Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

v3.20.2
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments  
Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

(11)   Information About Liberty's Operating Segments

The Company, through its ownership interests in subsidiaries and other companies, is primarily engaged in the media, communications 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 represent 10% or more of the Company's annual pre-tax earnings.

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 the nine months ended September 30, 2020, 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 as well as infotainment services, in the United States on a subscription fee basis through its two proprietary satellite radio systems and through the internet 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 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 are the same as those described in the Company's summary of significant policies in the Company's annual financial statements filed on Form 10-K.

Performance Measures

The following table disaggregates revenue by segment and by source:

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

September 30,

    

2020

    

2019

    

2020

    

2019

 

amounts in millions

Liberty SiriusXM Group

 

 

 

Sirius XM Holdings:

Subscriber

$

1,594

1,556

4,757

 

4,551

Advertising

 

345

366

866

 

933

Equipment

47

45

113

127

Other

39

44

115

121

Total Liberty SiriusXM Group

2,025

2,011

5,851

5,732

Braves Group

 

 

 

 

Corporate and other:

 

 

 

 

Baseball

 

102

 

203

 

119

 

415

Development

 

8

 

9

 

24

 

27

Total Braves Group

110

212

143

442

Formula One Group

Formula 1:

Primary

524

553

549

1,282

Other

73

80

111

217

Total Formula One Group

597

633

660

1,499

Consolidated Liberty

$

2,732

 

2,856

 

6,654

 

7,673

Our subsidiaries’ customers generally pay for services in advance of the performance obligation and therefore these prepayments are recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue is recognized as revenue in our unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations as the services are provided. Changes in the contract liability balance for Sirius XM Holdings during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 were not materially impacted by other factors. The opening and closing balances for our deferred revenue related to Formula 1 and Braves Holdings for the nine months ended

September 30, 2020 were approximately $184 million and $449 million, respectively. The primary cause for the increase related to the receipt of cash from our customers in advance of satisfying our performance obligations.

Significant portions of the transaction prices for Formula 1 and Braves Holdings are related to undelivered performance obligations that are under contractual arrangements that extend beyond one year. The Company anticipates recognizing revenue from the delivery of such performance obligations of approximately $454 million for the remainder of 2020, $1,981 million in 2021, $1,720 million in 2022, $3,419 million in 2023 through 2028, and $217 million thereafter, primarily recognized through 2035. These amounts have been adjusted to reflect known reductions in estimated revenue due to decreases in the number of games for the 2020 baseball season and Events for the 2020 World Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have not included any amounts in the undelivered performance obligations amounts for Formula 1 and Braves Holdings for those performance obligations that relate to a contract with an original expected duration of one year or less.  

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 and restructuring 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.

Adjusted OIBDA is summarized as follows:

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

September 30,

    

2020

    

2019

    

2020

    

2019

 

amounts in millions

Liberty SiriusXM Group

Sirius XM Holdings

$

661

 

659

 

1,915

 

1,871

Corporate and other

 

(7)

 

(4)

 

(26)

 

(10)

Total Liberty SiriusXM Group

 

654

 

655

 

1,889

 

1,861

Braves Group

Corporate and other

 

5

 

45

 

(49)

 

73

Total Braves Group

 

5

 

45

 

(49)

 

73

Formula One Group

 

 

Formula 1

 

14

 

162

 

(34)

 

372

Corporate and other

(6)

(8)

(26)

(23)

Total Formula One Group

8

154

(60)

349

Consolidated Liberty

$

667

 

854

 

1,780

 

2,283

Other Information

September 30, 2020

    

Total

    

Investments

    

Capital

 

assets

in affiliates

expenditures

amounts in millions

Liberty SiriusXM Group

Sirius XM Holdings

$

30,517

 

697

 

230

Corporate and other

1,093

289

Total Liberty SiriusXM Group

31,610

986

230

Braves Group

Corporate and other

1,628

87

69

Total Braves Group

1,628

87

69

Formula One Group

Formula 1

8,807

7

Corporate and other

 

2,424

 

33

 

10

Total Formula One Group

11,231

33

17

Elimination (1)

(680)

Consolidated Liberty

$

43,789

 

1,106

 

316

(1) 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.

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

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

September 30,

    

2020

    

2019

    

2020

    

2019

 

amounts in millions

Adjusted OIBDA

$

667

 

854

 

1,780

 

2,283

Legal settlements and reserves

16

(25)

Stock-based compensation

 

(68)

 

(76)

 

(180)

 

(217)

Acquisition and restructuring (note 3)

(24)

(83)

Depreciation and amortization

 

(279)

 

(271)

 

(812)

 

(790)

Operating income (loss)

320

507

780

1,168

Interest expense

 

(153)

 

(169)

 

(480)

 

(495)

Share of earnings (losses) of affiliates, net

 

(187)

 

55

 

(442)

 

69

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

 

16

 

14

 

(163)

 

(171)

Other, net

 

(32)

 

(47)

 

(1)

 

(18)

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

$

(36)

 

360

 

(306)

 

553