(6) Debt

Outstanding debt at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 is summarized as follows:

2014 Margin Loans

On October 30, 2014, in connection with and prior to the effectiveness of the Broadband Spin-Off, a wholly-owned special purpose subsidiary of the Company (“BroadbandSPV”) entered into two margin loan agreements (the “2014 Margin Loan Agreements”) with each of the lenders party thereto. The 2014 Margin Loan Agreements permitted BroadbandSPV, subject to certain funding conditions, to borrow term loans up to an aggregate principal amount equal to $400 million (the “2014 Margin Loans”). The maximum borrowing capacity of $400 million under the 2014 Margin Loan Agreements was outstanding at December 31, 2016. The maturity date of the 2014 Margin Loans was October 30, 2017, accordingly the debt was classified as current as of December 31, 2016. Borrowings under the 2014 Margin Loan Agreements bore interest at the three-month LIBOR rate plus a per annum spread of 1.55%, and had an unused commitment fee of 0.25% per annum based on the average daily unused portion of the 2014 Margin Loans. Interest was payable quarterly in arrears beginning on December 31, 2014. On August 31, 2017, the outstanding borrowings of $400 million were repaid, as discussed below.

2016 Margin Loans

On March 21, 2016, a wholly-owned special purpose subsidiary of the Company (“Cheetah 5”), entered into two margin loan agreements (the “2016 Margin Loan Agreements” and together with the 2014 Margin Loan Agreements, the “Margin Loan Agreements”) with each of the lenders party thereto. The 2016 Margin Loan Agreements permitted Cheetah 5, subject to certain funding conditions, to borrow initial term loans up to an aggregate principal amount equal to $200 million and delayed draw loans (the “Draw Loans”) up to an aggregate principal amount equal to $100 million, for an aggregate total of $300 million (collectively the “2016 Margin Loans”). Cheetah 5 had borrowed $200 million as of December 31, 2016 and had $100 million available to be drawn until September 21, 2017. The maturity date of the 2016 Margin Loans was March 21, 2018, accordingly the debt was classified as noncurrent as of December 31, 2016. Borrowings under the 2016 Margin Loans bore interest at the applicable LIBOR rate plus 2.10% per annum and had an unused commitment fee of 0.5% per annum based on the average daily unused portion of the Draw Loans. Interest was payable quarterly in arrears beginning on March 31, 2016. The proceeds of the 2016 Margin Loans were used for the Company’s additional investment in Charter during May 2016, as discussed in note 4. On August 31, 2017, the outstanding borrowings of $200 million were repaid, as discussed below.

2017 Margin Loan Facility

On August 31, 2017, a bankruptcy remote wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“SPV”), entered into a multi-draw margin loan credit facility (the “2017 Margin Loan Facility” and, the credit agreement governing such facility, the “2017 Margin Loan Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A and the lenders thereunder. SPV is permitted, subject to certain funding conditions, to borrow term loans up to an aggregate principal amount equal to $1.0 billion. SPV will also have the ability from time to time to request additional loans in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1.0 billion on an uncommitted basis subject to certain conditions. SPV had borrowed $500 million as of September 30, 2017 and had $500 million available to be drawn until August 31, 2018. The maturity date of the loans under the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement is August 30, 2019 (except for any incremental loans incurred thereunder to the extent SPV and the incremental lenders agree to a later maturity date). Accordingly, the debt is classified as noncurrent as of September 30, 2017. Borrowings under the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement bear interest at the three-month LIBOR rate plus a per annum spread of 1.5%, unless it is unlawful for the applicable lender to fund or maintain loans based on LIBOR or there are material restrictions on the applicable lender to do so, in which case borrowings under the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement will either (a) bear interest at 0.5% plus the higher of (i) the federal funds rate plus ½ of 1%, (ii) the prime rate and (iii) LIBOR plus 1% for each day during such period or (b) be prepaid. Borrowings outstanding under these margin loans bore interest at a rate of 2.74% per annum at September 30, 2017. Interest is payable quarterly in arrears beginning on September 29, 2017. SPV used available cash and a portion of the proceeds of the loans under the 2017 Margin Loan Facility to repay the Margin Loan Agreements. Borrowings may also be used for distribution as a dividend or a return of capital, for the purchase of margin stock and for general corporate purposes.  

The 2017 Margin Loan Agreement contains various affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the activities of SPV (and, in some cases, the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to shares of Charter owned by the Company and its subsidiaries). The 2017 Margin Loan Agreement does not include any financial covenants.  The 2017 Margin Loan Agreement also contains restrictions related to additional indebtedness and events of default customary for margin loans of this type.

SPV’s obligations under the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement are secured by first priority liens on a portion of the Company’s ownership interest in Charter, sufficient for SPV to meet the loan to value requirements under the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement. The 2017 Margin Loan Agreement indicates that no lender party shall have any voting rights with respect to the shares transferred, except to the extent that a lender party buys any shares in a sale or other disposition made pursuant to the terms of the loan agreements. As of September 30, 2017, approximately 6.8 million shares of Charter with a value of $2.5 billion were pledged as collateral pursuant to the 2017 Margin Loan Agreement.