lease arrangements although at this stage in the Company’s IFRS 16 implementation process, it is not possible to make reasonable quantitative estimates of the effects of the new standard. We have a team engaged to ensuring our compliance with IFRS 16. Our current estimate of the time and effort necessary to develop and implement the accounting policies, estimates and processes (including incremental requirements of our information technology systems) we will need to have in place to comply with the new standard will continue through the course of fiscal 2018.

    The standard may be applied retroactively or using a modified retrospective approach for annual periods commencing January 1, 2019, which for the Company will be the annual period commencing September 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted if IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers has been adopted. The Company will evaluate the adoption approach in conjunction with its assessment of the expected impacts of adoption.

Change in accounting policy

In September 2017, the IFRS Interpretations Committee (“the Committee”) published a summary of its agenda decision regarding accounting for interest and penalties related to income taxes, which is not specifically addressed by IFRS Standards. Although the Committee decided not to add this issue to its standard-setting agenda, the Committee noted if an entity considers a particular amount payable or receivable for interest and penalties to be an income tax, then the entity applies IAS 12 Income Taxes to that amount. If an entity does not apply IAS 12 to a particular amount payable or receivable for interest and penalties, it applies IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets.  As such, the Company retrospectively changed its accounting policy for the accounting of interest and penalties related to income taxes to be in line with the Committee decision. The change of accounting policy did not have a significant impact on the previously reported consolidated financial statements.

Related party transactions

The Company’s transactions with related parties are discussed in its Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended August 31, 2017 under “Related Party Transactions” and under Note 27 of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended August 31, 2017.  There has been no material change in the Company’s transactions with related parties between August 31, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

Financial instruments

There has been no material change in the Company’s risk management practices with respect to financial instruments between August 31, 2017 and May 31, 2018.  See “Known Events, Trends, Risks and Uncertainties – Interest Rates, Foreign Exchange Rates and Capital Markets” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended August 31, 2017 and the section entitled “Risk Management” under Note 28 of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended August 31, 2017.

Risks and uncertainties

In the second quarter, the Company introduced TBT, a multi-year initiative designed to reinvent Shaw’s operating model to better meet the changing tastes and expectations of consumers and businesses by reducing staff, optimizing the use of resources, and maintaining and ultimately improving customer service. Three key elements of TBT are to: 1) shift customer interactions to digital platforms; 2) drive more self-install and self-serve; and, 3) streamline the organization that builds and services our network. As part of the TBT initiative, the Company also plans to reduce input costs, consolidate functions, and streamline processes, which is expected to create operational improvements across the business allowing it to evolve into a more efficient organization.

There is an overall risk that the TBT initiative may not be completed in a timely and cost-effective manner to yield the expected results and benefits or result in a leaner, more integrated and agile company with improved efficiencies and execution to better meet its consumers’ needs and expectations (including the products and services offered to its customers). Specifically, there is a risk that the Company may not be able to: (i) establish and continue to upgrade a digital platform that will effectively engage customers  digitally; (ii) successfully adopt a digital platform that will yield the expected results and benefits, including maintaining the quality of customer service, protecting the security of customer information, and coordinating the delivery of product and service offerings; (iii) deploy programs that will result in customers using the self-serve functions and electing to self-install the Company’s products and services; and (iv) consolidate and streamline the functions and processes of the divisions responsible for building and servicing its networks. The realization of any of these risks may have a material adverse effect on Shaw, its operations and/or financial results.    

As a first step in the TBT, the VDP was offered to eligible employees. The outcome of the program had approximately 3,300 Shaw employees accepting the VDP package representing approximately 25% of all employees. As part of the program design, the majority of customer-facing employees (i.e., Customer Care, Retail, Sales) were not eligible to participate in the VDP.  A large portion of employees who elected to participate in the VDP are in functions that will be addressed through the aforementioned key elements of the TBT and Shaw has control over the timing of employee departures across the Company through an actively managed, orderly transition over the next 18 months.  In select functions, the Company determined that some employees will transition over a 24-month period, an extension from the 18-month period initially expected. Approximately 1,200 employees will be exiting before the end of fiscal 2018. For a detailed discussion of the restructuring charge, anticipated annual cost reduction, and VDP related cost reductions in fiscal 2018, see “Introduction.”

With approximately 3,300 employees accepting the VDP package, there is a risk that the Company may not be able to: (i) complete the employee exits with minimal impact on business operations within the anticipated timeframes and for the budgeted amounts, (ii) replace or outsource the functions performed by certain key employees that have accepted the VDP package in a manner that aligns with customer expectations which may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business operations, (iii) continue to operate the business in the normal course, and maintain or improve customer services, (iv) maintain employee morale as a result of the organizational changes, staff and cost reductions; (v) ensure that the staff reductions will reduce costs, and achieve the financial goals, cost competitiveness and profitability required to be attractive to investors. In addition, there can be no assurance that restructuring costs of the VDP will be limited to the budgeted amounts or that the expected annualized cost reductions from the VDP (including reductions in operating and capital expenditures), and the VDP related cost reductions in fiscal 2018 will be realized within the expected time frames or at all. The realization of any of these risks may have a material adverse effect on Shaw, its operations and/or financial results.

Other significant risks and uncertainties affecting the Company and its business are discussed in the Company’s MD&A for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 under “Known Events, Trends, Risks and Uncertainties.” 


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