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Investment in Charter Accounted for Using the Equity Method | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2024
Investment in Charter Accounted for Using the Equity Method |
Investment in Charter Accounted for Using the Equity Method | (4) Investment in Charter Accounted for Using the Equity Method Through a number of prior years’ transactions and the Combination, Liberty Broadband has acquired an interest in Charter. The investment in Charter is accounted for as an equity method affiliate based on our voting and ownership interest and the board seats held by individuals designated by Liberty Broadband. As of September 30, 2024, the carrying and market value of Liberty Broadband’s ownership in Charter was approximately $12.8 billion and $14.8 billion, respectively. We own an approximate 32.0% economic ownership interest in Charter, based on shares of Charter’s Class A common stock issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024. Upon the closing of the Time Warner Cable, LLC merger, the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2015, by and among Charter, Liberty Broadband and Advance/Newhouse Partnership, as amended (the “Stockholders Agreement”), became fully effective. Pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement, Liberty Broadband’s equity ownership in Charter (on a fully diluted basis) is capped at the greater of 26% or the voting cap (“Equity Cap”). As of September 30, 2024, due to Liberty Broadband’s voting interest exceeding the current voting cap of 25.01%, our voting control of the aggregate voting power of Charter is 25.01%. Under the Stockholders Agreement, Liberty Broadband has agreed to vote (subject to certain exceptions) all voting securities beneficially owned by it, or over which it has voting discretion or control that are in excess of the voting cap, in the same proportion as all other votes cast by public stockholders of Charter with respect to the applicable matter. In February 2021, Liberty Broadband was notified that its ownership interest, on a fully diluted basis, had exceeded the Equity Cap set forth in the Stockholders Agreement. On February 23, 2021, Charter and Liberty Broadband entered into a letter agreement in order to implement, facilitate and satisfy the terms of the Stockholders Agreement with respect to the Equity Cap. Pursuant to this letter agreement, following any month during which Charter purchases, redeems or buys back shares of its Class A common stock, and prior to certain meetings of Charter’s stockholders, Liberty Broadband will be obligated to sell to Charter, and Charter will be obligated to purchase, such number of shares of Class A common stock as is necessary (if any) to reduce Liberty Broadband’s percentage equity interest, on a fully diluted basis, to the Equity Cap (such transaction, a “Charter Repurchase”). The per share sale price for each share of Charter will be equal to the volume weighted average price paid by Charter in its repurchases, redemptions and buybacks of its common stock (subject to certain exceptions) during the month prior to the Charter Repurchase (or, if applicable, during the relevant period prior to the relevant meeting of Charter stockholders). Under the terms of the letter agreement, Liberty Broadband sold 698,011 and 120,149 shares of Charter Class A common stock to Charter for $226 million and $42 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, to maintain our fully diluted ownership percentage at 26%. Subsequent to September 30, 2024, Liberty Broadband sold 10,400 shares of Charter Class A common stock to Charter for $3 million in October 2024. Investment in Charter The excess basis in our investment in Charter is allocated within memo accounts used for equity method accounting purposes as follows (amounts in millions):
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | September 30, | ​ | December 31, | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | 2024 | ​ | 2023 | ​
Property and equipment, net |  | $ | 307 | ​ | 403 | ​
Customer relationships, net | ​ |  | 1,827 | ​ | 2,049 | ​
Franchise fees | ​ |  | 3,843 | ​ | 3,843 | ​
Trademarks | ​ |  | 29 | ​ | 29 | ​
Goodwill | ​ |  | 3,934 | ​ | 4,049 | ​
Debt | ​ |  | (263) | ​ | (317) | ​
Deferred income tax liability | ​ |  | (1,436) | ​ | (1,472) | ​
​ | ​ | $ | 8,241 | ​ | 8,584 | ​
​ Property and equipment and customer relationships have weighted average remaining useful lives of approximately 3 years and 7 years, respectively, and franchise fees, trademarks and goodwill have indefinite lives. The excess basis of outstanding debt is amortized over the contractual period using the straight-line method. The decrease in excess basis for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to amortization expense during the period, as well as the Company’s participation in Charter’s share buyback program. The Company’s share of earnings (losses) of affiliate line item in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations includes expenses of $65 million and $71 million, net of related taxes, for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and expenses of $234 million and $205 million, net of related taxes, for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, due to the amortization of the excess basis related to assets with identifiable useful lives and debt and a cumulative change in the applicable tax rate for the nine month period. The Company had dilution losses of $8 million and $10 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and dilution losses of $40 million and $42 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The dilution losses for the periods presented were primarily attributable to the exercise of stock options and restricted stock units by employees and other third parties, slightly offset by a gain on dilution related to Charter’s repurchase of Liberty Broadband’s Charter shares during both the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. Summarized unaudited financial information for Charter is as follows: Charter condensed consolidated balance sheets
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | September 30, 2024 | ​ | December 31, 2023 |
​ | ​ | amounts in millions | ​
Current assets | ​ | $ | 4,492 | ​ | 4,132 | ​
Property and equipment, net | ​ |  | 41,846 | ​ | 39,520 | ​
Goodwill | ​ |  | 29,668 | ​ | 29,668 | ​
Intangible assets, net | ​ |  | 68,603 | ​ | 69,141 | ​
Other assets | ​ |  | 4,762 | ​ | 4,732 | ​
Total assets | ​ | $ | 149,371 | ​ | 147,193 | ​
Current liabilities | ​ | $ | 13,160 | ​ | 13,214 | ​
Deferred income taxes | ​ |  | 18,983 | ​ | 18,954 | ​
Long-term debt | ​ |  | 93,517 | ​ | 95,777 | ​
Other liabilities | ​ |  | 5,657 | ​ | 4,530 | ​
Equity | ​ |  | 18,054 | ​ | 14,718 | ​
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | ​ | $ | 149,371 | ​ | 147,193 | ​
Charter condensed consolidated statements of operations
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | Three months ended | ​ | Nine months ended |
​ | ​ | September 30, | ​ | September 30, | ​
​ | ​ | 2024 | ​ | 2023 | ​ | 2024 | ​ | 2023 |
​ | ​ | amounts in millions | ​
Revenue | ​ | $ | 13,795 | ​ | 13,584 | ​ | 41,159 | ​ | 40,896 | ​
Cost and expenses: | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Operating costs and expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) | ​ |  | 8,294 | ​ | 8,299 | ​ | 24,863 | ​ | 25,115 | ​
Depreciation and amortization | ​ |  | 2,145 | ​ | 2,130 | ​ | 6,505 | ​ | 6,508 | ​
Other operating (income) expense, net | ​ |  | 21 | ​ | 29 | ​ | 62 | ​ | (19) | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | 10,460 | ​ | 10,458 | ​ | 31,430 | ​ | 31,604 | ​
Operating income | ​ | ​ | 3,335 | ​ | 3,126 | ​ | 9,729 | ​ | 9,292 | ​
Interest expense, net | ​ |  | (1,311) | ​ | (1,306) | ​ | (3,955) | ​ | (3,869) | ​
Other income (expense), net | ​ | ​ | (144) | ​ | (15) | ​ | (318) | ​ | (204) | ​
Income tax (expense) benefit | ​ |  | (406) | ​ | (369) | ​ | (1,279) | ​ | (1,187) | ​
Net income (loss) | ​ | ​ | 1,474 | ​ | 1,436 | ​ | 4,177 | ​ | 4,032 | ​
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | ​ | ​ | (194) | ​ | (181) | ​ | (560) | ​ | (533) | ​
Net income (loss) attributable to Charter shareholders | ​ | $ | 1,280 | ​ | 1,255 | ​ | 3,617 | ​ | 3,499 | ​
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- Definition The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/recommendedDisclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 323 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478156/740-323-50-2 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a)(3) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481687/323-10-50-3 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (d) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481687/323-10-50-3 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/323/tableOfContent + Details
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