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Employee Benefit Plans | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items] |
Employee Benefit Plans |
Note 13: Employee Benefit Plans
Deferred Compensation Plans
Year ended December 31 (in millions) | 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |
Benefit obligation | $ | 3,273 |  | $ | 2,885 |  | $ | 2,539 |
Interest expense | $ | 285 |  | $ | 222 |  | $ | 209 |
We maintain unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plans for certain members of management and nonemployee directors. The amount of compensation deferred by each participant is based on participant elections. Participant accounts are credited with income primarily based on a fixed annual rate. Participants are eligible to receive distributions from their account based on elected deferral periods that are consistent with the plans and applicable tax law. We have purchased life insurance policies to recover a portion of the future payments related to our deferred compensation plans. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the cash surrender value of these policies, which is recorded to other noncurrent assets, was $423 million and $351 million, respectively. Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans We sponsor several 401(k) defined contribution retirement plans that allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their compensation through payroll deductions in accordance with specified plan guidelines. We make contributions to the plans that include matching a percentage of the employees’ contributions up to certain limits. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, expenses related to these plans totaled $573 million, $546 million and $458 million, respectively. We sponsor a retiree health and welfare benefit plan that provides postretirement benefits to eligible employees. The plan provides, to eligible employees who retire from Comcast or its subsidiaries, an annual stipend for reimbursement of certain eligible healthcare costs. The amount of the stipend for an eligible retiree is fixed at a predetermined amount based on the retiree’s years of service and whether the retiree is eligible for Medicare. NBCUniversal sponsors various nonqualified defined benefit pension plans for domestic employees. The future benefits for these plans have been frozen since the beginning of 2013. In addition to the defined benefit plans it sponsors, NBCUniversal is also obligated to reimburse The General Electric Company (“GE”) for future benefit payments to those participants who were vested in the supplemental pension plan sponsored by GE at the time of the NBCUniversal transaction in 2011. These plans are all unfunded and not material. We participate in various multiemployer benefit plans, including pension and postretirement benefit plans, that cover some of our employees and temporary employees who are represented by labor unions. We also participate in other multiemployer benefit plans that provide health and welfare and retirement savings benefits to active and retired participants. If we cease to be obligated to make contributions or were to otherwise withdraw from participation in any of these plans, applicable law would require us to fund our allocable share of the unfunded vested benefits, which is known as a withdrawal liability. In addition, actions taken by other participating employers may lead to adverse changes in the financial condition of one of these plans, which could result in an increase in our withdrawal liability. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, the total contributions we made to multiemployer benefit plans were not material. Severance Benefits We provide severance benefits to certain former employees. A liability is recorded when payment is probable, the amount is reasonably estimable, and the obligation relates to rights that have vested or accumulated. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, we recorded severance costs of $359 million, $243 million and $203 million, respectively.
NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member] |
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items] |
Employee Benefit Plans |
Note 12: Employee Benefit Plans
Deferred Compensation Plans
Year ended December 31 (in millions) | 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017 |
Benefit obligation | $ | 858 |  | $ | 719 |  | $ | 621 |
Interest expense | $ | 99 |  | $ | 58 |  | $ | 64 |
Certain members of management participate in Comcast’s unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plans as well as similar plans sponsored by us. The amount of compensation deferred by each participant is based on participant elections. Participant accounts are credited with income primarily based on a fixed annual rate. Participants are eligible to receive distributions from their account based on elected deferral periods that are consistent with the plans and applicable tax law. Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans We sponsor several defined contribution retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, that allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their compensation through payroll deductions in accordance with specified plan guidelines. We make contributions to the plans that include matching a percentage of the employees’ contributions up to certain limits. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, expenses related to these plans totaled $229 million, $213 million and $201 million, respectively. We provide postretirement benefits to eligible employees through a retiree health and welfare benefits plan. The plan provides credit to employees for length of service provided before Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal. The plan provides eligible employees who retire with an annual stipend for reimbursement of certain eligible healthcare costs. The amount of the stipend for an eligible retiree is fixed at a predetermined amount based on the retiree’s years of service and whether the retiree is eligible for Medicare. We sponsor various nonqualified defined benefit pension plans for domestic employees. The future benefits for these plans have been frozen since the beginning of 2013. In addition to the defined benefit plans we sponsor, we are also obligated to reimburse The General Electric Company (“GE”) for future benefit payments to those participants who were vested in the supplemental pension plan sponsored by GE at the time of Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal. These plans are all unfunded and not material. We participate in various multiemployer benefit plans, including pension and postretirement benefit plans, that cover some of our employees and temporary employees who are represented by labor unions. We also participate in other multiemployer benefit plans that provide health and welfare and retirement savings benefits to active and retired participants. If we cease to be obligated to make contributions or were to otherwise withdraw from participation in any of these plans, applicable law would require us to fund our allocable share of the unfunded vested benefits, which is known as a withdrawal liability. In addition, actions taken by other participating employers may lead to adverse changes in the financial condition of one of these plans, which could result in an increase in our withdrawal liability. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, the total contributions we made to multiemployer benefit plans were not material. Severance Benefits We provide severance benefits to certain former employees. A liability is recorded when payment is probable, the amount is reasonably estimable, and the obligation relates to rights that have vested or accumulated. In 2019, 2018 and 2017, we recorded severance costs of $125 million, $146 million and $108 million, respectively.

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