v3.6.0.2
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Line Items]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Note 3: Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Revenue Recognition
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition. The updated accounting guidance provides a single, contract-based revenue recognition model to help improve financial reporting by providing clearer guidance on when an entity should recognize revenue and by reducing the number of standards to which an entity has to refer. The updated accounting guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018.
We have reviewed a majority of our revenue arrangements and expect our review to be completed in the second quarter of 2017. As a result of our review, we do not expect any material impact on our consolidated financial statements. However, we do expect that the new standard will impact the timing of recognition for (1) our Cable Communications segment’s installation revenue and commission expenses, which upon adoption will be recognized as revenue and costs over a period of time instead of immediately, and (2) our Cable Networks, Broadcast Television and Filmed Entertainment segments’ content licensing revenue associated with renewals or extensions of existing program licensing agreements, which upon adoption will be recognized as revenue when the licensed content becomes available under the renewal or extension instead of when the agreement is renewed or extended.
The guidance provides companies with alternative methods of adoption and we are in the process of determining our method of adoption, which depends in part upon our completion of the evaluation of our remaining revenue arrangements.
Consolidations
In February 2015, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to consolidation under the variable interest entity and voting interest entity models. The updated accounting guidance modifies the consolidation guidance for VIEs, limited partnerships and similar legal entities. We have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016 and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In January 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. The updated accounting guidance, among other things, requires that all nonconsolidated equity investments, except those accounted for under the equity method, be measured at fair value and that the changes in fair value be recognized in net income. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance requires, with certain exceptions, a cumulative effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings when the guidance is adopted. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.
Leases
In February 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to leases. The updated accounting guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with the exception of short-term leases. The asset and liability are initially measured based on the present value of committed lease payments. For a lessee, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease do not significantly change from previous guidance. For a lessor, the accounting applied is also largely unchanged from previous guidance. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The updated accounting guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 16 for a summary of our undiscounted minimum rental commitments under operating leases as of December 31, 2016.
Share-Based Compensation
In March 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance that affects several aspects of the accounting for share-based compensation. The most significant change for us relates to the presentation of the income and withholding tax consequences of share-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. Among the changes, the updated guidance requires that the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies that arise when the tax consequences of share-based compensation differ from amounts previously recognized in the statement of income be recognized as income tax benefit or expense in the statement of income rather than as additional paid-in capital in the balance sheet. The guidance also states that excess income tax benefits should not be presented separately from other income taxes in the statement of cash flows and, thus, should be classified as an operating activity rather than a financing activity as they are under the current guidance. In addition, the updated guidance requires when an employer withholds shares upon exercise of options or the vesting of restricted stock for the purpose of meeting withholding tax requirements, that the cash paid for withholding taxes be classified as a financing activity. We currently record these amounts within operating activities.
We will adopt the updated guidance in the first quarter of 2017. As required under the updated guidance, we will prospectively adopt the provisions of this guidance that relate to the recognition of the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies in the statement of income. If we had adopted the updated guidance in 2016, our income tax expense and effective tax rate would have decreased by $233 million and 1.6%, respectively, and our diluted earnings per common share attributable to Comcast Corporation shareholders in 2016 would have increased by $0.08.
In addition, upon adoption we will retrospectively adopt the provisions of this guidance related to changes to the statement of cash flows in any of the periods presented. The table below presents the effect on our consolidated statement of cash flows for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. These amounts are not necessarily indicative of amounts that we will recognize in future years related to the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies nor the cash paid for withholding taxes.
Year ended December 31 (in millions)
 
As Reported
 
Effect of Adoption
 
Upon Adoption
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
19,240

 
$
585

 
$
19,825

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
 
$
151

 
$
(585
)
 
$
(434
)
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
18,778

 
$
708

 
$
19,486

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
 
$
(8,429
)
 
$
(708
)
 
$
(9,137
)
2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
16,945

 
$
652

 
$
17,597

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
 
$
(6,020
)
 
$
(652
)
 
$
(6,672
)
NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Line Items]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Note 3: Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Revenue Recognition
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition. The updated accounting guidance provides a single, contract-based revenue recognition model to help improve financial reporting by providing clearer guidance on when an entity should recognize revenue and by reducing the number of standards to which an entity has to refer. The updated accounting guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018.
We have reviewed a majority of our revenue arrangements and expect our review to be completed in the second quarter of 2017. As a result of our review, we do not expect any material impact on our consolidated financial statements. However, we do expect that the new standard will impact the timing of recognition for our Cable Networks, Broadcast Television and Filmed Entertainment segments’ content licensing revenue associated with renewals or extensions of existing program licensing agreements, which upon adoption will be recognized as revenue when the licensed content becomes available under the renewal or extension instead of when the agreement is renewed or extended.
The guidance provides companies with alternative methods of adoption and we are in the process of determining our method of adoption, which depends in part upon our completion of the evaluation of our remaining revenue arrangements.
Consolidations
In February 2015, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to consolidation under the variable interest entity and voting interest entity models. The updated accounting guidance modifies the consolidation guidance for VIEs, limited partnerships and similar legal entities. We have adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2016 and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In January 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. The updated accounting guidance, among other things, requires that all nonconsolidated equity investments, except those accounted for under the equity method, be measured at fair value and that the changes in fair value be recognized in net income. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2018. The updated accounting guidance requires, with certain exceptions, a cumulative effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings when the guidance is adopted. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.
Leases
In February 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance related to leases. The updated accounting guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with the exception of short-term leases. The asset and liability are initially measured based on the present value of committed lease payments. For a lessee, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease do not significantly change from previous guidance. For a lessor, the accounting applied is also largely unchanged from previous guidance. The updated guidance is effective for us as of January 1, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The updated accounting guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. We are currently in the process of determining the impact that the updated accounting guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 15 for a summary of our undiscounted minimum rental commitments under operating leases as of December 31, 2016.
Share-Based Compensation
In March 2016, the FASB updated the accounting guidance that affects several aspects of the accounting for share-based compensation. Among the changes, the updated guidance requires that the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies that arise when the tax consequences of share-based compensation differ from amounts previously recognized in the statement of income be recognized as income tax benefit or expense in the statement of income rather than as additional paid-in capital in the balance sheet. The guidance also states that excess income tax benefits should not be presented separately from other income taxes in the statement of cash flows and, thus, should be classified as an operating activity rather than a financing activity as they are under the current guidance. In addition, the updated guidance requires when an employer withholds shares upon exercise of options or the vesting of restricted stock for the purpose of meeting withholding tax requirements, that the cash paid for withholding taxes be classified as a financing activity.
We will adopt the updated guidance in the first quarter of 2017. As a limited liability company, the updated guidance related to the excess income tax benefits or deficiencies to be recognized in the statement of income will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In addition, as the share-based compensation expense is settled in cash with Comcast, we do not expect the updated accounting guidance to have a material impact on our statement of cash flows.