(1) Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. and its controlled subsidiaries (collectively, "TripCo," "Consolidated TripCo," the "Company," "we," "us," or “our,” unless the context otherwise requires). TripCo does not have any operations outside of its controlling interest in its subsidiary Tripadvisor, Inc. (“Tripadvisor”). Tripadvisor’s financial performance tends to be seasonally highest in the second and third quarters of a given year, which includes the seasonal peak in consumer demand, traveler hotel and rental stays, and travel activities and experiences taken, compared to the first and fourth quarters, which represent seasonal low points.

The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and (b) the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods have been included. Additionally, certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for comparability with the current period presentation. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes for the year ended December 31, 2020 as presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company considers (i) recognition and recoverability of goodwill, intangible and long-lived assets and (ii) accounting for income taxes to be its most significant estimates. Some of the Company’s estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility as a result of COVID-19 (as defined below). As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, the Company’s estimates may change materially in future periods.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) was reported in Wuhan, China, and on March 11, 2020 was declared a global pandemic. Tripadvisor and the Company continue to be subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we have seen varying degrees of containment of the virus in various countries and positive signs of growing travel demand recovery, the degree of containment and the recovery in travel has varied both region-to-region on a global basis, as well as state-to-state in the U.S. For example, as COVID-19 cases resurge or as new variants are identified, government restrictions and mandates were reinstated in certain geographies globally. Tripadvisor does not know the future path or rate of global or regional COVID-19 transmission, including various existing COVID-19 variants (e.g., the Delta variant) or any possible future variants, nor does it have visibility into when remaining or reinstated restrictions will be lifted, and where additional restrictions may be implemented or reinstated in the future due to resurgence of the virus. Correspondingly, Tripadvisor still does not have forward-looking visibility into the long-term impacts related to consumer demand for travel, usage patterns on its platform, and travel behavior patterns when all travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates are fully lifted.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, multiple COVID-19 vaccines were approved for widespread distribution throughout various parts of the world, including the United States and Europe, and in the first quarter of 2021, vaccination distribution programs were initiated around the world. Vaccine programs in Tripadvisor’s largest markets, the U.S. and Europe, appear to be progressing well, and Tripadvisor expects the same for much of the rest of the world. Tripadvisor is encouraged by these developments, however the timing of widespread vaccine distributions, efficacy against any future or recent variants

(e.g., the Delta variant) of COVID-19, whether there will be resurgences of the virus and subsequent government restrictions, the extent and effectiveness of containment actions taken, and whether consumers demand for travel and hospitality services will continue to be negatively impacted remain uncertain. Therefore, the continuing extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tripadvisor’s business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition remains uncertain, and is dependent on future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time. Tripadvisor continues to believe the travel, leisure, hospitality, and restaurant industries (collectively, the “travel industry”), and Tripadvisor’s financial results, will continue to be adversely and materially affected while the pandemic continues, new variants emerge, and lingering travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates continue to remain in place or be reinstated, all of which negatively impact consumer demand, sentiment and discretionary spending patterns.

In addition, due to the impact of COVID-19 on Tripadvisor’s business, which led to unfavorable working capital trends and material negative operating cash flow during the year ended December 31, 2020, Tripadvisor did not experience its typical seasonal pattern for revenue and profit during the calendar quarters within the year ended December 31, 2020. Although consumer demand, traveler hotel and rental stays, and travel activities and experiences taken generally remain materially lower than historic levels, these trends have improved during 2021, particularly in the second and third quarters of 2021, resulting in increased revenue, and working capital and operating cash flow more akin to typical historical seasonality trends. However, it is difficult to predict the seasonality for the upcoming quarters, given the sustained uncertainty related to the continued economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ultimate shape and timing of a recovery in Tripadvisor’s key markets. In addition, significant shifts in Tripadvisor’s business mix or adverse economic conditions could result in future seasonal patterns that are different from historical trends.  

On March 26, 2020, TripCo issued and sold 325,000 shares of TripCo’s newly-created 8% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) for a purchase price of $1,000 per share. On March 29, 2021 and April 6, 2021, TripCo repurchased a portion of the Series A Preferred Stock. See further discussion about the Series A Preferred Stock in note 6.  

Spin-Off of TripCo from Qurate Retail  

During October 2013, the Board of Directors of Liberty Interactive Corporation and its subsidiaries (subsequently renamed Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Qurate Retail”)) authorized a plan to distribute to the stockholders of its then-outstanding Liberty Ventures common stock shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary, TripCo (the “TripCo Spin-Off”). Following the TripCo Spin-Off, Qurate Retail and TripCo operate as separate, publicly traded companies, and neither has any stock ownership, beneficial or otherwise, in the other. In connection with the TripCo Spin-Off, TripCo entered into certain agreements, including the services agreement, the facilities sharing agreement and the tax sharing agreement, with Qurate Retail and/or Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty Media”) (or certain of their subsidiaries) in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the companies after the TripCo Spin-Off and to provide for an orderly transition.

Pursuant to the services agreement (except as described below in respect to Gregory B. Maffei), Liberty Media provides TripCo with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. TripCo reimburses Liberty Media for direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Liberty Media in providing these services and TripCo pays a services fee to Liberty Media under the services agreement that is subject to adjustment semi-annually, as necessary.

In December 2019, TripCo entered into an amendment to the services agreement with Liberty Media in connection with Liberty Media’s entry into a new employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, TripCo’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.  Under the amended services agreement, components of his compensation will either be paid directly to him by each of TripCo, Liberty Broadband Corporation, and Qurate Retail (collectively, the “Service Companies”) or reimbursed to Liberty Media, in each case, based on allocations among Liberty Media and the Service Companies set forth in the amended services agreement, currently set at 5% for the Company.

Under the facilities sharing agreement, TripCo shares office space with Liberty Media and related amenities at Liberty Media’s corporate headquarters in Englewood, Colorado.

The tax sharing agreement provides for the allocation and indemnification of tax liabilities and benefits between Qurate Retail and TripCo and other agreements related to tax matters.

Under these agreements, approximately $1 million was reimbursable to Liberty Media for both of the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, and approximately $3 million was reimbursable to Liberty Media for both of the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020.