v3.26.1
Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($)
 6 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Dec. 31, 2025
Jun. 30, 2024
Jun. 30, 2023
Jun. 30, 2022
Jun. 30, 2021
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure, Table  
Value of Initial Fixed $100
Investment Based on:		Company
Selected
Performance
Measure
Year
Summary
Compensation
Table Total
for PEO ($)(1)
Compensation
Actually Paid
for PEO ($)(2)
Average
Summary
Compensation
Table Total for
Non-PEO
NEOs ($)(3)
Average
Compensation
Actually Paid
for Non-PEO
NEOs ($)(4)
Total
Shareholder
Return ($)(5)
Peer Group
Total
Shareholder
Return
($)(5)(6)
(GAAP)
Net
Income (Loss)
($000s)(7)
Adjusted
Operating
Income (Loss)
($000s)(8)
202514,284,275 215,581,326 4,734,461 9,617,714 274.58 291.10 33,405 261,824 
TP 202417,997,716 27,631,283 3,155,081 3,655,625 116.44 213.79 (231,233)22,662 
202427,441,193 29,168,063 4,625,124 4,492,350 101.25 193.67 (200,649)80,731 
202316,310,205 12,079,152 3,038,031 2,642,673 79.10 131.39 505,680 (122,520)
202219,243,679 9,274,510 3,756,214 2,727,399 70.16 105.96 (190,147)133,555 
20218,323,840 (741,453)3,228,102 3,411,600 111.96 157.08 (395,560)(271,012)
        
Company Selected Measure Name   adjusted operating income        
Named Executive Officers, Footnote   The dollar amounts reported for the PEO, Mr. Dolan, under “Summary Compensation Table Total” are the amounts of total compensation reported for Mr. Dolan for each corresponding reporting period in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table.
(3)The dollar amounts reported under “Average Summary Compensation Total for Non-PEO NEOs” represent the average of the amounts reported for the Company’s NEOs as a group (excluding Mr. Dolan) in the “Total” column of the Summary Compensation Table in each applicable reporting period. The NEOs included for purposes of calculating the average amounts in each applicable reporting period are as follows: (i) for 2025, Robert Langer, Jennifer Koester, David Granville-Smith, Christopher Winters, Andrea Greenberg, Laura Franco and Gregory Brunner; (ii) for the 2024 Transition Period, Jennifer Koester, Andrea Greenberg, David Granville-Smith, Gregory Brunner and David F. Byrnes; (iii) for 2024, David F. Byrnes, Jennifer Koester, Andrea Greenberg, David Granville-Smith, Gregory Brunner, and Gautam Ranji; (iv) for 2023, Andrea Greenberg, David Granville-Smith, Gautam Ranji, Gregory Brunner, David F. Byrnes, Jamal H. Haughton, and Philip G. D’Ambrosio; (v) for 2022, Andrea Greenberg, David F. Byrnes, Jamal H. Haughton, Philip G. D’Ambrosio, Andrew Lustgarten, Mark H. FitzPatrick, and Scott S. Packman; and (vi) for 2021, Andrew Lustgarten, Mark H. FitzPatrick, Scott S. Packman, and Philip G. D’Ambrosio.
        
Peer Group Issuers, Footnote  
(6)As permitted by SEC rules, the peer group referenced for purposes of “Peer Group Total Shareholder Return” is the S&P 500 Media & Entertainment Index, which is the industry index reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 201(e). In prior years, we used the Bloomberg Americas Entertainment Index; however, that index was discontinued in 2025 by Bloomberg. Accordingly, we have used the S&P 500 Media & Entertainment Index as a replacement for the discontinued index and because the Bloomberg Americas Entertainment Index was discontinued, we are unable to compare our cumulative total return with that index.
        
PEO Total Compensation Amount $ 17,997,716 $ 14,284,275 $ 27,441,193 $ 16,310,205 $ 19,243,679 $ 8,323,840
PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount 27,631,283 $ 215,581,326 29,168,063 12,079,152 9,274,510 (741,453)
Adjustment To PEO Compensation, Footnote   The dollar amounts reported for Mr. Dolan under “Compensation Actually Paid” represent the amount of CAP to Mr. Dolan, as computed in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K. In accordance with the requirements of Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the adjustments in the table below were made to Mr. Dolan’s total compensation for 2025 to determine CAP:
James L. Dolan
2025
Total Compensation as reported in Summary Compensation Table14,284,275 
Subtract change in pension value as reported in Summary Compensation Table— 
Add pension value attributable to covered reporting period’s service and any change in such value attributable to plan amendments made in covered reporting period— 
Subtract value of equity awards as reported in Summary Compensation Table(13,027,275)
Add reporting period-end fair value of equity awards granted in covered reporting period that were unvested at end of covered reporting period60,215,259 
Add change in fair value from end of prior reporting period to vesting date for awards made in prior reporting periods that vested during covered reporting period3,166,503 
Add vesting date fair value of equity awards granted in covered reporting period that vested during covered reporting period— 
Add change in fair value from end of prior reporting period to end of covered reporting period for awards granted in prior reporting periods that were unvested at end of covered reporting period(a)
150,942,564 
Subtract fair value of awards forfeited in covered reporting period determined at end of prior reporting period— 
Add dividends or other earnings paid on stock or option awards in covered reporting period that are not otherwise included in total compensation for covered reporting period— 
Compensation Actually Paid to PEO*(a)
215,581,326 
______________
*    Note: Numbers in rows may not sum due to rounding.
(a)Includes change in fair value of Company awards granted prior to the MSGE Distribution.
        
Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount 3,155,081 $ 4,734,461 4,625,124 3,038,031 3,756,214 3,228,102
Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount 3,655,625 $ 9,617,714 4,492,350 2,642,673 2,727,399 3,411,600
Adjustment to Non-PEO NEO Compensation Footnote   The dollar amounts reported under “Average Compensation Actually Paid for Non-PEO NEOs” represent the average amount of CAP to the NEOs as a group (excluding Mr. Dolan), as computed in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K. In accordance with the requirements of Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the adjustments in the table below were made to the Non-PEO NEOs’ total compensation for 2025 to determine CAP:
Non-PEO NEO Averages
2025
Total Compensation as reported in Summary Compensation Table4,734,461 
Subtract change in pension value as reported in Summary Compensation Table(2,970)
Add pension value attributable to covered reporting period’s service and any change in such value attributable to plan amendments made in covered reporting period— 
Subtract value of equity awards as reported in Summary Compensation Table(2,450,214)
Add reporting period-end fair value of equity awards granted in covered reporting period that were unvested at end of covered reporting period2,772,220 
Add change in fair value from end of prior reporting period to vesting date for awards made in prior reporting periods that vested during covered reporting period492,922 
Add vesting date fair value of equity awards granted in covered reporting period that vested during covered reporting period97,754 
Add change in fair value from end of prior reporting period to end of covered reporting period for awards granted in prior reporting periods that were unvested at end of covered reporting period(a)
4,404,735 
Subtract fair value of awards forfeited in covered reporting period determined at end of prior reporting period(431,194)
Add dividends or other earnings paid on stock or option awards in covered reporting period that are not otherwise included in total compensation for covered reporting period— 
Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs*(a)
9,617,714 
______________
*    Note: Numbers in rows may not sum due to rounding.
(a)Includes change in fair value of Company awards granted prior to the MSGE Distribution.
        
Compensation Actually Paid vs. Total Shareholder Return  
5833
        
Compensation Actually Paid vs. Net Income  
5825
        
Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure  
5829
        
Total Shareholder Return Vs Peer Group  
5838
        
Tabular List, Table   The most important performance measures used by the Company to link CAP to the Company’s NEOs for 2025 to the Company’s performance are:
•AOI; and
•Company business unit strategic objectives. 		       
Total Shareholder Return Amount 116.44 $ 274.58 101.25 79.10 70.16 111.96
Peer Group Total Shareholder Return Amount 213.79 291.10 193.67 131.39 105.96 157.08
Net Income (Loss) $ (231,233,000) $ 33,405,000 $ (200,649,000) $ 505,680,000 $ (190,147,000) $ (395,560,000)
Company Selected Measure Amount 22,662,000 261,824,000 80,731,000 (122,520,000) 133,555,000 (271,012,000)
PEO Name   Mr. Dolan        
Additional 402(v) Disclosure  
PAY VERSUS PERFORMANCE
As required by Section 953(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”) and Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the table below sets forth information about the relationship between compensation actually paid (“CAP”) to our principal executive officer (“PEO”) and Non-PEO NEOs and certain financial performance measures of the Company and how the Company aligns executive compensation with the Company’s performance.
CAP represents an amount calculated in accordance with the SEC’s prescribed formula pursuant to Dodd-Frank and does not represent compensation actually paid to or earned by our NEOs in any reporting period. Neither the Compensation Committee nor the Company directly used this information when making compensation-related decisions for any reporting period. For further information concerning the Company’s variable pay-for-performance philosophy and how the Company aligns executive compensation with Company performance, refer to the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement.
Cumulative Total Shareholder Return is calculated by dividing the sum of the cumulative amount of dividends for the measurement period, assuming dividend reinvestment, and the difference between the company’s share price at the end and the beginning of the measurement period by the company’s share price at the beginning of the measurement period.Reflects Net Income as reported in our Transition Report on Form 10-KT or Annual Report on Form 10-K for the relevant reporting period, as applicable. Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Sphere Stockholders was $33,405 in 2025, $(231,233) in the 2024 Transition Period, $(200,649) in fiscal year 2024, $502,772 in fiscal year 2023, $(194,395) in fiscal year 2022, and $(377,192) in fiscal year 2021.
Financial Performance Measures
As described in greater detail in the “Compensation Discussion & Analysis” section of this proxy statement, our approach to executive compensation is designed to directly link pay to performance, recognize both corporate and individual performance, promote long-term stock ownership, attract, retain and motivate talented executives, and balance risk and reward while taking into consideration stakeholder feedback as well as market trends and practices.
Analysis of the Information Presented in the Pay versus Performance Table
While we utilize several performance measures to align executive compensation with performance, all of those measures are not presented in the Pay versus Performance Table. Moreover, the Company generally seeks to incentivize long-term performance, and therefore does not specifically align the Company’s performance measures with CAP for a particular reporting period. In accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following graphic descriptions of the relationships between information presented in the Pay versus Performance Table.
        
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Stockholders $ (231,233,000) $ 33,405,000 $ (200,649,000) $ 502,772,000 $ (194,395,000) $ (377,192,000)
Measure:: 1            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Name   AOI        
Non-GAAP Measure Description   Reflects adjusted operating income as defined in our Transition Report on Form 10-KT or Annual Report on Form 10-K for the relevant reporting period, as applicable.        
Measure:: 3            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Name   Company business unit strategic objectives        
PEO | Aggregate Change in Present Value of Accumulated Benefit for All Pension Plans Reported in Summary Compensation Table            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   $ 0        
PEO | Pension Adjustments Prior Service Cost            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   0        
PEO | Aggregate Grant Date Fair Value of Equity Award Amounts Reported in Summary Compensation Table            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   (13,027,275)        
PEO | Year-end Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Covered Year that are Outstanding and Unvested            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   60,215,259        
PEO | Year-over-Year Change in Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Prior Years That are Outstanding and Unvested            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   150,942,564        
PEO | Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted and Vested in Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   0        
PEO | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Prior Year Equity Awards Vested in Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   3,166,503        
PEO | Prior Year End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Any Prior Year that Fail to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   0        
PEO | Dividends or Other Earnings Paid on Equity Awards not Otherwise Reflected in Total Compensation for Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   0        
Non-PEO NEO | Aggregate Change in Present Value of Accumulated Benefit for All Pension Plans Reported in Summary Compensation Table            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   (2,970)        
Non-PEO NEO | Pension Adjustments Prior Service Cost            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   0        
Non-PEO NEO | Aggregate Grant Date Fair Value of Equity Award Amounts Reported in Summary Compensation Table            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   (2,450,214)        
Non-PEO NEO | Year-end Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Covered Year that are Outstanding and Unvested            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   2,772,220        
Non-PEO NEO | Year-over-Year Change in Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Prior Years That are Outstanding and Unvested            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   4,404,735        
Non-PEO NEO | Vesting Date Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted and Vested in Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   97,754        
Non-PEO NEO | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Prior Year Equity Awards Vested in Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   492,922        
Non-PEO NEO | Prior Year End Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Any Prior Year that Fail to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   (431,194)        
Non-PEO NEO | Dividends or Other Earnings Paid on Equity Awards not Otherwise Reflected in Total Compensation for Covered Year            
Pay vs Performance Disclosure            
Adjustment to Compensation, Amount   $ 0