Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Revenue Recognition

v3.20.2
Revenue Recognition
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition
The Company accounts for a contract with a customer when an approved contract exists, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, the contract has commercial substance and the collectability of substantially all of the consideration is probable. Revenue is recognized as the Company satisfies performance obligations by transferring a promised good or service to a customer.

Deferred revenue consists substantially of amounts received from customers in advance of the Company’s performance service period and of fees deferred for future support services. Deferred revenue is recognized as revenue on a systematic basis that is proportionate to the period that the underlying services are rendered, which in a majority of arrangements is straight line over the remaining contractual term.
Our assessments regarding the timing of transfer of control and revenue recognition for our two operating segments are summarized below:

•Media & Content – specific to the sale and/or licensing of media content and the related technical services, such as digital delivery of media advertising, encoding of video and music products, development of graphical interfaces and provision of materials, we consider control to have transferred when: (i) the content has been delivered, and (ii) the services required under the contract have been performed. Revenue recognition is dependent on the nature of the customer contract. Content licenses to customers are typically categorized into usage-based or flat fee-based fee structures. For usage-based fee structures, revenue is recognized as the usage occurs. For flat-fee based structures, revenue is recognized upon the available date of the license, typically at the beginning of each cycle, or straight-line over the license period.

•Connectivity – we provide satellite-based Internet services and related technical and network support services, as well as the physical equipment to enable connectivity.

(i) For Aviation, the revenue is recognized over time as control is transferred to the customer (i.e. the airline), which occurs continuously as customers receive the bandwidth services. Equipment revenue is recognized when control passes to the customer, which is at the later of shipment of the equipment to the customer or obtaining regulatory certification for the operation of such equipment, as applicable.

(ii) For Maritime and Land, revenue is recognized over time as the customer receives the bandwidth services. Equipment revenue is recognized when control passes to the customer, which is typically from shipment of the equipment to the customer. In bandwidth arrangements where the equipment is leased, equipment revenue is determined and recognized in accordance with the assessed lease classification.

Certain of the Company’s contracts involve a revenue sharing or reseller arrangement to distribute the connectivity services. The Company assesses these services under the principal versus agent criteria and determined that the Company acts in the role of an agent and accordingly records such revenues on a net basis.

The following table represents a disaggregation of the Company’s revenue from contracts with customers (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
Revenue: 2020 2019 2020 2019
Media & Content
Licensing and Services $ 20,757    $ 74,013    $ 89,142    $ 154,023   
Total Media & Content 20,757    74,013    89,142    154,023   
Connectivity
Aviation Services 27,742    30,621    58,448    61,862   
Aviation Equipment 3,679    8,719    10,082    22,779   
Maritime & Land Services 28,958    40,495    65,512    79,722   
Maritime & Land Equipment 1,905    3,619    4,022    5,700   
Total Connectivity 62,284    83,454    138,064    170,063   
Total revenue $ 83,041    $ 157,467    $ 227,206    $ 324,086   

Contract Assets and Liabilities
Aviation connectivity contracts involve performance obligations primarily relating to the delivery of equipment and services. Equipment is delivered upfront with payment due upon delivery. Services are rendered to the customer over time and are typically paid for upfront or as the services are delivered. Aviation connectivity revenue is allocated based upon standalone selling price (“SSP”). The primary method used to estimate the SSP is the expected cost-plus margin approach. When the SSP exceeds the revenue allocation, the revenue to which the Company is entitled is contingent on performing the ongoing connectivity services and the Company records a contract asset accordingly.
The following table summarizes the significant changes in the balance for contract assets during the six months ended June 30, 2020 (in thousands):
Contract Assets
Balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 14,431   
Costs deferred for revenue recognized in excess of billings 4,628   
Costs included in the beginning balance recognized during the period (5,638)  
Balance as of June 30, 2020
 $ 13,421   
Current contract assets $ 2,757   
Non-current contract assets 10,664   
Balance as of June 30, 2020
 $ 13,421   

The Company may invoice upfront for services recognized over time or for contracts in which it has unsatisfied performance obligations. Contract payment terms are generally 30 to 45 days. When the timing of invoicing differs from the timing of revenue recognition, the Company determines its contracts to include a financing component when the contractual term is for more than a year.

The following table summarizes the significant changes in the balance for contract liabilities, included within “Other non-current liabilities” in our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet, during the six months ended June 30, 2020 (in thousands):
Contract Liabilities
Balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 12,403   
Revenue recognized including amount in contract liability balance at the beginning of the period (7,446)  
Increase due to cash received, excluding amounts recognized as revenue during the period 3,488   
Balance as of June 30, 2020
 $ 8,445   
Deferred revenue, current $ 8,359   
Deferred revenue, non-current 86   
Balance as of June 30, 2020
 $ 8,445   

As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $899.1 million of remaining performance obligations, which it also refers to as total backlog. The Company expects to recognize approximately 14% of its remaining performance obligations as revenue in 2020 approximately 21% in 2021, 17% by 2022, and the remaining balance thereafter. $1.4 million and $1.5 million of services revenue was recognized during the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $3.9 million and $5.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and was included in the deferred revenue balances at the beginning of the respective period.
Accounts Receivable, net
The Company extends credit to its customers from time to time. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from its customers’ inability to make required payments. Management analyzes the age of customer balances, historical bad debt experience, customer creditworthiness and changes in customer payment terms when making estimates of the collectability of its accounts receivable balances. If management determines that the financial condition of any of its customers has deteriorated, whether due to customer specific or general economic issues, an increase in the allowance may be made. After all attempts to collect a receivable have failed, the receivable is written off.
Accounts receivable consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, December 31,
2020 2019
Accounts receivable, gross $ 74,193    $ 94,995   
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts (7,808)   (6,776)  
Accounts receivable, net $ 66,385    $ 88,219   

Refer to Note 8. Credit Loss Reserve and Allowances for further details.

Capitalized Contract Costs
Certain of the Company’s sales incentive programs meet the requirements to be capitalized as incremental costs of obtaining a contract. The Company recognizes an asset for the incremental costs if it expects the benefit of those costs to be longer than one year and amortize those costs over the expected customer life. The Company applies a practical expedient to expense costs as incurred for costs to obtain a contract when the amortization period would have been one year or less.

Additionally, the Company capitalizes assets associated with costs incurred to fulfill a contract with a customer. For example, the Company capitalizes the costs incurred to obtain necessary Supplemental Type Certificates or other customer-specific certifications for its aviation, maritime and land customers.

The following table summarizes the significant changes in the contract assets balances during the period ended June 30, 2020 (in thousands):
Contract Assets
Costs to Obtain Costs to Fulfill Total
Balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 387    $ 5,256    $ 5,643   
Capitalization (reversal) during the period 127    (132)   (5)  
Amortization during the period (57)   (221)   (278)  
Balance as of June 30, 2020
 $ 457    $ 4,903    $ 5,360   

Contract assets are included within Other non-current assets on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Capitalization in the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $0.9 million, offset by $1.0 million of refunds received from vendors for Supplemental Type Certificate deposits, which were previously capitalized as a part of costs incurred to fulfill contracts.

Practical Expedients, Policy Elections and Exemptions
In circumstances where shipping and handling activities occur subsequent to the transfer of control, the Company has elected to treat shipping and handling as a fulfillment activity rather than a service to the customer. 

The Company has made a policy election to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the entity from a customer (e.g., sales, use, value added, and some excise taxes).

The Company applies a practical expedient to expense costs as incurred for incremental costs to obtain a contract when the amortization period would have been one year or less and did not evaluate contracts of one year or less for variable consideration.