Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes

Schedule of components of the (provision for) benefit from income taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Current (benefit) provision:
Federal	$	(23,571)	$	126,435	$	(230,935)
State		59,690		31,944		22,566
Foreign		(7,118)		2,387		7,471
Total current (benefit) provision		29,001		160,766		(200,898)
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal		615,323		509,405		610,528
State		85,045		86,822		243,216
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance		2,367		5,817		45,429
Total deferred (benefit) provision		702,735		602,044		899,173
Total (benefit) provision	$	731,736	$	762,810	$	698,275

Schedule of reconciliation of amounts computed by applying the statutory Federal tax rate to income before taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2022	2021	2020
	% of pre-tax income/(loss)
Statutory rate	21.0	21.0	21.0
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	3.6	3.1	4.6
State apportionment changes	—	—	5.4
Cares Act NOL Carryback	—	—	(2.3)
Other, net	(1.0)	(0.4)	(1.6)
Total (benefit) provision for income taxes	23.6	23.7	27.1

Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	As of December 31,
	2022		2021
	(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL, interest, credit and other carryforwards	$	445,389	$	144,742
Accrued and prepaid expenses		672,854		282,711
Stock-based compensation		23,738		15,847
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments		—		12,825
Discount on convertible notes and convertible note hedge transaction, net		64,643		79,644
Deferred revenue		6,903		7,025
Total deferred tax assets		1,213,527		542,794
Valuation allowance		(81,972)		(79,605)
Deferred tax asset after valuation allowance		1,131,555		463,189
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation		(1,374,276)		(858,707)
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments (1)		(244,397)		—
FCC authorizations and other intangible amortization		(3,400,772)		(2,933,660)
Bases differences in partnerships and cost method investments (2)		(1,042,245)		(897,088)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(6,061,690)		(4,689,455)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	(4,930,135)	$	(4,226,266)

(1) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, the change in value of a derivative instrument related to the increase in our probability of exercising the purchase option. See Note 6 for further information.

(2) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, our noncontrolling investments in Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo, including deferred taxes created by the tax amortization of the Northstar Licenses and SNR Licenses.

Schedule of reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Unrecognized tax benefit	2022		2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	388,837	$	378,467	$	674,207
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		35,180		303		233
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years		14,723		12,095		1,999
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years		(7,100)		(1,400)		(296,265)
Reductions based on tax positions related to settlements with taxing authorities		—		—		(831)
Reductions based on tax positions related to the lapse of the statute of limitations		—		(628)		(876)
Balance as of end of period	$	431,640	$	388,837	$	378,467