Note 6: Investments

Equity Method

The Weather Channel

On January 29, 2016, following a legal restructuring at The Weather Channel, we and the other investors sold the entity holding The Weather Channel’s product and technology businesses to IBM. Following the close of the transaction, we continue to hold an investment in The Weather Channel cable network through a new holding company. As a result of the sale of our investment, we recognized a pretax gain of $108 million in other income (expense), net.

Atairos

In 2015, we entered into an agreement to establish Atairos Group, Inc. (“Atairos”), a strategic company focused on investing in and operating companies in a range of industries and business sectors, both domestically and internationally. The agreement became effective as of January 1, 2016. Atairos has a term of up to 12 years and is controlled by management companies led by our former CFO through interests that carry all of the voting rights. We are the only investor other than our former CFO and the other management company employees. We have committed to fund up to $4 billion in the aggregate at any one time in Atairos, subject to certain offsets, and $40 million annually to fund a management fee, subject to certain adjustments, while the management company investors have committed to fund up to $100 million (with at least $40 million to be funded by our former CFO, subject to his continued role with Atairos). Our economic interests do not carry voting rights and obligate us to absorb approximately 99% of any losses and provide us the right to receive approximately 86.5% of any residual returns in Atairos, in either case on a cumulative basis.

We have concluded that Atairos is a VIE, that we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of Atairos as we have no voting rights and only certain consent rights, and that we are not related parties with our former CFO or the management companies. We therefore do not consolidate Atairos and account for this investment as an equity method investment. There are no other liquidity arrangements, guarantees, or other financial commitments between Comcast and Atairos, and therefore our maximum risk of financial loss is our investment balance and remaining unfunded capital commitment.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, we provided capital contributions totaling $404 million to Atairos.

Hulu

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, we recognized our proportionate share of losses of $25 million and $11 million, respectively, related to our investment in Hulu.

Cost Method

AirTouch

We hold two series of preferred stock of Verizon Americas, Inc., formerly known as AirTouch Communications, Inc. (“AirTouch”), a subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc., which are redeemable in April 2020. As of March 31, 2016, the estimated fair value of the AirTouch preferred stock and the estimated fair value of the associated liability related to the redeemable subsidiary preferred shares issued by one of our consolidated subsidiaries were each $1.7 billion. The estimated fair values are based on Level 2 inputs that use pricing models whose inputs are derived primarily from or corroborated by observable market data through correlation or other means for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

Note 6: Investments

Equity Method

The Weather Channel

On January 29, 2016, following a legal restructuring at The Weather Channel, we and the other investors sold the entity holding The Weather Channel’s product and technology businesses to IBM. Following the close of the transaction, we continue to hold an investment in The Weather Channel cable network through a new holding company. As a result of the sale of our investment, we recognized a pretax gain of $108 million in other income (expense), net.

Hulu

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, we recognized our proportionate share of losses of $25 million and $11 million, respectively, related to our investment in Hulu.