Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock-Based Compensation

v3.20.2
Stock-Based Compensation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Stock-Based Compensation

(9) Stock-Based Compensation

GCI Liberty has granted to certain directors, employees and employees of its subsidiaries, restricted shares (“RSAs”), restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and options to purchase shares of GCI Liberty’s common stock (collectively, "Awards"). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity classified Award (such as stock options, RSAs and RSUs) based on the grant-date fair value (“GDFV”) of the Award, and recognizes that cost over the period during which the employee is required to provide service (usually the vesting period of the Award). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for a liability classified Award based on the current fair value of the Award, and remeasures the fair value of the Award at each reporting date.

Included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are $4.5 million and $5.8 million of stock-based compensation during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $11.4 million and $18.2 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, and in connection with our CEO’s new employment agreement, GCI Liberty granted to our CEO 359 thousand options to purchase shares of GCI Liberty Series A common stock as part of our CEO’s upfront term award detailed in his employment agreement. Such options had a GDFV of $16.60 per share and vest on December 31, 2023. Also during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, GCI Liberty granted to our CEO 148 thousand options to purchase shares of GCI Liberty Series A common stock in conjunction with our CEO’s annual awards as detailed in his employment agreement. Such options had a GDFV of $13.21 per share and vest on December 31, 2020.

Also during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, GCI Liberty granted 3 thousand time-based RSUs of GCI Liberty Series A common stock to our CEO. The RSUs had a GDFV of $59.80 per share and cliff vest on December 10, 2020.  This RSU grant was issued in lieu of our CEO receiving 50% of his remaining base salary for the last three quarters of calendar year 2020, and he has waived his right to receive the other 50%, in each case, in light of the ongoing financial impact of COVID-19.

The Company has calculated the GDFV for all of its equity classified Awards and any subsequent remeasurement of its liability classified Awards using the Black-Scholes-Merton Model. The Company estimates the expected term of the Awards based on historical exercise and forfeiture data. The volatility used in the calculation for Awards is based on the historical volatility of GCI Liberty’s stock and the implied volatility of publicly traded GCI Liberty options. The Company uses a zero dividend rate and the risk-free rate for Treasury Bonds with a term similar to that of the subject options.

GCI Liberty-Outstanding Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price ("WAEP") of Awards to purchase GCI Liberty common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of the Company, as well as the weighted average remaining life and aggregate intrinsic value of the Awards.

Series A

Weighted

Aggregate

average

intrinsic

Awards

remaining

value

    

(000's)

    

WAEP

    

life

    

(millions)

Outstanding at January 1, 2020

 

604

$

48.67

 

  

 

  

 

  

Granted

 

528

$

67.49

 

  

 

  

 

  

Exercised

 

(98)

$

44.52

 

  

 

  

 

  

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

$

 

  

 

  

 

  

Outstanding at September 30, 2020

 

1,034

$

58.67

 

5.1

 

years

$

24

Exercisable at September 30, 2020

 

328

$

47.09

 

3.5

 

years

$

11

There were no changes to outstanding options of GCI Liberty Series B common stock during the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

As of September 30, 2020, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options and RSA/RSUs was approximately $7.0 million and $13.0 million, respectively. Such amounts will be recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 2.6 years and 1.9 years, respectively.

As of September 30, 2020, GCI Liberty had 427 thousand RSUs outstanding.

As of September 30, 2020, GCI Liberty reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding stock options approximately 1.0 million shares of GCI Liberty Series A common stock and 1.2 million shares of GCI Liberty Series B common stock.