Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Related Party Transactions

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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions
Related Party Transactions 
In the normal course of business, we enter into transactions with related parties.

Liberty Media
As of December 31, 2017, Liberty Media beneficially owned, directly and indirectly, approximately 70% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Liberty Media has two executives and one of its directors on our board of directors.  Gregory B. Maffei, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Media, is the Chairman of our board of directors.

Sirius XM Canada
On May 25, 2017, Sirius XM completed a recapitalization of Sirius XM Canada (the “Transaction”), which is now a privately held corporation.
Following the Transaction, Sirius XM holds a 70% equity interest and 33% voting interest in Sirius XM Canada, with the remainder of the voting power and equity interests held by two of Sirius XM Canada’s previous shareholders. The total consideration from Sirius XM to Sirius XM Canada, excluding transaction costs, during the year ended December 31, 2017 was $308,526, which included $129,676 in cash and we issued 35,000 shares of our common stock with an aggregate value of $178,850 to the holders of the shares of Sirius XM Canada acquired in the Transaction. Sirius XM received common stock, non-voting common stock and preferred stock of Sirius XM Canada. We own 590,950 shares of preferred stock of Sirius XM Canada, which has a liquidation preference of one Canadian dollar per share.
In connection with the Transaction, Sirius XM also made a contribution in the form of a loan to Sirius XM Canada in the aggregate amount of $130,794. The loan is denominated in Canadian dollars and is considered a long-term investment with any unrealized gains or losses reported within Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. The loan has a term of fifteen years, bears interest at a rate of 7.62% per annum and includes customary covenants and events of default, including an event of default relating to Sirius XM Canada’s failure to maintain specified leverage ratios. The terms of the loan require Sirius XM Canada to prepay a portion of the outstanding principal amount of the loan within sixty days of the end of each fiscal year in an amount equal to any cash on hand in excess of C$10,000 at the last day of the financial year if all target dividends have been paid in full.
In connection with the Transaction, Sirius XM also entered into a Services Agreement and an Advisory Services Agreement with Sirius XM Canada. Each agreement has a thirty year term. Pursuant to the Services Agreement, Sirius XM Canada will pay Sirius XM 25% of its gross revenues on a monthly basis through December 31, 2021 and 30% of its gross revenues on a monthly basis thereafter. Pursuant to the Advisory Services Agreement, Sirius XM Canada will pay Sirius XM 5% of its gross revenues on a monthly basis. These agreements superseded and replaced the former agreements between Sirius XM Canada and its predecessors and Sirius XM.
Sirius XM Canada is accounted for as an equity method investment, and its results are not consolidated in our consolidated financial statements. Sirius XM Canada does not meet the requirements for consolidation as we do not have the ability to direct the most significant activities that impact Sirius XM Canada's economic performance.
The difference between our investment and our share of the fair value of the underlying net assets of Sirius XM Canada is first allocated to either finite-lived intangibles or indefinite-lived intangibles and the balance is attributed to goodwill. We follow ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, which requires that equity method finite-lived intangibles be amortized over their estimated useful life while indefinite-lived intangibles and goodwill are not amortized. The amortization of equity method finite-lived intangible assets is recorded in Other income in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. We periodically evaluate our equity method investments to determine if there has been an other-than temporary decline in fair value below carrying value. Equity method finite-lived intangibles, indefinite-lived intangibles and goodwill are included in the carrying amount of the investment.
We had the following related party balances associated with Sirius XM Canada:

December 31, 2017

December 31, 2016
Related party current assets
$
10,284

 
$
6,170

Related party long-term assets
$
481,608

 
$
8,918

Related party current liabilities
$
2,839

 
$
2,840

Related party long-term liabilities
$
7,364

 
$
7,955


Under the former agreement with Sirius XM Canada, as of December 31, 2016, our related party current assets balance primarily consisted of activation fees and streaming and chipset costs for which we were reimbursed. As of December 31, 2017, our related party current asset balance included amounts due under the Services Agreement and Advisory Services Agreement and certain amounts related to transactions outside the scope of the new services arrangements. Our related party long-term assets balance as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 included the carrying value of our investment balance in Sirius XM Canada of $341,214 and $8,615, respectively, and, as of December 31, 2017, also included $140,073 for the current value of the outstanding loan to Sirius XM Canada. Our related party liabilities as of each of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 included $2,776 for the current portion of deferred revenue and $5,088 and $7,867, respectively, for the long-term portion of deferred revenue recorded as of the Merger date related to agreements with legacy XM Canada, now Sirius XM Canada.  These costs are being amortized on a straight line basis through 2020.
We recorded the following revenue and other income associated with Sirius XM Canada in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income:
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Revenue (a)(b)
$
87,111


$
45,962

 
$
56,397

Other income





 
 

Share of net earnings (b)
$
4,561


$
12,529

 
$

Dividends (c)
$


$
3,575

 
$
12,645

Interest income (d)
$
6,243


$

 
$

(a)
Prior to the Transaction, under our former agreements with Sirius XM Canada, we received a percentage-based fee of 10% and 15% for certain types of subscription revenue earned by Sirius XM Canada for the use of the Sirius and XM platforms, respectively, and additional fees for premium services and fees for activation fees and reimbursements for other charges.  We record revenue from Sirius XM Canada as Other revenue in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
(b)
Prior to the Transaction, we recognized our proportionate share of revenue and earnings or losses attributable to Sirius XM Canada on a one month lag. As a result of the Transaction, there is no longer a one-month lag and Sirius XM Canada changed its fiscal year-end to December 31 to align with that of Sirius XM. For the year ended December 31, 2017 this amount included $1,501 of amortization related to equity method intangible assets.
(c)
Sirius XM Canada paid gross dividends to us of $3,796, $7,548 and $15,645 during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  These dividends were first recorded as a reduction to our investment balance in Sirius XM Canada to the extent a balance existed and then as Other income for the remaining portion.
(d)
This interest income relates to the loan to Sirius XM Canada and is recorded as Other income in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Pandora
On September 22, 2017, Sirius XM completed a $480,000 investment in Pandora. Pursuant to an Investment Agreement with Pandora, Sirius XM purchased 480 shares of Pandora’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), for an aggregate purchase price of $480,000. The Series A Preferred Stock, including accrued but unpaid dividends, represents a stake of approximately 19% of Pandora's currently outstanding common stock, and approximately a 16% interest on an as-converted basis. Pandora operates an internet-based music discovery platform, offering a personalized experience for listeners.
The Series A Preferred Stock is convertible at the option of the holders at any time into shares of common stock of Pandora (“Pandora Common Stock”) at an initial conversion price of $10.50 per share of Pandora Common Stock and an initial conversion rate of 95.2381 shares of Pandora Common Stock per share of Series A Preferred Stock, subject to certain customary anti-dilution adjustments. Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to a cumulative dividend at the rate of 6.0% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears, if and when declared. Pandora has the option to pay dividends in cash when authorized by their Board and declared by Pandora or accumulate dividends in lieu of paying cash. Any conversion of Series A Preferred Stock may be settled by Pandora, at its option, in shares of Pandora Common Stock, cash or any combination thereof. However, unless and until Pandora’s stockholders have approved the issuance of greater than 19.99% of the outstanding Pandora Common Stock, the Series A Preferred Stock may not be converted into more than 19.99% of Pandora’s outstanding Pandora Common Stock as of June 9, 2017. The liquidation preference of the Series A Preferred Stock, including accrued dividends of $10,849, was $490,849 as of December 31, 2017.
The investment includes a mandatory redemption feature on any date from and after September 22, 2022 whereby Sirius XM, at its option, may require Pandora to purchase the Series A Preferred Stock at a price equal to 100% of the liquidation preference plus accrued but unpaid dividends for, at the election of Pandora, cash, shares of Pandora Common Stock or a combination thereof, and as such the investment qualifies as a debt security under ASC 320, Investments-Debt and Equity Securities. As the investment includes a conversion option, we have elected to account for this investment under the fair value option to reduce the accounting asymmetry that would otherwise arise when recognizing the changes in the fair value of available-for-sale investments. Under the fair value option, any gains (losses) associated with the change in fair value will be recognized in Other income within our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. A $472 unrealized gain was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2017 as Other income in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income associated with this investment. The fair value of our investment, including accrued dividends, as of December 31, 2017 was $480,472 and is recorded as a related party long-term asset within our consolidated balance sheets. This investment does not meet the requirements for the equity method of accounting as it does not qualify as in-substance common stock.
We have appointed James E. Meyer, our Chief Executive Officer, David J. Frear, our Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Gregory B. Maffei, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, to Pandora's Board of Directors pursuant to our designation rights under the Investment Agreement. Mr. Maffei also serves as the Chairman of Pandora's Board of Directors.
Upon certain change of control events involving Pandora, Pandora is required to repurchase all of the Series A Preferred Stock at a price equal to the greater of (1) an amount in cash equal to 100% of the liquidation preference thereof plus all accrued but unpaid dividends through June 9, 2022 (assuming such shares of Series A Preferred Stock remain outstanding through such date) and (2) the consideration the holders would have received if they had converted their shares of Series A Preferred Stock into Pandora Common Stock immediately prior to the change of control event (disregarding the 19.99% cap).
Beginning on September 22, 2020, if the volume weighted average price per share of Pandora Common Stock exceeds $18.375, as may be adjusted, for at least 20 trading days in any period of 30 consecutive trading days, Pandora may redeem all of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock at a price equal to 100% of the liquidation preference thereof plus all accrued but unpaid dividends for, at the election of Pandora, cash, shares of Pandora Common Stock or a combination thereof, provided that, unless stockholder approval has been received, Pandora may not settle the redemption for shares of Pandora Common Stock to the extent the 19.99% cap would be exceeded.