XML 28 R12.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.25.4 Franchises, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Notes) 12 Months Ended Dec. 31, 2025 Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]   Franchises, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Franchises, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Franchise rights represent the value attributed to agreements or authorizations with local and state authorities that allow access to homes in cable service areas. For valuation purposes, they are defined as the future economic benefits of the right to solicit and service potential customers (customer marketing rights), and the right to deploy and market new services to potential customers (service marketing rights). Management estimates the fair value of franchise rights at the date of acquisition and determines if the franchise has a finite life or an indefinite life. The Company has concluded that all of its franchises qualify for indefinite life treatment given that there are no legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors which limit the period over which these rights will contribute to the Company's cash flows. The Company reassesses this determination periodically or whenever events or substantive changes in circumstances occur. All franchises are tested for impairment annually or more frequently as warranted by events or changes in circumstances. Franchises are aggregated into essentially inseparable units of accounting to conduct valuations. The franchise units of accounting are geographical clustering of cable systems into groups representing the highest and best use if sold to market participants. The Company performed a quantitative impairment analysis as of October 31, 2025 utilizing a multi-period excess earnings method, a discounted cash flow income approach which isolates discrete cash flows attributable to the franchise intangibles from the business enterprise cash flows. The income approach incorporated updated projections of the business enterprise cash flows, allocations of cash flows attributable to franchise intangibles, and current market assumptions for growth rates and discount rates. Based on the Company’s quantitative analysis, the Company concluded that the fair value of the franchises in each unit of accounting exceeds the carrying value of such assets. Goodwill is also tested for impairment annually or more frequently as warranted by events or changes in circumstances. The Company has determined that it has one reporting unit for purposes of the assessment of goodwill impairment. As with the Company’s franchise impairment testing, the Company elected to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment analysis as of October 31, 2025. The Company changed the annual goodwill impairment test date to October 31 from the November 30 date used in the prior year’s qualitative assessment to allow for sufficient time to complete the quantitative analysis in conjunction with the year-end financial reporting process. The quantitative analysis considers whether the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value of the reporting unit, in which case an impairment charge is recorded to the extent the reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. As a result of that assessment, the Company concluded that goodwill is not impaired. Customer relationships are recorded at fair value as of the date acquired less accumulated amortization. Customer relationships are amortized on an accelerated sum of years’ digits method over useful lives of 10-15 years based on the period over which current customers are expected to generate cash flows. The Company periodically evaluates the remaining useful lives of its customer relationships to determine whether events or circumstances warrant revision to the remaining periods of amortization. Customer relationships are evaluated for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Customer relationships are deemed impaired when the carrying value exceeds the projected undiscounted future cash flows associated with the customer relationships. No impairment of customer relationships was recorded in the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 or 2023. The Company owns approximately $464 million of Citizens Broadband Radio Service ("CBRS") priority access licenses. The wireless spectrum licenses are considered indefinite life intangible assets recorded in other noncurrent assets on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. The Company elected to perform a qualitative impairment assessment in 2025 and concluded that its CBRS priority access licenses are not impaired. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, indefinite-lived and finite-lived intangible assets are presented in the following table: December 31, 2025 2024 Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Franchises $ 67,471  $ —  $ 67,471  $ 67,462  $ —  $ 67,462  Goodwill 29,710  —  29,710  29,674  —  29,674  Wireless spectrum licenses 464  —  464  464  —  464  Trademarks 159  —  159  159  —  159  $ 97,804  $ —  $ 97,804  $ 97,759  $ —  $ 97,759  Finite-lived intangible assets: Customer relationships $ 18,315  $ (17,875) $ 440  $ 18,294  $ (17,319) $ 975  Other intangible assets 277  (234) 43  453  (320) 133  $ 18,592  $ (18,109) $ 483  $ 18,747  $ (17,639) $ 1,108  Amortization expense related to customer relationships and other intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $585 million, $838 million and $1.1 billion, respectively. The Company expects amortization expense on its finite-lived intangible assets will be as follows. 2026 $ 330  2027 100  2028 17  2029 14  2030 8  Thereafter 14  $ 483  Actual amortization expense in future periods could differ from these estimates as a result of new intangible asset acquisitions or divestitures, changes in useful lives, impairments, adoption of new accounting standards and other relevant factors. 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