(8) Long-Term Debt

Debt is summarized as follows:

 

Liberty 1.375% Cash Convertible Notes due 2023

On October 17, 2013, Liberty issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 1.375% Cash Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 ("Convertible Notes").  The Convertible Notes will mature on October 15, 2023 unless earlier repurchased by us or converted.  Interest on the Convertible Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year at a rate of 1.375% per annum. All conversion of the Convertible Notes will be settled solely in cash, and not through the delivery of any securities.  The initial conversion rate for the Convertible Notes was 5.5882 shares of Liberty Series A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of $178.95 per share of Liberty Series A common stock.  During the year ended December 31, 2014, in connection with the issuance of Series C common stock and the Broadband Spin-Off, as discussed in note 1, the conversion rate was adjusted to 21.0859 shares of Series A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes and an adjusted conversion price of $47.43 per share of Liberty Series A common stock. Holders of the Convertible Notes may convert their notes at their option at any time prior to the close of business on the second business day immediately preceding the maturity date of the notes under the following circumstances: (1) during any fiscal quarter after the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2013, if the last reported sale price of our Series A common stock for at least 20 trading days in the period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter is equal to or more than 130% of the conversion price of the notes on the last day of such preceding fiscal quarter; (2) during the five business‑day period after any five consecutive trading day period, which we refer to as the measurement period, in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of notes for each trading day of that measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of our  Series A common stock and the applicable conversion rate on each such day; or (3) upon the occurrence of specified corporate transactions.  Liberty has elected to account for this instrument using the fair value option.  Accordingly, changes in the fair value of this instrument are recognized as unrealized gains (losses) in the statement of operations.  As of March 31, 2015, the Convertible Notes are classified as a long term liability in the condensed consolidated balance sheet, as the conversion conditions have not been met as of such date.

Additionally, contemporaneously with the issuance of the Convertible Notes, Liberty entered into privately negotiated cash convertible note hedges and purchased call options (the “Bond Hedge Transaction”). The Bond Hedge Transaction covered approximately 5,588,200 shares of Liberty Series A common stock, subject to anti-dilution adjustments pertaining to the Convertible Notes, which was equal to the number of shares of Liberty Series A common stock initially underlying the Convertible Notes.  The Bond Hedge Transaction is expected to offset potential cash payments Liberty would be required to make in excess of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes, upon conversion of the notes in the event that the volume-weighted average price per share of the Liberty Series A common stock, as measured under the cash convertible note hedge transactions on each trading day of the relevant cash settlement averaging period or other relevant valuation period, is greater than the strike price of $178.95 per share of Liberty Series A common stock, which corresponded to the initial conversion price of the Convertible Notes. During the year ended December 31, 2014, in connection with the issuance of Liberty Series C common stock and the Broadband Spin-Off, as discussed in note 1, the number of shares covered by the Bond Hedge Transaction was adjusted to 21,085,900 shares of Liberty Series A common stock and the strike price was adjusted to $47.43 per share of Liberty Series A common stock, which corresponds to the adjusted conversion price of the Convertible Notes. Liberty paid approximately $299 million for the Bond Hedge Transaction.  The expiration of these instruments is October 15, 2023 and is included in Other assets, at cost, net of accumulated amortization as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, with changes in the fair value recorded as unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Margin Loans

During the year ended December 31, 2013, in connection with Liberty's acquisition of Charter common stock and warrants, as discussed in note 6, Liberty, through certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, entered into several margin loans with various financial institutions (“lender parties”) in order to fund the purchase. Each agreement contains language that indicates that Liberty, as borrower and transferor of underlying shares as collateral, has the right to exercise all voting, consensual and other powers of ownership pertaining to the transferred shares for all purposes, provided that Liberty agrees that it will not vote the shares in any manner that would reasonably be expected to give rise to transfer or certain other restrictions. Similarly, the loan agreements indicate that no lender party shall have any voting rights with respect to the shares transferred, except to the extent that a lender party buys any shares in a sale or other disposition made pursuant to the terms of the loan agreements.

 

$1 Billion Margin Loan due 2015

 

On April 30, 2013, Liberty Siri MarginCo, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty, entered into a margin loan agreement whereby Liberty Siri MarginCo, LLC borrowed $250 million pursuant to a term loan and $450 million pursuant to a revolving credit facility with various lender parties with incremental borrowings through the prior year end. Shares of SIRIUS XM, Live Nation, Time Warner, Inc., Viacom, Inc., CenturyLink, Inc., and Time Warner Cable, Inc. common stock were pledged as collateral pursuant to this agreement. Borrowings under this agreement bore interest equal to the three-month LIBOR plus a spread, based on the market value of the non-SIRIUS XM shares pledged as collateral pursuant to the agreement and such assets and available credit were not available to satisfy the debts and other obligations of Liberty and its other subsidiaries. Given the non-SIRIUS XM market value of the eligible pledged shares as of April 30, 2013, the initial interest rate on the loan was  LIBOR plus 2% which did not change during the duration of the period that the loan was outstanding.  Interest on the term loan was payable on the first business day of each calendar quarter, and interest was payable on the revolving line of credit on the last day of the interest period applicable to the borrowing of which such loan is a part. Additionally, up to $1 billion in loans may have been extended under the loan agreement in the form of incremental loans, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.  During October 2014, Liberty refinanced this margin loan arrangement for a similar financial instrument with a term loan of $250 million and a $750 million undrawn line of credit.  The term loan and any drawn portion of the revolver carries an interest rate of LIBOR plus an applicable spread between 1.75% and 2.50% (based on value of collateral) with the undrawn portion carrying a fee of 0.75%. As of December 31, 2014, shares of SIRIUS XM, Live Nation, Time Warner, Inc. and Viacom, Inc. common stock were pledged as collateral pursuant to this agreement. Due to the sale of shares of Viacom, Inc. held by Liberty during the three months ended March 31, 2015 (note 5), shares of Viacom, Inc. are no longer pledged as collateral pursuant to this agreement as of March 31, 2015. Borrowings outstanding under this margin loan bear interest at a rate of 2.03% per annum at March 31, 2015.  The maturity of the new arrangement is October 28, 2015.  Other terms of the loan are substantially similar to the previous arrangement. As of March 31, 2015, availability under the revolving line of credit was $750 million.

 

As of March 31, 2015, the values of shares pledged as collateral pursuant to the $1 billion margin loan due 2015 is as follows:

 

 

The outstanding margin loan contains various affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the activities of the borrower. The loan agreement does not include any financial covenants.

 

SIRIUS XM 5.375% Senior Notes due 2025

 

In March 2015, SIRIUS XM issued $1.0 billion principal amount of new senior notes due 2025 which bear interest at an annual rate 5.375% (“SIRIUS XM 5.375% Senior Notes due 2025”) with an original issuance discount of $11 million. The SIRIUS XM 5.375% Senior Notes due 2025 are recorded net of the remaining unamortized discount. SIRIUS XM intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes. 

 

SIRIUS XM Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility

In December 2012, SIRIUS XM entered into a five-year Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility (the "Credit Facility") with a syndicate of financial institutions for $1,250 million.  The Credit Facility is secured by substantially all SIRIUS XM's assets and the assets of their subsidiaries. The proceeds of loans under the Credit Facility have been or will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including financing acquisitions, share repurchases and dividends.  Interest on borrowings is payable on a monthly basis and accrues at a rate based on LIBOR plus an applicable rate. SIRIUS XM is required to pay a variable fee on the average daily unused portion of the Credit Facility which as of March 31, 2015 was 0.30% per annum and is payable on a quarterly basis.

As of March 31, 2015, availability under the Credit Facility was $1,250 million. 

 

Other subsidiary debt

Other subsidiary debt is comprised of SIRIUS XM capital leases and other borrowings at ANLBC.  In 2014, ANLBC, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, purchased 82 acres of land for the purpose of constructing a Major League Baseball facility and development of a mixed-use complex adjacent to the ballpark.  The new facility is expected to cost approximately $672 million and ANLBC expects to spend approximately $50 million in other costs and equipment related to the new ballpark.  Funding for the ballpark will be split between ANLBC, Cobb County and Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority. Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority and Cobb County (collectively the “Authority”) will be responsible for funding $392 million of ballpark related construction and ANLBC will be responsible for remainder of cost, including cost overruns.  Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority will issue $368 million in bonds that are expected to close and fund in the second half of 2015.  In order to maintain an April 2017 opening of the ballpark, ANLBC agreed to advance funds to cover project related costs until the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority bonds are funded.  Funding for ballpark initiatives by ANLBC has come from cash reserves and utilization of two credit facilities with a capacity of $250 million, which was increased to $350 million during April 2015. As of March 31, 2015, ANLBC has borrowed approximately $110 million under these two facilities. 

Due to ANLBC providing the initial funding of the project and its ownership of the land during the initial construction period, until the initial reimbursement by the Authority at which time the land will be conveyed to the Authority, ANLBC has been deemed the owner (for accounting purposes) of the stadium during the construction period and costs have been classified as construction in progress (“CIP”), within the Property and equipment, net line item.   Future costs of the project will continue to be captured in CIP along with a corresponding liability in other liabilities, for amounts funded by the Authority.  At the end of construction an additional determination will need to be made to determine whether the transaction will qualify for sale-leaseback accounting treatment. 

In addition, ANLBC through affiliated entities and outside development partners are in the process of developing land around the ballpark for a mixed-use complex that is expected to feature retail, residential, office, hotel and entertainment opportunities.  The expected cost for mixed-use development is expected to be $452 million, of which affiliated entities are expected to be responsible for approximately $363 million of development cost.  As of March 31, 2015, approximately $131 million has been spent to-date on the baseball facility and mixed-use development, a portion of which is expected to be reimbursed.

 

Debt Covenants

The SIRIUS XM Credit Facility contains certain financial covenants related to SIRIUS XM’s leverage ratio.  Additionally, SIRIUS XM’s Credit Facility and other borrowings contain certain non-financial covenants.  The Company and SIRIUS XM are in compliance with all debt covenants.

Fair Value of Debt

The fair value, based on quoted market prices of the same instruments but not considered to be active markets (Level 2), of SIRIUS XM's publicly traded debt securities, not reported at fair value, are as follows (amounts in millions):

 

 

Due to the variable rate nature of the Credit Facility, margin loans and other debt the Company believes that the carrying amount approximates fair value at March 31, 2015.