COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments

Future cash payments and commitments required under arrangements pursuant to contracts entered into by the Company in the normal course of business as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:


	Payments Due by Period
	Total		Year 1		Years 2-3		Years 4-5		More than 5 years
Off balance sheet arrangements:
Purchase obligations (a)	$	8,238,465	$	3,547,239	$	3,685,145	$	837,711	$	168,370
Guarantees (b)	37,930		37,870		60		—		—
Letters of credit (c)	178,014		1,620		7,360		169,034		—
Total	$	8,454,409	$	3,586,729	$	3,692,565	$	1,006,745	$	168,370

(a)Purchase obligations primarily include contractual commitments with various programming vendors to provide video services to customers and minimum purchase obligations to purchase goods or services, including contracts to acquire handsets and other equipment. Future fees payable under contracts with programming vendors are based on numerous factors, including the number of customers receiving the programming. Amounts reflected above related to programming agreements are based on the number of customers receiving the programming as of December 31, 2019 multiplied by the per customer rates or the stated annual fee, as applicable, contained in the executed agreements in effect as of December 31, 2019.

(b)Includes franchise and performance surety bonds primarily for the Company's cable television systems.

(c)Represent letters of credit guaranteeing performance to municipalities and public utilities and payment of insurance premiums. Payments due by period for these arrangements represent the year in which the commitment expires although payments under these arrangements are required only in the event of nonperformance.

The table above does not include obligations for payments required to be made under multi-year franchise agreements based on a percentage of revenues generated from video service per year.

Many of the Company's franchise agreements and utility pole leases require the Company to remove its cable wires and other equipment upon termination of the respective agreements. The Company has concluded that the fair value of these asset retirement obligations cannot be reasonably estimated since the range of potential settlement dates is not determinable.

The table above does not include obligations for rent related to utility poles used in our operations. The Company's pole rental agreements are for varying terms, and management anticipates renewals as they expire. Rent expense incurred for pole rental attachments for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $31,903, $33,082, and $31,308, respectively.

Legal Matters

In the latter half of 2018, eight named plaintiffs, each on behalf of a putative class of stockholders who purchased Company common stock in Altice USA's IPO pursuant to the Registration Statement and Prospectus, filed complaints (seven in New York State Supreme Court, one in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York). The lawsuits name as defendants Altice USA, Altice Europe, and Altice USA's directors, among others, and assert that all defendants violated Sections 11 and 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and that the individual defendants violated Section 15 of the Securities Act as control persons. In a consolidated amended complaint filed in the lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York, plaintiff also asserts violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Act of 1934 ("34 Act"), Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and Section 20 of the 34 Act against Altice USA, Altice Europe, and certain individual directors. The facts underlying each case are substantively similar, with plaintiffs alleging that the Registration Statement and Prospectus misrepresented or omitted material facts relating to the negative performance of Altice France and Altice Portugal, the disclosure of which in November 2017 negatively impacted the value of Altice USA’s stock. In June of 2019, plaintiffs in the New York State action filed a consolidated amended complaint, which the Company moved to dismiss in July of 2019. The Company moved to dismiss the complaint in the Eastern District of New York in October 2019.

The Company intends to vigorously defend the lawsuits. Although the outcome of the matter cannot be predicted and the impact of the final resolution of this matter on the Company’s results of operations in any particular subsequent reporting period is not known at this time, management does not believe that the ultimate resolution of the matter will have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due.

On November 6, 2018, Sprint Communications Company L.P (“Sprint”) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that the Company infringes Sprint’s patents purportedly relating to Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) services. On December 3, 2018, Sprint filed a second complaint alleging that the Company infringes Sprint’s patents purportedly relating to VOD services. The lawsuits are part of a pattern of litigation that was initiated as far back as 2007 by Sprint against numerous broadband and telecommunications providers, which has resulted in judgments and settlements of significant value for Sprint. The Company is investigating the allegations, and will vigorously defend the lawsuits. Although the outcome of the matter cannot be predicted and the impact of the final resolution of this matter on the Company’s results of operations in any particular subsequent reporting period is not known at this time, management does not believe that the ultimate resolution of the matter will have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due, but it could be material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations or cash flows for any one period.

The Company receives notices from third parties and, in some cases, is named as a defendant in certain lawsuits claiming infringement of various patents relating to various aspects of the Company's businesses. In certain of these cases other industry participants are also defendants. In certain of these cases the Company expects that any potential liability would be the responsibility of the Company's equipment vendors pursuant to applicable contractual indemnification provisions.

In the event that the Company is found to infringe on any patent rights, the Company may be subject to substantial damages and/or an injunction that could require the Company or its vendors to modify certain products and services the Company offers to its subscribers, as well as enter into royalty or license agreements with respect to the patents at issue. The Company believes that the claims are without merit, but is unable to predict the outcome of these matters or reasonably estimate a range of possible loss.

In addition to the matters discussed above, the Company is party to various lawsuits, disputes and investigations, some of which may involve claims for substantial damages, fines or penalties. Although the outcome of these other matters cannot be predicted and the impact of the final resolution of these other matters on the Company's results of operations in a particular subsequent reporting period is not known, management does not believe that the resolution of these other lawsuits will have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company or the ability of the Company to meet its financial obligations as they become due.