Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

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Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Basis of Presentation  
Basis of Presentation

(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”).

The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, 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, none of which were material to the presentation of the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. 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, 2022 as presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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.

Tripadvisor and the Company were negatively impacted by the risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tripadvisor believes the travel, leisure, hospitality, and restaurant industries, and Tripadvisor’s financial results, would be adversely and materially affected upon a resurgence of COVID-19 or the emergence of any new pandemic or other health crisis that results in reinstated travel bans and/or other government restrictions and mandates, any of which would likely negatively impact consumer demand, sentiment and discretionary spending patterns.

Additionally, other natural disasters, public health-related events, political instability, geopolitical conflicts, including the evolving events in the Middle East, acts of terrorism, fluctuations in currency values, and changes in global economic conditions, are examples of other events that could have a negative impact on the travel industry, and, as a result, Tripadvisor’s financial results in the future.

Consumer travel expenditures have historically followed a seasonal pattern. Correspondingly, travel partner advertising investments, and therefore Tripadvisor’s revenue and operating profits, have also historically followed a seasonal pattern. 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, including traveler accommodation stays, and travel experiences taken, compared to the first and fourth quarters, which represent seasonal low points. In addition, during the first half of the year, experience bookings typically exceed the amount of completed experiences, resulting in higher cash flow related to working capital, while during the second half of the year, particularly in the third quarter, this pattern reverses and cash flows from these transactions are typically negative. Other factors may also impact typical seasonal fluctuations, such as further significant shifts in Tripadvisor’s business mix, adverse economic conditions, or public health-related events, as well as other factors.

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 7.  

TripCo has entered into certain agreements, including the services agreement, the facilities sharing agreement and the tax sharing agreement, with Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Qurate Retail”) and/or Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty Media”) (or certain of their subsidiaries).  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.

Pursuant to the services agreement, in connection with Liberty Media’s employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, TripCo’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, components of Mr. Maffei’s compensation will either be paid directly to him by each of TripCo, Liberty Broadband Corporation, Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. 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 but subject to adjustment on an annual basis and upon the occurrence of certain events.

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, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and approximately $2 million was reimbursable to Liberty Media for both of the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.