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Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plans
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Equity And Long-Term Incentive Plans Equity and Long-Term Incentive Plans
On June 8, 2016, the Company's shareholders approved the AMC Networks Inc. 2016 Employee Stock Plan (the "2016 Employee Stock Plan") and the AMC Networks Inc. 2016 Executive Cash Incentive Plan (the "2016 Cash Incentive Plan"). On June 5, 2012, the Company's shareholders approved the AMC Networks Inc. 2011 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the "2011 Non-Employee Director Plan").
Equity Plans
On June 11, 2020, the Company adopted the Amended and Restated 2016 Employee Stock Plan (the "2016 Employee Stock Plan"). The 2016 Employee Stock Plan provides for the grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted stock units and other equity-based awards (collectively, "awards"). Under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan, the Company may grant awards for up to 12,000,000 shares of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock (subject to certain adjustments). Equity-based awards granted under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan must be granted with an exercise price of not less than the fair market value of a share of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock on the date of grant and must expire no later than 10 years from the date of grant. The terms and conditions of awards granted under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan, including vesting and exercisability, are determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors ("Compensation Committee") and may include terms or conditions based upon performance criteria.
Awards issued to employees under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan will settle in shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock (either from treasury or with newly issued shares), or, at the option of the Compensation Committee, in cash. As of December 31, 2021, there are 8,176,572 share awards available for future grant under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan. For the purpose of calculating the remaining shares available for issuance under the 2016 Employee Stock Plan, awards containing performance criteria are excluded based on the maximum potential performance target that can be achieved.
 On June 11, 2020, the Company adopted the Amended and Restated 2011 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the "2011 Non-Employee Director Stock Plan"). Under the 2011 Non-Employee Director Plan, the Company is authorized to grant non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units, restricted shares, stock appreciation rights and other equity-based awards. The Company may grant awards for up to 665,000 shares of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock (subject to certain adjustments). Stock options under the 2011 Non-Employee Director Plan must be granted with an exercise price of not less than the fair market value of a share of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock on the date of grant and must expire no later than 10 years from the date of grant. The terms and conditions of awards granted under the 2011 Non-Employee Director Plan, including vesting and exercisability, are determined by the Compensation Committee. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable award agreement, stock options granted under this plan will be fully vested and exercisable, and restricted stock units granted under this plan will be fully vested, upon the date of grant and will settle in shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock (either from treasury or with newly issued shares), or, at the option of the Compensation Committee, in cash, on the first business day after ninety days from the date the director's service on the Board of Directors ceases or, if earlier, upon the director's death. As of December 31, 2021, there are 236,894 shares available for future grant under the 2011 Non-Employee Director Plan.
Restricted Stock Unit Activity
The following table summarizes activity relating to Company employees who held AMC Networks restricted stock units for the year ended December 31, 2021:
Number of
Restricted
Stock Units
Number of
Performance
Restricted
Stock Units
Weighted Average 
Fair Value Per Stock Unit at Date of Grant
Unvested award balance, December 31, 2019760,431 2,369,901 $57.89 
Granted824,946 335,472 $25.78 
Released/Vested(322,458)(858,101)$61.18 
Canceled/Forfeited(260,382)(369,650)$48.57 
Unvested award balance, December 31, 20201,002,537 1,477,622 $43.79 
Granted380,731 300,936 $71.25 
Released/Vested(427,852)(823,510)$45.31 
Canceled/Forfeited(66,323)(28,192)$45.43 
Unvested award balance, December 31, 2021889,093 926,856 $52.97 
All restricted stock units granted vest ratably over a three or four year period.
The target number of PRSUs granted represents the right to receive a corresponding number of shares, subject to adjustment based on the performance of the Company against target performance criteria for a three year period. The number of shares issuable at the end of the applicable measurement period ranges from 0% to 200% of the target PRSU award.
The following table summarizes activity relating to Non-employee Directors who held AMC Networks restricted stock units for the year ended December 31, 2021:
Number of
Restricted
Stock Units
Weighted Average 
Fair Value Per Stock Unit at Date of Grant
Vested award balance, December 31, 2019249,768 $54.38 
Granted54,535 $28.33 
Released/Vested(43,938)$51.24 
Vested award balance, December 31, 2020260,365 $49.45 
Granted29,916 $64.43 
Released/Vested(25,133)$48.94 
Vested award balance, December 31, 2021265,148 $51.19 
Stock Option Award Activity
The following table summarizes activity relating to employees of the Company who held unvested AMC Networks stock options for the year ended December 31, 2021:
 Shares Under Option
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
Per Share
Weighted
Average
Contractual
Term
(in years)
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value(a)
 
Time
Vesting
Options
Balance, December 31, 2019202,961 $48.26 6.79$— 
Exercised— — 
Balance, December 31, 2020202,961 $48.26 5.79$— 
Exercised(202,961)48.26 
Balance, December 31, 2021— $— — $— 
Options exercisable at December 31, 2021— $— 
Options expected to vest in the future— $— — $— 
(a)The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between (i) the exercise price of the underlying award and (ii) the quoted price of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock on the reporting date, as indicated.
Share-based Compensation Expenses
The Company recorded share-based compensation expenses of $47.9 million, $52.9 million and $64.1 million, reduced for forfeitures, for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience. To the extent actual results of forfeitures differ from those estimates, such amounts are recorded as an adjustment in the period the estimates are revised.
Share-based compensation expenses are recognized in the consolidated statements of income as part of selling, general and administrative expenses. As of December 31, 2021, there was $32.8 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation costs related to Company employees who held unvested AMC Networks restricted stock units. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining period of approximately 1.82 years. There were no costs related to share-based compensation that were capitalized.
The Company receives income tax deductions related to restricted stock units, stock options or other equity awards granted to its employees by the Company.
Cash flows resulting from excess tax benefits and deficiencies are classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity. Excess tax benefits are realized tax benefits from tax deductions for options exercised and restricted shares issued, in excess of the deferred tax asset attributable to stock compensation costs for such awards. Excess tax deficiencies are realized deficiencies from tax deductions being less than the deferred tax asset. Excess tax deficiencies/(benefits) of $(4.6) million, $8.4 million and $(0.1) million were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Long-Term Incentive Plans
Under the terms of the 2016 Cash Incentive Plan, the Company is authorized to grant a cash or equity based award to certain employees. The terms and conditions of such awards are determined by the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors, may include the achievement of certain performance criteria and may extend for a period not to exceed ten years. During 2021 and 2020, the Company granted long-term incentive cash awards. During 2017 through 2019, the Company granted long-term incentive awards in the form of PRSUs.
Long-term incentive compensation plan expense is recognized in the consolidated statements of income as part of selling, general and administrative expenses. The Company recorded long-term incentive compensation expense of $22.5 million and $13.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.