Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On May 17, 2021, Discovery, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Discovery” or the “Company”) and Drake Subsidiary, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery (“Merger Sub”), entered into definitive agreements with AT&T Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AT&T”), and Magallanes, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T (“Spinco”), pursuant to which and subject to the terms and conditions therein (1) AT&T will transfer the business, operations and activities that constitute the WarnerMedia segment of AT&T, subject to certain exceptions as set forth in the Separation Agreement (as defined below) (the “Spinco Business”) to Spinco (the “Separation”), (2) AT&T will distribute to its stockholders the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share of Spinco (“Spinco Common Stock”) held by AT&T by way of either (at AT&T’s option) a pro rata dividend, an exchange offer or a combination of an exchange offer and a pro rata dividend for any shares that are unsubscribed in the exchange offer (the “Distribution”) and (3) Merger Sub will merge with and into Spinco, with Spinco as the surviving entity and wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery (the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, the existing shares of Spinco will be automatically converted into the right to receive a number of shares of Discovery New Series A Common Stock (as defined below). Upon consummation of the Merger, existing shareholders of Discovery will own approximately 29% of the outstanding shares of Discovery on a fully diluted basis (computed using the treasury stock method). The Distribution and the Merger are a Reverse Morris Trust (“RMT”) and are expected to be tax-free to AT&T stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except to the extent that cash is paid to AT&T stockholders in lieu of fractional shares in the Distribution or the Merger.
The definitive agreements entered into in connection with the RMT include (1) an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, AT&T, Spinco and Merger Sub (the “Merger Agreement”), and (2) a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, AT&T and Spinco (the “Separation Agreement”), (3) an Employee Matters Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, AT&T and Spinco (the “EMA”), (4) a Voting Agreement, dated May 17, 2021 (the “A/N Voting Agreement”), by and among Discovery, AT&T, Spinco, Advance/Newhouse Programming Partnership, a New York Partnership (”ANPP”), and Advance/Newhouse Partnership, a New York partnership (“ANP”), (5) a Consent Agreement, dated May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, ANPP and ANP (the “A/N Consent Agreement”), (6) a Voting Agreement, dated May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, AT&T, Spinco, John C. Malone, John C. Malone 1995 Revocable Trust, Malone Discovery 2021 Charitable Remainder Unitrust and Malone CHUB 2017 Charitable Remainder Unitrust (the “Malone Voting Agreement”) and (7) a Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2021, by and among Discovery, AT&T and Spinco (the “Tax Matters Agreement”). Certain additional agreements will be entered into among Discovery, AT&T and Spinco (or, in some instances, only AT&T and Spinco), including, among others:
| • | | a Transition Services Agreement; and |
| • | | an Intellectual Property Matters Agreement. |
The Separation Agreement
The Separation Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions regarding the separation of the Spinco Business from AT&T. The Separation Agreement identifies and provides for the transfer of certain assets by AT&T to Spinco and the assumption of certain liabilities by Spinco from AT&T.
The Separation Agreement also governs the rights and obligations of AT&T and Spinco regarding the Distribution. At AT&T’s election (subject to certain restrictions), pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Distribution may be effected by means of a pro rata dividend of Spinco Common Stock to AT&T’s stockholders, through an exchange offer of AT&T Common Stock for Spinco Common Stock or a combination of an exchange offer and a pro rata dividend to AT&T’s stockholders of the remaining shares of Spinco Common Stock that were not exchanged in the exchange offer.