Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (DLB) FY 2021 MD&A

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those referred to herein due to a number of factors, including but not limited to key challenges listed below and risks described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We disclaim any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to conform our prior statements to actual results.

Investors and others should note that we disseminate information to the public about our company, our products, services and other matters through various channels, including our website (www.dolby.com), our investor relations website (http://investor.dolby.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, and webcasts, in order to achieve broad, non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public. We encourage investors and others to review the information we make public through these channels, as such information could be deemed to be material information.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered worldwide shutdowns, job losses, and other disruptions which in turn have negatively affected the global economy, including consumer purchasing activity. Because Dolby technologies are featured in a wide array of electronic products that are primarily purchased by consumers, our revenue for certain consumer products has been negatively affected by COVID-19, although we have experienced heightened demand for certain consumer products that feature our technologies, including TVs and PCs, during the pandemic. It is unclear how demand for these consumer products may change relative to demand levels experienced during the pandemic. The issues and circumstances relating to COVID-19 continue to change rapidly and are difficult to predict. We continue to monitor the evolving situation and the impact on our business.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has also affected many of our partners, resulting in the disruption of consumer products' supply chains, shortages of certain semiconductor components, and delays in shipments, product development, and product launches. Consumer demand for products that include our technologies may continue to be negatively impacted due to economic uncertainty resulting from COVID-19. These factors have impacted revenue pertaining to royalties on consumer devices and may cause delays in the adoption of our technologies by partners.

The overall cinema market has been adversely impacted by COVID-19 shelter-in-place and social distancing mandates. At various times, our exhibition partners and customers have had to either partially or fully discontinue operations. This has resulted in a significant reduction in box office receipts at Dolby Cinema sites and lower demand for our cinema products and services. It remains uncertain when and where the cinemas will be able to operate at full capacity. Most cinema locations have been permitted to resume operations, but many such locations are operating under restricted capacity.

At Dolby, we implemented work-from-home options and practices within all our offices in locations with ongoing outbreaks and put in place additional safety measures and global travel restrictions to ensure the well-being of our employees. We have enabled our employees with the tools and infrastructure they need to carry on our critical operations and progress the business forward in this remote working environment. Dolby offices in certain locations have resumed in-office work at less than full capacity, dependent on local progress against COVID-19 and applicable rules and regulations in those jurisdictions.

We expect COVID-19 will continue to have an impact for the foreseeable future, with varying degrees of impact depending on geographic location. The degree of impact on our business will depend on several factors, such as the full duration and the extent of the pandemic, the spread of Delta or other variants, the actions taken by governments, businesses and consumers in response to the pandemic, and the rate and extent of vaccine distributions to the general population, all of which continue to evolve and remain uncertain at this time.

Further discussion of the potential impacts of COVID-19 on our business can be found in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors."

EXPANDING OUR LEADERSHIP IN AUDIO AND IMAGING EXPERIENCES

We are focused on expanding our leadership in audio and imaging solutions for premium entertainment content by increasing the number of Dolby experiences that people can enjoy, which will drive revenue growth across the markets we serve. We can increase our value proposition and create opportunities by broadening Dolby technologies

32

Table of Contents

into new types of content, such as music and gaming. We are also beginning to leverage our audio and imaging expertise to expand the reach of our technologies to address content beyond premium entertainment that can create new revenue generating opportunities. Following is a discussion of the key markets that we address and the various Dolby technologies and solutions that serve these markets.

LICENSING

The majority of our licensing revenue is derived from the licensing of audio and imaging technologies for premium entertainment playback. Our audio technologies are primarily comprised of DD+, Dolby Atmos, AC-4, and our AAC and HE-AAC technologies. Our imaging technologies are primarily comprised of Dolby Vision and our AVC and HEVC technologies. Licensing revenue is primarily driven by the number of devices shipped by our licensees and by adoption of our technologies on additional devices. DD+, AC-4, and our AAC and HE-AAC audio patents (collectively, our "foundational audio technologies") have broad penetration across a diverse set of devices and end markets, and our revenue from these technologies is primarily impacted by device shipments by licensees. Revenue growth from Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, our imaging patents, and Dolby Cinema are primarily a result of increased adoption.

The availability of content in Dolby formats is an important part of creating the ecosystems that drive adoption of our technologies within a wide range of devices. Our audio and imaging technologies have a strong presence within movie and episodic content through adoption across content creators and streaming services. The availability of content on these platforms has driven strong adoption in devices such as TVs, STBs, speaker devices, and playback devices. Our audio technologies have also been broadly adopted through many forms of content, including broadcast TV, streaming, and optical disc playback.

Major streaming partners and services such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon, HBO Max, and Paramount+ continue to enable more content in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. For example, in fiscal 2021, there was an increase in the global adoption of our technologies due to streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hotstar, and iQiyi launching local content in Dolby formats in countries such as Korea, India, Thailand, and Singapore. Also, in fiscal 2021, it was announced that Amazon Prime Video will be the first to stream live Premier League matches in Dolby Atmos.

Recently, TV network operators have begun to broadcast live events in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. In fiscal 2021, Comcast enabled the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos in the U.S. Internationally, the Euro 2020 football championship was broadcast to several TV stations in Dolby Atmos. We believe broadcast experiences such as these help drive further adoption of our technologies in devices such as TVs and smartphones.

We have also enabled a broader range of content, such as music, gaming, and user-generated content. We believe enabling our technologies in these forms of content creates additional value for the adoption of Dolby within devices like mobile, PC, gaming consoles, and automotive. In fiscal 2021, several music streaming services began supporting Dolby Atmos music including Apple with their Apple Music service, Naver Vibe in Korea, Hungama Music in India, and Anghami Plus in the Middle East. Also in fiscal 2021, Vimeo, a platform to create, manage, and share videos, added support for Dolby Vision content within the Apple device ecosystem, and BiliBili, one of the largest video sharing platforms in China, launched support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Additionally, Tencent Games announced that QQ Speed Mobile was the first mobile game that supports Dolby Atmos, and BT began delivering sports content in Dolby Atmos to mobile devices via their BT Sports App.

The following are highlights from our fiscal 2021 and key challenges related to audio and imaging licensing, by market.

Broadcast

Highlights: We have an established global presence with respect to our DD+ and HE-AAC audio technologies in broadcast services and devices. In recent years, we have expanded our offerings in the broadcast market through the introduction of newer technologies, including our Dolby Atmos and AC-4 audio technologies, Dolby Vision, as well as AVC and HEVC imaging technologies which we license through patent pools.

We partner with many TV OEMs to enable Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos experiences within their TV lineups. Many such partners have continued to expand their support of the combined Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos experience. For example, in fiscal 2021, Amazon introduced a new smart TV series that will support Dolby Vision. In addition, Xiaomi in China recently launched new TV models that support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Also, in fiscal 2021, Toshiba, TCL, Skyworth, Xiaomi, and Hisense launched TVs equipped with Dolby Vision IQ.

33

Table of Contents

Dolby Vision IQ creates an enhanced viewing experience by automatically adjusting the TV picture according to the surrounding light and the type of content being viewed.

We continued to see engagement with partners supporting our newer technologies in STBs. In fiscal 2021, Comcast announced the launch of XiOne, a new wireless streaming STB that supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, for their global customers including Sky in Europe.

Key Challenges: Our pursuit of growth and further adoption of our technologies may be impacted by a number of factors. We must continue to present compelling reasons for consumers to demand our audio and imaging technologies, including ensuring that there is a breadth of available content in our formats and such content is being widely distributed. To the extent that OEMs do not incorporate our technologies in current and future products, our revenue could be impacted. Further, in certain countries, such as China, we face difficulties enforcing our contractual and IP rights, including instances in which our licensees fail to accurately report the shipment of products using our technologies.

Additionally, in the broadcast market, as well as other markets, we face geopolitical challenges including changes in diplomatic and trade relationships, trade protection measures, and import or export licensing requirements. Further, COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about consumer demand for devices and services in the broadcast market, the ability of our partners to manufacture such devices due to supply chain disruption, timing of the adoption of our technologies into new products by partners and licensees, and the timing of launches for new products.

Mobile

Highlights: We continue to focus on adoption of our technologies across major mobile ecosystems, including Apple and Android. HE-AAC and HEVC are widely adopted audio and video technologies across mobile devices, and we offer these technologies through our patent licensing programs. We also continue to focus on expanding adoption of our DD+, AC-4, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision technologies in the mobile market.

The breadth of mobile devices supporting Dolby technologies continues to increase globally. In fiscal 2021, Apple continued to deepen their adoption of the combined Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos experience across Apple mobile devices. In addition, mobile devices from Samsung, Sony, OPPO, and Lenovo support Dolby Atmos. Also in fiscal 2021, Xiaomi launched its first smartphones supporting Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Key Challenges: Growth in this market is dependent on several factors. Due to short product life cycles, mobile device OEMs can readily add or remove certain of our technologies from their devices. Our success depends on our ability to address the rapid pace of change in mobile devices, and we must continuously collaborate with mobile device OEMs to incorporate our technologies. We rely on a small number of partnerships with key participants in the mobile market. If we are unable to maintain these key relationships, we may experience a decline in mobile devices incorporating our technologies. To the extent that OEMs do not incorporate our technologies in current and future products, our revenue could be impacted. Additionally, we must continue to support the development and distribution of Dolby-enabled content via various ecosystems. Further, COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about consumer demand for devices in the mobile market, the ability of our partners to manufacture such devices due to supply chain disruption, timing of the adoption of our technologies into new products by partners and licensees, and the timing of launches for new products.

Consumer Electronics

Highlights: We have an established presence in the home entertainment market across devices such as AVRs, soundbars, smart speakers, DMAs, and Blu-Ray players, through the inclusion of our DD+ technology, and increasingly through the inclusion of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. AAC and HE-AAC technologies also have broad adoption through our patent licensing programs.

Key Challenges: We must continue to present compelling reasons for consumers to demand our technologies wherever they enjoy entertainment content, while promoting creation and broad availability of content in our formats. To the extent that OEMs do not incorporate our technologies in current and future products, our revenue could be impacted. Further, COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about consumer demand for devices in the home entertainment market, the ability of our partners to manufacture such devices due to supply chain disruption, timing of the adoption of our technologies into new products by partners and licensees, and the timing of launches for new products.

34

Table of Contents

Personal Computers

Highlights: DD+ continues to enhance audio playback in both Mac and Windows operating systems, including native support in their respective Safari and Microsoft Edge browsers. Dolby's presence in these browsers enables us to reach more users through various types of content, including streaming video entertainment. A number of PCs from partners such as Apple, Lenovo, Dell, Samsung, and ASUS also support Dolby Vision and/or Dolby Atmos, with continued expansion of applications through music, streaming, and gaming. In fiscal 2021, Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Studio, which enable playback in Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, and Dolby Atmos.

Key Challenges: PC revenue from audio technologies such as DD+ has been impacted by a decline in the portion of PCs that have optical disc functionality in recent years, which has resulted in a decline in our ASPs, and we expect this decline in ASPs to continue. We must continuously collaborate and maintain our key partnerships with PC manufacturers to incorporate our technologies, and we must continue to support the development and distribution of Dolby content via various ecosystems. Demand in the PC market has been positively impacted in recent quarters by work-from-remote policies due to COVID-19. It is unclear whether this heightened demand will be sustained. COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about the ability of our partners to manufacture such devices due to supply chain disruption, timing of the adoption of our technologies into new products by partners and licensees, and the timing of launches for new products.

Other Markets

Highlights: DD+ is incorporated in the Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles that support gaming content and streaming for movie and television content. The most recently launched Xbox gaming console supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for streaming and gaming content.

We also generate revenue from the automotive industry primarily through disc playback devices as well as other elements of the entertainment system, including in the future, enabling the playback of Dolby Atmos music. In fiscal 2021, Lucid Motors announced that their Lucid Air model is the first vehicle that features Dolby Atmos in its entertainment system. Subsequent to fiscal 2021, Mercedes-Benz announced that they expect to adopt the Dolby Atmos Car Experience in two of their luxury car models, the Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Key Challenges: Consumer demand for devices in the gaming industry is impacted by anticipation of console refresh cycles. In addition, the gaming console market has competition from mobile devices and gaming PCs, which have faster refresh cycles and appeal to a broader consumer base. Also, automotive revenue has been negatively impacted by a decline in the portion of cars that have optical disc playback in recent years. These factors may impact our future revenue. If OEMs do not incorporate our technologies in current and future products, our revenue will face downward pressure. Further, COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about consumer demand for devices in the gaming industry, the ability of our partners to manufacture such devices due to supply chain disruption, timing of the adoption of our technologies into new products by partners and licensees, and the timing of launches for new products.

In addition to licensing revenue derived from the licensing of audio and imaging technologies into the markets discussed above, we offer our audio and imaging technologies to create Dolby experiences through Dolby Cinema.

Dolby Cinema

Highlights: We continue to expand our global presence for Dolby Cinema. As of the end of fiscal 2021, we had over 260 Dolby Cinema locations established across 14 countries, as compared to over 250 Dolby Cinema locations established across 13 countries as of the end of fiscal 2020. In fiscal 2021, over 95% of those sites reopened within capacity restrictions per local regulations. The breadth of motion pictures for Dolby Cinema continues to grow with over 375 theatrical titles in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos having been announced or released from all of the major studios, as compared to over 300 theatrical titles as of the end of fiscal 2020.

Key Challenges: Although the premium large format market for the cinema industry has been growing, Dolby Cinema competes with other existing offerings. Our success depends on our partners and their success, and our ability to differentiate our offering, deploy new sites in accordance with plans, and attract and retain a global viewing audience. In addition, the success of our Dolby Cinema offering will be tied to global box office performance generally. COVID-19 has had a significant effect on theatrical exhibition, which could impact the

35

Table of Contents

financial viability of our key partners. The response to COVID-19 including the closure of cinemas, shelter-in-place mandates and government-imposed social-distancing restrictions has had a negative impact on our cinema-related revenue and consumer demand, although consumer demand for the cinema has improved recently. Further, certain studios have delayed the release of a number of new movie titles and/or are shifting towards a direct-to-streaming model, which as a result, has negatively impacted the rate of new Dolby Cinema content. It is uncertain whether consumer demand for the cinema will return to previous levels.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

A majority of our products and services revenue is derived from the sale of audio and imaging products for the cinema, television, broadcast, communication, and entertainment industries. Revenue from the sale of Dolby Conference Phones and Dolby Voice Room, a business which have exited, is included in products and services. Revenue from our recently launched developer platform, Dolby.io, is also included in products and services.

Cinema Products and Services

Highlights: To help enable the playback of content in Dolby formats, we offer a range of servers and audio processors to cinema exhibitors globally. Dolby Atmos has been adopted broadly across studios, content creators, post-production facilities, and exhibitors. As of the end of fiscal 2021, there are over 6,000 Dolby Atmos screens installed or committed and over 2,000 Dolby Atmos theatrical titles have been announced or released.

We also offer a variety of other cinema products, which include the IMS3000, an integrated imaging and audio server with Dolby Atmos, the Dolby Multichannel Amplifier, and our high-power flexible line of speakers. These products allow us to offer exhibitors a more complete Dolby Atmos solution that is often more cost effective than what was previously available to them.

Key Challenges: Demand for our cinema products is dependent upon our partners and their success in the market, industry and economic cycles, box office performance, and our ability to develop and introduce new technologies, further our relationships with content creators, and promote new cinematic audio and imaging experiences. A significant portion of our growth opportunity lies in international markets, such as China, which are subject to economic risks as well as geo-political risks. We may also be faced with pricing pressures or competing technologies, which would affect our revenue.

Additionally, the effects of COVID-19 such as the closure of cinemas, social distancing requirements, and shelter-in-place mandates have had a negative impact on demand for cinema products and services, and it remains uncertain whether it will continue to have a negative impact on the demand for these products and services. COVID-19 has also negatively impacted the financial health of our cinema customers and partners. If cinemas permanently close, our equipment may be available for resale on the secondary market, and erode the demand for new products. These conditions are likely to continue as government-imposed restrictions continue to lift in certain locations.

Dolby Voice

Highlights: Historically, we sold hardware products such as the Dolby Conference Phone and the Dolby Voice Room, that included our Dolby Voice technology. However, in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we decided to exit our conference hardware business and focus instead on expanding the availability of Dolby Voice technology through software solutions and services.

Key Challenges: As we shift away from hardware solutions, we may face challenges in how we expand our technologies to new offerings and solutions. Our success will depend on our ability to attract a robust developer community and new industry relationships as we to bring our services and technologies to market.

Developer Platform Services

Highlights: We are focused on bringing our expertise in media and communications to a broader range of content and digital experiences. For example, we are increasing our engagement with new customers across different industries through our developer platform, Dolby.io, that enables developers to access our technologies through APIs. The initial offerings include media processing APIs for analyzing and improving the sound of recorded audio files, for example, and interactivity APIs for enabling developers to embed enhanced communications experiences within their applications.

36

Table of Contents

Following the initial launch of Dolby.io, we have seen growing developer engagement with our media and interactivity APIs for use cases such as entertainment, online education and collaboration tools. For example, in fiscal 2021, we completed an integration with Box by using embedded Dolby media processing APIs, that allows Box customers to enable their users to easily enhance the quality of their audio files.

Key Challenges: Dolby.io is still considered in its initial stages of product launch, and it is uncertain when and if it will be a material revenue driver for the Company. Our success in this market will depend on the number of developers we are able to attract and maintain, the volume of usage of the service, and our ability to monetize our services. In addition, the development and maintenance needed to provide a reliable and scalable platform may require us to internally develop new skills for our current employees or hire external specialized talent. Although the market for online experiences has been growing, Dolby's interactivity API technologies compete with other offerings.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to SEC rules and regulations. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to establish accounting policies and make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses. The SEC considers an accounting policy and estimate to be critical if it is both important to a company’s financial condition or results of operations and requires significant judgment by management in its application. On a regular basis, we evaluate our assumptions, judgments, and estimates, and historically, actual results have not differed significantly from them. If actual results or events differ materially from our judgments and estimates, our reported financial condition and results of operation for future periods could be materially affected. We have reviewed the selection and development of the critical accounting policies and estimates discussed below with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

Revenue Recognition

We derive our revenue primarily from the licensing of our technologies and patents. In determining how revenue should be recognized, a five-step process is used, which requires judgment and estimates within the revenue recognition process. Generally, revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products, services or intellectual property and technologies ("IP") rights to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive in exchange for those products, services or licensing of the IP rights. The primary judgments include estimating sales-based revenue in advance of receiving statements from our licensees, estimating variable consideration, identifying the performance obligations in the contract, and determining whether the performance obligations are distinct, and allocating consideration accordingly.

Most of our licensing arrangements are structured as sales-based whereby we are paid a unit-based royalty. The unit-based sales data that triggers the royalty obligation is generally reported to us in the quarter after triggering the royalty obligation. We apply the royalty exception to these arrangements, which requires that we recognize sales-based royalties at the later of when the sales occur based on our estimates or the completion of our performance obligations. Our estimates of royalty-based revenue take into consideration the macroeconomic effect of global events, such as COVID-19 or other natural disasters which may impact supply chain activities as well as demand for shipments. These estimates also involve the use of historical data and judgment for several key attributes including industry estimates of expected shipments, the percentage of markets using our technologies, and average sale prices. Generally, our estimates represent the current period’s shipments for which we expect our licensees to submit royalty statements in the following quarter. Upon receipt of royalty statements from the licensees with the actual reporting of sales-based royalties that we previously estimated, we record a favorable or unfavorable adjustment based on the difference, if any, between estimated and actual sales.

We also enter into fixed and guaranteed licensing fees arrangements, which require the licensee to pay a fixed, non-refundable fee. In these cases, control is transferred and the transaction price - the amount we expect to be entitled to in exchange for the license right - is recognized upon the later of contract execution or the effective date. Transaction price is determined at contract execution and, to the extent variable consideration applies, is updated each subsequent reporting period until the completion of the contract. We evaluate whether other distinct performance obligations exist, such as PCS, and determine the stand-alone selling price based on the actual selling prices made to customers. If the performance obligation is not sold separately, we estimate the stand-alone selling price. We do so by considering market conditions such as competitor pricing strategies, customer specific information and industry technology lifecycles, internal conditions such as cost and pricing practices, or applying the residual approach method when the selling price of the good, most commonly a license, is highly variable or uncertain. In addition, we evaluate

37

Table of Contents

whether a significant financing component exists when we recognize revenue in advance of customer payments that occur over time and extend beyond one year. In general, if the payment arrangements extend beyond the first year of the contract, we treat a portion of the payments as a financing component. The discount rate used for each arrangement reflects the rate that would be used in a separate financing transaction between us and the licensee at contract inception and takes into account the credit characteristics of the licensee and market interest rates as of the date of the agreement. As such, the amount of fixed fee revenue recognized at the beginning of the license term will be reduced by the calculated financing component. The portion related to the financing component is recorded as interest income, and is not material to our consolidated financial statements.

For additional information, see Note 3 "Revenue Recognition" to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

IMPACT OF NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOT YET ADOPTED

For information on recent accounting standards that have not been adopted yet and the impact of these standards on our consolidated financial statements, refer to Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" to our consolidated financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

For each line item included on our consolidated statements of operations described and analyzed below, the significant factors identified as the leading drivers contributing to the overall fluctuation are presented in descending order of their impact on the overall change (from an absolute value perspective). This discussion and analysis highlights comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended September 24, 2021 and September 25, 2020. For the discussion and analysis highlighting comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended September 25, 2020 and September 27, 2019, refer to Part II, Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 25, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference. Note that adjustments related to previously under-reported sales-based royalties as well as unlicensed settlement activity, are collectively referred to as "recoveries." Amounts displayed, except percentages, are in thousands.

Revenue and Gross Margin

Licensing

Licensing revenue consists of fees earned from licensing our technologies to customers who incorporate them into their products and services to enable and enhance audio and imaging capabilities. The technologies that we license are either internally developed, acquired, or licensed from third parties. A significant portion of our licensing revenue pertains to customer-shipment royalties that we recognize based on estimates of our licensees’ shipments. To the extent that shipment data reported by licensees differs from estimates we made and recorded, we recognize an adjustment to revenue for such difference in the period we receive the reported shipment data.

Our cost of licensing consists mainly of amortization of certain purchased intangible assets and intangible assets acquired in business combinations, depreciation, third party royalty obligations, and patent pool fees.

38

Table of Contents

Products and Services

Products revenue is generated from the sale of audio and voice products for the cinema, television broadcast, and communications. Also included in products revenue are amounts relating to certain Dolby Cinema arrangements that are considered sales-type leases that involve fixed or minimum fees. Cost of products includes materials, labor, manufacturing overhead, amortization of certain intangible assets, and certain third party royalty obligations.

Services revenue consists of fees charged to support theatrical and television production for cinema exhibition, broadcast, and home entertainment, including equipment training and maintenance, mixing room alignment, equalization, as well as audio, color, and light image calibration. Services revenue also includes PCS for products sold and equipment installed at Dolby Cinema theaters operated by exhibitor partners and support for the implementation of our technologies into products manufactured by our licensees. Also included in services revenue are amounts generated through our Dolby.io developer platform. Cost of services consists of personnel and personnel-related costs for providing our professional services, software maintenance and support, external consultants, and other direct expenses incurred on behalf of customers.

39

Table of Contents

Operating Expenses

Research and Development

R&D expenses consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits expenses, stock-based compensation, consulting and contract labor costs, depreciation and amortization, facilities costs, costs for outside materials, and information technology expenses.

Sales and Marketing

S&M expenses consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits expenses, stock-based compensation, marketing and promotional expenses for events such as trade shows and conferences, marketing campaigns, travel-related expenses, consulting fees, facilities costs, depreciation and amortization, information technology expenses, and legal costs associated with the protection of our IP.

40

Table of Contents

General and Administrative

G&A expenses consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits expenses, stock-based compensation, depreciation, facilities and information technology costs, as well as professional fees and other costs associated with external consulting and contract labor.

Gain on Sale of Assets

In fiscal year 2019, management committed to a plan to sell a property, which included land and a building, after the lease on the property expired and we re-assessed the real estate needs of our business. This property had a carrying value of $2.2 million as of September 25, 2020. In the fiscal 2021, we finalized the sale of this property, and as a result, we realized a gain of $13.9 million, which was recorded to gain on sale of assets on the consolidated statements of operations. Refer to "Net Income Attributable to Controlling Interest" section below for more information.

Restructuring Charges

Restructuring charges recorded as operating expenses in our consolidated statements of operations represent costs associated with separate individual restructuring plans implemented in various fiscal periods. The extent of our costs arising as a result of these actions, including fluctuations in related balances between fiscal periods, is based on the nature of activities under the various plans.

Restructuring charges recorded in fiscal 2021 of $9.5 million were incurred in relation to our fiscal 2021 plan to reduce certain activities, such as exiting our conferencing hardware business, in order to focus our efforts on higher priority investment areas, and reduce the cost structure of our manufacturing operations. These costs represented severance and related benefits that were offered to approximately 100 employees impacted by this action. For additional information on our Restructuring programs, see Note 13 "Restructuring" to our consolidated financial statements.

41

Table of Contents

Other Income/Expense

Other income/expense primarily consists of interest income earned on cash and investments and the net gains or losses from foreign currency transactions, derivative instruments, and sales of marketable securities from our investment portfolio.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rate is based on our fiscal year results and is affected by several factors. These reflect the current statutory rates in our domestic and foreign jurisdictions, the relative income earned in our foreign jurisdictions, and nonrecurring items such as changes to our unrecognized tax benefits that may occur in but are not necessarily consistent between periods. For additional information related to effective tax rates, see Note 12 "Income Taxes" to our consolidated financial statements.

Net Income Attributable to Controlling Interest

In fiscal 2021, we finalized the sale of a property, which included land and building, and as a result, we recognized a gain of $13.9 million from this transaction, which was recorded to gain on sale of assets on the consolidated statements of operations. The property was 51% owned by the controlling interest, and therefore 51% of the gain on sale of assets has been attributed to the controlling interest.

LIQUIDITY, CAPITAL RESOURCES, AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash, cash equivalents, and investments, as well as cash flows from operations. We believe that these sources will be sufficient to satisfy our currently anticipated cash requirements through at least the next twelve months.

As of September 24, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of $1,225.4 million, which mainly consisted of cash and highly-liquid money market funds. In addition, we had short and long-term investments of $101.7 million,

42

Table of Contents

which consisted primarily of corporate bonds, municipal debt securities, government bonds, commercial paper, U.S. agency securities, and certificates of deposit.

The following table presents selected financial information as of the fiscal years ended September 24, 2021 and September 25, 2020 (in thousands):

Capital Expenditures and Uses of Capital

Our capital expenditures consist of purchases of land, building, building fixtures, laboratory equipment, office equipment, computer hardware and software, leasehold improvements, and production and test equipment. Included in capital expenditures are amounts associated with Dolby Cinema locations. We continue to invest in S&M and R&D to promote the overall growth of our business and technological innovation.

We retain sufficient cash holdings to support our operations, and we also purchase investment grade securities diversified among security types, industries, and issuers. We have used cash generated from our operations to fund a variety of activities related to our business in addition to our ongoing operations, including business expansion and growth, acquisitions, and repurchases of our Class A common stock. We have historically generated significant cash from operations. However, these cash flows and the value of our investment portfolio could be affected by various risks and uncertainties, as described in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors."

Shareholder Return

We have returned cash to stockholders through both repurchases of Class A common stock under our repurchase program initiated in fiscal 2010 and our quarterly dividend program initiated in fiscal 2015. Refer to Note 9 "Stockholders' Equity and Stock-Based Compensation" to our consolidated financial statements for a summary of dividend payments made under the program during fiscal 2021 and additional information regarding our stock repurchase program.

Stock Repurchase Program. Our stock repurchase program was approved in fiscal 2010, and since then we have completed approximately $2.1 billion of stock repurchases under the program.

Quarterly Dividend Program. During fiscal 2015, we initiated a recurring quarterly cash dividend program for our stockholders. For fiscal 2021, quarterly dividends of $0.22 per share were paid on our Class A and Class B common stock to eligible stockholders of record.

Cash Flows Analysis

For the following comparative analysis performed for each of the sections of the statement of cash flows, the significant factors identified as the leading drivers contributing to the fluctuation are presented in descending order of their impact relative to the overall change (amounts displayed in thousands).

Operating Activities

43

Table of Contents

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $103.9 million in fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the following:

Investing Activities

Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities was $179.3 million lower in fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the following:

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $44.7 million higher in fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020, primarily due to the following:

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table presents a summary of our contractual obligations and commitments as of September 24, 2021 (in thousands):

Naming Rights.    We are party to an agreement for naming rights and related benefits with respect to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, the location of the Academy Awards®. The term of the agreement is 20 years, over which we will make payments on a semi-annual basis until fiscal 2032. For additional details regarding our naming rights commitments, see Note 14 "Commitments and Contingencies" to our consolidated financial statements.

44

Table of Contents

Operating Leases.    Operating lease payments represent our commitments for future minimum rent made under non-cancelable leases for office space, including those payable to our principal stockholder and portions attributable to the controlling interests in our wholly owned subsidiaries. For additional details regarding our leases, see Note 7 "Leases" to our consolidated financial statements.

Purchase Obligations.    Purchase obligations primarily consist of our commitments made under agreements to purchase goods and services related to Dolby Cinema and for purposes that include IT and telecommunications, marketing and professional services, and manufacturing and other R&D activities.

Donation Commitments.    Our donation commitments relate to non-cancelable obligations that consist of maintenance services and installation of imaging and audio products in exchange for various marketing, branding, and publicity benefits. For additional details regarding our donation commitments, see Note 14 "Commitments and Contingencies" to our consolidated financial statements.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits.    As of September 24, 2021, we had an accrued liability for unrecognized tax benefits without interest, penalties, and related deferred tax assets, totaling $66.1 million. We are unable to estimate when any cash settlement with a taxing authority might occur and, therefore, have not reflected these anticipated future outflows in the table above.

Indemnification Clauses

We are party to certain contractual agreements under which we have agreed to provide indemnification of varying scope and duration to the other party relating to our licensed IP. Historically, we have not made any payments for these indemnification obligations and no amounts have been accrued in our consolidated financial statements with respect to these obligations. Since the terms and conditions of the indemnification clauses do not explicitly specify our obligations, we are unable to reasonably estimate the maximum potential exposure for which we could be liable. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our officers, directors, and certain employees, and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations. For additional details regarding indemnification clauses within our contractual agreements, see Note 14 "Commitments and Contingencies" to our consolidated financial statements.

In fiscal 2021, we did not enter into any off-balance sheet arrangements that are expected to have a material effect on Dolby's liquidity or the availability of capital resources.