Forest City reports slight losses on Nets over three months

The Form 10-Q filed this week by Forest City Enterprises with the SEC has some data about the Nets' financials, but only the last paragraph below is new, compared with a filing three months ago:

The Nets

Our ownership of The Nets is through Nets Sports and Entertainment LLC (“NS&E”). NS&E also owns Brooklyn Arena, LLC (“Arena LLC”), an entity that through its subsidiaries has a long-term lease in the Barclays Center, the home of The Nets. NS&E consolidates Arena LLC and accounts for its investment in The Nets on the equity method of accounting. As a result of consolidating NS&E, we record the entire net loss of The Nets allocated to NS&E in equity in loss of unconsolidated entities and allocate, based on an analysis of each respective members’ claims on the net book equity assuming a liquidation at book value, NS&E’s noncontrolling partners’ share of its losses, if any, through noncontrolling interests in our Statement of Operations.

On May 12, 2010, entities controlled by Mikhail Prokhorov (“MP Entities”) invested $223,000,000 and made certain funding commitments (“Funding Commitments”) to acquire 80% of The Nets, 45% of Arena LLC and the right to purchase up to 20% of Atlantic Yards Development Company, LLC, which will develop non-arena real estate. In accordance with the Funding Commitments, the MP Entities agreed to fund The Nets operating needs up to $60,000,000.

The MP Entities met the $60,000,000 funding commitment during the three months ended July 31, 2011. As a result, NS&E was required to fund 100% of the operating needs, as defined, until the Barclays Center arena was complete and open, which occurred on September 28, 2012. Thereafter, members’ capital contributions are made in accordance with the operating agreements.

We did not fund the July 2013 capital call related to the 2013-2014 NBA basketball season. This did not constitute a default of any agreements related to our Nets investment. However, under the terms of the Operating Agreement, the MP Entities had the right to dilute NS&E's ownership interests upon NS&E not funding capital calls. During the three months ended July 31, 2013, we entered into an agreement with the MP Entities, in which they agreed to fund NS&E's portion of the July 2013 capital call and not exercise the right to dilute NS&E's ownership interests for a period of two years in exchange for a fee. As the Nets are not a core investment for us, beginning in the first quarter of 2014, The Nets will no longer be presented as a separate reportable segment and the results will be aggregated within the Corporate Activities segment.

The amount of equity in earnings (loss), net of noncontrolling interests, was $(50,000) for the three months ended October 31, 2013 , representing a decrease in our allocated losses of $7,427,000 compared with the same period in the prior year. The amount of equity in earnings (loss), net of noncontrolling interest, was $(2,763,000) for the nine months ended October 31, 2013 , representing a decrease in our allocated losses of $19,944,000 compared with the same period in the prior year. These decreases are due to impacts of our prior funding commitments as discussed above.

Here are the figures from three months ago:

The amount of equity in earnings (loss), net of noncontrolling interests, was $268,000 for the three months ended July 31, 2013, representing a decrease in our allocated losses of $8,540,000 compared with the same period in the prior year. The amount of equity in earnings (loss), net of noncontrolling interest, was $(2,713,000) for the six months ended July 31, 2013, representing a decrease in our allocated losses of $12,517,000 compared with the same period in the prior year. These decreases are due to impacts of our funding commitments as discussed above.