Activision Blizzard Has $4.4 Billion in Long-Term Debt Outstanding

Activision Blizzard just released their 2017 investor report, and it paints an interesting picture of the publishing behemoth. For example, the company currently has $4.4 billion in long-term debt outstanding. While that certainly is a lot of money (even to a business as large as Activision), it isn’t uncommon for successful businesses to have long-term debt outstanding. It’s also worth noting that the amount is down from previous years, as the company had $5.9 billion in debt. Still, Activision says that their “debt burden could have important consequences” in the future.

Here’s the relevant portion of Activision’s investor report titled “Our debt could negatively affect our business”:

As of December 31, 2017, the Company had approximately $4.4 billion of long-term debt outstanding. Our debt burden could have important consequences, including: increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions; limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of any cash flow from operations for the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of cash flow to fund our operations, growth strategy, working capital, capital expenditures, future business opportunities, and other general corporate purposes; exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates with respect to any borrowings that are at floating rates of interest; restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures; limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, research and development, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes; limiting our ability to adjust to changing market conditions; and placing us at a competitive disadvantage relative to competitors who are less highly leveraged.

Agreements governing our indebtedness, including our credit agreement and the indentures governing our notes, impose operating and financial restrictions on our activities. These restrictions require us to comply with or maintain certain financial tests and ratios. In addition, under certain circumstances, our credit agreement and indentures may limit or prohibit other activities. In addition, we are required to maintain a maximum total net debt ratio calculated pursuant to a financial maintenance covenant under our credit agreement. Further, various risks, uncertainties and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with these covenants. Failure to comply with any of the covenants in our financing agreements could result in a default under those agreements and under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. Such a default would permit lenders to accelerate the maturity of the debt under these agreements. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all of our obligations, including our obligations under our credit agreement or the indentures governing our notes. In addition, the limitations imposed by financing agreements on our ability to incur additional debt and to take other actions might significantly impair our ability to obtain other financing. There can be no assurances that we will be granted waivers or amendments to these agreements if for any reason we are unable to comply with these agreements or that we will be able to refinance our debt on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Activision Blizzard is set to release several major titles in 2018 including a new Call of Duty.

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