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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Matters On June 23, 2020, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, derivatively on behalf of the Company, against Patrick Drahi, Next Alt S.à.r.l., and those directors of the Company who are members of the Compensation Committee (collectively, the “Director Defendants”). The Company is also named as a nominal defendant in the complaint. The complaint alleges that the Director Defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company’s stockholders, and wasted corporate assets, by approving certain equity grants for Patrick Drahi. The complaint seeks rescission of the equity awards, monetary damages, and costs and disbursements for the plaintiff. On October 15, 2020, the Director Defendants answered the complaint and the Company filed a general denial of liability. Following negotiations with plaintiff, the parties executed a stipulation and agreement of compromise, settlement, and release on April 27, 2022 to settle the litigation. That settlement remains subject to court approval. On November 6, 2018, Sprint Communications Company L.P ("Sprint") filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that the Company infringes Sprint’s patents purportedly by providing Voice over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") services. The lawsuit is part of a pattern of litigation that was initiated as far back as 2005 by Sprint against numerous broadband and telecommunications providers, which has resulted in judgments and settlements of significant value for Sprint. Trial is scheduled to commence on December 12, 2022, at which we expect Sprint to seek as much as $250 million in damages. The Company intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit. The Company has received from UMG Recordings, Inc., Capitol Records, LLC, and BMG Rights Management (US) LLC letters alleging that the Company has not adequately addressed copyright infringement on its networks and is subject to liability and damages for secondary copyright infringement. The Company intends to vigorously defend these claims. Although the outcome of the above matters cannot be predicted and the impact of a final resolution of these matters on the Company’s results of operations or financial position is not known or reasonably estimable at this time, management does not believe that the ultimate resolution of the matters, individually or together, will have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due, but they could be material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations or cash flows for any one period. In addition to the matters discussed above, the Company also receives notices from third parties, and in some cases is named as a defendant in lawsuits, claiming infringement of various patents or copyrights relating to various aspects of the Company's businesses. In certain of these cases other industry participants are also defendants, and in certain of these cases the Company expects that some or all potential liability would be the responsibility of the Company's vendors pursuant to applicable contractual indemnification provisions. In the event that the Company is found to infringe on any patent or other intellectual property rights, the Company may be subject to substantial damages and/or an injunction that could require the Company or its vendors to modify certain products and services the Company offers to its subscribers, as well as enter into royalty or license agreements with respect to the patents at issue. The Company is also party to various other lawsuits, disputes and investigations arising in the ordinary course of its business, some of which may involve claims for substantial damages, fines or penalties. Although the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted and the impact of the final resolution of these matters on the Company's results of operations in a particular subsequent reporting period is not known, management does not believe that the resolution of these matters, individually, will have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due.

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