Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Fair Value Measurements
For assets and liabilities required to be reported at fair value, GAAP provides a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments. Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than quoted market prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and accounts payable approximated fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
Our assets and liabilities measured at fair value were as follows:
 
September 30, 2017
 
December 31, 2016
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total Fair
Value
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total Fair
Value
Assets:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Pandora - investment (a)

 
$
552,245

 

 
$
552,245

 

 

 

 
$

Sirius XM Canada - investment (b)

 

 

 
N/A
 
$
178,696

 

 

 
$
178,696

Liabilities:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Debt (c)

 
$
7,081,843

 

 
$
7,081,843

 

 
$
6,008,205

 

 
$
6,008,205

(a)
During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Sirius XM completed a $480,000 investment in Pandora. We have elected the fair value option to account for this investment. Refer to Note 10 for information on this transaction.
(b)
During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Sirius XM completed a recapitalization of Sirius XM Canada. Following this recapitalization, Sirius XM Canada ceased to be a publicly traded company. Refer to Note 10 for information on this transaction. The amount as of December 31, 2016 approximated fair value.  The carrying value of our investment in Sirius XM Canada was $323,593 and $8,615 as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Additionally, as part of this transaction we loaned Sirius XM Canada $130,794. The carrying value of the loan as of September 30, 2017 was $141,189 and approximated its fair value.
(c)
The fair value for non-publicly traded instruments is based upon estimates from a market maker and brokerage firm.  Refer to Note 11 for information related to the carrying value of our debt as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income of $6,287 was primarily comprised of the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments related to the loan to Sirius XM Canada (refer to Note 10 for additional information related to this loan). During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, we recorded a foreign currency translation adjustment gain of $3,680 and $6,426, respectively, which is recorded net of a tax benefit of $2,176 and $3,921, respectively.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350).  This ASU eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under the new guidance, entities should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. Additionally, this ASU eliminates the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and is applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU. We do not believe that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This ASU requires a company to recognize lease assets and liabilities arising from operating leases in the statement of financial position. This ASU does not significantly change the previous lease guidance for how a lessee should recognize the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease. Additionally, the criteria for classifying a finance lease versus an operating lease are substantially the same as the previous guidance. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. This ASU must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach. We plan to adopt this ASU on January 1, 2019. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on our consolidated financial statements. We currently believe the most significant changes will be related to the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liability on our consolidated balance sheet for operating leases.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 which amended the effective date of this ASU to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted only for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. In 2016, the FASB issued additional guidance which clarified principal versus agent considerations, identification of performance obligations and the implementation guidance for licensing. In addition, the FASB issued guidance regarding practical expedients related to disclosures of remaining performance obligations, as well as other amendments to the guidance on transition, collectibility, non-cash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes. The two permitted transition methods under the new standard are the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented, or the modified retrospective method, in which case the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial application. We currently plan to adopt this ASU under the modified retrospective method.
We have completed our evaluation of the impact this ASU will have on our primary revenue streams.  Based on our assessment of the impact of implementing this ASU on January 1, 2018 under the modified retrospective method, the most significant impact of the ASU relates to the classification of Revenue share and certain subsidy payments made to automakers associated with a paid promotional subscription.  Under the new standard, these payments associated with a paid promotional subscription will be treated as a reduction to the transaction price rather than as an expense as classified under ASC 605.  We expect this change to reduce Subscription revenue by less than 3% upon adoption along with a corresponding reduction to Revenue share and royalties and Subscriber acquisition costs, and as a result, we do not expect this change to have an impact to our Net income.  Additionally, within our consolidated balance sheets, upon adoption, the amount of revenue share and certain subsidy payments made to automakers associated with a paid promotional subscription will be classified as a liability separate from deferred revenue.
The adoption of this ASU will also have an impact to the timing of recognition of certain other ancillary revenue and expense streams, which we do not expect to have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements.
We expect to complete our implementation process, which includes the necessary changes to our business processes, systems and controls to support recognition and disclosure, prior to the adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2018.