Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

v3.20.4
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments  
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

(18)  Information About Liberty’s Operating Segments

The Company, through its ownership interests in subsidiaries and other companies, is primarily engaged in the media and entertainment industries. The Company identifies its reportable segments as (A) those consolidated subsidiaries that represent 10% or more of its consolidated annual revenue, annual Adjusted OIBDA (as defined below) or total assets and (B) those equity method affiliates whose share of earnings (losses) represent 10% or more of the Company’s annual pre-tax earnings (loss). The segment presentation for prior periods has been conformed to the current period segment presentation.

The Company evaluates performance and makes decisions about allocating resources to its operating segments based on financial measures such as revenue and Adjusted OIBDA (as defined below). In addition, the Company reviews nonfinancial measures such as subscriber growth, churn and penetration.

For segment reporting purposes, the Company defines Adjusted OIBDA as revenue less operating expenses, and selling, general and administrative expenses excluding all stock-based compensation, separately reported litigation settlements and restructuring and impairment charges. The Company believes this measure is an important indicator of the operational strength and performance of its businesses, by identifying those items that are not directly a reflection of each business’ performance or indicative of ongoing business trends. In addition, this measure allows management to view operating results and perform analytical comparisons and benchmarking between businesses and identify strategies to improve performance. This measure of performance excludes depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, separately reported litigation settlements, restructuring, acquisition and impairment charges that are included in the measurement of operating income pursuant to GAAP. Accordingly, Adjusted OIBDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, operating income, net income, cash flow provided by operating activities and other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company generally accounts for intersegment sales and transfers as if the sales or transfers were to third parties, that is, at current prices.

The Company has identified the following subsidiaries as its reportable segments:

Sirius XM Holdings is a consolidated subsidiary that operates two complementary audio entertainment businesses, Sirius XM and Pandora. Sirius XM features music, sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic and weather channels and other content, as well as podcasts and infotainment services, in the United States on a subscription fee basis. Sirius XM’s premier content bundles include live, curated and certain exclusive and on demand programming. The Sirius XM service is distributed through its two proprietary satellite radio systems and streamed via applications for mobile devices, home devices and other consumer electronic equipment. Sirius XM also provides connected vehicle services and a suite of in-vehicle data services. The Pandora business operates a music, comedy and podcast streaming discovery platform.  Pandora is available as an ad-supported radio service, a radio subscription service, called Pandora
Plus, and an on-demand subscription service, called Pandora Premium. Sirius XM Holdings acquired Pandora on February 1, 2019, at which time it began consolidating the results of the Pandora business.
Formula 1 is a global motorsports business that holds exclusive commercial rights with respect to the World Championship, an annual, approximately nine-month long, motor race-based competition in which teams compete for the Constructors’ Championship and drivers compete for the Drivers’ Championship. The World Championship takes place on various circuits with a varying number of events taking place in different countries around the world each season. Formula 1 is responsible for the commercial exploitation and development of the World Championship as well as various aspects of its management and administration.

The Company’s reportable segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services. They are managed separately because each segment requires different technologies, differing revenue sources and marketing strategies. The significant accounting policies of the segments that are also consolidated subsidiaries are the same as those described in the Company’s summary of significant policies.

As of December 31, 2020, Live Nation met the Company’s reportable segment threshold for equity method affiliates due to significant losses driven by COVID-19. Although the Company owns less than 100% of the outstanding shares of Live Nation, 100% of the Live Nation amount are included in the tables below and are subsequently eliminated in order to reconcile the account totals to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. As disclosed in note 2, the Company’s investment in Live Nation was reattributed from the Formula One Group to the Liberty SiriusXM Group effective April 22, 2020. Live Nation’s revenue and Adjusted OIBDA are reflected with the Formula One Group prior to the reattribution and with the Liberty SiriusXM Group following the reattribution.

Performance Measures

Years ended December 31,

 

2020

2019

2018

 

    

    

Adjusted

    

    

Adjusted

    

    

Adjusted

 

Revenue

OIBDA

Revenue

OIBDA

Revenue

OIBDA

 

amounts in millions

 

Liberty SiriusXM Group

Sirius XM Holdings

$

8,040

 

2,575

 

7,794

 

2,453

 

5,771

 

2,233

Live Nation

477

(891)

Corporate and other

(31)

(17)

(16)

8,517

1,653

7,794

2,436

5,771

2,217

Eliminate equity method affiliate

(477)

891

Total Liberty SiriusXM Group

8,040

2,544

7,794

2,436

5,771

2,217

Braves Group

Corporate and other

 

178

 

(53)

 

476

 

49

 

442

 

88

Total Braves Group

178

(53)

476

49

442

88

Formula One Group

Formula 1

1,145

56

2,022

482

1,827

400

Live Nation

1,384

(125)

11,548

943

10,788

829

Corporate and other

(38)

(36)

(25)

2,529

(107)

13,570

1,389

12,615

1,204

Eliminate equity method affiliate

(1,384)

125

(11,548)

(943)

(10,788)

(829)

Total Formula One Group

1,145

18

2,022

446

1,827

375

Total

$

9,363

 

2,509

 

10,292

 

2,931

 

8,040

 

2,680

Other Information

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

 

    

Total

    

Investments

    

Capital

    

Total

    

Investments

    

Capital

 

assets

in affiliates

expenditures

assets

in affiliates

expenditures

 

amounts in millions

 

Liberty SiriusXM Group

Sirius XM Holdings

$

30,030

 

723

 

350

 

30,868

 

644

 

363

Live Nation

10,589

170

223

Corporate and other

2,051

163

553

42,670

1,056

573

31,421

644

363

Eliminate equity method affiliate

(10,589)

(170)

(223)

Total Liberty SiriusXM Group

32,081

886

350

31,421

644

363

Braves Group

Corporate and other

1,571

94

81

1,593

99

103

Total Braves Group

1,571

94

81

1,593

99

103

Formula One Group

Formula 1

8,610

 

 

11

9,031

 

 

16

Live Nation

10,976

168

366

Corporate and other

 

2,581

 

38

 

10

 

2,474

 

882

 

28

11,191

38

21

22,481

1,050

410

Eliminate equity method affiliate

(10,976)

(168)

(366)

Total Formula One Group

11,191

38

21

11,505

882

44

Elimination (1)

(839)

(330)

Consolidated Liberty

$

44,004

 

1,018

 

452

 

44,189

 

1,625

 

510

(1) As of December 31, 2020, this amount is primarily comprised of the call spread between the Formula One Group and the Liberty SiriusXM Group with respect to the Live Nation shares that were reattributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the intergroup interests in the Braves Group held by the Formula One Group and the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the intergroup interest in the Formula One Group held by the Liberty SiriusXM Group, as discussed in note 2. The Braves Group intergroup interests attributable to the Formula One Group and the Liberty SiriusXM Group are presented as assets of the Formula One Group and Liberty SiriusXM Group, respectively, and are presented as liabilities of the Braves Group in the attributed financial statements. The Formula One Group intergroup interest attributable to the Liberty SiriusXM Group is presented as an asset of the Liberty SiriusXM Group and is presented as a liability of the Formula One Group in the attributed financial statements. The offsetting amounts between tracking stock groups are eliminated in consolidation.

As of December 31, 2019, this amount is primarily the intergroup interests in the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the Braves Group held by the Formula One Group, as discussed in note 2. The intergroup interests attributable to the Formula One Group are presented as an asset and the intergroup interests attributable to the Liberty SiriusXM Group and the Braves Group are presented as liabilities in the attributed financial statements and the offsetting amounts between tracking stock groups are eliminated in consolidation.

The following table provides a reconciliation of Adjusted OIBDA to Operating income (loss) and Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes:

Years ended December 31,

 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

 

amounts in millions

 

Adjusted OIBDA

$

2,509

 

2,931

 

2,680

Litigation settlements and reserves (note 17)

16

(25)

(69)

Stock-based compensation

 

(261)

 

(291)

 

(192)

Impairment of intangible assets (note 8)

(976)

Acquisition and restructuring (note 5)

(28)

(84)

(3)

Depreciation and amortization

 

(1,083)

 

(1,061)

 

(905)

Operating income (loss)

177

1,470

1,511

Interest expense

 

(634)

 

(657)

 

(606)

Share of earnings (losses) of affiliates, net

 

(586)

 

6

 

18

Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net

 

(402)

 

(315)

 

40

Other, net

 

10

 

9

 

78

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

$

(1,435)

 

513

 

1,041

Revenue by Geographic Area

Revenue by geographic area based on the country of domicile is as follows:

Years ended December 31,

 

    

2020

    

2019

    

2018

 

amounts in millions

 

United States

$

8,121

 

8,172

 

6,112

United Kingdom

 

1,145

 

2,022

 

1,831

Other

97

98

97

$

9,363

 

10,292

 

8,040

Long-lived Assets by Geographic Area

December 31,

 

    

2020

    

2019

 

amounts in millions

 

United States

$

2,221

 

2,246

United Kingdom

 

18

 

16

$

2,239

 

2,262