Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Stock-Based Compensation

v3.8.0.1
Stock-Based Compensation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Stock-Based Compensation  
Stock-Based Compensation

(5)   Stock-Based Compensation

Liberty grants, to certain of its directors, employees and employees of its subsidiaries, restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) 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, as discussed below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

    

2018

    

2017

 

 

 

(amounts in millions)

 

Cost of subscriber services:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Programming and content

 

$

 8

 

 7

 

Customer service and billing

 

 

 1

 

 1

 

Other

 

 

 1

 

 1

 

Other operating expense

 

 

 4

 

 4

 

Selling, general and administrative

 

 

32

 

31

 

 

 

$

46

 

44

 

 

Liberty—Grants of stock options

Awards granted during the three months ended March 31, 2018 are summarized as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

March 31, 2018

 

 

Options

 

Weighted

 

 

granted

 

average

 

 

(000's)

 

GDFV

 

Series C Liberty SiriusXM common stock, Liberty CEO (1)

633

 

$

11.56

 

Series C Liberty Braves common stock, Liberty CEO (1)

46

 

$

6.44

 

Series C Liberty Formula One common stock, Liberty CEO (1)

138

 

$

8.80

 

Series C Liberty Formula One common stock, Formula 1 employees (2)

1,888

 

$

8.64

 


(1)

Grants cliff vest on December 31, 2018. Grants were made in connection with the CEO’s employment agreement.

(2)

Vest monthly over one year.

 

In addition to the stock option grants to the Liberty CEO and in connection with his employment agreement, Liberty granted performance-based RSUs. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, Liberty granted 12 thousand and 86 thousand performance-based RSUs of Series C Liberty Braves common stock and Series C Liberty Formula One common stock, respectively. Such RSUs had a GDFV of $23.34 per share and $31.99 per share, respectively, at the time they were granted. The performance-based RSUs cliff vest in one year, subject to satisfaction of certain performance objectives. Performance objectives, which are subjective, are considered in determining the timing and amount of the compensation expense recognized. As the satisfaction of the performance objectives becomes probable, the Company records compensation expense. The value of the grant is remeasured at each reporting period.

 

The Company did not grant any options to purchase Series A or Series B of Liberty SiriusXM, Liberty Braves or Liberty Formula One common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2018.  

 

Liberty calculates the GDFV for all of its equity classified awards and the subsequent remeasurement of its liability classified and certain performance-based awards using the Black-Scholes Model. Liberty 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 common stock and the implied volatility of publicly traded Liberty options. Liberty uses a zero dividend rate and the risk-free rate for Treasury Bonds with a term similar to that of the subject Awards.

Liberty—Outstanding Awards

The following tables present the number and weighted average exercise price ("WAEP") of Awards to purchase Liberty common stock granted to certain officers, employees and directors of the Company and certain Awards of employees of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (formerly employees of Starz).

Liberty SiriusXM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series A

 

Series C

 

 

    

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

 

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Outstanding at January 1, 2018

 

1,626

 

$

19.78

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,328

 

$

27.66

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

633

 

$

42.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(39)

 

$

19.65

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(96)

 

$

19.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding at March 31, 2018

 

1,587

 

$

19.79

 

1.7

years

 

$

34

 

11,865

 

$

28.52

 

4.0

years

 

$

148

 

Exercisable at March 31, 2018

 

1,580

 

$

19.76

 

1.7

years

 

$

34

 

6,026

 

$

26.10

 

3.4

years

 

$

89

 

Liberty Braves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series A

 

Series C

 

 

    

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

 

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Outstanding at January 1, 2018

 

179

 

$

11.43

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,231

 

$

16.27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

46

 

$

23.34

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

$

17.53

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding at March 31, 2018

 

179

 

$

11.43

 

1.7

years

 

$

 2

 

1,276

 

$

16.52

 

4.0

years

 

$

 8

 

Exercisable at March 31, 2018

 

178

 

$

11.41

 

1.7

years

 

$

 2

 

708

 

$

15.79

 

3.5

years

 

$

 5

 

 

Liberty Formula One

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series A

 

Series C

 

 

    

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

    

    

 

    

Weighted

    

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

intrinsic

 

 

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

Liberty

 

 

 

remaining

 

value

 

 

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Awards (000's)

 

WAEP

 

life

 

(millions)

 

Outstanding at January 1, 2018

 

400

 

$

11.69

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,760

 

$

24.59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,026

 

$

31.56

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(8)

 

$

11.68

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(14)

 

$

11.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 —

 

$

 —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding at March 31, 2018

 

392

 

$

11.69

 

1.7

years

 

$

 7

 

6,772

 

$

26.70

 

5.4

years

 

$

37

 

Exercisable at March 31, 2018

 

391

 

$

11.68

 

1.7

years

 

$

 7

 

2,928

 

$

26.01

 

4.8

years

 

$

20

 

As of March 31, 2018, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested Awards was approximately $49 million. Such amount will be recognized in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 1.6 years.

As of March 31, 2018, Liberty reserved 13.5 million, 1.5 million and 7.2 million shares of Series A and Series C common stock of Liberty SiriusXM, Liberty Braves and Liberty Formula One, respectively, for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock Awards.

SIRIUS XM — Stock-based Compensation

SIRIUS XM granted various types of stock awards to its employees during the three months ended March 31, 2018. As of March 31, 2018, SIRIUS XM has approximately 268 million options outstanding of which approximately 114 million are exercisable, each with a WAEP per share of $3.86 and $3.24, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of SIRIUS XM options outstanding and exercisable as of March 31, 2018 is $638 million and $341 million, respectively. In addition, as of March 31, 2018, SIRIUS XM has granted approximately 5 million nonvested RSUs with a GDFV per share of $6.02. The stock-based compensation expense related to SIRIUS XM was $34 million and $29 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of March 31, 2018, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested SIRIUS XM stock options and RSUs was $259 million. The SIRIUS XM unrecognized compensation cost will be recognized in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations over a weighted average period of approximately 2.7 years.