Note 12 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Notes to Financial Statements

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

12.    Goodwill and Intangible Assets

During the nine-months ended September 30, 2019, we completed the 2019 Acquisitions that included the acquisition of goodwill, broadcast licenses and finite-lived intangible assets. See Note 3 “Acquisitions and Divestitures” for more information regarding these transactions. A summary of changes in our goodwill and other intangible assets, on a net basis, for the nine-months ended September 30, 2019 is as follows (in millions):

	Net Balance at		Acquisitions							Net Balance at
	December 31,		And							September 30,
	2018		Adjustments, Net		Impairments		Amortization			2019
Goodwill	$	612	$	837	$	-	$	-		$	1,449
Broadcast licenses		1,530		2,028		-		-			3,558
Definite lived intangible assets		53		502		-		(86	)		469
Total intangible assets net of accumulated amortization	$	2,195	$	3,367	$	-	$	(86	)	$	5,476

A summary of the changes in our goodwill, on a gross basis, for the nine-months ended September 30, 2019, is as follows (in millions):

	As of							As of
	December 31,			Net				September 30,
	2018			Additions		Impairments		2019
Goodwill, gross	$	711		$	837	$	-	$	1,548
Accumulated goodwill impairmant		(99	)		-		-		(99	)
Goodwill, net	$	612		$	837	$	-	$	1,449

As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, our intangible assets and related accumulated amortization consisted of the following (in millions):

	As of September 30, 2019							As of December 31, 2018
			Accumulated							Accumulated
	Gross		Amortization			Net		Gross		Amortization			Net
Intangible assets not currently subject to amortization:
Broadcast licenses	$	3,612	$	(54	)	$	3,558	$	1,583	$	(53	)	$	1,530
Goodwill		1,449		-			1,449		612		-			612
	$	5,061	$	(54	)	$	5,007	$	2,195	$	(53	)	$	2,142
Intangible assets subject to amortization:
Network affiliation agreements	$	54	$	(14	)	$	40	$	6	$	(6	)	$	-
Other definite lived intangible assets		596		(167	)		429		143		(90	)		53
	$	650	$	(181	)	$	469	$	149	$	(96	)	$	53
Total intangibles	$	5,711	$	(235	)	$	5,476	$	2,344	$	(149	)	$	2,195

Amortization expense for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $86 million and $16 million, respectively. Based on the intangible assets subject to amortization as of September 30, 2019, we expect that amortization expense for the remainder of 2019 would be approximately $28 million, and, for the succeeding five years, amortization expense will be approximately as follows: 2020, $99 million; 2021, $95 million; 2022, $91 million; 2023, $85 million; and 2024, $22 million. If and when acquisitions and dispositions occur in the future, actual amounts may vary materially from these estimates.

Impairment of goodwill and broadcast licenses

Our intangible assets are primarily comprised of broadcast licenses. There were no triggering events that required a test of our goodwill or intangible assets for impairment during the nine-months ended September 30, 2019 or 2018.