The Company has various contractual commitments for broadcast rights for sports, feature films, and another programming, totaling approximately $51.0 billion, including approximately $0.4 billion for available programming as of October 1, 2016, and approximately $48.7 billion related to sports programming rights, primarily college football (including bowl games and the College Football Playoff) and basketball, NBA, NFL, MLB, US Open Tennis, various soccer rights, the Wimbledon Championships, and the Master's golf tournament.

The Company has entered into operating leases for various real estate and equipment needs, including retail outlets and distribution centers for consumer products, broadcast equipment, and office space for general and administrative purposes. Rental expense for operating leases during fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, including common-area maintenance and contingent rentals, was $847 million, $859 million, and $883 million, respectively.

The Company also has contractual commitments for two new cruise ships, creative talent and employment agreements, and unrecognized tax benefits. Creative talent and employment agreements include obligations to actors, producers, sports, television, and radio personalities and executives.

Contractual commitments for broadcast programming rights, future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases, cruise ships, creative talent and other commitments totaled $60.8 billion at October 1, 2016, payable as follows:

	Broadcast Programming				Operating Leases				Other				Total
2017	$	6,119			$	477			$	1,880			$	8,476
2018	6,015				376				1,006				7,397
2019	6,221				329				502				7,052
2020	6,416				278				486				7,180
2021	6,314				227				206				6,747
Thereafter	19,925				1,419				2,567				23,911
	$	51,010			$	3,106			$	6,647			$	60,763

Certain contractual commitments, principally broadcast programming rights and operating leases, have payments that are variable based primarily on revenues and are not included in the table above.

The Company has non-cancelable capital leases, primarily for land and broadcast equipment, which had gross carrying values of $464 million and $469 million at October 1, 2016, and October 3, 2015, respectively. Accumulated amortization related to these capital leases totaled $216 million and $196 million at October 1, 2016, and October 3, 2015, respectively. Future payments under these leases as of October 1, 2016, are as follows:

2017	$	35
2018	24
2019	17
2020	15
2021	15
Thereafter	495
Total minimum obligations	601
Less amount representing the interest	(407		)
Present value of net minimum obligations	194
Less current portion	(20		)
Long-term portion	$	174

Contractual Guarantees

The Company has guaranteed bond issuances by the Anaheim Public Authority that were used by the City of Anaheim to finance construction of infrastructure and a public parking facility adjacent to the Disneyland Resort. Revenues from sales, occupancy and property taxes from the Disneyland Resort and non-Disney hotels are used by the City of Anaheim to repay the bonds. In the event of a debt service shortfall, the Company will be responsible to fund the shortfall. As of October 1, 2016, the remaining debt service obligation guaranteed by the Company was $316 million, of which $51 million was principal. To the extent that tax revenues exceed the debt service payments in subsequent periods, the Company would be reimbursed for any previously funded shortfalls. To date, tax revenues have exceeded the debt service payments for the Anaheim bonds.

Legal Matters

Beef Products, Inc. v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. On September 13, 2012, plaintiffs filed an action in South Dakota state court against certain subsidiaries and employees of the Company and others, asserting claims for defamation arising from alleged false statements and implications, statutory and common law product disparagement, and tortious interference with existing and prospective business relationships. The claims arise out of ABC News reports published in March and April 2012 about a product, Lean Finely Textured Beef, that was included in ground beef and hamburger meat. Plaintiffs’ complaint sought actual and consequential damages in excess of $400 million (which in March 2016 they asserted could be as much as $1.9 billion), statutory damages (including treble damages) pursuant to South Dakota’s Agricultural Food Products Disparagement Act, and punitive damages. The trial is set for June 2017. At this time, the Company is not able to predict the ultimate outcome of this matter, nor can it estimate the range of possible loss.

The Company, together with, in some instances, certain of its directors and officers, is a defendant or codefendant in various other legal actions involving copyright, breach of contract, and various other claims incident to the conduct of its businesses.

Management does not believe that the Company has incurred a probable material loss by reason of any of the above actions.

Long-Term Receivables and the Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company has accounts receivable with original maturities greater than one year related to the sale of television program rights and vacation ownership units. Allowances for credit losses are established against these receivables as necessary.

The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses related to receivables from the sale of television programs based upon a number of factors, including historical experience and the financial condition of individual companies with which we do business. The balance of television program sales receivables recorded in other non-current assets, net of an immaterial allowance for credit losses, was $0.9 billion as of October 1, 2016. Fiscal 2016 activity related to the allowance for credit losses was not material.

The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses related to receivables from sales of its vacation ownership units based primarily on historical collection experience. Estimates of uncollectible amounts also consider the economic environment and the age of receivables. The balance of mortgage receivables recorded in other non-current assets, net of a related allowance for credit losses of approximately 4%, was $0.7 billion as of October 1, 2016. Fiscal 2016 activity related to the allowance for credit losses was not material.

Required

For the Disney Company, provide a brief detail of the lawsuit. Because the Beef lawsuit is included in the footnote, what does this tell you about the company's belief regarding the merit of the lawsuit?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

ANSWER The Disney Company is a defendant or cod ef endant in various legal actions involving copyrig... View the full answer