Sale of Equipment Installment Receivables

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Finance Receivables Disclosure[Text Block]

NOTE 9. SALES OF RECEIVABLES

As described further below, we have agreements with various third-party financial institutions pertaining to the sale of certain types of our accounts receivable. The most significant of these programs are discussed in detail below and generally consist of (1) receivables arising from equipment installment plans, which are sold for cash and a deferred purchase price, and (2) receivables related to licensed programming and advertising. Under these programs, we transfer receivables to purchasers in exchange for cash and additional consideration upon settlement of the receivables, where applicable. Under the terms of our agreements for these programs, we continue to bill and collect the payments from our customers on behalf of the financial institutions.

As of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, gross receivables included on our consolidated balance sheets, related to these programs, are $6,611 and $5,994, respectively, of which $3,072 and $3,457 are notes receivable that are included in “Accounts receivable - net.”

The outstanding portfolio of receivables derecognized from our consolidated balance sheets, but which we continue to service, was $10,863 and $9,065 at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. As of March 31, 2019, total cash proceeds received, net of remittances (excluding amounts returned as deferred purchase price), were $8,387.

The following table sets forth a summary of receivables sold during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018:

		Three months ended
		March 31,
		2019		2018
Gross receivables sold		$	4,101	$	3,010
Net receivables sold¹			3,909		2,795
Cash proceeds received			3,675		2,395
Deferred purchase price recorded			309		519
Guarantee obligation recorded			138		123
¹	Receivables net of allowance, imputed interest and trade-in right guarantees.

The sales of receivables did not have a material impact on our consolidated statements of income or to “Total Assets” reported on our consolidated balance sheets. We reflect cash receipts on sold receivables as cash flows from operations in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Cash receipts on the deferred purchase price are classified as cash flows from investing activities.

Equipment Installment Receivables

We offer our customers the option to purchase certain wireless devices in installments over a specified period of time and, in many cases, once certain conditions are met, they may be eligible to trade in the original equipment for a new device and have the remaining unpaid balance paid or settled.

We maintain a program, under which we transfer a portion of these receivables in exchange for cash and additional consideration upon settlement of the receivables, referred to as the deferred purchase price. In the event a customer trades in a device prior to the end of the installment contract period, we agree to make a payment to the financial institutions equal to any outstanding remaining installment receivable balance. Accordingly, we record a guarantee obligation for this estimated amount at the time the receivables are transferred.

The deferred purchase price and guarantee obligation are initially recorded at estimated fair value and subsequently carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The estimation of their fair values is based on remaining installment payments expected to be collected and the expected timing and value of device trade-ins. The estimated value of the device trade-ins considers prices offered to us by independent third parties that contemplate changes in value after the launch of a device model. The fair value measurements used for the deferred purchase price and the guarantee obligation are considered Level 3 under the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure framework (see Note 7).

The following table shows the previously transferred equipment installment receivables, which we repurchased in exchange for the associated deferred purchase price and cash during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018:

		Three months ended
		March 31,
		2019		2018
Fair value of repurchased receivables		$	423	$	-
Carrying value of deferred purchase price			407		-
Gain (loss) on repurchases¹		$	16	$	-
¹	These gains (losses) are included in “Selling, general and administrative” in the consolidated statements of income.

At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, our deferred purchase price receivable was $2,240 and $2,370, respectively, of which $1,418 and $1,448 are included in “Other current assets” on our consolidated balance sheets, with the remainder in “Other Assets.” The guarantee obligation at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was $430 and $439, respectively, of which $160 and $196 are included in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets, with the remainder in “Other noncurrent liabilities.” Our maximum exposure to loss as a result of selling these equipment installment receivables is limited to the total amount of our deferred purchase price and guarantee obligation.

Programming and Advertising Receivables

In March 2019, we entered into a revolving agreement to transfer certain receivables from our WarnerMedia business to various financial institutions in exchange for cash. These receivables originate from the sale of licensed programming and advertising. Upon sale, we reclassify the allowance against these receivables to a guarantee liability. We have fully guaranteed the repayment of the transferred receivables and have also pledged, as collateral under this agreement, additional receivables in the amount of $1,402. Our maximum exposure to loss related to selling these receivables is limited to the outstanding $1,400 of sold receivables.