Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

Liberty Global plc (Liberty Global) is a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales. In these notes, the terms “we,” “our,” “our company” and “us” may refer, as the context requires, to Liberty Global or collectively to Liberty Global and its subsidiaries. We are an international provider of broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony and mobile communications services to residential customers and businesses in Europe.

Our continuing operations comprise businesses that provide residential and business-to-business (B2B) communications services in (i) the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Ireland through Virgin Media Inc. (Virgin Media), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Global, (ii) Belgium through Telenet Group Holding N.V. (Telenet), a 60.2%-owned subsidiary of Liberty Global and (iii) Switzerland, Poland and Slovakia through various wholly-owned subsidiaries that we collectively refer to as “UPC Holding.” In addition, we own a 50% noncontrolling interest in a 50:50 joint venture between Vodafone Group plc (Vodafone) and Liberty Global (the VodafoneZiggo JV), which provides residential and B2B communication services in the Netherlands.

Through July 31, 2019, we provided residential and B2B communication services in (i) Germany through Unitymedia GmbH (Unitymedia) and (ii) Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania through UPC Holding B.V. In addition, (a) through May 2, 2019, we provided direct-to-home satellite (DTH) services to residential customers in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia through a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of UPC Holding B.V. that we refer to as “UPC DTH” and (b) through July 31, 2018, we provided residential and B2B communication services in Austria. In these consolidated financial statements, our operations in Austria, Germany, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic and the operations of UPC DTH are presented as discontinued operations for all applicable periods. For additional information regarding these dispositions, see note 6.

Prior to the December 29, 2017 completion of the Split-off Transaction (as defined and described in note 6), we also provided residential and B2B communication services in (i) various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, through Cable & Wireless Communications Limited (C&W), (ii) Chile through VTR.com SpA (VTR) and (iii) Puerto Rico through Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico LLC (Liberty Puerto Rico). C&W and VTR were each wholly-owned subsidiaries of Liberty Global, and Liberty Puerto Rico was an entity in which we held a 60.0% ownership interest. C&W also provided (a) B2B services in certain other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and (b) wholesale services over its sub-sea and terrestrial networks. The operations of C&W, VTR, Liberty Puerto Rico and certain other entities that were associated with our businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean are collectively referred to herein as the “LiLAC Group.” As a result of the Split-off Transaction, the entities attributed to the LiLAC Group are presented as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for 2017.

Unless otherwise indicated, the amounts presented in these notes relate only to our continuing operations, and ownership percentages and convenience translations into United States (U.S.) dollars are calculated as of December 31, 2019.