Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021


Note 8: Investments


Investment and Other Income (Loss), Net
Year ended December 31 (in millions)	2021		2020		2019
Equity in net income (losses) of investees, net	$	2,006	$	(113)	$	(505)
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, net	339		1,014		656
Other income (loss), net	211		259		287
Investment and other income (loss), net	$	2,557	$	1,160	$	438

The amount of unrealized gains (losses), net recognized in 2021, 2020 and 2019 that related to marketable and nonmarketable equity securities still held as of the end of each reporting period was $(80) million, $339 million and $237 million, respectively.


Investments
December 31 (in millions)	2021		2020
Equity method	$	6,111	$	6,006
Marketable equity securities	406		460
Nonmarketable equity securities	1,735		1,950
Other investments	803		143
Total investments	9,055		8,559
Less: Current investments	368		292
Less: Investment securing collateralized obligation	605		447
Noncurrent investments	$	8,082	$	7,820

Equity Method

We use the equity method to account for investments in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee’s operating and financial policies, or in which we hold a partnership or limited liability company interest in an entity with specific ownership accounts, unless we have virtually no influence over the investee’s operating and financial policies. Equity method investments are recorded at cost and are adjusted to recognize (1) our share, based on percentage ownership or other contractual basis, of the investee’s net income or loss after the date of investment, (2) amortization of the recorded investment that exceeds our share of the book value of the investee’s net assets, (3) additional contributions made and dividends or other distributions received, and (4) impairments resulting from other-than-temporary declines in fair value. For some investments, we record our share of the investee’s net income or loss one quarter in arrears due to the timing of our receipt of such information. Gains or losses on the sale of equity method investments are recorded to other income (loss), net. If an equity method investee were to issue additional securities that would change our proportionate share of the entity, we would recognize the change, if any, as a gain or loss to other income (loss), net. Cash distributions received from equity method investments are considered returns on investment and presented within operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows to the extent of cumulative equity in net income of the investee. Additional distributions are presented as investing activities. Distributions presented within operating activities totaled $1.1 billion, $66 million and $215 million for 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Atairos

On January 1, 2016, we established Atairos Group, Inc., a strategic company focused on investing in and operating companies in a range of industries and business sectors, both domestically and internationally. Atairos is controlled by management companies led by our former CFO through interests that carry all of the voting rights. We are the only third-party investor in Atairos.

In November 2020, we amended our agreement with Atairos, which primarily extended the investment term of the agreement from up to 12 years to up to 16.5 years, extended the period in which capital can be recycled to the full investment period and

decreased our commitment to fund Atairos from up to $5 billion to up to $4.5 billion in the aggregate at any one time, subject to certain offsets, with the maximum amount of annual capital calls reduced to $400 million, plus certain amounts previously distributed. In addition, we have separately committed to fund Atairos $45 million annually for a management fee, subject to certain adjustments. The management company investors have committed to fund from $50 million to $100 million, with at least $40 million to be funded by our former CFO, subject to his continued role with Atairos. Our economic interests do not carry voting rights and obligate us to absorb approximately 99% of any losses and they provide us the right to receive approximately 86% of any residual returns in Atairos, in either case on a cumulative basis.

We have concluded that Atairos is a VIE, that we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Atairos as we have no voting rights and only certain consent rights, and that we are not a related party with our former CFO or the management companies. We therefore do not consolidate Atairos and account for our investment as an equity method investment. Certain distributions retained by Atairos on our behalf are accounted for as advances and classified within other investments. Atairos may pledge our remaining unfunded capital commitment as security to lenders in connection with certain financing arrangements. This has no effect on our funding commitments. There are no other liquidity arrangements, guarantees or other financial commitments between Comcast and Atairos, and therefore our maximum risk of financial loss is our investment balance and our remaining unfunded capital commitment of $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2021.

Atairos follows investment company accounting and records its investments at their fair values each reporting period with the net gains or losses reflected in its statement of operations. We recognize our share of these gains and losses in equity in net income (losses) of investees, net. In 2021, 2020 and 2019, we made cash capital contributions totaling $47 million, $383 million and $571 million, respectively, to Atairos. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, our investment, inclusive of advances classified within other investments, was $4.7 billion and $3.9 billion, respectively.

Hulu and Collateralized Obligation

In May 2019, we entered into a series of agreements (the “Hulu Transaction”) with The Walt Disney Company and certain of its subsidiaries, whereby we relinquished our board seats and substantially all voting rights associated with our investment in Hulu, and Disney assumed full operational control. We also acquired our proportionate share of the approximate 10% interest in Hulu previously held by AT&T for approximately $477 million, increasing our ownership interest to approximately 33% from approximately 30%.

Following the Hulu Transaction, future capital calls are limited to $1.5 billion in the aggregate each year, with any excess funding requirements funded with member loans. We have the right, but not the obligation, to fund our proportionate share of these capital calls, and if we elect not to fund our share of future equity capital calls, our ownership interest will be diluted, subject to an ownership floor of 21%. The Hulu Transaction agreements include put and call provisions regarding our ownership interest in Hulu, pursuant to which, as early as January 2024, we can require Disney to buy, and Disney can require us to sell our interest, in either case, for fair value at that future time subject to a minimum equity value of $27.5 billion for 100% of the equity of Hulu. The minimum total equity value and ownership floor guarantee minimum proceeds of approximately $5.8 billion upon exercise of the put or call.

In connection with the Hulu Transaction, we agreed to extend certain licenses of NBCUniversal content until late 2024. We can terminate most of our content license agreements with Hulu beginning in 2022, and we obtained the right, beginning in 2020, to modify certain exclusive content licenses so that we can exhibit the content on our platforms in return for reduced license fees.

In August 2019, we entered into a financing arrangement with a syndicate of banks whereby we received proceeds of $5.2 billion under a term loan facility due March 2024. The principal amount of the term loan is secured by the proceeds guaranteed by Disney under the put/call provisions related to our investment in Hulu. The proceeds from the put/call provisions are available only for the repayment of the term loan and are not available to us unless and until the bank lenders are fully paid under the term loan provisions. The bank lenders have no rights to proceeds from the put/call provisions in excess of amounts owed under the term loan. As a result of this transaction, we now present our investment in Hulu and the term loan separately in our consolidated balance sheet in the captions “investment securing collateralized obligation” and “collateralized obligation”, respectively. The recorded value of our investment reflects our historical cost in applying the equity method, and as a result, is less than its fair value. As of December 31, 2021, our collateralized obligation had both a carrying value and estimated fair value of $5.2 billion. The estimated fair value was based on Level 2 inputs that use interest rates for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities.

Marketable Equity Securities

We classify investments with readily determinable fair values that are not accounted for under the equity method as marketable equity securities. The changes in fair value of our marketable equity securities between measurement dates are recorded in realized and unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, net. The fair values of our marketable equity securities are based on Level 1 inputs that use quoted market prices.

Nonmarketable Equity Securities

We classify investments without readily determinable fair values that are not accounted for under the equity method as nonmarketable equity securities. The accounting guidance requires nonmarketable equity securities to be recorded at cost and adjusted to fair value at each reporting period. However, the guidance allows for a measurement alternative, which is to record the investments at cost, less impairment, if any, and subsequently adjust for observable price changes of identical or similar investments of the same issuer. We apply the measurement alternative, adjusting the investments for observable price changes of identical or similar investments of the same issuer, to a majority of our nonmarketable equity securities. When an observable event occurs, we estimate the fair values of our nonmarketable equity securities primarily based on Level 2 inputs that are derived from observable price changes of similar securities adjusted for insignificant differences in rights and obligations. The changes in value are recorded in realized and unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, net.

Other Investments

AirTouch

In April 2020, Verizon Americas, Inc., formerly known as AirTouch Communications, Inc. (“AirTouch”), redeemed the two series of preferred stock we previously held and we received cash payments totaling $1.7 billion. Subsequently, we redeemed and repurchased the related three series of preferred shares issued by one of our consolidated subsidiaries and made cash payments totaling $1.8 billion.

Impairment Testing of Investments

We review our investment portfolio, other than our marketable equity securities, each reporting period to determine whether there are identified events or circumstances that would indicate there is a decline in the fair value. For our nonpublic investments, if there are no identified events or circumstances that would have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment, then the fair value is not estimated. For our equity method investments and held to maturity investments, if an investment is deemed to have experienced an other-than-temporary decline below its cost basis, we reduce the carrying amount of the investment to its quoted or estimated fair value, as applicable, and establish a new cost basis for the investment. For our nonmarketable equity securities, we record the impairment to realized and unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities, net. For our equity method investments and our held to maturity investments, we record the impairment to other income (loss), net.