Comcast 2014 Annual Report Download - page 122

Table of Contents
Comcast Corporation
The table below summarizes our minimum annual programming and talent commitments and our minimum annual rental
commitments for office space, equipment and transponder service agreements under operating leases. Programming and talent
commitments include acquired film and television programming, including U.S. television rights to the Olympic Games through
2032, Sunday Night Football on NBC through the 2022-
23 season, and other programming commitments, as well as various
contracts with creative talent and employment agreements.
The table below presents our rent expense charged to operations.
Contingencies
Antitrust Cases
We are defendants in two purported class actions originally filed in December 2003 in the United States District Courts for the
District of Massachusetts and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The potential class in the Massachusetts case, which has been
transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is our customer base in the “Boston Cluster”
area, and the potential class in the
Pennsylvania case is our customer base in the “Philadelphia and Chicago Clusters,”
as those terms are defined in the complaints.
In each case, the plaintiffs allege that certain customer exchange transactions with other cable providers resulted in unlawful
horizontal market restraints in those areas and seek damages under antitrust statutes, including treble damages.
Classes of Chicago Cluster and Philadelphia Cluster customers were certified in October 2007 and January 2010, respectively. We
appealed the class certification in the Philadelphia Cluster case to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the class
certification in August 2011. In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court granted our petition to review the Third Circuit Court of Appeals’
ruling and in March 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that the class had been improperly certified and reversed the judgment of the
Third Circuit. In August 2013, the plaintiffs in the Philadelphia Cluster case moved to certify a new, smaller class, which we
opposed in January 2014. The parties have been discussing possible resolution of the Philadelphia Cluster case. Accordingly, in
February 2014, the plaintiff filed an unopposed motion to stay the case, which the District Court granted. In April 2014, the District
Court granted our unopposed motion to de-certify the Chicago Cluster class and the plaintiffs’
unopposed motion to amend the
Pennsylvania case so as to dismiss claims relating to the Chicago Cluster. In April 2014, lead counsel for the Boston Cluster cases
withdrew, and in June 2014, new counsel requested the Boston Cluster cases be transferred to the federal court in Boston, which
we have opposed. The District Court denied the request and dismissed the case, though the Boston plaintiffs have appealed both
rulings. In December 2014, the District Court granted preliminary approval to a settlement of the Philadelphia Cluster case, which
contains no admission or finding of liability. We do not expect the settlement of the Philadelphia Cluster case to have a material
effect on our results of operations, cash flows or financial position.
As of December 31, 2014 (in millions)
Programming and
Talent Commitments
Operating
Leases
2015 $
4,915
$
399
2016
$
4,657
$
359
2017
$
3,177
$
299
2018
$
3,999
$
253
2019
$
2,793
$
197
Thereafter
$
26,130
$
754
Year ended December 31 (in millions)
2014
2013
2012
Rent expense
$
580
$
616
$
688
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Comcast 2014 Annual Report on Form 10
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