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Related Party Transactions (Notes) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Related Party Transactions [Abstract] |
Related Party Transactions | Related Party Transactions The following sets forth certain transactions in which the Company and a director, executive officer, or other related party of the Company are involved or, in the case of the management arrangements, subsidiaries that are debt issuers that pay certain of their parent companies for services. Charter is a party to management arrangements with its subsidiary, Spectrum Management Holding Company, LLC ("Spectrum Management"), and certain of their subsidiaries. Under these agreements, Charter, Spectrum Management and Charter Holdco provide management services for the cable systems owned or operated by their subsidiaries. Costs associated with providing these services are charged directly to the Company’s operating subsidiaries. All other costs incurred on behalf of Charter’s operating subsidiaries are considered a part of the management fee. These costs are recorded as a component of operating costs and expenses, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The management fee charged to the Company’s operating subsidiaries approximated the expenses incurred by Spectrum Management, Charter Holdco and Charter on behalf of the Company’s operating subsidiaries in 2024, 2023 and 2022. Liberty Broadband and A/N Under the terms of the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement among Charter, Liberty Broadband and A/N, dated as of May 23, 2015 (the “Existing Stockholders Agreement”), as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement and the Letter Agreement, dated as of November 12, 2024 (the “Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment”), the number of Charter’s directors is fixed at 13. Two designees selected by A/N are members of the board of directors of Charter and three designees selected by Liberty Broadband are members of Charter's Board of Directors. The remaining eight directors are not designated by either A/N or Liberty Broadband. Each of A/N and Liberty Broadband is entitled to nominate at least one director to each of the committees of Charter’s Board of Directors, subject to applicable stock exchange listing rules and certain specified voting or equity ownership thresholds for each of A/N and Liberty Broadband, and provided that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation and Benefit Committee each have at least a majority of directors independent from A/N, Liberty Broadband and Charter (referred to as the “unaffiliated directors”). Each of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation and Benefits Committee is currently comprised of three unaffiliated directors and one designee of each of A/N and Liberty Broadband. A/N and Liberty Broadband also have certain other committee designation and governance rights. A description of the terms of the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment is set forth below under “Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment.” In December 2016, Charter and A/N entered into a letter agreement, as amended in December 2017 (the “A/N Letter Agreement”) that requires A/N to sell to Charter or to Charter Holdings, on a monthly basis, a number of shares of Charter Class A common stock or Charter Holdings common units that represents a pro rata participation by A/N and its affiliates in any repurchases of shares of Charter Class A common stock from persons other than A/N effected by Charter during the immediately preceding calendar month, at a purchase price equal to the average price paid by Charter for the shares repurchased from persons other than A/N during such immediately preceding calendar month. A/N and Charter both have the right to terminate or suspend the pro rata repurchase arrangement on a prospective basis. Pursuant to the TRA between Charter and A/N, Charter must pay to A/N 50% of the tax benefit when realized by Charter from the step-up in tax basis resulting from any future exchange or sale of the common units. See Note 16 for more information. In February 2021, Charter and Liberty Broadband entered into a letter agreement (the “Existing LBB Letter Agreement”), as amended by the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment. The Existing LBB Letter Agreement implemented Liberty Broadband’s obligations under the Existing Stockholders Agreement to participate in share repurchases by Charter. Under the Existing LBB Letter Agreement, Liberty Broadband sold to Charter, generally on a monthly basis, a number of shares of Charter Class A common stock representing an amount sufficient for Liberty Broadband’s ownership of Charter to be reduced such that it did not exceed the ownership cap then applicable to Liberty Broadband under the Existing Stockholders Agreement at a purchase price per share equal to the volume weighted average price per share paid by Charter for shares repurchased during such immediately preceding calendar month other than (i) purchases from A/N, (ii) purchases in privately negotiated transactions or (iii) purchases for the withholding of shares of Charter Class A common stock pursuant to equity compensation programs of Charter. The Existing LBB Letter Agreement was amended on November 12, 2024 pursuant to the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment as described below under “Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment.” Gregory Maffei, a director of Charter and former President and CEO and director and holder of a 3.7% voting interest in Liberty Broadband, is Chairman of the board of directors of Qurate Retail, Inc. ("Qurate") and Dr. John Malone, Chairman of the board of directors of Liberty Broadband and holder of a 48.5% voting interest in Liberty Broadband, also serves on the Qurate board of directors. As reported in SEC filings of Qurate, Mr. Maffei and Dr. Malone, Mr. Maffei has ownership of an approximate 18.5% voting interest in Qurate and Dr. Malone has ownership of an approximate 6.5% voting interest in Qurate. Qurate wholly owns HSN, Inc. (“HSN”) and QVC, Inc. (“QVC”). The Company has programming relationships with HSN and QVC. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded revenue in aggregate of approximately $48 million, $47 million and $43 million, respectively, from HSN and QVC as part of channel carriage fees and revenue sharing arrangements for home shopping sales made to customers in the Company’s footprint. Liberty Broadband Combination On November 12, 2024, Charter, Liberty Broadband, Fusion Merger Sub 1, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Charter, and Fusion Merger Sub 2, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fusion Merger Sub 1, LLC, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “merger agreement”), pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, Charter will acquire Liberty Broadband through the merger of Fusion Merger Sub 2, Inc. with and into Liberty Broadband (the “merger”), with Liberty Broadband surviving the merger and becoming an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Charter. Immediately following the merger, Liberty Broadband, as the surviving corporation of the merger, will merge with and into Fusion Merger Sub 1, LLC (the “upstream merger” and together with the merger, the “combination”), with Fusion Merger Sub 1, LLC surviving the upstream merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Charter. At the effective time of the merger (the “effective time”): •each share of (i) Liberty Broadband Series A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Liberty Broadband Series A common stock”), (ii) Liberty Broadband Series B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Liberty Broadband Series B common stock”), and (iii) Liberty Broadband Series C common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Liberty Broadband Series C common stock” and together with the Liberty Broadband Series A common stock and the Liberty Broadband Series B common stock, the “Liberty Broadband common stock”), in each case, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than certain excluded shares as set forth in the merger agreement) will be converted into the right to receive 0.236 of a validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Charter Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Charter Class A common stock”); and •each share of Liberty Broadband Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Liberty Broadband preferred stock”), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than excluded treasury shares as set forth in the merger agreement) will be converted into the right to receive one share of newly issued Charter Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Charter preferred stock”). The Charter preferred stock will have substantially identical terms to the Liberty Broadband preferred stock, including a mandatory redemption date of March 8, 2039. As of December 31, 2024, Liberty Broadband’s principal assets currently consist of approximately 45.3 million shares of Charter Class A common stock and its subsidiary GCI, LLC, which is comprised of one operating entity, GCI Holdings, LLC (“GCI”), Alaska’s largest communications provider. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Liberty Broadband has agreed to spin off GCI by way of a distribution to the stockholders of Liberty Broadband prior to the closing of the Merger Transaction. The GCI distribution is expected to be taxable to Liberty Broadband and its stockholders, with Charter bearing the corporate level tax liability upon completion of the combination. However, to the extent such corporate level tax liability exceeds $420 million, Charter will be entitled under a tax receivables agreement to the portion of the tax benefits realized by GCI corresponding to such excess. The companies currently expect the transaction to close on June 30, 2027, unless otherwise agreed, subject to the completion of the GCI spin-off and other customary closing conditions. For additional information, see the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the combination, filed by Charter on January 22, 2025, including the sections entitled “The Combination” and “The Merger Agreement” included therein. Voting Agreements In connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, on November 12, 2024, Dr. Malone’s affiliated holders of shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock (collectively, the “Malone Group) entered into a voting agreement with Charter and Liberty Broadband, pursuant to which, subject to certain conditions, the Malone Group has committed to vote its shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock representing approximately 48.5% of the total voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock, in the aggregate, in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement and the approval of the transactions contemplated thereby. In addition, on November 12, 2024, Gregory B. Maffei and certain related holders of shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock (collectively, the “Maffei Group”) entered into a voting agreement with Charter and Liberty Broadband, pursuant to which, subject to certain conditions, the Maffei Group has committed to vote its shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock representing approximately 3.7% of the total voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of Liberty Broadband common stock and Liberty Broadband preferred stock, in the aggregate, in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement and the approval of the transactions contemplated thereby. For additional information, see the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the combination, filed by Charter on January 22, 2025, including the sections entitled “The Combination,” “The Merger Agreement,” “Other Agreements Related to the Combination - Malone Voting Agreement” and “Other Agreements Related to the Combination - Maffei Voting Agreement” included therein. Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment Simultaneously with the entry into the merger agreement, Charter, Liberty Broadband and A/N entered into the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment to amend (i) the Existing Stockholders Agreement and (ii) the Existing LBB Letter Agreement. The Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment sets forth, among other things, the terms of Liberty Broadband’s participation in Charter’s share repurchases during the period between the execution of the merger agreement and the effective time of the merger agreement. Pursuant to the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment, each month during the pendency of the proposed transaction, Charter will repurchase shares of Charter Class A common stock from Liberty Broadband in an amount equal to the greater of (i) $100 million and (ii) the Liberty Broadband minimum liquidity threshold as set forth in the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment, provided that if any repurchase would reduce Liberty Broadband’s equity interest in Charter below 25.25% after giving effect to such repurchase or if all or a portion of such repurchase is not permitted under applicable law, then Charter shall instead loan to Liberty Broadband an amount equal to the lesser of (x) the repurchase amount that cannot be repurchased and (y) the Liberty Broadband minimum liquidity threshold as set forth in the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment less the repurchase amount that is repurchased, with such loan on the terms set forth in the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment. From and after the date Liberty Broadband’s exchangeable debentures are no longer outstanding, the amount of monthly repurchases will be the lesser of (i) $100 million and (ii) an amount equal to the sum of (x) the amount needed in the reasonable judgment of Charter to maintain unrestricted cash balance of Liberty Broadband and its subsidiaries (other than GCI, GCI Spinco and their respective subsidiaries) or $50 million plus (y) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Liberty Broadband margin loan. The purchase price payable by Charter to Liberty Broadband in connection with such monthly repurchases will equal (i) the average price paid by Charter for shares of Charter Class A common stock repurchased during the immediately preceding calendar month (excluding shares repurchased from A/N and certain other excluded repurchases) or (ii) if Charter has not engaged in any repurchases of shares of Charter Class A common stock during the immediately preceding calendar month (other than any repurchases from A/N and certain other excluded repurchases), a purchase price based on a Bloomberg volume-weighted average price methodology proposed by Charter and reasonably acceptable to Liberty Broadband. Liberty Broadband will apply the proceeds from any such repurchases or borrowings from Charter to repay certain of its outstanding indebtedness in accordance with the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment. The Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment provides that Liberty Broadband will be exempt from the standstill restrictions and the ownership cap under the Existing Stockholders Agreement to the extent its ownership in Charter exceeds such ownership cap solely as a result of the repurchase provisions in the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment. For additional information, see the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the combination, filed by Charter on January 22, 2025, including the sections entitled “The Combination,” “The Merger Agreement” and “Other Agreements Related to the Combination - Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment” included therein. Other Agreements Simultaneously with the entry into the merger agreement, certain additional related agreements were entered into by Charter and Liberty Broadband, including: •An Assumption and Joinder Agreement to Tax Sharing Agreement, by and among Charter, Liberty Broadband, Grizzly Merger Sub 1, LLC (successor to GCI Liberty, Inc.) (“Grizzly Merger Sub”) and Qurate, pursuant to which Charter agrees to assume, effective at the Effective Time, Liberty Broadband’s rights and obligations under the Tax Sharing Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2018, by and between Qurate and Grizzly Merger Sub; and •An Assumption and Joinder Agreement to Indemnification Agreement, by and among Charter, Liberty Broadband, Grizzly Merger Sub, LV Bridge, LLC, Qurate and Liberty Interactive LLC, pursuant to which Charter agrees to assume, effective at the Effective Time, Liberty Broadband’s rights and obligations under the Indemnification Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2018, by and among Grizzly Merger Sub, Qurate, Liberty Interactive LLC and LV Bridge, LLC. For additional information, see the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the combination, filed by Charter on January 22, 2025, including the sections entitled “The Combination,” “The Merger Agreement” and “Other Agreements Related to the Combination - Additional Transaction Agreements” included therein. Equity Investments The Company has agreements with certain equity investees (see Note 5) pursuant to which the Company has made or received payments for the receipt of goods or services. The Company recorded payments to equity investees totaling $189 million, $180 million and $213 million during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

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