Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes

Schedule of components of the (provision for) benefit from income taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2021		2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Current (benefit) provision:
Federal	$	126,435	$	(230,935)	$	173,326
State		31,944		22,566		43,579
Foreign		2,387		7,471		6,203
Total current (benefit) provision		160,766		(200,898)		223,108
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal		509,405		610,528		204,403
State		86,822		243,216		21,732
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance		5,817		45,429		2,115
Total deferred (benefit) provision		602,044		899,173		228,250
Total (benefit) provision	$	762,810	$	698,275	$	451,358

Schedule of reconciliation of amounts computed by applying the statutory Federal tax rate to income before taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2021	2020	2019
	% of pre-tax income/(loss)
Statutory rate	21.0	21.0	21.0
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	3.1	4.6	3.2
State apportionment changes	—	5.4	—
Cares Act NOL Carryback	—	(2.3)	—
Other, net	(0.4)	(1.6)	(1.0)
Total (benefit) provision for income taxes	23.7	27.1	23.2

Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	As of December 31,
	2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL, interest, credit and other carryforwards	$	144,742	$	128,968
Accrued and prepaid expenses		282,711		—
Stock-based compensation		15,847		17,962
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments		12,825		9,862
Discount on convertible notes and convertible note hedge transaction, net		79,644		—
Deferred revenue		7,025		26,977
Total deferred tax assets		542,794		183,769
Valuation allowance		(79,605)		(73,788)
Deferred tax asset after valuation allowance		463,189		109,981
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation		(858,707)		(467,922)
Accrued and prepaid expenses		—		(72,314)
FCC authorizations and other intangible amortization		(2,933,660)		(2,542,887)
Bases difference in partnerships and cost method investments (1)		(897,088)		(744,911)
Discount on convertible notes and convertible note hedge transaction, net		—		(151,517)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(4,689,455)		(3,979,551)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	(4,226,266)	$	(3,869,570)

(1) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, our non-controlling investments in Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo, including deferred taxes created by the tax amortization of the Northstar Licenses and SNR Licenses.

Schedule of reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Unrecognized tax benefit	2021		2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	378,467	$	674,207	$	385,394
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		303		233		244,257
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years		12,095		1,999		61,909
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years		(1,400)		(296,265)		(13,028)
Reductions based on tax positions related to settlements with taxing authorities		—		(831)		(2,362)
Reductions based on tax positions related to the lapse of the statute of limitations		(628)		(876)		(1,963)
Balance as of end of period	$	388,837	$	378,467	$	674,207