For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, direct operating expenses increased $43.7 million compared to the same period of 2017. Excluding the $30.1 million impact from movements in foreign exchange rates, direct operating expenses increased $13.6 million compared to the same period of 2017. The increase was driven by higher site lease expenses related to new contracts in countries experiencing revenue growth.
Consolidated Selling, General and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expenses
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, SG&A expenses increased $0.9 million compared to the same period of 2017. Excluding the $1.2 million impact from movements in foreign exchange rates, SG&A expenses increased $2.1 million compared to the same period of 2017. The increase in SG&A expenses was primarily due tonon-cash pension settlement expenses in the United Kingdom.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, SG&A expenses increased $14.7 million compared to the same period of 2017. Excluding the $9.6 million impact from movements in foreign exchange rates, SG&A expenses increased $5.1 million compared to the same period of 2017. The increase in SG&A expenses primarily related tonon-cash pension settlement expense in the United Kingdom as well as higher expenses in Sweden and Belgium.
Corporate Expenses
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, corporate expenses decreased $0.9 million compared to the same period of 2017. The decrease is primarily due to an agreement entered into in February 2017 between CCOH and its indirect parent company, iHeartMedia, Inc., related to the potential purchase of the Clear Channel registered trademarks and domain names. The agreement proved that CCOH pay a license fee to iHeartMedia, Inc. in 2017 based on revenues by entities using the Clear Channel Name (the “February 2017 IP Agreement”). CCOH allocated a portion of this fee to the Company during 2017 in addition to the fees paid for management services. During 2018, CCOH ceased allocating this additional fee to the Company.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, corporate expenses decreased $8.0 million compared to the same period of 2017. Excluding the $0.3 million impact from movements in foreign exchange rates, corporate expenses decreased $9.7 million compared to the same period of 2017. The decrease is primarily due to the February 2017 IP Agreement, under which CCOH allocated a portion of the license fee to the Company during 2017 in addition to the fees paid for management services. During 2018, CCOH ceased allocating this additional fee to the Company.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization increased $1.9 million and $9.2 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, compared to the same periods of 2017 primarily due to asset acquisitions, partially offset by assets becoming fully depreciated or fully amortized and the impact from movements in foreign exchange rates.
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net
Other operating income, net was $1.3 million and $1.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively.
Other operating expense, net was $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Other operating income, net was $7.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, primarily due to the $6.8 million gain on the sale of our joint venture in Belgium.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net increased $1.5 million and $9.1 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, compared to the same periods of 2017. The increase primarily related to the issuance of $150.0 million in additional notes of our existing 8.75% Senior Notes due 2020 in August of 2017.
Equity in Income (Loss) of Nonconsolidated Affiliates
Equity in loss of nonconsolidated affiliates of $0.1 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, included the loss from our equity investments.
Equity in loss of nonconsolidated affiliates of $0.5 million and $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, included the loss from our equity investments.
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