The Company derives revenue through monthly charges to residential customers of its broadband, video, and telephony services, including installation services. In addition, the Company derives revenue from digital video recorder ("DVR"), video-on-demand ("VOD"), pay-per-view, and home shopping commissions which are reflected in "Residential video" revenues. The Company recognizes broadband, video, and telephony revenues as the services are provided to a customer on a monthly basis. Revenue from the sale of bundled services at a discounted rate is allocated to each product based on the standalone selling price of each performance obligation within the bundled offer. The standalone selling price requires judgment and is typically determined based on the current prices at which the separate services are sold by the Company. Installation revenue for the Company's residential services is deferred and recognized over the benefit period, which is estimated to be less than one year. The estimated benefit period takes into account both quantitative and qualitative factors including the significance of average installation fees to total recurring revenue per customer.

The Company is assessed non-income related taxes by governmental authorities, including franchising authorities (generally under multi-year agreements), and collects such taxes from its customers. In instances where the tax is being assessed directly on the Company, amounts paid to the governmental authorities are recorded as programming and other direct costs and amounts received from the customers are recorded as revenue. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the amount of franchise fees and certain other taxes and fees included as a component of revenue aggregated $254,227, $257,467 and $259,075, respectively.

The Company derives revenue from the sale of products and services to both large enterprise and small and medium-sized business ("SMB") customers, including broadband, telephony, networking, and video services reflected in "Business services and wholesale" revenues. The Company's business services also include Ethernet, data transport, and IP-based virtual private networks. The Company also provides managed services to businesses, including hosted telephony services (cloud based SIP-based private branch exchange), managed WiFi, managed desktop and server backup and managed collaboration services including audio and web conferencing. The Company also offers fiber-to-the-tower services to wireless carriers for cell tower backhaul and enable wireline communications service providers to connect to customers that their own networks do not reach. The Company recognizes revenues for these services as the services are provided to a customer on a monthly basis.

Substantially all of our SMB customers are billed monthly and large enterprise customers are billed in accordance with the terms of their contracts which is typically also on a monthly basis. Contracts with large enterprise customers typically range from three years to five years. Installation revenue related to our large enterprise customers is deferred and recognized over the average contract term. Installation revenue related to SMB customers is deferred and recognized over the benefit period, which is less than one year. The estimated benefit period for SMB customers takes into account both quantitative and qualitative factors including the significance of average installation fees to total recurring revenue per customer.

As part of the agreements under which the Company acquires video programming, the Company typically receives an allocation of scheduled advertising time during such programming into which the Company's cable systems can insert commercials. In several of the markets in which the Company operates, it has entered into agreements commonly referred to as interconnects with other cable operators to jointly sell local advertising. In some of these markets, the Company represents the advertising sales efforts of other cable operators; in other markets, other cable operators represent the Company. Advertising revenues are recognized when commercials are aired. Arrangements in which the Company controls the sale of advertising and acts as the principal to the transaction, the Company recognizes revenue earned from the advertising customer on a gross basis and the amount remitted to the distributor as an operating expense. Arrangements in which the Company does not control the sale of advertising and acts as an agent to the transaction, the Company recognizes revenue net of any fee remitted to the distributor.

The Company's advanced advertising businesses provide data-driven, audience-based advertising solutions using advanced analytics tools that provide granular measurement of consumer groups, accurate hyper-local ratings and other insights into target audience behavior not available through traditional sample-based measurement services. Revenue earned from the Company's advanced advertising businesses are recognized when services are provided.

In September 2019, the Company commercially launched Altice Mobile, a mobile service providing data, talk and text to consumers in or near our service areas. Customers can purchase or finance a variety of mobile devices. Revenue from the sales of devices is recognized at the time of sale. Customers are billed monthly, in advance, for access to and usage of our mobile services. The Company recognizes mobile service revenue as the services are provided to the customers.

Incremental costs incurred in obtaining a contract with a customer are deferred and recorded as a contract asset if the period of benefit is expected to be greater than one year. Sales commissions for enterprise and certain SMB customers are deferred and amortized over the average contract term. For sales commission expenses related to residential and SMB customers with a term of one year or less, the Company is utilizing the practical expedient and is recognizing the costs when incurred. The costs of fulfilling a contract with a customer are deferred and recorded as a contract asset if they generate or enhance resources of the Company that will be used in satisfying future performance obligations and are expected to be recovered. Installation costs related to residential and SMB customers that are not capitalized as part of the initial deployment of new customer premise equipment are expensed as incurred pursuant to industry-specific guidance.

(b)Deferred revenue represents payments received from customers for services that have yet to be provided and installation revenue which is deferred and recognized over the benefit period. A portion of the Company's deferred revenue represents payments for services for up to one month in advance from residential and SMB customers which is realized within the following month as services are performed and the remaining portion is recognized over the contract period.

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from residential and SMB customer contracts which are month-to month. As such, the amount of revenue related to unsatisfied performance obligations is not necessarily indicative of the future revenue to be recognized from our existing customer base. Contracts with enterprise customers generally range from three years to five years, and services may only be terminated in accordance with the contractual terms.


	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Residential:
Broadband	$	3,222,605	$	2,887,455	$	2,608,595
Video	3,997,873		4,156,428		4,274,122
Telephony	598,694		652,895		700,765
Business services and wholesale	1,428,532		1,362,758		1,298,213
News and advertising	475,904		487,264		396,187
Mobile	21,264		—		—
Other	15,987		19,808		29,068
Total revenue	$	9,760,859	$	9,566,608	$	9,306,950

In the normal course of business, the Company may enter into multiple-element transactions where it is simultaneously both a customer and a vendor with the same counterparty or in which it purchases multiple products and/or services, or settles outstanding items contemporaneously with the purchase of a product or service, from a single counterparty. The Company's policy for accounting for each transaction negotiated contemporaneously is to record each deliverable of the transaction based on its best estimate of selling price in a manner consistent with that used to determine the price to sell each deliverable on a standalone basis. In determining the fair value of the respective deliverable, the Company utilizes historical transactions, quoted market prices (as available), or comparable transactions.

Programming expenses related to the Company's video service represent fees paid to programming distributors to license the programming distributed to customers. This programming is acquired generally under multi-year distribution agreements, with rates usually based on the number of customers that receive the programming. If there are periods when an existing distribution agreement has expired and the parties have not finalized negotiations of either a renewal of that agreement or a new agreement for certain periods of time, the Company continues to carry and pay for these services until execution of definitive replacement agreements or renewals. The amount of programming expense recorded during the interim period is based on the Company's estimates of the ultimate contractual agreement expected to be reached, which is based on several factors, including previous contractual rates, customary rate increases and the current status of negotiations. Such estimates are adjusted as negotiations progress until new programming terms are finalized.

In addition, the Company has received, or may receive, incentives from programming distributors for carriage of the distributors' programming. The Company generally recognizes these incentives as a reduction of programming costs in "programming and other direct costs", generally over the term of the distribution agreement.

Advertising costs are charged to expense when incurred and are reflected in "other operating expenses" in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Advertising costs amounted to $233,326, $240,273 and $224,120 for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

For carried interest units, the Company measures share-based compensation cost at the grant date fair value and recognizes the expense over the requisite service period or when it is probable any related performance condition will be met. For carried interest units with graded vesting, compensation cost is recognized on an accelerated method under the graded vesting method over the requisite service period. Share-based compensation cost related to carried interest units that vest entirely at the end of the vesting period are expensed on a straight-line basis.

The grant date fair value of carried interest units was estimated using an option pricing model. Key inputs that were used in applying the option pricing method were total equity value, equity volatility, risk free rate and time to liquidity event. The estimate of total equity value was determined using a combination of the income approach, which incorporated cash flow projections that were discounted at an appropriate rate, and the market approach, which involved applying a market multiple to the Company’s projected operating results. The Company estimated volatility based on the historical equity volatility of comparable publicly-traded companies. Subsequent to the IPO, such subjective valuations and estimates were no longer necessary as the Company relied on the market price of the Company’s common stock to determine the fair value of share-based compensation awards.

For stock option awards, the Company recognizes compensation expense based on the estimated grant date fair value using the Black-Scholes valuation model and amortizes the fair value to share-based compensation expense over the requisite service period.

The Company's provision for income taxes is based on current period income, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in estimates with regard to uncertain tax positions. Deferred tax assets are subject to an ongoing assessment of realizability. The Company provides deferred taxes for the outside basis difference of its investment in partnerships.

The Company's cash investments are placed with money market funds and financial institutions that are investment grade as rated by S&P Global Ratings and Moody's Investors Service. The Company selects money market funds that predominantly invest in marketable, direct obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States government or its agencies, commercial paper, fully collateralized repurchase agreements, certificates of deposit, and time deposits.

The Company considers the balance of its investment in funds that substantially hold securities that mature within three months or less from the date the fund purchases these securities to be cash equivalents. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents either approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments or are at fair value.

Accounts receivable are recorded at net realizable value. The Company periodically assesses the adequacy of valuation allowances for uncollectible accounts receivable by evaluating the collectability of outstanding receivables and general factors such as historical collection experience, length of time individual receivables are past due, and the economic and competitive environment.

Property, plant and equipment, including construction materials, are carried at cost, and include all direct costs and certain indirect costs associated with the construction of cable systems, and the costs of new equipment installations. Equipment under finance leases is recorded at the present value of the total minimum lease payments. Depreciation on equipment is calculated on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets or, with respect to equipment under finance lease obligations and leasehold improvements, amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the assets' useful lives and reported in depreciation and amortization (including impairments) in the consolidated statements of operations.

The Company capitalizes certain internal and external costs incurred to acquire or develop internal-use software. Capitalized software costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software and reported in depreciation and amortization.

Customer relationships, trade names and other intangibles established in connection with acquisitions that are finite-lived are amortized in a manner that reflects the pattern in which the projected net cash inflows to the Company are expected to occur, such as the sum of the years' digits method, or when such pattern does not exist, using the straight-line basis over their respective estimated useful lives.

The Company reviews its long-lived assets (property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets subject to amortization that arose from acquisitions) for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If the sum of the expected cash flows, undiscounted and without interest, is less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment loss is recognized as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value.

The Company assesses qualitative factors for its reporting units that carry goodwill. If the qualitative assessment results in a conclusion that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, then no further testing is performed for that reporting unit.

When the qualitative assessment is not used, or if the qualitative assessment is not conclusive and it is necessary to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit, then the impairment analysis for goodwill is performed at the reporting unit level using a two-step approach. The first step of the goodwill impairment test is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill utilizing an enterprise-value based premise approach. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test is performed to measure the amount of goodwill impairment loss, if any. The second step of the goodwill impairment test compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill which would be recognized in a business combination.

The Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the one-step quantitative identifiable indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment test. This quantitative test is required only if the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that a unit of accounting’s fair value is less than its carrying amount. When the qualitative assessment is not used, or if the qualitative assessment is not conclusive, the impairment test for other intangible assets not subject to amortization requires a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying value. If the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

The Company accounts for derivative financial instruments as either assets or liabilities measured at fair value. The Company uses derivative instruments to manage its exposure to market risks from changes in certain equity prices and interest rates and does not hold or issue derivative instruments for speculative or trading purposes. These derivative instruments are not designated as hedges, and changes in the fair values of these derivatives are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as gain (loss) on derivative contracts or gain (loss) on interest rate swap contracts.

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when the Company believes it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the contingency can be reasonably estimated.

Certain of the Company's i24NEWS subsidiaries are located outside the United States. The functional currency for these subsidiaries is determined based on the primary economic environment in which the subsidiary operates. Revenues and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using rates that approximate those in effect during the period while the assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. The resulting gains and losses from these translations are recognized in cumulative translation adjustment included in accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity on the consolidated balance sheets.

Each holder of Class A common stock has one vote per share while holders of Class B common stock have twenty-five votes per share. Class B shares can be converted to Class A common stock at anytime with a conversion ratio of one Class A common share for one Class B common share.


	Shares of Common Stock Outstanding
	Class A Common Stock	Class B Common Stock
Balance at June 21, 2017 and December 31, 2017	246,982,292	490,086,674
Altice Europe Distribution on June 8, 2018 (see Note 1)	242,402,231	(242,402,231)
Conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock	34,708,184	(34,708,184)
Retirement of Class A common shares in connection with the Company's stock repurchase plan (see Note 1)	(28,028,680)	—
Balance at December 31, 2018	496,064,027	212,976,259
Conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock	26,730,427	(26,730,427)
Issuance of common shares	6,897,190	—
Option exercises	184,147	—
Retirement of Class A common shares in connection with the Company's stock repurchase plan (see Note 1)	(72,668,712)	—
Treasury shares (a)	(10,457,772)	—
Balance at December 31, 2019	446,749,307	186,245,832

Altice USA may pay dividends on its capital stock only from net profits and surplus as determined under Delaware law. If dividends are paid on the Altice USA common stock, holders of the Altice USA Class A common stock and Altice USA Class B common stock are entitled to receive dividends, and other distributions in cash, stock or property, equally on a per share basis, except that stock dividends with respect to Altice USA Class A common stock may be paid only with shares of Altice USA Class A common stock and stock dividends with respect to Altice USA Class B common stock may be paid only with shares of Altice USA Class B common stock.

During 2019, there were no dividends paid to shareholders by Altice USA. In 2018, Altice USA paid dividends of $1,499,935 (see discussion in Note 1). Prior to Altice USA's IPO, Altice USA declared and paid cash distributions to stockholders aggregating $839,700 in the second quarter of 2017. In 2016, Altice USA declared cash distributions of $445,176 of which $365,559 were paid in 2016 and $79,617 were paid in the first quarter of 2017.

CSC Holdings made cash equity distribution payments to Cablevision aggregating $2,279,472, $3,058,747, and $2,777,498, respectively, during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. In connection with CSC Holdings' distributions to Cablevision, CSC Holdings recorded a decrease in retained earnings of $747,990, representing the cumulative earnings through the distribution dates, and a decrease in other member's equity of $1,531,482.

Basic net income per common share attributable to Altice USA stockholders is computed by dividing net income attributable to Altice USA stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per common share attributable to Altice USA stockholders reflects the dilutive effects of stock options and restricted stock. Diluted net loss per common share attributable to Altice USA stockholders excludes the effects of common stock equivalents as they are anti-dilutive.

The weighted average shares used in the calculation of the diluted net income per share attributable to Altice USA stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2019 includes weighted average common stock equivalents totaling approximately 2,157,000 shares. Weighted average common stock equivalents aggregating approximately 4,245,000 were anti-dilutive and not included in the calculation for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The weighted average shares used in the calculation of the diluted net income per share attributable to Altice USA stockholders for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 is the same as the weighted average shares used in the calculation of basic net income per share as the weighted average common stock equivalents totaling approximately 6,292,000 and 14,000 shares, respectively, were anti-dilutive.

Financial instruments that may potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and trade account receivables. The Company monitors the financial institutions and money market funds where it invests its cash and cash equivalents with diversification among counterparties to mitigate exposure to any single financial institution. The Company's emphasis is primarily on safety of principal and liquidity and secondarily on maximizing the yield on its investments. Management believes that no significant concentration of credit risk exists with respect to its cash and cash equivalents because of its assessment of the creditworthiness and financial viability of the respective financial institutions.

The Company did not have a single customer that represented 10% or more of its consolidated revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 or 10% or more of its consolidated net trade receivables at December 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. See Note 13 for a discussion of fair value estimates.