Rogers Communications Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2017 Results; Announces 2018 Financial Guidance

• Excellent financial and subscriber performance in full-year 2017, largely driven by Wireless
• Wireless service revenue growth of 7% and AOP growth of 8% - the highest since 2009
• Wireless postpaid net additions of 354,000 and churn of 1.20% - the best results since 2010
  
  
• Strong financial performance in the fourth quarter 2017
• Total service revenue growth of 4% and adjusted operating profit (AOP) growth of 6%
• Wireless service revenue growth of 7% and AOP growth of 9%; AOP margin up 60 basis points
• Postpaid net additions of 72,000 and churn of 1.48%
• Cable revenue growth of 2% and AOP growth of 3%; AOP margin up 80 basis points
• Internet revenue growth of 9% and net additions of 17,000
  
  
• 2018 guidance reflects accelerated growth in adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow
• Growth in revenue of 3% to 5%, adjusted EBITDA of 5% to 7%, and free cash flow of 3% to 5%; capex of $2.65 to $2.85 billion, focused on network investments

TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - Rogers Communications Inc. today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017.

Consolidated Financial Highlights

"We delivered excellent results in 2017, with the best financial and subscriber performance in many years," said Joe Natale, President and CEO. "We also reported strong financial results in the fourth quarter, including growth in revenue, adjusted operating profit and margins. Our 2018 guidance reflects accelerated growth in profit and free cash flow along with well-timed, strategic investments in our networks. We enter 2018 bullish about the growth in our core business and with a clear plan focused on enhancing our customers' experience and capturing cost efficiencies to drive sustainable growth."

Key Financial Highlights

Higher revenue
Revenue increased 3% this quarter, largely driven by Wireless service revenue growth of 7% as a result of subscriber growth and a greater number of subscribers on higher-rate plans from our various brands, including Rogers Share Everything plans.

Cable revenue increased 2% this quarter due to continued strong Internet revenue growth of 9%.

Media revenue decreased 4% this quarter primarily as a result of lower revenue from the Toronto Blue Jays, primarily due to the postseason success in 2016, and lower publishing-related revenue due to the strategic shift to digital media announced last year, partially offset by higher Sportsnet revenue and increased sales at Today's Shopping Choice (TSC).

Higher adjusted operating profit and margins
Adjusted operating profit increased 6% this quarter, primarily as a result of Wireless adjusted operating profit growth of 9% due to the strong flow-through of service revenue growth described above and various cost efficiencies.

Cable adjusted operating profit increased 3% this quarter as a result of strong Internet revenue growth, the ongoing product mix shift to higher-margin Internet services, and various cost efficiencies.

Media adjusted operating profit decreased 20% this quarter primarily as a result of lower revenue from the Toronto Blue Jays, as discussed above, and lower publishing-related revenue due to the strategic shift to digital media announced late last year, partially offset by higher Sportsnet revenue.

Our adjusted operating profit margin increased to 36.9% this quarter, an expansion of 100 basis points. This increase was primarily driven by Wireless, with a 60 basis point expansion to 43.2%, and Cable, with an 80 basis point expansion to 51.5%.

Higher net income and adjusted net income
Net income increased this quarter as a result of losses incurred last year related to the discontinuation of the development of our legacy IPTV product and higher adjusted operating profit. Adjusted net income increased 19% this quarter primarily due to higher adjusted operating profit and lower depreciation and amortization.

Substantial free cash flow affords financial flexibility
This quarter, we continued to generate substantial cash flow from operating activities and free cash flow of $1,142 million and $244 million, respectively. Free cash flow decreased as a result of greater capital expenditures this quarter compared to last year.

We ended the fourth quarter with a debt leverage ratio (adjusted net debt / adjusted operating profit) of 2.8, which improved from a ratio of 3.0 as at the end of the same period last year. See "Managing our Liquidity and Financial Resources" for more information.

Our solid financial results enabled us to continue to make investments in our network and still return substantial dividends to shareholders. We paid $247 million in dividends this quarter.

Achieved 2017 Guidance

The following table outlines guidance ranges that we had previously provided and our actual results and achievements for the selected full-year 2017 financial metrics.

2018 Outlook

For the full-year 2018, we expect steady growth in revenue and adjusted EBITDA to drive higher free cash flow, despite higher net additions to property, plant and equipment. In 2018, we expect to have the financial flexibility to maintain our network advantages, to further reduce debt, and to continue to return cash to shareholders.

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company will commence using adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (adjusted EBITDA) as the key measure of profit for the purpose of assessing performance for each segment and to make decisions about the allocation of resources. As such, we plan to introduce adjusted EBITDA as a new non-GAAP measure in our financial reports commencing January 1, 2018. This measure will replace our existing adjusted operating profit non-GAAP measure. We believe adjusted EBITDA better reflects segment and consolidated profitability. The difference between adjusted operating profit and adjusted EBITDA is that adjusted EBITDA will include stock-based compensation expense. We also believe that our decision-making processes will not be significantly affected through the use of adjusted EBITDA. Additionally, use of this measure will change our current definition of free cash flow. For detailed reconciliations, please see "Non-GAAP Measures".

The above table outlines guidance ranges for selected full-year 2018 consolidated financial metrics. These ranges take into consideration our current outlook and our 2017 results and are not expected to be impacted by the adoption of IFRS 15 on January 1, 2018. The purpose of the financial outlook is to assist investors, shareholders, and others in understanding certain financial metrics relating to expected 2018 financial results for evaluating the performance of our business. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Information about our guidance, including the various assumptions underlying it, is forward-looking and should be read in conjunction with "About Forward-Looking Information" (including the material assumptions listed under the heading "Key assumptions underlying our 2018 guidance") and the related disclosure and information about various economic, competitive, and regulatory assumptions, factors, and risks that may cause our actual future financial and operating results to differ from what we currently expect.

We provide annual guidance ranges on a consolidated full-year basis that are consistent with annual full-year Board of Directors-approved plans. Any updates to our full-year financial guidance over the course of the year would only be made to the consolidated guidance ranges that appear above.

About Rogers

Rogers is a leading diversified Canadian communications and media company that's working to deliver a great experience to our customers every day. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet, information technology, and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, sports, televised and online shopping, magazines, and digital media. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).

Quarterly Investment Community Teleconference

Our fourth quarter 2017 results teleconference with the investment community will be held on:

• January 25, 2018
• 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
• webcast available at investors.rogers.com
• media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis

A rebroadcast will be available at investors.rogers.com for at least two weeks following the teleconference. Additionally, investors should note that from time to time, Rogers' management presents at brokerage-sponsored investor conferences. Most often, but not always, these conferences are webcast by the hosting brokerage firm, and when they are webcast, links are made available on Rogers' website at investors.rogers.com.

For More Information

You can find more information relating to us on our website (investors.rogers.com), on SEDAR (sedar.com), and on EDGAR (sec.gov), or you can e-mail us at investor.relations@rci.rogers.com. Information on or connected to these and any other websites referenced in this earnings release is not part of, or incorporated into, this earnings release.

You can also go to investors.rogers.com for information about our governance practices, corporate social responsibility reporting, a glossary of communications and media industry terms, and additional information about our business.

About this Earnings Release

This earnings release contains important information about our business and our performance for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017, as well as forward-looking information about future periods. This earnings release should be used as preparation for reading our forthcoming Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, which we intend to file with securities regulators in Canada and the US in the coming weeks. These statements will be made available on the investors.rogers.com, sedar.com, and sec.gov websites or mailed upon request.

The financial information contained in this earnings release is prepared using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. This earnings release should be read in conjunction with our 2016 Annual MD&A, our 2016 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, our 2017 First, Second, and Third Quarter MD&A and Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and our other recent filings with Canadian and US securities regulatory authorities, which are available on SEDAR at sedar.com or EDGAR at sec.gov, respectively.

All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated and are unaudited. All percentage changes are calculated using the rounded numbers as they appear in the tables. Information is current as at January 25, 2018 and was approved by our Board of Directors (Board). This earnings release includes forward-looking statements and assumptions. See "About Forward-Looking Information" for more information.

We, us, our, Rogers, Rogers Communications, and the Company refer to Rogers Communications Inc. and its subsidiaries. RCI refers to the legal entity Rogers Communications Inc., not including its subsidiaries. Rogers also holds interests in various investments and ventures.

In this earnings release, this quarter, the quarter, or the fourth quarter refer to the three months ended December 31, 2017, the first quarter refers to the three months ended March 31, 2017, the second quarter refers to the three months ended June 30, 2017, the third quarter refers to the three months ended September 30, 2017, and year to date or full-year refer to the twelve months ended December 31, 2017. All results commentary is compared to the equivalent periods in 2016 or as at December 31, 2016, as applicable, unless otherwise indicated.

Reporting Segments
We report our results of operations in four reporting segments. Each segment and the nature of its business is as follows:

Wireless, Cable, and Business Solutions are operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (RCCI), and certain of our other wholly-owned subsidiaries. Media is operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Media Inc., and its subsidiaries.

We intend to redefine our reporting segments effective January 1, 2018 as a result of technological evolution and the increased overlap between the various product offerings within our Cable and Business Solutions reporting segments, as well as how we allocate resources amongst, and the general management of, our reporting segments. Effective January 1, 2018, the results of our existing Cable segment, Business Solutions segment, and our Smart Home Monitoring products will be presented within a redefined Cable segment. Financial results related to our Smart Home Monitoring product are currently reported within Corporate items and intercompany eliminations. We will retrospectively amend our 2017 comparative segment results in 2018 to account for this redefinition.

Summary of Consolidated Financial Results

Results of our Reporting Segments

WIRELESS

Wireless Financial Results

Wireless Subscriber Results¹

Service revenue

The 7% increase in service revenue this quarter was a result of:

• higher blended ARPU, primarily as a result of the increased mix of subscribers on higher-rate plans from our various brands, which includes the customer-friendly Rogers Share Everything plans, and increased data usage. Our higher-rate plans typically generate higher ARPU, may allow users to pool and manage their data usage across multiple devices, and provide access to some of our other offerings, such as Roam Like Home, Fido Roam, Rogers NHL LIVE, Fido Data Bytes, and Spotify; and
• larger postpaid and prepaid subscriber bases.

The 6% increase in postpaid ARPA this quarter was primarily a result of the continued adoption of Rogers Share Everything plans and the increasing number of lines per customer account. Customers on Share Everything plans have increasingly utilized the advantages of premium offerings and access their shareable plans with multiple devices on the same account.

The 5% increase in blended ARPU this quarter was a result of the increased service revenue, as discussed above, and the adjustment to our postpaid subscriber base pertaining to the migration of a public services customer.

The increase in postpaid churn this quarter was primarily a result of heightened competitive intensity, particularly during the holiday season.

Equipment revenue
The 1% decrease in equipment revenue this quarter was a result of:

• larger average investments in higher-blended-ARPU-generating customers who purchased devices under term contracts, in part due to the heightened competitive intensity this quarter; partially offset by
• a 7% increase in device upgrades by existing subscribers; and
• higher postpaid gross additions.

Operating expenses

Cost of equipment

The 11% increase in the cost of equipment this quarter was a result of:

• a continued shift in the product mix of device sales towards higher-cost smartphones as more devices launched and we continue to invest in higher-blended-ARPU-generating customers;
• the increase in device upgrades by existing subscribers as discussed above; and
• higher postpaid gross additions.

Other operating expenses

Other operating expenses were stable this quarter as a result of:

• various cost efficiencies and productivity initiatives; offset by
• higher costs related to increased revenue, as discussed above.

Adjusted operating profit
The 9% increase in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the strong flow-through of service revenue growth discussed above.

CABLE

Cable Financial Results

Cable Subscriber Results ¹

Revenue
The 2% increase in revenue this quarter was a result of:

• the movement of Internet customers to higher speed and usage tiers; and
• the impact of service pricing changes; partially offset by
• a lower subscriber base for our Television products.

Internet revenue
The 9% increase in Internet revenue this quarter was a result of:

• general movement of customers to higher speed and usage tiers of our Internet offerings, with 54% of our residential Internet base on plans of 100 megabits per second or higher (2016 - 46%);
• a larger Internet subscriber base; and
• the impact of Internet service pricing changes; partially offset by
• more promotional pricing provided to subscribers.

Television revenue
The 4% decrease in Television revenue this quarter was a result of:

• the decline in Television subscribers over the past year; partially offset by
• the impact of Television service pricing changes, net of discounts.

Phone revenue
The 10% decrease in Phone revenue this quarter was a result of the impact of pricing.

Operating expenses
Operating expenses were stable this quarter as a result of:

• various cost efficiencies and productivity initiatives; offset by
• higher costs related to increased revenue, as discussed above.

Adjusted operating profit
The 3% increase in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue changes discussed above.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Business Solutions Financial Results

Revenue
The 4% increase in service revenue this quarter was a result of the increase in higher-margin, next generation on-net and near-net IP-based services revenue, partially offset by the continued decline in our legacy and off-net voice business.

We expect legacy service revenue will continue to decrease as we focus on migrating customers to more advanced, cost-effective IP-based services and solutions. Next generation services, which include our data centre operations, represented 86% of service revenue in the quarter (2016 - 82%).

Operating expenses
Operating expenses this quarter were in line with fourth quarter operating expenses of 2016.

Adjusted operating profit
The 7% increase in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.

MEDIA

Media Financial Results

Revenue
The 4% decrease in revenue this quarter was a result of:

• lower revenue at the Toronto Blue Jays due to the postseason in 2016; and
• lower publishing-related revenue as a result of the strategic shift to digital media announced last year; partially offset by
• higher Sportsnet revenue; and
• higher TSC merchandise sales.

Operating expenses
The 3% decrease in operating expenses this quarter was a result of:

• lower publishing-related costs as a result of the strategic shift described above; and
• lower Toronto Blue Jays costs due to costs associated with the 2016 postseason; partially offset by
• higher TSC merchandise costs.

Adjusted operating profit
The 20% decrease in adjusted operating profit this quarter was a result of the revenue and expense changes discussed above.

ADDITIONS TO PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET

Wireless
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Wireless this quarter was a result of investments made to upgrade our wireless network to continue delivering worry-free, reliable performance for our customers. We are augmenting our existing LTE network with 4.5G technology investments that are also designed to migrate to a 5G environment. This quarter, we began upgrading our radio infrastructure and made investments to activate the AWS-1 spectrum licence acquired earlier in 2017.

Cable
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Cable this quarter was a result of higher investments in network and information technology infrastructure, partially related to our forthcoming Ignite TV product (previously referred to as the X1 IP-based video platform), and to enhance the quality of our cable network. This quarter, we began upgrading our hybrid fibre-coaxial infrastructure with additional fibre deployments and further DOCSIS technology enhancements. These deployments and enhancements will lower the number of homes passed per node and incorporate the latest technologies to help deliver more bandwidth and an even more reliable customer experience.

Business Solutions
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Business Solutions this quarter was a result of higher investments in network infrastructure.

Media
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment this quarter reflect higher investments in our broadcast infrastructure and the Rogers Centre.

Corporate
The increase in additions to property, plant and equipment in Corporate this quarter was a result of higher investments in premise improvements.

Capital intensity
Capital intensity increased this quarter as a result of higher net additions to property, plant and equipment as discussed above, partially offset by higher total revenue.

Review of Consolidated Performance

This section discusses our consolidated net income and other income and expenses that do not form part of the segment discussions above.

Stock-based compensation
Our stock-based compensation, which includes stock options (with stock appreciation rights), restricted share units, and deferred share units, is generally driven by:

• the vesting of stock options and share units; and
• changes in the market price of RCI Class B shares; offset by
• the impact of certain equity derivative instruments designed to hedge a portion of the stock price appreciation risk for our stock-based compensation programs. See "Financial Risk Management" for more information about equity derivatives.

Depreciation and amortization

Total depreciation and amortization decreased this quarter primarily as a result of certain assets becoming fully amortized.

Restructuring, acquisition and other
This quarter, we incurred $31 million (2016 - $518 million) in restructuring, acquisition and other expenses. The costs this quarter were primarily a result of severance costs associated with the targeted restructuring of our employee base and certain contract termination costs. In 2016, these costs were primarily a result of the $484 million charge for asset impairment and related onerous contracts related to our legacy IPTV product. In 2017, this charge has been reported within restructuring, acquisition and other compared to a separate classification as impairment of assets and related onerous contract charges reported in 2016.

Finance costs

Interest on borrowings
Interest on borrowings decreased this quarter as a result of a marginally lower weighted average cost of financing on a lower average debt balance. See "Managing our Liquidity and Financial Resources" and "Financial Condition" for more information about our debt and related finance costs.

Income tax expense (recovery)

The effective income tax rate for the quarter was higher than the statutory tax rate primarily as a result of non-deductible equity losses recognized on certain of our investments and an increase in income tax expense as a result of a legislative tax change.

Cash income taxes paid decreased this quarter as a result of the timing of installment payments.

Net income (loss)

Adjusted net income
We calculate adjusted net income from adjusted operating profit as follows:

Managing our Liquidity and Financial Resources

Operating, investing, and financing activities

Operating activities
The 8% increase in cash provided by operating activities this quarter was primarily a result of higher net income.

Investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment, net

We spent $841 million this quarter on net additions to property, plant and equipment, before changes in non-cash working capital items, which was higher than the same period in 2016. See "Additions to Property, Plant and Equipment, net" for more information.

Financing activities
During the quarter, we repaid net amounts of $126 million (2016 - $335 million) on our short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and related derivatives. See "Financial Risk Management" for more information on the cash flows relating to our derivative instruments.

Short-term borrowings
Our short-term borrowings consist of amounts outstanding under our accounts receivable securitization program and under our US dollar-denominated commercial paper (US CP) program. Below is a summary of our short-term borrowings as at December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Below is a summary of the activity relating to our short-term borrowings for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

In March 2017, we entered into a US CP program that allowed us to issue up to a maximum aggregate principal amount of US$1 billion. In December 2017, we increased the maximum aggregate principal amount allowed under our US CP program to US$1.5 billion. Funds can be borrowed under this program with terms to maturity ranging from 1 to 397 days, subject to ongoing market conditions. Any issuances made under the US CP program will be issued at a discount. See "Financial Condition" for more information.

Concurrent with our US CP issuances, we entered into debt derivatives to hedge the foreign currency risk associated with the principal and interest components of the borrowings under the US CP program. See "Financial Risk Management" for more information.

Long-term debt
Our long-term debt consists of amounts outstanding under our bank credit facilities and letter of credit facilities and the senior notes and debentures we have issued. Below is a summary of the activity relating to our long-term debt for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Certain funds were borrowed under our revolving and non-revolving credit facilities in US dollars to take advantage of a favourable interest rate spread; we have entered into debt derivatives related to these borrowings to convert all the interest and principal payment obligations to Canadian dollars. See "Financial Risk Management" for more information.

Dividends
Below is a summary of the dividends we declared and paid on our outstanding Class A Voting and Class B Non-Voting shares in 2017 and 2016.