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NATURE OF THE BUSINESS | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Corporate Information And Statement Of IFRS Compliance [Abstract] |
NATURE OF THE BUSINESS | NATURE OF THE BUSINESS Rogers Communications Inc. is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. Substantially all of our operations and sales are in Canada. RCI is incorporated in Canada and its registered office is located at 333 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1G9. RCI's shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). We report our results of operations in three reportable segments. Each segment and the nature of its business is as follows:
Segment | Principal activities
Wireless | Wireless telecommunications operations for Canadian consumers and businesses.
Cable | Cable telecommunications operations, including Internet, television, telephony (phone), and smart home monitoring services for Canadian consumers and businesses, and network connectivity through our fibre network and data centre assets to support a range of voice, data, networking, hosting, and cloud-based services for the business, public sector, and carrier wholesale markets.
Media | A diversified portfolio of media properties, including sports media and entertainment, television and radio broadcasting, specialty channels, multi-platform shopping, and digital media.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, Wireless and Cable were operated by our wholly owned subsidiary, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. (RCCI), and certain other wholly owned subsidiaries. Media was operated by our wholly owned subsidiary, Rogers Media Inc., and its subsidiaries. See note 4 for more information about our reportable operating segments. BUSINESS SEASONALITY Our operating results generally vary from quarter to quarter as a result of changes in general economic conditions and seasonal fluctuations, among other things, in each of our reportable segments. This means our results in one quarter are not necessarily indicative of how we will perform in a future quarter. Wireless, Cable, and Media each have unique seasonal aspects to, and certain other historical trends in, their businesses, which are described below. Fluctuations in net income from quarter to quarter can also be attributed to losses on the repayment of debt, other income and expenses, impairment of assets, and changes in income tax expense. The COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19) has significantly affected our operating results in 2020 in addition to the typical seasonal fluctuations in our business that are described below. In Wireless, the decline in customer travel due to global travel restrictions resulted in lower roaming revenue. Most notably in Media, major professional sports leagues: •postponed their 2019-20 seasons between March and July 2020 and recommenced with contracted seasons from July to September 2020, causing sports-related revenue and expenses, such as programming rights amortization, to be recognized later in the year than is typical; and •postponed the start of the 2020-21 NBA and NHL seasons to late December 2020 and early January 2021, causing sports-related revenue and expenses that are typically recognized in the fourth quarter to not be recognized at that point. We expect COVID-19 will continue to affect our operating results in 2021 and there is continued uncertainty surrounding the duration and potential outcomes of COVID-19. Wireless Wireless operating results are influenced by the timing of our marketing and promotional expenditures and higher levels of subscriber additions, resulting in higher subscriber acquisition- and activation-related expenses, typically in the third and fourth quarters. The third and fourth quarters typically experience higher volumes of activity as a result of "back to school" and holiday season-related consumer behaviour. Aggressive promotional offers are often advertised during these periods. In contrast, we typically see lower subscriber-related activity in the first quarter of the year. The launch of new products and services, including popular new wireless device models, can also affect the level of subscriber activity. Highly anticipated device launches typically occur in the fall season of each year. Wireless roaming revenue is dependent on customer travel volumes and timing, and is also impacted by foreign exchange rates and general economic conditions. Cable Cable's operating results are affected by modest seasonal fluctuations, typically caused by: •university and college students who live in residences moving out early in the second quarter and canceling their service as well as students moving in late in the third quarter and signing up for cable service; •individuals temporarily suspending service for extended vacations or seasonal relocations; and •the concentrated marketing we generally conduct in our fourth quarter. Cable results from our enterprise customers do not generally have any unique seasonal aspects. Media Seasonal fluctuations relate to: •periods of increased consumer activity and their impact on advertising and related retail cycles, which tend to be most active in the fourth quarter due to holiday spending and slower in the first quarter; •the Major League Baseball season, where: •games played are concentrated in the spring, summer, and fall months (generally the second and third quarters of the year); •revenue related to game day ticket sales, merchandise sales, and advertising are concentrated in the spring, summer, and fall months (generally the second and third quarters of the year), with postseason games commanding a premium in advertising revenue and additional revenue from game day ticket sales and merchandise sales, if and when the Toronto Blue Jays play in the postseason; and •programming and production costs and player payroll are expensed based on the number of games aired or played, as applicable; and •the National Hockey League (NHL) season, where: •regular season games are concentrated in the fall and winter months (generally the first and fourth quarters of the year) and playoff games are concentrated in the spring months (generally the second quarter of the year). We expect a correlation between the quality of revenue and earnings and the extent of Canadian teams' presence during the playoffs; •programming and production costs are expensed based on the timing of when the rights are aired or are expected to be consumed; and •advertising revenue and programming expenses are concentrated in the fall, winter, and spring months, with playoff games commanding a premium in advertising revenue. ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization recognized the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic and we have been closely monitoring related developments and the impact on our business. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the duration and potential outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unpredictable and continuously changing impacts and related government responses, there is more uncertainty associated with our assumptions, expectations, and estimates. We believe the most significantly affected estimates are related to our expected credit losses and allowance for doubtful accounts and as a result, for the year ended December 31, 2020, we have recognized an incremental $90 million in bad debt expense on our accounts receivable, financing receivables, and contract assets based on changing economic conditions. STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE We prepared our consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The Board of Directors (the Board) authorized these consolidated financial statements for issue on March 4, 2021.

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