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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 2: Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition. The updated accounting guidance provides a single, contract-based revenue recognition model to help improve financial reporting by providing clearer guidance on when an entity should recognize revenue and by reducing the number of standards to which an entity has to refer. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance provides companies with alternative methods of adoption. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and our method of adoption.

Consolidations

In February 2015, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to consolidation under the variable interest entity (“VIE”) and voting interest entity models. The updated accounting guidance modifies the consolidation guidance for VIEs, limited partnerships and similar legal entities. We have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016 and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

In January 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. The updated accounting guidance, among other things, requires that all nonconsolidated equity investments, except those accounted for under the equity method, be measured at fair value and that the changes in fair value be recognized in net income. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance requires a cumulative effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings when the guidance is adopted with certain exceptions. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to leases. The updated accounting guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with the exception of short-term leases. For a lessee, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease do not significantly change from previous guidance. For a lessor, the accounting applied is also largely unchanged from previous guidance. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The updated accounting guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance that affects several aspects of the accounting for share-based compensation. The most significant change for us relates to the presentation of the income and withholding tax consequences of share-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. Among the changes, the updated guidance requires that the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies that arise when the tax consequences of share-based compensation differ from amounts previously recognized in the statement of income be recognized as income tax benefit or expense in the statement of income rather than as additional paid-in capital in the balance sheet. The guidance also states that excess income tax benefits should not be presented separately from other income taxes in the statement of cash flows and, thus, should be classified as an operating activity rather than a financing activity as they are under the current guidance. In addition, the updated guidance requires when an employer withholds shares upon exercise of options or the vesting of restricted stock for the purpose of meeting withholding tax requirements, that the cash paid for withholding taxes be classified as a financing activity. We currently record these amounts within operating activities.

We will implement the updated guidance in the first quarter of 2017. As required under the updated guidance, we will prospectively adopt the provisions of this guidance related to the recognition of the excess tax benefits or deficiencies in the statement of income. In addition, upon adoption we will retrospectively adopt the provisions of this guidance related to changes to the statement of cash flows for all periods presented.

If we had adopted the provisions of the updated guidance as of January 1, 2016, it would have increased net income attributable to Comcast Corporation by $34 million and $193 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. In addition, the updated guidance would have increased net cash provided by operating activities and decreased net cash provided by (used in) financing activities by $493 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The most significant impact of implementing the new guidance is expected to occur in the first quarter of each year as a result of the vesting of restricted stock awards, which primarily occurs in March.

NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 2: Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition. The updated accounting guidance provides a single, contract-based revenue recognition model to help improve financial reporting by providing clearer guidance on when an entity should recognize revenue and by reducing the number of standards to which an entity has to refer. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance provides companies with alternative methods of adoption. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and our method of adoption.

Consolidations

In February 2015, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to consolidation under the variable interest entity (“VIE”) and voting interest entity models. The updated accounting guidance modifies the consolidation guidance for VIEs, limited partnerships and similar legal entities. We have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016 and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

In January 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. The updated accounting guidance, among other things, requires that all nonconsolidated equity investments, except those accounted for under the equity method, be measured at fair value and that the changes in fair value be recognized in net income. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance requires a cumulative effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings when the guidance is adopted with certain exceptions. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to leases. The updated accounting guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with the exception of short-term leases. For a lessee, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease do not significantly change from previous guidance. For a lessor, the accounting applied is also largely unchanged from previous guidance. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The updated accounting guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Share-Based Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance that affects several aspects of the accounting for share-based compensation. The most significant change for us relates to the presentation of the income and withholding tax consequences of share-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. Among the changes, the updated guidance requires that the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies that arise when the tax consequences of share-based compensation differ from amounts previously recognized in the statement of income be recognized as income tax benefit or expense in the statement of income rather than as additional paid-in capital in the balance sheet. The guidance also states that excess income tax benefits should not be presented separately from other income taxes in the statement of cash flows and, thus, should be classified as an operating activity rather than a financing activity as they are under the current guidance. In addition, the updated guidance requires when an employer withholds shares upon exercise of options or the vesting of restricted stock for the purpose of meeting withholding tax requirements, that the cash paid for withholding taxes be classified as a financing activity. We currently record these amounts within operating activities.

We will implement the updated guidance in the first quarter of 2017. As a limited liability company, we do not expect the updated accounting guidance related to the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies to be recognized in the statement of income to have an impact on our consolidated financial statements. In addition, we do not expect the updated accounting guidance to have a material impact on our statement of cash flows.