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

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

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,
	2020		2019		2018
	(In thousands)
Current (benefit) provision:
Federal	$	394,824	$	208,821	$	273,632
State		88,449		48,417		64,534
Foreign		3,971		6,203		4,616
Total current (benefit) provision		487,244		263,441		342,782
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal		14,327		11,243		(25,934)
State		(2,161)		(1,987)		(123)
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance		948		2,054		1,580
Total deferred (benefit) provision		13,114		11,310		(24,477)
Total (benefit) provision	$	500,358	$	274,751	$	318,305

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

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2020	2019	2018
	% of pre-tax income/(loss)
Statutory rate	21.0	21.0	21.0
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	3.6	3.6	4.4
Other, net	(0.6)	0.3	(0.8)
Total (benefit) provision for income taxes	24.0	24.9	24.6

Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	As of December 31,
	2020		2019
	(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL, interest, credit and other carryforwards	$	10,641	$	12,323
Accrued and prepaid expenses		4,911		96,974
Stock-based compensation		15,924		19,719
Deferred revenue		27,612		17,238
Total deferred tax assets		59,088		146,254
Valuation allowance		(10,469)		(9,521)
Deferred tax asset after valuation allowance		48,619		136,733
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation		(386,379)		(458,811)
FCC authorizations and other intangible amortization		(173,539)		(174,399)
Bases difference in partnerships and other investments		(3,629)		(5,380)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(563,547)		(638,590)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	(514,928)	$	(501,857)

Schedule of reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits included in long-term deferred revenue, distribution and carriage payments and other long-term liabilities

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Unrecognized tax benefit	2020		2019		2018
	(In thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	208,152	$	194,136	$	201,162
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		233		3,232		10,550
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years		1,800		28,137		1,154
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years		(20,337)		(13,028)		(4,479)
Reductions based on tax positions related to settlements with taxing authorities		(831)		(2,362)		(8,328)
Reductions based on tax positions related to the lapse of the statute of limitations		(876)		(1,963)		(5,923)
Balance as of end of period	$	188,141	$	208,152	$	194,136