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Significant Transactions
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Significant Transactions [Abstract]  
Significant Transactions

Note 3: Significant Transactions

On March 19, 2013, we acquired GE's 49% common equity interest in NBCUniversal Holdings for approximately $16.7 billion (the “Redemption Transaction”). In addition to this transaction, NBCUniversal purchased from GE certain properties it occupies at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and CNBC's headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for approximately $1.4 billion.

The total consideration for these transactions consisted of $11.4 billion of cash on hand; $4 billion of senior debt securities issued by NBCUniversal Enterprise, Inc. (“NBCUniversal Enterprise”), a holding company whose principal assets are its interests in NBCUniversal Holdings; $750 million of cash funded through our commercial paper program; $1.25 billion of borrowings under NBCUniversal Enterprise's credit facility, which replaced NBCUniversal's credit facility; and $725 million aggregate liquidation preference of Series A cumulative preferred stock of NBCUniversal Enterprise. See Note 7 for additional information on NBCUniversal Enterprise's senior debt securities and credit facility.

Following the close of the Redemption Transaction, we control and consolidate NBCUniversal Enterprise and own all of its capital stock other than its preferred stock. NBCUniversal Enterprise's senior debt securities and credit facility are guaranteed by us and four of our wholly owned cable holding company subsidiaries, but are not guaranteed by NBCUniversal. In March 2013, NBCUniversal became a part of our existing cross-guarantee structure. See Note 15 for additional information on our cross-guarantee structure.

After the close of the transaction, GE sold the interests in NBCUniversal Enterprise's senior debt securities and preferred stock it acquired in the Redemption Transaction to unaffiliated third parties. The preferred stock pays dividends at a fixed rate of 5.25% per annum and the holders have the right to cause NBCUniversal Enterprise to redeem their shares at a price equal to the liquidation preference plus accrued but unpaid dividends for a 30 day period beginning on March 19, 2020 and thereafter on every third anniversary of such date (each such date, a “put date”). Shares of preferred stock can be called for redemption by NBCUniversal Enterprise at a price equal to the liquidation preference plus accrued but unpaid dividends one year following each put date applicable to such shares. Because certain of these redemption provisions are outside of our control, the NBCUniversal Enterprise preferred stock is presented outside of equity under the caption “redeemable noncontrolling interests and redeemable subsidiary preferred stock” in our condensed consolidated balance sheet. Its initial value was based on the liquidation preference of the preferred stock and is adjusted for accrued but unpaid dividends.

We recognized an increase to our deferred tax liabilities of $1.5 billion primarily due to an increase in our financial reporting basis in the consolidated net assets of NBCUniversal Holdings in excess of the tax basis following the Redemption Transaction. In addition, our condensed consolidated balance sheet now includes certain tax liabilities of NBCUniversal Enterprise related to periods prior to our acquisition of the common stock of NBCUniversal Enterprise for which we have been indemnified by GE and have recorded a related indemnification asset. We also expect to realize additional tax benefits in the future as a result of the Redemption Transaction, which are expected to increase the amounts we have agreed to share with GE. Our expected future payments to GE are accounted for as contingent consideration. See Note 8 for additional information on the fair value of this contingent consideration as of June 30, 2013.

Because we maintained control of NBCUniversal Holdings, the difference between the consideration transferred and the recorded value of GE's 49% redeemable noncontrolling common equity interest, and the related tax impacts, were recorded to additional paid-in capital. The related tax impacts are preliminary and subject to change as we obtain the information necessary to complete our analysis.