INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

The following table details the composition of our intangible assets at year-end 2021 and 2020:


($ in millions)	At Year-End 2021		At Year-End 2020
Definite-lived Intangible Assets
Costs incurred to obtain contracts with customers	$	1,875	$	1,674
Contracts acquired in business combinations and other	2,187		2,257
	4,062		3,931
Accumulated amortization	(1,052)		(937)
	3,010		2,994
Indefinite-lived Intangible Brand Assets	5,916		5,995
	$	8,926	$	8,989

We capitalize direct costs that we incur to obtain management, franchise, and license agreements. We amortize these costs on a straight-line basis over the initial term of the agreements, ranging from 15 to 30 years. In 2020, we recorded impairment charges totaling $64 million in the “Contract investment amortization” caption of our Income Statements to reduce the carrying amount of certain capitalized costs incurred to obtain contracts with customers, primarily due to the impact of COVID-19, most of which we recorded in our U.S. & Canada business segment.

For contracts acquired in business combinations and other intangible assets, we recorded amortization expense of $165 million in 2021, $97 million in 2020, and $105 million in 2019 (of which $62 million in 2021 and none in 2020 and 2019 was included in the “Reimbursed expenses” caption of our Income Statements). For these assets, we estimate that our aggregate amortization expense will be $163 million in 2022, $147 million in 2023, $134 million in 2024, $122 million in 2025, and $110 million in 2026.

The following table details the carrying amount of our goodwill at year-end 2021 and 2020:


($ in millions)	U.S. & Canada		International		Total Goodwill










Balance at year-end 2020	$	5,347	$	3,828	$	9,175



Foreign currency translation	1		(103)		(102)




Balance at year-end 2021	$	5,348	$	3,725	$	9,073