Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the streaming content asset amortization policy and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On a regular basis, the Company evaluates the assumptions, judgments and estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements and Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) in order to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under prior GAAP. ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 in the first quarter of 2019 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method through a cumulative-effect adjustment at the beginning of the first quarter of 2019. The Company has elected the package of practical expedients, which allows the Company not to reassess (1) whether any expired or existing contracts as of the adoption date are or contain a lease, (2) lease classification for any expired or existing leases as of the adoption date and (3) initial direct costs for any existing leases as of the adoption date. The Company did not elect to apply the hindsight practical expedient when determining lease term and assessing impairment of right-of-use assets. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019 resulted in the recognition of right-of-use assets of approximately $743 million, lease liabilities for operating leases of approximately $813 million and a cumulative-effect adjustment on retained earnings of $2 million on its Consolidated Balance Sheets, with no material impact to its Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 4 for further information regarding the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on the Company's financial statements.

In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-02, Improvements to Accounting for Costs of Films and License Agreements for Program Materials, in order to align the accounting for production costs of an episodic television series with the accounting for production costs of films by removing the content distinction for capitalization. ASU 2019-02 also requires that an entity reassess estimates of the use of a film in a film group and account for any changes prospectively. In addition, ASU 2019-02 requires that an entity test films and license agreements for program material for impairment at a film group level when the film or license agreements are predominantly monetized with other films and license agreements. ASU 2019-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted ASU 2019-02 in the first quarter of 2019 and as such has included all content assets (licensed and produced) as "Non-current content assets, net" on its Consolidated Balance Sheets, beginning with the period of adoption. There was no material impact to its Consolidated Statements of Operations. See the Company's updated Streaming Content policy below for further details.

Streaming Content (Effective January 1, 2019)

The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of TV series and films. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to streaming assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within "Net cash used in operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

The Company recognizes content assets (licensed and produced) as “Non-current content assets, net” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For licenses, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For productions, the Company capitalizes

costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead. Participations and residuals are expensed in line with the amortization of production costs.

Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the shorter of each title's contractual window of availability or estimated period of use or ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. The amortization is on an accelerated basis, as the Company typically expects more upfront viewing, for instance due to additional merchandising and marketing efforts and film amortization is more accelerated than TV series amortization. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content assets on an ongoing basis. The Company's estimates related to these factors require considerable management judgment.

The Company's business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. To date, the Company has not identified any such event or changes in circumstances. If such changes are identified in the future, these aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off.