(9) Stock-Based Compensation

Liberty Broadband grants, to certain of its directors, employees and employees of its subsidiaries, restricted stock units and stock options to purchase shares of its common stock (collectively, "Awards"). The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity classified Award (such as stock options and restricted stock) 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 the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations are the following amounts of stock-based compensation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands):

​

Liberty Broadband – Grants of Awards

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, Liberty Broadband granted 167 thousand options to purchase shares of Series C Liberty Broadband common stock to our CEO in connection with his employment agreement. Such options had a GDFV of $40.05 per share and vest on December 31, 2021.

There were no options to purchase shares of Series A or Series B common stock granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

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 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 Liberty Broadband common stock. 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.

Liberty Broadband – Outstanding Awards

The following table presents the number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) of Awards to purchase Liberty Broadband 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.

​

​

As of September 30, 2021, Liberty Broadband also had 1 thousand Series A options and 722 thousand Series B options outstanding and exercisable at a WAEP of $35.81 and $96.79, respectively, and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 1.2 years and 1.3 years, respectively.

As of September 30, 2021, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested Awards was approximately $49.3 million. Such amount will be recognized in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 2.3 years.  

As of September 30, 2021, Liberty Broadband reserved 4.2 million shares of Series A, Series B and Series C common stock for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock Awards.