(5) Investment in Charter Accounted for Using the Equity Method

Through a number of prior years’ transactions and the Combination, Liberty Broadband has acquired an interest in Charter. The investment in Charter is accounted for as an equity method affiliate based on our voting and ownership interest and the board seats held by individuals appointed by Liberty Broadband. As of March 31, 2021, the carrying and market value of Liberty Broadband’s ownership in Charter was approximately $15,735 million and $36,177 million, respectively.  

We own an approximate 31.1% economic ownership interest in Charter, based on shares of Charter’s Class A common stock issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021.  

Upon the closing of the Time Warner Cable merger, the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2015, by and among Charter, Liberty Broadband and Advance/Newhouse Partnership ("A/N"), as amended (the “Stockholders Agreement”), became fully effective. Pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement, Liberty Broadband’s equity ownership in Charter (on a fully diluted basis) is capped at the greater of 26% or the voting cap (“Equity Cap”).  As of March 31, 2021, due to Liberty Broadband’s voting interest exceeding the current voting cap of 25.01%, our voting control of the aggregate voting power of Charter is 25.01%. Under the Stockholders Agreement, Liberty Broadband has agreed to vote (subject to certain exceptions) all voting securities beneficially owned by it, or over which it has voting discretion or control that are in excess of the voting cap in the same proportion as all other votes cast by public stockholders of Charter with respect to the applicable matter.

In February 2021, Liberty Broadband was notified that its ownership interest, on a fully diluted basis, had exceeded the Equity Cap set forth in the Stockholders Agreement.  On February 23, 2021, Charter and Liberty Broadband entered into a letter agreement in order to implement, facilitate and satisfy the terms of the Stockholders Agreement with respect to the Equity Cap. Pursuant to this letter agreement, following any month during which Charter purchases, redeems or buys back shares of its Class A common stock, and prior to certain meetings of Charter’s stockholders, Liberty Broadband will be obligated to sell to Charter, and Charter will be obligated to purchase, such number of shares of Class A common stock as is necessary (if any) to reduce Liberty Broadband’s percentage equity interest, on a fully diluted basis, to the Equity Cap (such transaction, a “Charter Repurchase”). The per share sale price for each share of Charter will be equal to the volume weighted average price paid by Charter in its repurchases, redemptions and buybacks of its common stock (subject to certain exceptions) during the month prior to the Charter Repurchase (or, if applicable, during the relevant period prior to the relevant meeting of Charter stockholders). Under the terms of the letter agreement, Liberty Broadband sold 834,576 shares of Charter Class A common stock to Charter for $518.4 million in March 2021 to maintain our fully diluted ownership percentage at 26%.  Subsequent to March 31, 2021, Liberty Broadband sold 735,209 shares of Charter Class A common stock to Charter for $459.7 million in April 2021.

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, Liberty Broadband exercised its preemptive right to purchase an aggregate of approximately 35 thousand shares of Charter’s Class A common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $14.9 million.

Investment in Charter

The excess basis in our investment in Charter of $9,210 million as of March 31, 2021 is allocated within memo accounts used for equity method accounting purposes as follows (amounts in millions):

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Property and equipment and customer relationships have weighted average remaining useful lives of approximately 6 years and 10 years, respectively, and franchise fees, trademarks and goodwill have indefinite lives. The excess basis of

outstanding debt is amortized over the contractual period using the straight-line method. The increase in excess basis for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was primarily due to Charter’s share buyback program, partially offset by Liberty Broadband’s participation in Charter’s share buyback program. The Company’s share of earnings (losses) of affiliates line item in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations includes expenses of $57.9 million and $40.1 million, net of related taxes, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, due to the amortization of the excess basis related to assets with identifiable useful lives and debt.  

The Company had a dilution loss of $82.2 million and $59.3 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The dilution losses for the periods presented were attributable to stock option exercises by employees and other third parties at prices below Liberty Broadband’s book basis per share, slightly offset by a gain on dilution related to Charter’s repurchase of Liberty Broadband’s Charter shares during the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Summarized unaudited financial information for Charter is as follows (amounts in millions):

Charter condensed consolidated balance sheets

Charter condensed consolidated statements of operations

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