Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock-Based Compensation

v3.23.3
Stock-Based Compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Stock-Based Compensation  
Stock-Based Compensation

(8) Stock-Based Compensation

Liberty Broadband grants, to certain of its directors, employees and employees of its subsidiaries, restricted stock units and stock options to purchase shares of its common stock (collectively, "Awards"). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity classified Award (such as stock options and restricted stock) based on the grant-date fair value (“GDFV”) of the Award, and recognizes that cost over the period during which the employee is required to provide service (usually the vesting period of the Award). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for a liability classified Award based on the current fair value of the Award, and re-measures the fair value of the Award at each reporting date.

Included in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are $9 million and $10 million of stock-based compensation during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $25 million and $28 million of stock-based compensation during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Liberty Broadband – Grants

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Liberty Broadband granted 129 thousand options to purchase shares of Liberty Broadband Series C common stock to our CEO in connection with his employment agreement. Such options had a GDFV of $27.83 per share and vest on December 29, 2023.

There were no options to purchase shares of Liberty Broadband Series A or Series B common stock granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

The Company has calculated the GDFV for all of its equity classified options and any subsequent re-measurement of its liability classified options using the Black-Scholes Model. The Company estimates the expected term of the options based on historical exercise and forfeiture data. The volatility used in the calculation for options is based on the historical volatility of Liberty Broadband common stock. The Company uses a zero dividend rate and the risk-free rate for Treasury Bonds with a term similar to that of the subject options.

Liberty Broadband – Outstanding Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) of options to purchase Liberty Broadband common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of the Company, as well as the weighted average remaining life and aggregate intrinsic value of the options.

    

    

    

    

    

Weighted

    

    

 

average

 

remaining

Aggregate

 

contractual

intrinsic

 

Series C

WAEP

life

value

 

(in thousands)

(in years)

(in millions)

 

Outstanding at January 1, 2023

 

3,602

$

98.62

 

Granted

 

136

$

79.97

 

Exercised

 

(41)

$

67.91

 

Forfeited/Cancelled

(31)

$

96.53

Outstanding at September 30, 2023

 

3,666

$

98.29

 

2.8

$

67

Exercisable at September 30, 2023

 

2,401

$

78.27

 

2.2

$

65

As of September 30, 2023, there were no outstanding options to purchase shares of Liberty Broadband Series A common stock. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Liberty Broadband had 69 thousand Liberty Broadband Series B options with a WAEP of $97.21 that were forfeited. As of September 30, 2023, 246 thousand Liberty Broadband Series B options remained outstanding and exercisable at a WAEP of $95.98 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 1 year.

As of September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested Awards was approximately $32 million. Such amount will be recognized in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 2.0 years.

As of September 30, 2023, Liberty Broadband reserved 3.9 million shares of Liberty Broadband Series B and Series C common stock for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock options.