Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Adopted January 1, 2018

ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”)

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2014-09 which is a comprehensive revenue recognition standard that superseded nearly all revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. ASU 2014-09 provides a single principles-based, five step model to be applied to all contracts with customers, which steps are to (1) identify the contract(s) with the customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (5) recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company adopted ASU 2014-09 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method with a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity. The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operation. Previously reported results will not be restated under this transition method. The adoption results in the deferral of residential and small and medium business installation revenues and enterprise commission expenses over a period of time instead of recognized immediately. The adoption also results in the reclassification of the amortization of up-front fees paid to market and serve customers who reside in residential MDUs to operating costs and expenses instead of amortized as an intangible to depreciation and amortization expense.

The January 1, 2018 adoption cumulative-effect adjustment consisted of an increase to other noncurrent assets of $120 million, an increase to accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $71 million, an increase to deferred income tax liabilities of $11 million and an increase to total shareholders’ equity of $38 million. The Company applied the cumulative-effect adjustment to all contracts as of January 1, 2018. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 are not materially different than results that would have been reported under guidance in effect before application of ASU 2014-09.

Nature of Services

Residential Services

Residential customers are offered video, Internet and voice services primarily on a subscription basis. Residential customers may generally cancel their subscriptions at any time without penalty. Each subscription service provided is accounted for as a distinct performance obligation and revenue is recognized ratably over a one month service period as the subscription services are delivered. Each optional service purchased is generally accounted for as a distinct performance obligation when purchased and revenue is recognized when the service is provided.

Residential video customers have the option to purchase additional tiers of services, as well as video-on-demand (“VOD”) programming and pay-per-view programming on a per-event basis. Video revenues consist primarily of revenues from the selected programming service tier, as well as VOD fees, pay-per-view fees, retransmission fees, regulatory fees, equipment service fees and video installation fees.

Residential Internet customers receive data download and upload services with speeds dependent on the selected tier of service. Customers are also offered a security suite, an in-home WiFi product, and an out-of-home WiFi service. Internet revenues consist primarily of data services, WiFi service fees and Internet installation fees.

Residential voice customers receive unlimited local and long distance calling to United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, call forward and other features. Customers may also purchase international calling either by the minute, or through packages of minutes per month. Voice revenues consist primarily of voice services and regulatory fees.

Small and Medium Business

Small and medium business customers are offered video, Internet and voice services similar to those provided to residential customers. Small and medium business customers may generally cancel their subscriptions at any time without penalty. Each subscription service provided is accounted for as a distinct performance obligation and revenue is recognized ratably over a one month service period as the subscription services are delivered.

Enterprise Solutions

Enterprise Solutions include fiber-delivered communications and managed information technology solutions to larger businesses, as well as high-capacity last-mile data connectivity services to mobile and wireline carriers, Internet service providers, and other competitive carriers on a wholesale basis. Services are primarily offered on a subscription basis with a contractually specified and non-cancelable service period. The non-cancelable contract terms for enterprise services generally range from two to seven years. Each subscription service provided is accounted for as a distinct performance obligation and revenue is recognized ratably over the contract period as the subscription services are delivered. Enterprise subscription services are billed as monthly recurring charges to customers and related installation services, if applicable, are billed upon completion of the customer installation. Installation services are not accounted for as distinct performance obligations, but rather a component of the connectivity services, and therefore upfront installation fees are deferred and recognized as revenue over the related contract period.

Advertising Services

The Company offers local, regional and national businesses the opportunity to advertise in individual and multiple markets on cable television networks and digital outlets. Placement of advertising is accounted for as a distinct performance obligation and revenue is recognized at the point in time when the advertising is distributed. In some markets, the Company has formed advertising interconnects or entered into representation agreements with other video distributors, under which the Company sells advertising on behalf of those distributors. In other markets, the Company has entered into representation agreements under which another operator in the area will sell advertising on the Company’s behalf. For representation arrangements in which the Company controls the sale of advertising and acts as the principal to the transaction, the Company recognizes revenue earned from the advertising customer on a gross basis and the amount remitted to the distributor as an operating expense. For other representation arrangements in which the Company does not control the sale of advertising and acts as an agent to the transaction, the Company recognizes revenue net of any fee remitted to the distributor.

The Company’s revenues by product line are as follows:



	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Video	$	4,363	$	4,119	$	8,655	$	8,193
Internet	3,770		3,512		7,477		6,909
Voice	531		650		1,087		1,344
Residential revenue	8,664		8,281		17,219		16,446

Small and medium business	915		890		1,815		1,756
Enterprise	627		588		1,249		1,167
Commercial revenue	1,542		1,478		3,064		2,923

Advertising sales	427		381		783		718
Other	221		217		445		434
	$	10,854	$	10,357	$	21,511	$	20,521

Fees imposed on the Company by various governmental authorities are passed through on a monthly basis to the Company’s customers and are periodically remitted to authorities. Fees of $245 million and $491 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, and $238 million and $473 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, are reported in video, voice and commercial revenues, on a gross basis with a corresponding operating expense because the Company is acting as a principal. Certain taxes, such as sales taxes imposed on the Company’s customers, collected and remitted to state and local authorities, are recorded on a net basis because the Company is acting as an agent in such situation.

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from customers who may generally cancel their subscriptions at any time without penalty. As such, the amount of revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations is not necessarily indicative of the future revenue to be recognized from our existing customer base. Revenue from customers with a contractually specified term and non-cancelable service period will be recognized over the term of such contracts, which is generally two to seven years for our enterprise contracts.

Significant Judgments

The Company often provides multiple services to a customer. Provision of customer premise equipment, installation services, and additional service tiers may have a significant level of integration and interdependency with the subscription video, Internet, voice, or connectivity services provided. Judgment is required to determine whether provision of customer premise equipment, installation services, and additional service tiers are considered distinct and accounted for separately, or not distinct and accounted for together with the subscription services.

Allocation of the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations in bundled residential service subscriptions requires judgment. The transaction price for a bundle of residential services is frequently less than the sum of the standalone selling prices of each individual service. The Company allocates the residential services bundle discount among the services to which the discount relates based on the relative standalone selling prices of those services. Standalone selling prices for the Company’s residential video and Internet services are directly observable, while standalone selling price for the Company’s residential voice service is estimated using the adjusted market assessment approach which relies upon information from peers and competitors who sell residential voice services individually.

The Company believes residential and small and medium business non-refundable upfront installation fees charged to customers result in a material right to renew the contract as such fees are not required to be paid upon subsequent renewals. The residential and small and medium business upfront fee is deferred over the period the fee remains material to the customer, which the Company has estimated to be approximately six months. Estimation of the period the fee remains material to the customer requires consideration of both quantitative and qualitative factors including average installation fee, average revenue per customer, and customer behavior, among others.

Contract Liabilities

Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. Residential, small and medium business, and enterprise customers are invoiced for subscription services in advance of the service period. Deferred revenue liabilities, or contract liabilities, are recorded when the Company collects payments in advance of performing the services. Deferred revenue liabilities, or contract liabilities, are also recorded when the Company invoices customers upfront for installation services that are recognized as revenue over time. Residential and small and medium business installation revenues are deferred over the period the fee remains material to the customer. Enterprise installation revenues are deferred using a portfolio approach over the average contract life of each enterprise service category. As of June 30, 2018, current deferred revenue liabilities consisting of refundable customer prepayments of $401 million and upfront installation fees of $85 million were included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities. As of June 30, 2018, long-term deferred revenue liabilities consisting of enterprise upfront installation fees of $34 million were included in other long-term liabilities.

Contract Costs

The Company recognizes an asset for incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if the amortization period of those costs is expected to be longer than one year and the costs are expected to be recovered. Enterprise sales commission costs meet the requirements to be deferred and, as a result, are recognized using a portfolio approach over a commission expense weighted-average enterprise contract period. Deferred enterprise commission costs are included in other noncurrent assets in the consolidated balance sheet and totaled $134 million as of June 30, 2018. As the amortization period of residential and small and medium business commissions costs is less than one year, the Company applies the practical expedient that allows such costs to be expensed as incurred. The Company has determined that the amortization period associated with residential and small and medium business commission costs is less than one year based on qualitative and quantitative factors.

The Company recognizes an asset for costs incurred to fulfill a contract when those costs are directly related to services provided under the contract, generate or enhance resources of the entity that will be used in performing service obligations under the contract, and are expected to be recovered. Up-front fees paid to MDUs, such as apartment building owners, in order to gain access to market and serve tenants who reside within the MDU meet the requirements to be deferred and, as a result, are recognized over the term of the MDU contract. Deferred upfront MDU fees are amortized on a straight-line basis and are included in other noncurrent assets in the consolidated balance sheet and totaled $254 million as of June 30, 2018. Amortization expense of $15 million and $30 million was included in regulatory, connectivity and produced content within operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. Residential and small and medium business installation costs not capitalized into property, plant and equipment are expensed as incurred under cable industry-specific guidance.

ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (“ASU 2016-15”)

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15 which clarifies how entities should classify cash receipts and cash payments related to eight specific cash flow matters on the statement of cash flows, with the objective of reducing existing diversity in practice. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 on January 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (“ASU 2016-18”)

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18 which requires that amounts generally described as restricted cash to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 does not provide a definition of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. The Company adopted ASU 2016-18 on January 1, 2018. The new guidance will only be applicable to amounts described by the Company as restricted cash. The Company currently does not have amounts described as restricted cash; however, the Company's consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2016 will be recast to present $22.3 billion of restricted cash as beginning of period cash and cash equivalents.

ASU No. 2017-09, Scope of Modification Accounting (“ASU 2017-09”)

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09 which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements. The ASU provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting. ASU 2017-09 is applied prospectively to awards modified on or after the effective date. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (“ASU 2016-02”)

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 which requires lessees to recognize almost all leases on their balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. Lessees are allowed to account for short-term leases (i.e., leases with a term of 12 months or less) off-balance sheet, consistent with current operating lease accounting. For income statement purposes, the FASB retained a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Classification will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease accounting, but without explicit bright lines. ASU 2016-02 will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 (January 1, 2019 for the Company). The new standard currently requires a modified retrospective transition through a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the beginning of the earliest period presented in the financial statements, although the FASB recently approved an option for transition relief to not restate or make required disclosures under the new standard in comparative periods in the period of adoption. Along with that transition relief, the FASB also recently approved a practical expedient for lessors to allow for the combined presentation of lease and non-lease revenues when certain conditions are met.

The Company’s adoption process of ASU 2016-02 is ongoing, including evaluating and quantifying the impact on its consolidated financial statements, identifying the population of leases (and embedded leases), implementing a selected technology solution and collecting and validating lease data. The Company expects its lease obligations designated as operating leases (as disclosed in Note 20 to the audited consolidated financial statements in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K) will be reported on the consolidated balance sheets upon adoption, and is currently evaluating the impact to its consolidated financial statements as it relates to other potential embedded lease arrangements of the business that have otherwise been previously disclosed as a contractual commitment.

ASU No. 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”)

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04 which eliminates step two from the goodwill impairment test. Under the new standard, to the extent the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value, the Company will record an impairment charge equal to the difference. The impairment charge recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 (January 1, 2020 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU 2017-04 will have on its consolidated financial statements.