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

In May 2013, Liberty acquired approximately 26.9 million shares of common stock and approximately 1.1 million warrants to purchase shares of Charter common stock for approximately $2.6 billion, which represented an approximate 27% beneficial ownership (including the warrants on an as if converted basis) in Charter at the time of purchase and price per share of $95.50. Liberty funded the purchase with a combination of cash on hand of approximately $1.2 billion and new margin loan arrangements. Liberty allocated the purchase price between the shares of common stock and the warrants acquired in the transaction by determining the fair value of the publicly traded warrants and allocating the remaining balance to the shares acquired, which resulted in an initial excess basis in the investment of $2,532 million. The investment in Charter is accounted for as an equity method affiliate based on the ownership interest obtained and the board seats held by individuals appointed by Liberty.

During May 2014, Liberty purchased 897 thousand Charter shares for approximately $124.5 million. During November 2014, subsequent to the Broadband Spin-Off, Liberty Broadband exercised all of its outstanding warrants to purchase shares of Charter common stock for approximately $52 million.

On May 18, 2016, the previously announced merger of Time Warner Cable and Charter (the “Time Warner Cable Merger”) was completed, which resulted in Charter and Time Warner Cable becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of CCH I, LLC (“New Charter”), which was a subsidiary of Charter at the time. Also on May 18, 2016, the previously announced acquisition of Bright House Networks, LLC (“Bright House”) from Advance/Newhouse Partnership (“A/N”) by New Charter (the “Bright House Transaction”) was completed. In connection with these transactions, Charter underwent a corporate reorganization, resulting in New Charter, a former subsidiary of Charter, becoming the new publicly traded parent company. In connection with the Time Warner Cable Merger and the Bright House Transaction, Liberty Broadband completed the previously announced transactions described below:

Transactions completed in connection with the Time Warner Cable Merger

Charter Investment Agreement

On May 18, 2016, Liberty Broadband completed its previously announced investment in New Charter in accordance with the investment agreement dated May 23, 2015 by and among Liberty Broadband, Charter and New Charter (the “Charter Investment Agreement”). Pursuant to the Charter Investment Agreement, immediately following the consummation of the Time Warner Cable Merger, Liberty Broadband purchased from New Charter $4.3 billion of shares of New Charter Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a price per share of $195.70 following adjustment by the applicable exchange ratio. As a result, Liberty Broadband received approximately 22.0 million shares of New Charter Class A common stock. Liberty Broadband funded its purchase of these shares of New Charter Class A common stock with proceeds from the issuance of Liberty Broadband Series C common stock (note 8).  

Charter Contribution Agreement

Also on May 18, 2016, Time Warner Cable common stock held by Liberty Broadband and Liberty Interactive were exchanged, in a tax-free transaction, for shares of New Charter Class A common stock which resulted in each of Liberty Broadband and Liberty Interactive receiving one share of New Charter Class A common stock for each share of Time Warner Cable common stock so exchanged. In the exchange, Liberty Broadband received approximately 2.4 million shares of New Charter Class A common stock, with a fair value of $531.9 million.

Pursuant to the Proxy and Right of First Refusal Agreement, dated May 23, 2015, as amended (the “Liberty Interactive Proxy Agreement”), by and between Liberty Broadband and Liberty Interactive, Liberty Interactive granted Liberty Broadband an irrevocable proxy to vote all shares of New Charter common stock owned beneficially or of record by Liberty Interactive following the closing of the Time Warner Cable Merger, subject to certain limitations. So long as the Liberty Interactive Proxy Agreement is in effect, Liberty Broadband also has a right of first refusal to purchase all or a portion of any shares of New Charter common stock which Liberty Interactive proposes to transfer, subject to certain limitations.

Transactions Completed in connection with the Bright House Transactions

Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement

On May 18, 2016, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated May 23, 2015, as amended (the “Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement”), by and among Liberty Broadband, Charter, New Charter and A/N, upon the closing of the Bright House Transaction, Liberty Broadband purchased from New Charter approximately 3.7 million additional shares of New Charter Class A common stock at a price per share of $191.33 following adjustment by the applicable exchange ratios, for an aggregate purchase price of $700 million. Liberty Broadband funded its $700 million purchase in shares of New Charter through cash on hand and margin loan draws (note 7).

Proxy and Right of First Refusal Agreement

In connection with the Bright House Transaction, on May 18, 2016, A/N and Liberty Broadband entered into a proxy agreement, pursuant to which A/N granted Liberty Broadband a five-year proxy to vote shares of New Charter held by A/N, capped at 7% of New Charter’s outstanding shares. As a result, Liberty Broadband controls 25.01% of the aggregate voting power of New Charter following the completion of the Time Warner Cable Merger and the Bright House Transaction and is New Charter’s largest stockholder.

So long as the proxy is in effect, if A/N proposes to transfer common units of Charter Communications Holdings, LLC (which units are exchangeable into New Charter shares and which will, under certain circumstances, result in the conversion of certain shares of Class B Common Stock into New Charter shares) or New Charter shares, in each case, constituting either (i) shares representing the first 7.0% of the outstanding voting power of New Charter held by A/N or (ii) shares representing the last 7.0% of the outstanding voting power of New Charter held by A/N, Liberty Broadband will have a right of first refusal (“ROFR”) to purchase all or a portion of any such securities A/N proposes to transfer.  The purchase price per share for any securities sold to Liberty Broadband pursuant to the ROFR will be the volume-weighted average price of New Charter shares for the two trading day period before the notice of a proposed sale by A/N, payable in cash.  Certain transfers are permitted to affiliates of A/N, subject to the transferee entity entering into an agreement assuming the transferor’s obligations under the Proxy Agreement.

Investment in Charter

For discussion purposes the term “Charter” will be used to discuss both our previous and current holdings in Charter and New Charter.  It is noted that the ticker symbol for Charter and New Charter are the same, and that Charter (as it existed before the Time Warner Cable Merger was completed) merged into New Charter.

As of September 30, 2016, the carrying value of Liberty Broadband’s ownership in Charter was approximately $9,233 million. The market value of Liberty Broadband’s ownership in Charter as of September 30, 2016 was approximately $14,598 million, which represented an approximate economic ownership of 20% of the outstanding equity of Charter as of that date.

The excess basis is $1,187 million as of September 30, 2016 and has been allocated within memo accounts used for equity accounting purposes as follows (amounts in millions):

 

 

Upon acquisition, Liberty Broadband ascribed remaining useful lives of 7 years and 13 years to property and equipment and customer relationships, respectively, and indefinite lives to franchise fees, trademarks and goodwill. The excess basis of outstanding debt is amortized over the contractual period using the effective interest rate method. The Company’s share of earnings (losses) of affiliates line item in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations includes expenses of $18.5 million and $17.8 million, net of related taxes, for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and expenses of $23.2 million and $27.6 million, net of related taxes, for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, due to the amortization of the excess basis related to assets with identifiable useful lives and debt.  The excess basis amortization during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 was offset by the write-off of the excess basis related to debt instruments which Charter repaid during the second quarter of 2015 prior to their contractual maturity.

The Company had a dilution loss of $16.3 million during the three months ended September 30, 2016, and a dilution gain of $760.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The Company had dilution losses of $851 thousand and $2.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. The dilution gain for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 is primarily attributable to Liberty Broadband’s investment basis in Charter at a price per share below the new equity issued in the Time Warner Cable Merger. The dilution losses during the other periods presented are attributable to dilution from Charter warrant and stock option exercises by outside investors (employees and other third parties) at prices below Liberty Broadband’s book basis per share.

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

Charter condensed consolidated balance sheet

 

Charter condensed consolidated statement of operations