Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Segment Information

v3.21.2
Segment Information
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Segment Information  
Segment Information

(11) Segment Information

Liberty Broadband identifies its reportable segments as (A) those consolidated companies that represent 10% or more of its consolidated annual revenue, annual Adjusted OIBDA or total assets and (B) those equity method affiliates whose share of earnings or losses represent 10% or more of Liberty Broadband’s annual pre-tax earnings (losses).

During the first quarter of 2021, as a result of the closing of the Combination on December 18, 2020, Skyhook Holding, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is no longer significant to the Company and has been included in Corporate and other for presentation purposes. The revised segment reporting structure includes the following reportable segments: (1) GCI Holdings and (2) Charter.  All prior period segment disclosure information has been reclassified to conform to the current reporting structure.  These reclassifications had no effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements in any period.

Liberty Broadband evaluates performance and makes decisions about allocating resources to its operating segments based on financial measures such as revenue and Adjusted OIBDA. In addition, Liberty Broadband reviews nonfinancial measures such as subscriber growth.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, Liberty Broadband has identified the following consolidated company and equity method investment as its reportable segments:

GCI Holdings – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company that provides a full range of wireless, data, video, voice, and managed services to residential, businesses, governmental entities, and educational and medical institutions primarily in Alaska.
Charter—an equity method investment that is one of the largest providers of cable services in the United States, offering a variety of entertainment, information and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers.

Liberty Broadband’s operating segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. They are managed separately because each segment requires different technologies, distribution channels and marketing strategies. The accounting policies of the segment that is also a consolidated company are the same as those described in the Company’s summary of significant accounting policies in the Company’s annual financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. We have included amounts attributable to Charter in the tables below. Although Liberty Broadband owns less than 100% of the outstanding shares of Charter, 100% of the Charter amounts are included in the tables below and subsequently eliminated in order to reconcile the account totals to the Liberty Broadband condensed consolidated financial statements.

Performance Measures

Revenue by segment from contracts with customers, classified by customer type and significant service offerings follows:

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

September 30,

2021

    

2020

2021

    

2020

amounts in thousands

GCI Holdings

  

 

  

  

 

  

Consumer Revenue

  

 

  

  

 

  

Wireless

$

33,485

97,799

Data

 

53,608

158,494

Video

 

18,273

55,906

Voice

 

3,873

11,108

Business Revenue

 

Wireless

 

18,695

56,006

Data

 

91,792

267,826

Video

 

904

2,586

Voice

 

5,748

17,904

Lease, grant, and revenue from subsidies

 

19,310

58,131

Total GCI Holdings

245,688

725,760

Corporate and other

4,532

4,219

13,278

12,437

Total

$

250,220

 

4,219

739,038

 

12,437

Charter revenue totaled $13,146 million and $12,039 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $38,470 million and $35,473 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The Company had gross receivables of $237.5 million and deferred revenue of $35.6 million at September 30, 2021 from contracts with customers, which amounts exclude receivables and deferred revenue arising from leases, grants, and subsidies. Our customers generally pay for services in advance of the performance obligation and therefore these prepayments

are recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue is recognized as revenue in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations as the services are provided. Changes in the contract liability balance for the Company during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 were not materially impacted by other factors.

The Company expects to recognize revenue in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) of approximately $90.0 million in the remainder of 2021, $248.2 million in 2022, $118.1 million in 2023, $67.5 million in 2024 and $83.2 million in 2025 and thereafter.

For segment reporting purposes, Liberty Broadband defines Adjusted OIBDA as revenue less operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation and transaction costs). Liberty Broadband believes this measure is an important indicator of the operational strength and performance of its businesses by identifying those items that are not directly a reflection of each business’ performance or indicative of ongoing business trends.  In addition, this measure allows management to view operating results and perform analytical comparisons and benchmarking between businesses and identify strategies to improve performance. This measure of performance excludes depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, transaction costs, separately reported litigation settlements and restructuring and impairment charges that are included in the measurement of operating income pursuant to GAAP. Accordingly, Adjusted OIBDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, operating income, net earnings, cash flow provided by operating activities and other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Liberty Broadband generally accounts for intersegment sales and transfers as if the sales or transfers were to third parties, that is, at current prices.

Adjusted OIBDA is summarized as follows:

Three months ended September 30,

Nine months ended September 30,

2021

2020

2021

2020

amounts in thousands

GCI Holdings

    

$

88,800

    

    

273,515

Charter

 

5,295,000

4,625,000

 

14,967,000

13,501,000

Corporate and other

 

(8,372)

(14,270)

 

(34,987)

(26,658)

 

5,375,428

4,610,730

 

15,205,528

13,474,342

Eliminate equity method affiliate

 

(5,295,000)

(4,625,000)

 

(14,967,000)

(13,501,000)

Consolidated Liberty Broadband

$

80,428

(14,270)

238,528

(26,658)

Other Information

September 30, 2021

 

Total

Investments

Capital

 

assets

in affiliates

expenditures

 

amounts in thousands

 

GCI Holdings

    

$

3,517,437

    

397

    

91,198

Charter

 

142,495,000

 

 

5,563,000

Corporate and other

 

14,922,275

 

14,387,017

 

21

 

160,934,712

 

14,387,414

 

5,654,219

Eliminate equity method affiliate

 

(142,495,000)

 

 

(5,563,000)

Consolidated Liberty Broadband

$

18,439,712

 

14,387,414

 

91,219

The following table provides a reconciliation of Adjusted OIBDA to Operating income (loss) and Earnings (loss) before income taxes:

Three months ended

Nine months ended

 

September 30,

September 30,

 

2021

2020

2021

    

2020

 

amounts in thousands

 

Adjusted OIBDA

    

$

80,428

    

(14,270)

    

238,528

    

(26,658)

Stock-based compensation

 

(10,581)

(2,002)

(31,016)

 

(5,736)

Depreciation and amortization

 

(68,130)

(56)

(198,766)

 

(1,041)

Litigation settlement, net of recoveries

23,520

(86,480)

Operating income (loss)

25,237

(16,328)

(77,734)

(33,435)

Interest expense

(28,155)

(3,719)

(90,032)

 

(14,711)

Share of earnings (loss) of affiliates, net

 

314,563

188,586

752,390

 

408,396

Gain (loss) on dilution of investment in affiliate

 

(1,693)

(35,284)

(98,446)

 

(140,610)

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net

 

(26,839)

(39,324)

(52,555)

 

(39,324)

Other, net

 

14,788

8

29,382

 

199

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

$

297,901

93,939

463,005

 

180,515