Equity Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Equity Based Compensation

NOTE 8. EQUITY BASED COMPENSATION

Employees of the Company participate in the News Corporation 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2013 LTIP”) under which equity-based compensation, including stock options, performance stock units (“PSUs”), restricted stock awards, RSUs and other types of awards can be granted. The Company has the ability to award up to 30 million shares under the terms of the 2013 LTIP.

In connection with the acquisition of Move, the Company assumed Move’s equity incentive plans and substantially all of the awards outstanding under such plans. The stock options, RSUs and restricted stock awards that were assumed continue to have the same terms and conditions that applied to those awards immediately prior to the acquisition, except that such assumed awards were converted into awards with the right to be settled in, or by reference to, the Company’s Class A Common Stock in accordance with the acquisition agreement, using a formula designed to preserve the value of the awards based on the price per share paid in the acquisition. The Company assumed and converted approximately 4.3 million stock options and approximately 2.5 million RSUs and restricted stock awards in connection with the transaction. During the three months ended September 30, 2015, approximately 0.2 million of the assumed options were exercised.

The Company recognized $17 million and $12 million of equity-based compensation expense for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Performance Stock Units

During the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company granted 3.7 million and 3.1 million PSUs, respectively, at target, of which 2.6 million and 2.0 million, respectively, will be settled in Class A Common Stock with the remaining, having been granted to executive directors and to employees in certain foreign locations, being settled in cash. Cash settled awards are marked-to-market each reporting period.

During the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, approximately 1.2 million and 2.0 million PSUs, respectively, vested, of which approximately 1.0 million and 1.5 million, respectively, were settled in shares of Class A Common Stock before statutory tax withholdings. The remaining 0.2 million and 0.5 million PSUs, respectively, settled during the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 were settled in cash for approximately $3.3 million and $8.2 million, respectively, before statutory tax withholdings.

Restricted Stock Units

During the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company granted 0.2 million and nil RSUs, respectively, all of which will be settled in Class A Common Stock.

During the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, approximately 0.1 million and 0.4 million RSUs, respectively, vested, of which approximately 0.1 and 0.3 million, respectively, were settled in shares of Class A Common Stock before statutory tax withholdings. The remaining 0.1 million RSUs settled during the three months ended September 30, 2014 were settled in cash for approximately $0.9 million before statutory tax withholdings.