(10)   Commitments and Contingencies

Guarantees

In connection with agreements for the sale of assets by the Company or its subsidiaries, the Company may retain liabilities that relate to events occurring prior to its sale, such as tax, environmental, litigation and employment matters. The Company generally indemnifies the purchaser in the event that a third party asserts a claim against the purchaser that relates to a liability retained by the Company. These types of indemnification obligations may extend for a number of years. The Company is unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for these types of indemnification obligations as the sale agreements may not specify a maximum amount and the amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be determined at this time. Historically, the Company has not made any significant indemnification payments under such agreements and no amount has been accrued in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements with respect to these indemnification guarantees.

Employment Contracts

The Atlanta Braves and certain of their players and coaches have entered into long-term employment contracts whereby such individuals' compensation is guaranteed. Amounts due under guaranteed contracts as of September 30, 2016 aggregated $223 million, which is payable as follows: $4 million in 2016,  $74 million in 2017, $68 million in 2018, $33 million in 2019 and $44 million thereafter. In addition to the foregoing amounts, certain players and coaches may earn incentive compensation under the terms of their employment contracts.

Operating Leases

The Company and its subsidiaries lease business offices, have entered into satellite transponder lease agreements and use certain equipment under lease arrangements.

Litigation

The Company has contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Although it is reasonably possible the Company may incur losses upon conclusion of such matters, an estimate of any loss or range of loss cannot be made. In the opinion of management, it is expected that amounts, if any, which may be required to satisfy such contingencies will not be material in relation to the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

In connection with a commercial transaction that closed during 2002 among Liberty, Vivendi Universal S.A. (“Vivendi”) and the former USA Holdings, Inc., Liberty brought suit against Vivendi and Universal Studios, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging, among other things, breach of contract and fraud by Vivendi. On June 25, 2012, a jury awarded Liberty damages in the amount of €765 million, plus prejudgment interest, in connection with a finding of breach of contract and fraud by the defendants.  On January 17, 2013, the court entered judgment in favor of Liberty in the amount of approximately €945 million, including prejudgment interest. The parties negotiated a stay of the execution of the judgment during the pendency of the appeal.  Vivendi has filed notice of its appeal of the judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. During the first quarter of 2016, Liberty entered into a settlement with Vivendi which resulted in a $775 million payment to settle all claims related to the dispute described above. Following the payment of a contingency fee to our legal counsel, as well as amounts payable to Liberty Global plc, an additional plaintiff in the action, Liberty recognized a net pre-tax gain on the legal settlement of approximately $511 million. This settlement resulted in a dismissal of all appeals and mutual releases of the parties.

SIRIUS XM is a defendant in several purported class action suits that allege that SIRIUS XM, or call center vendors acting on its behalf, made numerous calls which violate provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (the “TCPA”). The plaintiffs in these actions allege, among other things, that SIRIUS XM called mobile phones using an automatic telephone dialing system without the consumer’s prior consent or, alternatively, after the consumer revoked his or her prior consent. In one of the actions, the plaintiff alleges that SIRIUS XM violated the TCPA’s call time restrictions, and in one of the other actions, the plaintiff also alleges that SRIUS XM violated the TCPA’s do not call restrictions. These purported class action cases are titled Erik Knutson v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., No. 12-cv-0418-AJB-NLS (S.D. Cal.), Francis W. Hooker v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., No. 4:13-cv-3 (E.D. Va.), Yefim Elikman v. Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Career Horizons, Inc., No. 1:15-cv-02093 (N.D. Ill.), and Anthony Parker v. Sirius XM Radio Inc., No. 8:15-cv-01710-JSM-EAJ (M.D. Fla), and are described in Part I, Item 3., Legal Proceedings, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

SIRIUS XM has entered into an agreement to settle these purported class action suits.  The settlement is expected to resolve the claims of consumers beginning in February 2008 relating to telemarketing calls to their mobile telephones.  As part of this settlement, SIRIUS XM made a $35 million payment to a settlement fund (from which notice, administration and other costs and attorneys’ fees will be paid) and is offering participating class members the option of receiving three months of SIRIUS XM’s Select service for no charge, and will enter into agreements to make modifications to the practices of certain of SIRIUS XM’s call center vendors.  The settlement is subject to final court approval, which cannot be assured.

In August 2013, SoundExchange, Inc. filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that SIRIUS XM underpaid royalties for statutory licenses during the 2007-2012 rate period in violation of the regulations established by the Copyright Royalty Board for that period.  SoundExchange principally alleges that SIRIUS XM improperly reduced its calculation of gross revenues, on which the royalty payments are based, by deducting non-recognized revenue attributable to pre-1972 recordings and Premier package revenue that is not “separately charged” as required by the regulations.  SoundExchange is seeking compensatory damages of not less than $50 million and up to $100 million or more, payment of late fees and interest, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

In August 2014, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted SIRIUS XM’s motion to dismiss the complaint without prejudice on the grounds that the case properly should be pursued before the Copyright Royalty Board rather than the district court.  In December 2014, SoundExchange filed a petition with the Copyright Royalty Board requesting an order interpreting the applicable regulations. SIRIUS XM has submitted legal briefs and other evidence supporting its position that its payments and practices complied with the regulations established by the Copyright Royalty Board for statutory licenses during the 2007-2012 period or, in the event that the Judges should find that the applicable regulations were unclear, that the Judges should clarify the regulations and confirm that SIRIUS XM’s payments and practices complied with the regulations for that period.  Briefing in this matter is complete and a decision from the Copyright Royalty Board is pending.

This matter is titled SoundExchange, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc., No.13-cv-1290-RJL (D.D.C.), and Determination of Rates and Terms for Preexisting Subscription Services and Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services, United States Copyright Royalty Board, No. 2006-1 CRB DSTRA.  Information concerning the action is publicly available in filings under the docket numbers.  The outcome of this matter is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, many of which are beyond SIRIUS XM’s control. As such, there can be no assurance that the final outcome of these matters will not materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. At this point SIRIUS XM cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss, or range of loss, which could be incurred if the plaintiffs were to prevail in the allegations, but SIRIUS XM believes it has substantial defenses to the claims asserted and intends to defend this action vigorously.

In June 2015, SIRIUS XM settled a separate suit brought by Capitol Records LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner Music Group Corp. and ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. relating to SIRIUS XM’s use and public performance of pre-1972 recordings for $210 million, which was paid during July 2015. The settling record companies claim to own, control or otherwise have the right to settle with respect to approximately 85% of the pre-1972 recordings SIRIUS XM has historically played. SIRIUS XM has also entered into certain direct licenses with other owners of pre-1972 recordings, which in many cases include releases of any claims associated with its use of pre-1972 recordings.

SIRIUS XM recognized $108 million in June 2015 for the portion of the $210 million Capitol Records lawsuit settlement related to SIRIUS XM’s use of pre-1972 sound recordings for the periods prior to the Capitol Records lawsuit settlement during June 2015. The $108 million has been excluded from Adjusted OIBDA as this expense was not incurred as a part of the Company’s normal operations for the period, and this lump sum amount does not relate to the on-going performance of the business. During the remainder of 2015, SIRIUS XM recognized approximately $19 million to Revenue share and royalties with respect to the Capitol Records lawsuit settlement related to SIRIUS XM’s use of pre-1972 sound recordings during the period and is included as a component of Adjusted OIBDA. SIRIUS XM recognized approximately $10 million and $30 million to Revenue share and royalties within the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations with respect to the Capitol Records lawsuit settlement during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, related to SIRIUS XM’s use of pre-1972 sound recordings during the period and is included as a component of Adjusted OIBDA. Of the remaining $53 million of the settlement, approximately $10 million and $43 million will be amortized to Revenue share and royalties within the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations over the future service period during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017, respectively.