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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Commitments
The Company leases land, office space, data center facilities and equipment used in connection with its operations under various operating leases, many of which contain escalation clauses. The Company is also committed to pay a portion of the related operating expenses under certain lease agreements. These operating expenses are not included in the table below.
Future minimum payments under operating lease agreements are as follows:
Years Ending December 31,
 
(In thousands)
2019
 
$
38,770

2020
 
46,440

2021
 
40,998

2022
 
34,066

2023
 
30,567

Thereafter
 
255,563

Total
 
$
446,404


Expenses charged to operations under these agreements are $42.0 million, $37.9 million and $50.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
The Company's three most significant operating leases are for IAC's headquarters in New York City that expires in 2081, ANGI's call center in New York that expires in 2028 and ANGI's headquarters in Denver, Colorado that expires in 2029, which collectively approximate 61% of the future minimum payments due under all operating lease agreements in the table above.
The Company also has funding commitments that could potentially require its performance in the event of demands by third parties or contingent events as follows:
 
Amount of Commitment Expiration Per Period
 
Less Than
1 Year
 
1-3
Years
 
3-5
Years
 
More Than
5 Years
 
Total
Amounts
Committed
 
(In thousands)
Purchase obligations
$
40,428

 
$
23,897

 
$

 
$

 
$
64,325

Letters of credit and surety bonds
449

 

 

 
2,272

 
2,721

Total commercial commitments
$
40,877

 
$
23,897

 
$

 
$
2,272

 
$
67,046


The purchase obligations principally include web hosting commitments. The letters of credit primarily support the Company's casualty insurance program.
Contingencies
In the ordinary course of business, the Company is a party to various lawsuits. The Company establishes reserves for specific legal matters when it determines that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable and the loss is reasonably estimable. Management has also identified certain other legal matters where we believe an unfavorable outcome is not probable and, therefore, no reserve is established. Although management currently believes that resolving claims against us, including claims where an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible, will not have a material impact on the liquidity, results of operations, or financial condition of the Company, these matters are subject to inherent uncertainties and management's view of these matters may change in the future. The Company also evaluates other contingent matters, including income and non-income tax contingencies, to assess the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome and estimated extent of potential loss. It is possible that an unfavorable outcome of one or more of these lawsuits or other contingencies could have a material impact on the liquidity, results of operations, or financial condition of the Company. See "Note 3—Income Taxes" for additional information related to income tax contingencies.
On August 14, 2018, ten then-current and former employees of Match Group, LLC or Tinder, Inc. ("Tinder"), an operating business of Match Group, filed a lawsuit in New York state court against IAC and Match Group. See Sean Rad et al. v. IAC/InterActiveCorp and Match Group, Inc., No. 654038/2018 (Supreme Court, New York County). The complaint alleges that in 2017, the defendants: (i) wrongfully interfered with a contractually established process for the independent valuation of Tinder by certain investment banks, resulting in a substantial undervaluation of Tinder and a consequent underpayment to the plaintiffs upon exercise of their Tinder stock options, and (ii) then wrongfully merged Tinder into Match Group, thereby depriving one of the plaintiffs (Mr. Rad) of his contractual right to later valuations of Tinder on a stand-alone basis. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, interference with contractual relations (as against Match Group only), and interference with prospective economic advantage, and seeks compensatory damages in the amount of at least $2 billion, as well as punitive damages. On August 31, 2018, four plaintiffs who were still employed by Match Group filed a notice of discontinuance of their claims without prejudice, leaving the six former employees as the remaining plaintiffs. On October 9, 2018, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on various grounds, including that the 2017 valuation of Tinder by the investment banks was an expert determination any challenge to which is both time-barred under applicable law and available only on narrow substantive grounds that the plaintiffs have not pleaded in their complaint. On December 17, 2018, plaintiffs filed their opposition to the motion to dismiss. On January 15, 2019, the defendants filed their reply brief. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for March 6, 2019, and discovery in the case is proceeding. IAC and Match Group believe that the allegations in this lawsuit are without merit and will continue to defend vigorously against it.