ADT (ADT) 10-Q 12 Nov 19 2019 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information Document - $ / shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Nov. 06, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Entity [Abstract]
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Entity Tax Identification Number	47-4116383
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Trading Symbol	ADT
Entity Registrant Name	ADT Inc.
Entity Address, Address Line One	1501 Yamato Road
Entity Address, City or Town	Boca Raton
Entity Address, State or Province	FL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	33431
City Area Code	561
Local Phone Number	988-3600
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Central Index Key	0001703056
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2019
Entity File Number	001-38352
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		743,503,116
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	true
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Security Exchange Name	NYSE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 155,774	$ 363,177
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	600	3,985
Accounts receivable trade, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $41,812 and $39,765, respectively	284,856	245,714
Inventories, net	105,503	89,178
Work-in-progress	40,386	26,137
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets, Current	591,427	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	141,221
Total current assets	1,319,167	854,017
Property and equipment, net	337,449	326,565
Subscriber system assets, net	2,775,276	2,907,701
Intangible assets, net	6,815,587	7,488,194
Goodwill	4,956,917	5,081,887
Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net	494,370	429,965
Other assets	248,323
Total assets	16,947,089	17,208,608
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	212,877	58,184
Accounts payable	296,990	221,341
Deferred revenue	343,875	334,886
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Liabilities, Current	128,733	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	491,542	398,079
Total current liabilities	1,474,017	1,012,490
Long-term debt	9,638,118	9,944,112
Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue	644,741	544,429
Deferred tax liabilities	1,190,298	1,342,168
Other liabilities	288,731
Total liabilities	13,235,905	12,983,803
Commitments and contingencies (See Note 7)
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock—authorized 3,999,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value; issued and outstanding shares of 750,032,333 and 766,881,453 as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively	7,500	7,669
Additional paid-in capital	5,930,174	5,969,347
Accumulated deficit	(2,112,318)	(1,680,432)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(114,172)	(71,779)
Total stockholders' equity	3,711,184	4,224,805
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 16,947,089	17,208,608
Calculated under Lease Guidance in Effect before ASC 842 [Member]
Current assets:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		129,811
Intangible assets, net		7,488,194
Other assets		120,279
Current liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		398,079
Other liabilities		$ 140,604

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, current	$ 41,812	$ 39,765
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	250,000	0
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	0	0
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding	0	0
Common stock authorized (in shares)	3,999,000,000	3,999,000,000
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock issued (in shares)	750,032,333	766,881,453
Common stock outstanding (in shares)	750,032,333	766,881,453

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue	$ 1,300,570	$ 1,148,316	$ 3,827,374	$ 3,396,223
Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)	356,556	263,286	1,020,603	757,905
Selling, general and administrative expenses	378,645	295,119	1,047,818	922,627
Depreciation and intangible asset amortization	505,832	474,772	1,502,574	1,446,768
Merger, restructuring, integration, and other	9,800	(6,708)	23,069	1,770
Goodwill impairment	45,482	0	45,482	0
Loss on business held for sale	55,489	0	55,489	0
Operating (loss) income	(51,234)	121,847	132,339	267,153
Interest expense, net	(152,431)	(152,405)	(465,977)	(501,217)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(14,532)	(213,239)	(103,004)	(274,836)
Other income	200	552	2,909	29,374
Loss before income taxes	(217,997)	(243,245)	(433,733)	(479,526)
Income tax benefit	36,367	7,701	81,576	19,840
Net loss	$ (181,630)	$ (235,544)	$ (352,157)	$ (459,686)
Net loss per share:
Basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.25)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.47)	$ (0.62)
Weighted-average number of shares:
Basic and diluted (in shares)	739,852	755,277	748,500	744,720
Monitoring and Related Services
Revenue	$ 1,093,564	$ 1,029,399	$ 3,249,401	$ 3,069,817
Installation and Other
Revenue	$ 207,006	$ 118,917	$ 577,973	$ 326,406

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Net loss	$ (181,630)	$ (235,544)	$ (352,157)	$ (459,686)
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax:
Cash flow hedges	(5,876)	8,621	(56,075)	6,332
Foreign currency translation	(6,340)	9,427	13,711	(17,225)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Defined Benefit Plan, after Tax and Reclassification Adjustment, Attributable to Parent	(17)	0	(29)	0
Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(12,233)	18,048	(42,393)	(10,893)
Comprehensive loss	(193,863)	(217,496)	(394,550)	(470,579)
Retained Earnings [Member]
Net loss	$ (181,630)	$ (235,544)	$ (352,157)	$ (459,686)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017		641,119,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 3,433,112	$ 2	$ 4,435,329	$ (998,212)	$ (4,007)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(10,893)				(10,893)
Net loss	(459,686)			(459,686)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan		0
Dividends	(80,511)	$ 0		80,511
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Dividend Reinvestment Plan			0
Share-based compensation expense (in shares)		20,655,000
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares		0
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value	0	$ 0	0	0
Share-based compensation expense	112,905		112,905
Other (in shares)		2,000
Other	(69)		(6,610)	(75)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues		105,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	1,406,706	$ 1,050	1,405,656
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018		766,772,000
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	4,435,994	$ 7,668	5,947,280	(1,504,054)	(14,900)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018		766,795,000
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2018	4,661,842	$ 1,052	5,935,377	(1,241,639)	(32,948)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	18,048				18,048
Net loss	(235,544)			(235,544)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan		0
Dividends	(26,796)	$ 0		26,796
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Dividend Reinvestment Plan			0
Share-based compensation expense	17,803		17,803
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Shares		(21,000)
Other (in shares)		2,000
Other	(46)		(6,587)	(75)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues		0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	687	$ 0	687
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018		766,772,000
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	$ 4,435,994	$ 7,668	5,947,280	(1,504,054)	(14,900)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	766,881,453	766,881,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 4,224,805	$ 7,669	5,969,347	(1,680,432)	(71,779)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(42,393)				(42,393)
Net loss	$ (352,157)			(352,157)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan	11,000,000	7,147,000
Dividends	$ (34,342)			79,346
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Dividend Reinvestment Plan		$ 71	44,933
Share-based compensation expense (in shares)		0
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares	(24,000,000)	(23,883,000)
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value	$ (149,868)	$ (239)	(149,629)	0
Share-based compensation expense	65,126		65,126
Other (in shares)		113,000
Other	$ 13		397	(383)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	750,032,333	750,032,000
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 3,711,184	$ 7,500	5,930,174	(2,112,318)	(114,172)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019		746,360,000
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019	3,889,859	$ 7,464	5,888,576	(1,904,242)	(101,939)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(12,233)				(12,233)
Net loss	(181,630)			(181,630)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan		3,740,000
Dividends	(3,690)			26,253
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Dividend Reinvestment Plan		$ 37	22,526
Share-based compensation expense (in shares)		0
Share-based compensation expense	18,876		18,876
Other (in shares)		68,000
Other	$ 2		196	(193)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	750,032,333	750,032,000
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 3,711,184	$ 7,500	$ 5,930,174	$ (2,112,318)	$ (114,172)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (352,157)	$ (459,686)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and intangible asset amortization	1,502,574	1,446,768
Amortization of deferred subscriber acquisition costs	58,544	42,876
Amortization of deferred subscriber acquisition revenue	(78,506)	(56,381)
Share-based compensation expense	65,126	112,905
Deferred income taxes	(86,339)	(18,883)
Provision for losses on accounts receivable and inventory	42,248	43,948
Loss on extinguishment of debt	103,004	274,836
Goodwill impairment	45,482	0
Loss on business held for sale	55,489	0
Other non-cash items, net	103,884	(1,920)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of the effects of acquisitions:
Deferred subscriber acquisition costs	(147,865)	(135,777)
Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue	201,869	193,357
Other, net	(54,104)	(36,079)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,459,249	1,405,964
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dealer generated customer accounts and bulk account purchases	(514,487)	(526,654)
Subscriber system assets	(430,586)	(428,292)
Capital expenditures	(120,140)	(94,151)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(95,312)	(48,473)
Other investing, net	3,604	13,550
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,156,921)	(1,084,020)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of related fees	0	1,406,019
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	3,378,022	0
Repayment of long-term borrowings, including call premiums	(3,650,082)	(686,333)
Repayment of mandatorily redeemable preferred securities, including redemption premium	0	(852,769)
Dividends on common stock	(33,855)	(52,959)
Repurchases of common stock	(149,868)	0
Deferred financing costs	(52,733)	(337)
Other financing, net	(1,200)	(1,104)
Net cash used in financing activities	(509,716)	(187,483)
Effect of currency translation on cash	821	(441)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents	(206,567)	134,020
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	367,162	126,782
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents at end of period	160,595	260,802
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Issuance of shares in lieu of cash dividend	$ 45,004	$ 0

Basis of Presentation and Summa

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization and Business ADT Inc. (formerly named Prime Security Services Parent Inc.), a company incorporated in the State of Delaware, and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), is a leading provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions serving consumer and business customers in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company is majority-owned by Prime Security Services TopCo Parent, L.P. (“Ultimate Parent”). Ultimate Parent is owned by Apollo Investment Fund VIII, L.P. and related funds that are directly or indirectly managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, “Apollo” or the “Sponsor”), and management investors. On July 1, 2015, the Company acquired Protection One, Inc. and ASG Intermediate Holding Corp. (collectively, the “Formation Transactions”), which were instrumental in the formation of the Company. Prior to the Formation Transactions, the Company was a holding company with no assets or liabilities. On May 2, 2016, the Company acquired The ADT Security Corporation (formerly named The ADT Corporation) (“The ADT Corporation”) (“ADT Acquisition”). The Company primarily conducts business under the ADT brand name. In January 2018, the Company completed an initial public offering (“IPO”) and its common stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ADT.” Significant Accounting Policies The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in U.S. dollars in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require the Company to select accounting policies and make estimates that affect amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. The Company’s estimates are based on the relevant information available at the end of each period. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or market conditions. Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited, but in the opinion of management, such financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to summarize fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods presented. The interim results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be taken as indicative of results that may be expected for future interim periods or the full year. For a more comprehensive understanding of the Company and its interim results, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 (“2018 Annual Report”), which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2019. The Company’s accounting policies used in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements do not differ from those used for the annual consolidated financial statements, unless otherwise noted. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2018 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date but does not include all the footnote disclosures from the annual consolidated financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ADT Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. The Company has one operating and reportable segment, which is based on the manner in which the Chief Executive Officer, who is the chief operating decision maker, evaluates performance and makes decisions about how to allocate resources. Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents The following table provides a reconciliation of the amount of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents reported within the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets to the same of such amounts shown in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents $ 155,774 $ 363,177 Restricted cash and cash equivalents in prepaid expenses and other current assets 600 3,985 Cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale 4,221 — Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 160,595 $ 367,162 Subscriber System Assets, net and Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Costs, net The Company capitalizes certain costs associated with transactions in which the Company retains ownership of the security system as well as incremental selling expenses related to acquiring customers. These costs include equipment, installation costs, and other incremental costs and are recorded in subscriber system assets, net and deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These assets embody a probable future economic benefit as they contribute to the generation of future monitoring and related services revenue for the Company. Subscriber system assets, net represent capitalized equipment and installation costs incurred in connection with transactions in which the Company retains ownership of the security system. Upon customer termination, the Company may retrieve such assets. Depreciation expense relating to subscriber system assets is included in depreciation and intangible asset amortization in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and was $142 million and $137 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and was $423 million and $410 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. The gross carrying amount, accumulated depreciation, and net carrying amount of the Company’s subscriber system assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Gross carrying amount $ 4,501,992 $ 4,304,279 Accumulated depreciation (1,726,716 ) (1,396,578 ) Subscriber system assets, net $ 2,775,276 $ 2,907,701 Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net represent incremental selling expenses (primarily commissions) related to acquiring customers. Amortization expense relating to deferred subscriber acquisition costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations was $21 million and $16 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and $59 million and $43 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Subscriber system assets and any related deferred subscriber acquisition costs resulting from customer acquisitions are accounted for on a pooled basis based on the month and year of acquisition. The Company amortizes its pooled subscriber system assets and related deferred subscriber acquisition costs using an accelerated method over the estimated life of the customer relationship, which is 15 years . Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 consisted of the following: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Accrued interest $ 110,569 $ 85,046 Payroll-related accruals 95,771 105,089 Other accrued liabilities 285,202 207,944 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 491,542 $ 398,079 Radio Conversion Costs In February 2019, the Company received notice from AT&T, the Company’s largest wireless network provider, that it will be retiring its 3G network in 2022, which is also the year the Code-Division Multiple Access (“CDMA”) network used to provide services to some of the Company’s customers is being retired. The Company currently provides services to approximately 3.4 million customer sites that use 3G or CDMA cellular equipment, which number is decreasing on a monthly basis in the ordinary course of business due to attrition, upgrades, and repairs. The Company’s plans to address this transition are not yet finalized, and the impact involves numerous estimates and variables. Among other factors, the Company will look to reduce any applicable costs to the Company, such as hardware costs currently estimated to be less than $90 per site, by exploring cost-sharing opportunities and working with suppliers, carriers, and customers and to increase revenue by using the transition as an opportunity to sell new products and services in conjunction with replacing the radio and to more rapidly transition customers to the Company’s new Command and Control technology. The Company currently estimates that aggregate net expenditures could be between $200 million to $325 million through 2022. For 2019, the Company expects to incur net costs of approximately $25 million to $35 million associated with radio conversion costs. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s financial instruments primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, debt, and derivative financial instruments. Due to their short-term and/or liquid nature, the fair values of cash, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate their respective carrying values. Cash Equivalents - Included in cash and cash equivalents are investments in money market mutual funds, which were $124 million as of September 30, 2019 and $221 million as of December 31, 2018 . These investments are classified as Level 1 fair value measurements. Long-Term Debt Instruments - The fair values of the Company’s debt instruments are determined using broker-quoted market prices, which are classified as Level 2 fair value measurements. The carrying value and fair value of the Company’s long-term debt instruments that are subject to fair value disclosures as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Debt instruments, excluding finance lease obligations $ 9,771,289 $ 10,165,580 $ 9,952,385 $ 9,828,274 Derivative Financial Instruments - Derivative financial instruments are reported at fair value as either assets or liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These fair values are primarily calculated using discounted cash flow valuation techniques that incorporate observable inputs, such as quoted forward interest rates, and incorporate credit risk adjustments to reflect the risk of default by the counterparty or the Company. The resulting fair values are classified as Level 2 fair value measurements. Refer to Note 8 “ Derivative Financial Instruments ” for further discussion. Guarantees In the normal course of business, the Company is liable for contract completion and product performance. The Company does not believe such obligations will significantly affect its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The Company had no material guarantees other than in standby letters of credit related to its insurance programs. The Company’s guarantees totaled $57 million and $54 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases , and related amendments, require lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for substantially all leases and to disclose key information about leasing arrangements and aligns certain underlying principles of the lessor model with the revenue standard. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2019 using the optional transition method, which allows entities to apply the guidance at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, if any, in the period of adoption with no restatement of comparative periods. As part of the adoption, the Company elected to apply the package of transitional practical expedients under which the Company did not reassess prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs of existing leases as of the date of adoption. Additionally, the Company elected lessee and lessor practical expedients to not separate non-lease components from lease components. The Company did not elect to apply the hindsight transitional practical expedient to reassess the lease terms of existing lease arrangements as of the date of adoption or the short-term lease recognition exemption. Upon transition to the guidance as of the date of adoption, the Company recognized operating lease liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, with a corresponding amount of right-of-use assets, net of amounts reclassified from other assets and liabilities that are required to be presented as a component of operating lease liabilities or right-of-use assets. Refer to Note 13 “ Leases ” for further discussion regarding the amount of operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets recognized as of the date of adoption. Further, the adoption did not have a material effect on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations or Cash Flows. The net impact of the adoption to the line items in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet was as follows: (in thousands) December 31, 2018 Lease Standard Adoption Adjustment January 1, 2019 Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 129,811 $ (885 ) $ 128,926 Intangible assets, net 7,488,194 (658 ) 7,487,536 Other assets 120,279 125,170 245,449 Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 398,079 29,460 427,539 Other liabilities 140,604 94,167 234,771 Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements There are no recently issued accounting pronouncements that the Company expects to have a material effect on the condensed consolidated financial statements, except as otherwise noted in our 2018 Annual Report.

Revenue

Revenue	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue	Revenue The Company generates revenue primarily through contractual monthly recurring fees received for monitoring and related services provided to customers. In transactions in which the Company provides monitoring and related services but retains ownership of the security systems, the Company’s performance obligations primarily include monitoring, related services (such as maintenance agreements), and a material right associated with the non-refundable fees received in connection with the initiation of a monitoring contract (referred to as deferred subscriber acquisition revenue) that the customer will not need to pay upon a renewal of the contract. The portion of the transaction price associated with monitoring and related services revenue is recognized when the services are provided to the customer and is reflected in monitoring and related services revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue is deferred and recorded as deferred subscriber acquisition revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets upon initiation of a monitoring contract. Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue is amortized on a pooled basis into installation and other revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations over the estimated life of the customer relationship using an accelerated method consistent with the amortization of subscriber system assets and deferred subscriber acquisition costs associated with the transaction. Amortization of deferred subscriber acquisition revenue was $28 million and $21 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and was $79 million and $56 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. In transactions involving security systems that are sold outright to the customer, the Company’s performance obligations generally include monitoring, related services, and the sale and installation of the security systems. For such arrangements, the Company allocates a portion of the transaction price to each performance obligation based on a relative standalone selling price. Revenue associated with the sale and installation of security systems is generally recognized once installation is complete and is reflected in installation and other revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Revenue associated with monitoring and related services is recognized as those services are provided and is reflected in monitoring and related services revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Customer billings for services not yet rendered are deferred and recognized as revenue as services are provided. These fees are recorded as current deferred revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as the Company expects to satisfy any remaining performance obligations, as well as recognize the related revenue, within the next twelve months. Accordingly, the Company has applied the practical expedient regarding deferred revenue to exclude the value of remaining performance obligations if (i) the contract has an original expected term of one year or less or (ii) the Company recognizes revenue in proportion to the amount it has the right to invoice for services performed. The following table sets forth the Company’s revenues disaggregated by source: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Monitoring and related services $ 1,093,564 $ 1,029,399 $ 3,249,401 $ 3,069,817 Installation and other 207,006 118,917 577,973 326,406 Total revenue $ 1,300,570 $ 1,148,316 $ 3,827,374 $ 3,396,223

Acquisitions and Dispositions

Acquisitions and Dispositions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Dispositions	Acquisitions and Dispositions Acquisitions During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company paid $95 million , net of cash acquired, related to business acquisitions, which resulted in the recognition of $45 million of goodwill and $35 million of contracts and related customer relationships. Disposition of Canadian Operations On September 30, 2019 , the Company entered into an agreement to sell all of the shares of ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. (“ADT Canada”) to TELUS Corporation (“TELUS”). On November 5, 2019, the Company completed the sale of ADT Canada for CAD $683 million (approximately $519 million as of the date of closing) in cash, which remains subject to certain post-closing purchase price adjustments. In connection with the sale of ADT Canada, the Company and TELUS also entered into a non-competition and non-solicitation agreement pursuant to which the Company will not have any operations in Canada, subject to limited exceptions for cross-border commercial customers and mobile safety applications, for a period of seven years. Additionally, the Company and TELUS entered into a patent and trademark license agreement granting the usage of the Company’s trademarks and patents in Canada to TELUS for a period of seven years. Finally, the Company and TELUS entered into a transition services agreement whereby the Company will provide certain post-closing services to TELUS related to the business of ADT Canada. As of September 30, 2019 , the ADT Canada disposal group was classified as held for sale and presented as a single asset amount and a single liability amount in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The ADT Canada disposal group was measured at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Long-lived assets and definite-lived intangible assets are not depreciated or amortized while classified as held for sale. The sale of ADT Canada did not represent a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results, and therefore, did not meet the criteria to be reported as discontinued operations. The Company recorded a loss on business held for sale of $55 million in order to measure the ADT Canada disposal group at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less costs to sell as of September 30, 2019 , which resulted in a corresponding held for sale valuation allowance on its assets held for sale in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The loss on business held for sale primarily relates to the foreign currency translation, net of tax, associated with the ADT Canada disposal group, which totaled $38 million as of September 30, 2019. The major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2019 were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, Assets held for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,221 Accounts receivable trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 7,118 Inventories, net 3,481 Work-in-progress 2,445 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,053 Property and equipment, net 15,998 Subscriber system assets, net 144,603 Intangible assets, net 278,707 Goodwill 160,420 Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net 21,183 Other assets 6,687 Held for sale valuation allowance (55,489 ) Total assets held for sale $ 591,427 Liabilities held for sale: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 195 Accounts payable 11,614 Deferred revenue 10,021 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 12,318 Long-term debt 384 Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue 23,720 Deferred tax liabilities 60,222 Other liabilities 10,259 Total liabilities held for sale $ 128,733 The following represents ADT Canada’s (loss) income before income taxes for the periods presented: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (Loss) income before income taxes $ (38,661 ) $ 135 $ (46,997 ) $ 712

Goodwill and Other Intangible A

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were as follows: (in thousands) Beginning balance $ 5,081,887 Acquisitions 44,570 Goodwill impairment (45,482 ) Reclassification to held for sale (160,420 ) Currency translation and other 36,362 Ending balance $ 4,956,917 The Company had accumulated goodwill impairment losses of $88 million as of December 31, 2018 . There were no material measurement period adjustments to purchase price allocations. Other Intangible Assets The gross carrying amounts, accumulated amortization, and net carrying amounts of the Company’s other intangible assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Definite-lived intangible assets: Contracts and related customer relationships $ 7,734,227 $ (3,515,480 ) $ 4,218,747 $ 7,568,456 $ (2,816,079 ) $ 4,752,377 Dealer relationships 1,518,020 (279,414 ) 1,238,606 1,598,916 (230,511 ) 1,368,405 Other 207,417 (182,183 ) 25,234 210,802 (176,390 ) 34,412 Total definite-lived intangible assets 9,459,664 (3,977,077 ) 5,482,587 9,378,174 (3,222,980 ) 6,155,194 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade name 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 Intangible assets $ 10,792,664 $ (3,977,077 ) $ 6,815,587 $ 10,711,174 $ (3,222,980 ) $ 7,488,194 For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the changes in the net carrying amount of contracts and related customer relationships were as follows: (in thousands) Beginning balance $ 4,752,377 Acquisition of customer relationships 34,792 Customer contract additions, net of dealer charge-backs 514,459 Amortization (863,352 ) Reclassification to held for sale (205,235 ) Currency translation and other (14,294 ) Ending balance $ 4,218,747 The Company paid $514 million to purchase contracts with customers under the ADT Authorized Dealer Program and from other third parties during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 . The weighted-average amortization period for contracts with customers purchased under the ADT Authorized Dealer Program and from other third parties was 15 years during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 . Amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets for the periods presented was as follows: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Definite-lived intangible asset amortization expense $ 315,732 $ 293,535 $ 933,260 $ 906,233 Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets Impairment Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized and are tested for impairment at least annually as of the first day of the fourth quarter of each year and more often if an event occurs or circumstances change which indicate it is more-likely-than-not that fair value is less than carrying value. In connection with the ADT Canada disposal group being classified as held for sale, the Company quantitatively tested the goodwill associated with the Canada reporting unit for impairment as of September 30, 2019 . Under the quantitative approach, the Company estimated the fair value of the reporting unit and compared it to its carrying amount. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using the income approach, which discounts projected cash flows using market participant assumptions. The income approach included significant assumptions including, but not limited to, forecasted revenue, operating profit margins, operating expenses, cash flows, perpetual growth rates, and long-term discount rates. In developing these assumptions, the Company relied on various factors including operating results, business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows, and other market data. Based on the result of the test, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment loss of $45 million related to the Canada reporting unit.

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt Debt as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was comprised of the following: Balance as of Debt Description Issued Maturity Interest Rate Interest Payable September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 First Lien Term B-1 Loan 5/2/2016 5/2/2022 LIBOR +2.75% Quarterly $ — $ 3,924,438 First Lien Term Loan due 2026 9/23/2019 9/23/2026 LIBOR +3.25% Quarterly 3,110,000 — Prime Notes 5/2/2016 5/15/2023 9.250% 5/15 and 11/15 1,246,000 2,546,000 First Lien Notes due 2024 4/4/2019 4/15/2024 5.250% 2/15 and 8/15 750,000 — First Lien Notes due 2026 4/4/2019 4/15/2026 5.750% 3/15 and 9/15 1,350,000 — ADT Notes due 2020 12/18/2014 3/15/2020 5.250% 3/15 and 9/15 152,748 300,000 ADT Notes due 2021 10/1/2013 10/15/2021 6.250% 4/15 and 10/15 1,000,000 1,000,000 ADT Notes due 2022 7/5/2012 7/15/2022 3.500% 1/15 and 7/15 1,000,000 1,000,000 ADT Notes due 2023 1/14/2013 6/15/2023 4.125% 6/15 and 12/15 700,000 700,000 ADT Notes due 2032 5/2/2016 7/15/2032 4.875% 1/15 and 7/15 728,016 728,016 ADT Notes due 2042 7/5/2012 7/15/2042 4.875% 1/15 and 7/15 21,896 21,896 Finance lease obligations N/A N/A N/A N/A 79,706 49,911 Less: Unamortized debt (discount)/premium, net (27,739 ) (19,642 ) Less: Unamortized deferred financing costs (61,144 ) (42,840 ) Less: Unamortized purchase accounting fair value adjustment and other (198,488 ) (205,483 ) Total debt 9,850,995 10,002,296 Less: Current maturities of long-term debt (212,877 ) (58,184 ) Long-term debt $ 9,638,118 $ 9,944,112 __________________ N/A—Not applicable Significant changes in the Company’s debt during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were as follows: First Lien Credit Agreement Amendment and Restatement dated as of March 15, 2019 (effective April 4, 2019) In April 2019, and in connection with a $500 million repayment of the first lien term loan due in May 2022 (“First Lien Term B-1 Loan”), the Company amended and restated the first lien credit agreement (“First Lien Credit Agreement”) governing the First Lien Term B-1 Loan to, among other things, (a) authorize the redemption of the outstanding principal amount of Prime Notes (as defined below), (b) authorize the incurrence of the First Lien Notes due 2024 (as defined below) and First Lien Notes due 2026 (as defined below) by amending the Net First Lien Leverage Ratio for the incurrence of pari passu indebtedness to 3.20 to 1.00 (from 2.35 to 1.00 ), (c) provide for $300 million of additional incremental pari passu debt capacity, and (d) increase the borrowing capacity under a first lien revolving credit facility (“First Lien Revolving Credit Facility”) by an additional $50 million , which replaced the Mizuho Bank Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below). The Company incurred approximately $17 million in deferred financing costs in connection with this amendment and restatement. Amendment and Restatement dated as of September 23, 2019 In September 2019, and in connection with an approximately $300 million repayment of the First Lien Term B-1 Loan, the Company amended and restated the First Lien Credit Agreement to refinance and replace the $3.4 billion aggregate principal amount of the First Lien Term B-1 Loan with $3.1 billion aggregate principal amount of a first lien term loan due 2026 (“First Lien Term Loan due 2026”), which was issued at a 1% discount, and make other changes to, among other things, provide the Company with additional flexibility to incur additional indebtedness and fund future distributions to stockholders. Deferred financing costs in connection with this amendment and restatement were not material. The First Lien Term Loan due 2026 requires scheduled quarterly payments equal to 0.25% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount, or approximately $8 million per quarter, with the remaining balance payable at maturity. In addition, the Company is required to make annual prepayments on the outstanding First Lien Term Loan due 2026 with a percentage of the Company’s excess cash flow, as defined in the First Lien Credit Agreement, if the excess cash flow exceeds a certain specified threshold. The Company may make voluntary prepayments on the First Lien Term Loan due 2026 at any time prior to maturity at par, subject to a 1.00% prepayment premium in the event of certain specified events at any time during the first six months after the closing date of the amendment. The First Lien Term Loan due 2026 has an interest rate calculated as, at the Company’s option, either (a) LIBOR determined by reference to the costs of funds for Eurodollar deposits for the interest period relevant to such borrowing, adjusted for certain additional costs (“Adjusted LIBOR”) with a floor of 1.00% , or (b) a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% per annum, (ii) the prime rate published by the Wall Street Journal, and (iii) one-month Adjusted LIBOR plus 1.00% per annum (“Base Rate”), in each case, plus the applicable margin of 3.25% for Adjusted LIBOR loans and 2.25% for Base Rate loans and is payable at least quarterly. As of September 30, 2019 , the Company had a $400 million First Lien Revolving Credit Facility, the incurrence of which was subject to compliance with certain terms and conditions under the Company’s debt agreements. The Company had no borrowings under the First Lien Revolving Credit Facility as of September 30, 2019. Mizuho Bank Revolving Credit Facility In February 2019 , the Company entered into a first lien revolving credit agreement with an aggregate available commitment of up to $50 million maturing in March 2023 (“Mizuho Bank Revolving Credit Facility”). The Mizuho Bank Revolving Credit Facility was terminated and replaced in April 2019 as part of the amendment and restatement to the First Lien Credit Agreement in April 2019, which is discussed above. Prime Notes In February 2019 , the Company redeemed $300 million aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Prime Notes for a total redemption price of approximately $319 million , which included the related call premium. In April 2019, the Company repurchased and cancelled an additional $1 billion aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Prime Notes for a total repurchase price of approximately $1.1 billion , which included the related call premium. First Lien Notes due 2024 and First Lien Notes due 2026 In April 2019, the Company issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.250% first-priority senior secured notes due 2024 (“First Lien Notes due 2024”) and $750 million aggregate principal amount of 5.750% first-priority senior secured notes due 2026 (“First Lien Notes due 2026”). The proceeds from the First Lien Notes due 2024 and the First Lien Notes due 2026, along with cash on hand and borrowings under the First Lien Revolving Credit Facility, were used to (a) repurchase $1 billion aggregate principal amount of the Prime Notes, (b) repay $500 million aggregate principal amount of the First Lien Term B-1 Loan, and (c) pay fees and expenses associated with the foregoing, including call premiums on the Prime Notes as well as accrued and unpaid interest on the repurchased Prime Notes and repaid borrowings under the First Lien Term B-1 Loan. The Company incurred approximately $25 million in deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the First Lien Notes due 2024 and the First Lien Notes due 2026. In September 2019, the Company issued an additional $600 million aggregate principal amount of the First Lien Notes due 2026 at a 2% premium pursuant to and with the same terms as the underlying indenture of the First Lien Notes due 2026. The proceeds from the additional First Lien Notes due 2026, along with cash on hand, were used to (a) repay approximately $300 million aggregate principal amount of the First Lien Term B-1 Loan, (b) repurchase or redeem the outstanding $300 million aggregate principal amount of the 5.250% notes due 2020 issued by The ADT Corporation (“ADT Notes due 2020”), and (c) pay fees and expenses associated with the foregoing, including call premiums on the ADT Notes due 2020 as well as accrued and unpaid interest on the First Lien Term B-1 Loan and the ADT Notes due 2020. The Company incurred approximately $8 million in deferred financing costs in connection with the additional borrowings. The First Lien Notes due 2024 will mature on April 15, 2024 with semi-annual interest payment dates of February 15 and August 15, while the First Lien Notes due 2026 will mature on April 15, 2026 with semi-annual interest payment dates of March 15 and September 15. Both may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at any time at a make-whole premium plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. The First Lien Notes due 2024 and the First Lien Notes due 2026 are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior secured first-priority basis, by each of the Company’s existing and future direct or indirect wholly owned material domestic subsidiaries that guarantee the First Lien Credit Agreement. In addition, the indentures governing the First Lien Notes due 2024 and the First Lien Notes due 2026 contain covenants that limit the Company’s ability to, among other things: (a) incur certain liens; (b) enter into sale leaseback transactions; and (c) consolidate, merge, or sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets. These covenants are subject to a number of important limitations and exceptions. Additionally, upon the occurrence of specified change of control events, the Company must offer to repurchase the notes at 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the purchase date. Each indenture governing the First Lien Notes due 2024 and the First Lien Notes due 2026 also provides for customary events of default. ADT Notes In September 2019, the Company repurchased and cancelled $147 million aggregate principal amount of the outstanding ADT Notes due 2020 for a total repurchase price of approximately $149 million , which included the related call premium. In October 2019, the Company redeemed the remaining $153 million principal amount of the outstanding ADT Notes due 2020 for a total redemption price of approximately $155 million included the related call premium. Loss on Extinguishment of Debt During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , loss on extinguishment of debt totaled $103 million , which related to $22 million associated with the call premium and partial write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs in connection with the $300 million partial redemption of the Prime Notes in February 2019, $61 million associated with the call premium and partial write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs in connection with the $1 billion partial repayment and cancellation of the Prime Notes in April 2019, $6 million associated with the partial write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs and discount in connection with the $500 million repayment of the First Lien Term B-1 Loan in April 2019, and $13 million associated with the partial write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs and discount in connection with the amendment and restatement to the First Lien Credit Agreement in September 2019. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 , loss on extinguishment of debt totaled $275 million , which related to $213 million associated with the redemption premium and the write-off of unamortized discount and deferred financing costs in connection with the full redemption of the Company’s prior mandatorily redeemable preferred securities in July 2018 and $62 million associated with the call premium and the partial write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs in connection with the $594 million partial redemption of the Prime Notes in February 2018.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Unrecognized Tax Benefits During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company did not have a significant change to its unrecognized tax benefits. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits relate to tax years that remain subject to audit by the taxing authorities in the U.S. federal, state and local, and foreign jurisdictions. Based on the current status of its income tax audits, the Company does not believe that a significant portion of its unrecognized tax benefits will be resolved in the next twelve months. Effective Tax Rate The Company’s income tax benefit for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was $36 million , resulting in an effective tax rate for the period of 16.7% . The effective tax rate primarily represents the federal income tax rate of 21.0% , a 21.9% unfavorable impact from valuation allowances established on the net capital losses generated in the U.S. and Canada related to the ADT Canada disposal group, a 5.6% unfavorable impact from non-deductible goodwill impairment loss, offset by a 20.7% favorable impact from net capital losses generated in the U.S. and Canada related to the ADT Canada disposal group, and a 4.6% favorable impact from amendments to prior year tax returns. Income tax benefit for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $8 million , resulting in an effective tax rate for the period of 3.2% . The effective tax rate primarily represents the federal income tax rate of 21.0% , an 11.2% unfavorable impact of permanent non-deductible expenses primarily associated with the Company’s prior mandatorily redeemable preferred securities, a 5.6% unfavorable impact from an increase in the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits, and a 4.9% unfavorable impact associated with legislative changes. The Company’s income tax benefit for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $82 million , resulting in an effective tax rate for the period of 18.8% . The effective tax rate primarily represents the federal income tax rate of 21.0% , an 11.0% unfavorable impact from valuation allowances established on the net capital losses generated in the U.S. and Canada related to the ADT Canada disposal group, a 2.8% unfavorable impact from non-deductible goodwill impairment loss, offset by a 10.4% favorable impact from net capital losses generated in the U.S. and Canada related to the ADT Canada disposal group, and a 2.3% favorable impact from amendments to prior year tax returns. Income tax benefit for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $20 million , resulting in an effective tax rate for the period of 4.1% . The effective tax rate primarily represents the federal income tax rate of 21.0% , an 11.6% unfavorable impact of permanent non-deductible expenses primarily associated with the Company’s prior mandatorily redeemable preferred securities, a 7.3% unfavorable impact of future non-deductible share-based compensation, a 4.2% unfavorable impact associated with legislative changes, and offset by a 5.6% favorable impact associated with amendments to prior year tax returns.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Purchase Obligations During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company amended an agreement with a wireless network provider, which resulted in a fixed purchase obligation totaling approximately $80 million through 2022. There have been no other material changes to the Company’s purchase obligations outside the ordinary course of business as compared to December 31, 2018 . Legal Proceedings The Company is subject to various claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business, which include contractual disputes; worker’s compensation; employment matters; product, general, and auto liability claims; claims that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; claims related to alleged security system failures; and consumer and employment class actions. The Company is also subject to regulatory and governmental examinations, information requests and subpoenas, inquiries, investigations, and threatened legal actions and proceedings. In connection with such formal and informal inquiries, the Company receives numerous requests, subpoenas, and orders for documents, testimony, and information in connection with various aspects of its activities. The Company records accruals for losses that are probable and reasonably estimable. These accruals are based on a variety of factors such as judgment, probability of loss, opinions of internal and external legal counsel, and actuarially determined estimates of claims incurred but not yet reported based upon historical claims experience. Legal costs in connection with claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business are expensed as incurred. Additionally, the Company records insurance recovery receivables from third-party insurers when recovery has been determined to be probable. The Company’s accrual for ongoing claims and lawsuits not within scope of an insurance program was not material and in most cases the Company has not accrued for any losses as the ultimate outcome or the range of possible loss cannot be estimated. The Company’s accrual for ongoing claims and lawsuits within scope of an insurance program totaled $109 million and $74 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. Environmental Matters In October 2013, the Company was notified by subpoena that the Office of the Attorney General of California, in conjunction with the Alameda County District Attorney, is investigating whether the Company’s electronic waste disposal policies, procedures, and practices are in violation of the California Business and Professions Code and the California Health and Safety Code. During 2016, Protection One, Inc. was also notified by the same parties that it was subject to a similar investigation. The investigations have been inactive since December 2016 other than a status conference conducted in May 2019. The Company is coordinating joint handling of both investigations and continues to fully cooperate with the respective authorities. Wireless Encryption Litigation The Company was subject to five class action claims regarding wireless encryption in certain ADT security systems. Jurisdictionally, three of the five cases were in Federal Court (in districts within Illinois, Arizona, and California), and both of the remaining two cases were in Florida State Court (both in Palm Beach County Circuit Court). Each of the five plaintiffs brought a claim under the respective state’s consumer fraud statute alleging that the Company made misrepresentations and material omissions in its advertising regarding the unencrypted wireless signal pathways in certain security systems monitored by the Company. The complaints in all five cases further alleged that certain security systems monitored by the Company were not secure because the wireless signal pathways were unencrypted and could be easily hacked. In January 2017, the parties agreed to settle all five class action lawsuits. In October 2017, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered an order granting preliminary approval of the settlement. Notice to class members was issued in November 2017, and the claim submittal process has been completed. A fairness hearing regarding the settlement was conducted in February 2018, after which trial court stayed the settlement proceedings pending an appellate ruling on a related legal issue. The appellate court issued a ruling in early June 2019, and in July 2019 the trial court entered an order granting final approval of the settlement. Settlement checks to the qualified class members were mailed the week of September 9, 2019 and all five pending lawsuits have been dismissed. Shareholder Litigation Five substantially similar shareholder class action lawsuits related to the January 2018 IPO of ADT Inc. common stock were filed in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida in March, April, and May 2018 and have been consolidated for discovery and trial and entitled In re ADT Inc. Shareholder Litigation . The lead plaintiffs seek to represent a class of similarly situated shareholders and assert claims for alleged violations of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). The plaintiffs allege that the Company defendants violated the Securities Act because the registration statement and prospectus used to effectuate the IPO were false and misleading in that they allegedly misled investors with respect to litigation involving the Company, the Company’s efforts to protect its intellectual property, and the competitive pressures faced by the Company. The defendants moved to dismiss the consolidated complaint in October 2018. In July 2019 the Florida state court denied the Company’s motions to dismiss the complaint, but reserved its ruling on the motion to dismiss by the Company’s outside directors and requested further briefing. A similar shareholder class action lawsuit entitled Perdomo v ADT Inc ., also related to the January 2018 IPO, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May 2018, for which the plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint in January 2019 as directed by the Court. In September 2019, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the actions pending in both the state court and the federal court and the federal court action has been voluntarily dismissed . California Independent Contractor Litigation In August 2017, Jabra Shuheiber filed civil litigation in Marin County Superior Court on behalf of himself and two other individuals asserting wage and hour violations against the Company. The action is entitled Jabra Shuheiber v. ADT, LLC (Case Number CV 1702912, Superior Court, Marin County). Mr. Shuheiber was the owner/operator of a sub-contractor, Maximum Protection, Inc. (“MPI”), who employed the other two plaintiffs in the litigation. In August 2018, in response to the California Supreme Court’s decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County , counsel for Mr. Shuheiber provided the Company with a proposed amended complaint that modified the wage and hour claims such that they were brought on a class basis. The proposed class is not clearly defined but appears to be composed of two groups of individuals: 1) individual owners of sub-contractors who performed services for the sub-contractor; and 2) individuals with no ownership interest in a sub-contractor who were employed by the sub-contractor and provided services pursuant to a contract between the sub-contractor and the Company. In October 2018, the Company answered Plaintiffs First Amended Complaint and filed a Cross-Complaint against Plaintiff’s sub-contracting company for indemnification pursuant to the term of ADT’s sub-contract. Los Angeles Alarm Permit Class Action In June 2013, the Company was served with a class action complaint in California State Court entitled Villegas v. ADT. In this complaint, the plaintiff asserted that the Company violated certain provisions of the California Alarm Act and the Los Angeles Municipal Alarm Ordinance for its alleged failures to obtain alarm permits for its Los Angeles customers and disclose the alarm permit fee in its customer contracts. The plaintiff seeks to recover damages for putative class members who were required to pay enhanced false alarm fines as a result of the Company not obtaining a valid alarm permit at the time of alarm system installation. The case was initially dismissed by the trial court and judgment was entered in the Company’s favor in October 2014, which the plaintiff appealed. In September 2016, the California Appellate Court reversed and remanded the case back to the trial court. In November 2018, the trial court granted the plaintiff’s motion for class certification and certified four subclasses of customers who received fines from the City of Los Angeles on or after May 31, 2010 for a false alarm and for not having an alarm system permit: a pre-March 2009 class of customers installed by the Company; a pre-March 2009 class of customers installed by ADT Authorized Dealers; a post-March 2009 class of customers installed by the Company; and a post-March 2009 class of customers installed by ADT Authorized Dealers. Discovery is ongoing and trial is currently scheduled in February 2020. TCPA Telemarketing Class Actions On May 13, 2019, the Company was served in a putative Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) class action lawsuit captioned, Mark Fitzhenry v. ADT LLC and Safe Streets USA LLC , filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Plaintiff sought to recover statutory damages allowed under the TCPA on behalf of himself and others similarly situated based on his receipt of a single telemarketing call allegedly made by or on behalf of a third-party ADT authorized dealer. In August 2019, the Company was dismissed from the lawsuit. On November 7, 2019, the Company was served in a putative TCPA class action lawsuit captioned, Todd Brand v. ADT LLC, Safe Streets USA LLC and Resource Marketing Corp. , filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Plaintiff seeks to recover statutory damages allowed under the TCPA on behalf of himself and others similarly situated based on his receipt of marketing text messages allegedly made by or on behalf of a third-party ADT authorized dealer. The Company is being defended and indemnified by this third-party ADT authorized dealer. Tax Sharing Agreement On September 28, 2012, Johnson Controls International plc (as successor to Tyco International Ltd., “Tyco”) distributed to its public stockholders The ADT Corporation’s common stock (“Separation from Tyco”), and The ADT Corporation became an independent public company. In connection with the Separation from Tyco, The ADT Corporation entered into a tax sharing agreement (“2012 Tax Sharing Agreement”) that governs the rights and obligations of The ADT Corporation, Tyco, and Pentair Ltd. (formerly Tyco Flow Control International, Ltd., “Pentair”) for certain pre-Separation from Tyco tax liabilities, including Tyco’s obligations under a 2007 tax sharing agreement (“2007 Tax Sharing Agreement”) among Tyco, Covidien (“Covidien”), now operating as a subsidiary of Medtronic, and TE Connectivity Ltd. (“TE Connectivity”). As of September 30, 2019 , there have been no material changes to the 2012 Tax Sharing Agreement as compared to December 31, 2018 .

Derivative Financial Instrument

Derivative Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Financial Instruments	Derivative Financial Instruments The Company's derivative financial instruments primarily consist of LIBOR-based interest rate swap contracts, which were entered into with the objective of managing exposure to variability in interest rates on the Company's debt. All interest rate swap contracts are reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. For the interest rate swap contracts that are not designated as hedges, the change in fair value is recognized in interest expense, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the interest rate swap contracts that are designated as cash flow hedges, the change in fair value is recognized as a component of AOCI in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss and is reclassified into interest expense, net in the same period in which the related interest on debt affects earnings. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company entered into LIBOR-based interest rate swap contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $725 million . Below is a summary of the Company’s interest rate swap contracts as of September 30, 2019 (in thousands): Execution Maturity Designation Notional Amount April 2017 April 2020 Not designated $ 1,000,000 June 2018 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 1,500,000 August 2018 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 1,000,000 January 2019 April 2022 Not designated 125,000 January 2019 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 300,000 February 2019 April 2022 Not designated 100,000 February 2019 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 200,000 Total notional amount $ 4,225,000 All interest rate swap contracts designated as cash flow hedges were highly effective as of September 30, 2019 . The fair value of the Company’s derivatives and related classification in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the periods presented were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 437 $ 6,525 Other assets — 1,236 Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 32,163 1,989 Other liabilities 71,331 26,040 Fair value of interest rate swaps $ 103,057 $ 20,268 As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, AOCI, net of tax related to interest rate swap contracts designated as cash flow hedges was $77 million and $21 million , respectively. Modifications to Cash Flow Hedges In October 2019, the Company terminated interest rate swap contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $3.8 billion , of which $2.8 billion were designated as cash flow hedges, and concurrently entered into new LIBOR-based interest rate swap contracts, which were designated as cash flow hedges, with an aggregate notional amount of $2.8 billion and maturity of September 2026. The new interest rate swap terms represent a blend of the current interest rate environment and the unfavorable positions of the terminated interest rate swap contracts. Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Derivatives During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to manage exposure to variability in foreign exchange rates on the sale proceeds of ADT Canada.

Share-based Compensation

Share-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation	Share-based Compensation During the second quarter of 2019, the Company amended the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“2018 Plan”) to increase the number of authorized common shares to be issued under the 2018 Plan from approximately 38 million shares to approximately 88 million shares. Share-based compensation expense totaled $19 million and $18 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and $65 million and $113 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Restricted Stock Units During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company granted approximately 4 million restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the 2018 Plan. These RSUs are primarily service-based awards with a three-year graded vesting period from the date of grant. The fair value of the RSUs is equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, which resulted in a weighted-average grant date fair value of $6.23 . Options During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company granted approximately 9 million options under the 2018 Plan. These options are primarily service-based awards with a three-year graded vesting period from the date of grant, an exercise price equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, which resulted in a weight-average exercise price of $6.18 , and a contractual term of ten years from the grant date. The 2018 Plan’s provisions allow for adjustments to the exercise price of options in the event of specified changes in capital or operating structure. The Company used the following significant assumptions to estimate the grant date fair value for the options using the Black Scholes valuation approach: For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Risk-free interest rate 1.58% - 2.51% Expected exercise term (years) 6.0 - 6.5 Expected dividend yield 2.1% - 2.7% Expected volatility 41% The risk-free interest rate was based on a U.S. Treasury bond with a zero-coupon rate that is based on the expected exercise term. The stock price volatility was implied based upon an average of historical volatilities of publicly traded companies in industries similar to the Company, as the Company did not have sufficient history to use as a basis for actual stock price volatility, and the Company’s debt to equity ratio. The dividend yield was calculated by taking the annual dividend run-rate and dividing by the stock price at date of grant. The expected average exercise term was calculated using the simplified method, as the Company did not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis to estimate future exercise patterns. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the weighted-average grant date fair value for options granted was $2.11 .

Equity

Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Equity	Equity In January 2018, the Company completed an IPO in which the Company issued and sold 105,000,000 shares of common stock at an IPO price of $14.00 per share. The Company received net proceeds of $1.4 billion from the sale of its shares in the IPO after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering expenses. Dividends In February 2019, the Company approved a dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”), which allows stockholders to designate all or a portion of the cash dividends on their shares of common stock for reinvestment in additional shares of the Company’s common stock. The number of shares issued will be determined based on the volume weighted average closing price per share of the Company’s common stock for the five trading days preceding the dividend payment and adjusted for any discounts, as applicable. The DRIP will terminate upon the earlier of (a) February 27, 2021 and (b) the date upon which an aggregate of 18,750,000 shares of common stock have been issued pursuant to the DRIP. When dividends are declared, the Company records a liability for the full amount of the dividends. When dividends are settled, the Company reduces the liability and records an increase in common stock par value and additional paid-in capital for the portion of dividends settled in shares of common stock under the DRIP. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company declared the following dividends on common stock: Declared Date Dividend per Share Record Date Payment Date March 11, 2019 $0.035 April 2, 2019 April 12, 2019 May 7, 2019 $0.035 June 11, 2019 July 2, 2019 August 6, 2019 $0.035 September 11, 2019 October 2, 2019 During the three months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company declared $26 million (or $0.035 per share) in dividends, of which $3 million represents the portion of the dividends settled in cash and $23 million represents the portion of the dividends settled in shares of common stock, which resulted in the issuance of approximately 4 million shares of common stock, on October 2, 2019 . During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company declared $79 million (or $0.105 per share) in dividends. When including the October 2, 2019 payment date, approximately $11 million represents the portion of the dividends settled in cash and $68 million represents the portion of the dividends settled in shares of common stock, which resulted in the issuance of 11 million shares of common stock. Apollo has informed the Company that it has elected to discontinue participation in the DRIP with respect to dividends of the Company subsequent to the October 2, 2019 dividend payment. On November 12, 2019 , the Company announced a dividend of $0.035 per share to common stockholders of record on December 13, 2019 , which will be distributed on January 3, 2020 . On November 12, 2019 , the Company announced a special dividend of $0.70 per share to common stockholders of record as of December 13, 2019 , which will be distributed on December 23, 2019 . Share Repurchase Program In February 2019, the Company approved a share repurchase program, which permitted the Company to repurchase up to $150 million of the Company’s shares of common stock through February 27, 2021. The Company effected these repurchases pursuant to one or more trading plans adopted in accordance with Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1, in privately negotiated transactions, in open market transactions, or pursuant to an accelerated share repurchase program. The share repurchase program was conducted in accordance with Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b-18 and was substantially complete as of September 30, 2019 . During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company repurchased 24 million shares of common stock for approximately $150 million . There were no share repurchases during the three months ended September 30, 2019. All of the shares repurchased were treated as retirements and reduced the number of shares issued and outstanding. In addition, the Company recorded the excess of the purchase price over the par value per share as a reduction to additional paid-in capital. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss There were no material reclassifications out of AOCI during the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 .

Net Loss per Share

Net Loss per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Loss per Share	Net Loss per Share Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common shares by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common shares by the diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, which reflects the dilutive effect of potential common shares using the treasury stock method. For purposes of the diluted net loss per share computation, all potential common shares that would be dilutive were excluded because their effect would be anti-dilutive due to the net loss available to common shares. As a result, basic net loss per share is equal to diluted net loss per share for each period presented. The computations of basic and diluted net loss per share for the periods presented are as follows: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands, except per share amounts) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Numerator: Net loss $ (181,630 ) $ (235,544 ) $ (352,157 ) $ (459,686 ) Denominator: Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 739,852 755,277 748,500 744,720 Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.25 ) $ (0.31 ) $ (0.47 ) $ (0.62 )

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions The Company’s related party transactions primarily relate to management, consulting, and transaction advisory services provided by Apollo, as well as monitoring and related services provided to other entities controlled by Apollo. There were no significant related party transactions for the three months or nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.

Leases (Notes)

Leases (Notes)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Leases of Lessor Disclosure [Text Block]	Leases Company as Lessor The Company is a lessor in certain transactions in which the Company provides monitoring and related services but retains ownership of the security systems as the Company has identified a lease component associated with the right-of-use of the security systems and a non-lease component associated with monitoring and related services. For transactions in which the timing and pattern of transfer is the same for the lease and non-lease components, and the lease component would be classified as an operating lease if accounted for separately, the Company applies the practical expedient to aggregate the lease and non-lease components and accounts for the combined component based upon its predominant characteristic, which is the non-lease component. As a result, the Company accounts for the combined component as a single performance obligation under the applicable revenue guidance and the underlying assets are reflected within subscriber system assets, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Certain of the Company’s transactions do not qualify for the practical expedient as the lease component represents a sales-type lease, and as such, the Company separately accounts for the lease component and non-lease component. The Company’s sales-type leases are not material.
Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Text Block]	Leases Company as Lessor The Company is a lessor in certain transactions in which the Company provides monitoring and related services but retains ownership of the security systems as the Company has identified a lease component associated with the right-of-use of the security systems and a non-lease component associated with monitoring and related services. For transactions in which the timing and pattern of transfer is the same for the lease and non-lease components, and the lease component would be classified as an operating lease if accounted for separately, the Company applies the practical expedient to aggregate the lease and non-lease components and accounts for the combined component based upon its predominant characteristic, which is the non-lease component. As a result, the Company accounts for the combined component as a single performance obligation under the applicable revenue guidance and the underlying assets are reflected within subscriber system assets, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Certain of the Company’s transactions do not qualify for the practical expedient as the lease component represents a sales-type lease, and as such, the Company separately accounts for the lease component and non-lease component. The Company’s sales-type leases are not material. Company as Lessee The Company leases real estate, vehicles, and equipment with various lease terms and maturities that extend out through 2030 from various counter parties as part of normal operations. The Company applies the practical expedient to not separate the lease and non-lease components and accounts for the combined component as a lease. Additionally, the Company’s right-of-use assets and lease liabilities include leases with an initial lease term of 12 months or less. The Company’s right-of-use assets and lease liabilities primarily represent (a) lease payments that are fixed at the commencement of a lease and (b) variable lease payments that depend on an index or rate. Lease payments are recognized as lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term, which is determined as the non-cancelable period, periods in which termination options are reasonably certain of not being exercised, and periods in which renewal options are reasonably certain of being exercised. The discount rate for a lease is determined using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate that coincides with the lease term at the commencement of a lease. The incremental borrowing rate is estimated based on publicly available data for the Company’s debt instruments and other instruments with similar characteristics. Lease payments that are not fixed or that are not dependent on an index or rate and vary because of changes in usage or other factors are included in variable lease costs. Variable lease costs, which primarily relate to fuel, repair, and maintenance payments that vary based on the usage of leased vehicles, are recorded in the period in which the obligation is incurred. The Company’s leases do not contain material residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants. The Company’s subleases are not material. The following table presents the amounts reported in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets related to operating and finance leases as of the periods presented below: Leases ( in thousands ) Classification September 30, 2019 January 1, 2019 Assets Current Operating Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 1,191 $ 1,642 Non-current Operating Other assets 123,658 125,936 Finance Property and equipment, net (a) 69,359 38,181 Total right-of-use assets $ 194,208 $ 165,759 Liabilities Current Operating Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 30,851 $ 30,357 Finance Current maturities of long-term debt 28,140 18,343 Non-current Operating Other liabilities 98,785 99,168 Finance Long-term debt 51,566 31,568 Total lease liabilities $ 209,342 $ 179,436 _________________ (a) Finance right-of-use assets are recorded net of accumulated amortization of approximately $39 million and $32 million as of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019, respectively. The following is a summary of the Company’s lease cost for the presented periods: Lease Cost ( in thousands ) For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Operating lease cost $ 14,618 $ 44,691 Finance lease cost Amortization of right-of-use assets 6,780 17,298 Interest on lease liabilities 1,017 2,674 Variable lease costs 11,096 35,955 Total lease cost $ 33,511 $ 100,618 The following is a summary of the cash flows and supplemental information associated with the Company’s leases for the presented period: Other information ( in thousands ) For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 45,116 Operating cash flows from finance leases 2,674 Financing cash flows from finance leases 17,166 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities 49,053 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities 41,307 The following is a summary of the weighted-average lease term and discount rate for operating and finance leases as of the presented period: Lease Term and Discount Rate September 30, 2019 Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) Operating leases 4.8 Finance leases 3.2 Weighted-average discount rate Operating leases 6.50 % Finance leases 5.00 % The following is a maturity analysis related to the Company’s operating and finance leases as of September 30, 2019 : Maturity of Lease Liabilities ( in thousands ) Operating Leases Finance Leases 2019 $ 8,692 $ 7,902 2020 36,883 29,075 2021 31,514 24,138 2022 28,363 18,707 2023 22,670 5,854 Thereafter 23,393 291 Total lease payments $ 151,515 $ 85,967 Less interest 21,879 6,261 Total $ 129,636 $ 79,706 The following is a maturity analysis related to the Company’s operating and finance leases as of December 31, 2018 : Maturity of Lease Liabilities ( in thousands ) Operating Leases Finance Leases 2019 $ 40,192 $ 20,604 2020 31,885 16,735 2021 26,336 10,728 2022 22,751 5,386 2023 16,731 696 Thereafter 17,727 — Total lease payments $ 155,622 $ 54,149 Less interest — 4,238 Total $ 155,622 $ 49,911

Basis of Presentation and Sum_2

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Costs [Policy Text Block]	Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net represent incremental selling expenses (primarily commissions) related to acquiring customers. Amortization expense relating to deferred subscriber acquisition costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations was $21 million and $16 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and $59 million and $43 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively.
Basis of Presentation	Significant Accounting Policies The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in U.S. dollars in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which require the Company to select accounting policies and make estimates that affect amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. The Company’s estimates are based on the relevant information available at the end of each period. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or market conditions. Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited, but in the opinion of management, such financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to summarize fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods presented. The interim results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be taken as indicative of results that may be expected for future interim periods or the full year. For a more comprehensive understanding of the Company and its interim results, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 (“2018 Annual Report”), which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2019. The Company’s accounting policies used in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements do not differ from those used for the annual consolidated financial statements, unless otherwise noted. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2018 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date but does not include all the footnote disclosures from the annual consolidated financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ADT Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. The Company has one operating and reportable segment, which is based on the manner in which the Chief Executive Officer, who is the chief operating decision maker, evaluates performance and makes decisions about how to allocate resources.
Subscriber System Assets, Net	Subscriber System Assets, net and Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Costs, net The Company capitalizes certain costs associated with transactions in which the Company retains ownership of the security system as well as incremental selling expenses related to acquiring customers. These costs include equipment, installation costs, and other incremental costs and are recorded in subscriber system assets, net and deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. These assets embody a probable future economic benefit as they contribute to the generation of future monitoring and related services revenue for the Company. Subscriber system assets, net represent capitalized equipment and installation costs incurred in connection with transactions in which the Company retains ownership of the security system. Upon customer termination, the Company may retrieve such assets. Depreciation expense relating to subscriber system assets is included in depreciation and intangible asset amortization in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and was $142 million and $137 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and was $423 million and $410 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018
Financial Instruments	Financial InstrumentsThe Company’s financial instruments primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, debt, and derivative financial instruments.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash Equivalents - Included in cash and cash equivalents are investments in money market mutual funds, which were $124 million as of September 30, 2019 and $221 million as of December 31, 2018 . These investments are classified as Level 1 fair value measurements.
Long-Term Debt Instruments and Preferred Securities	Long-Term Debt Instruments - The fair values of the Company’s debt instruments are determined using broker-quoted market prices, which are classified as Level 2 fair value measurements. The carrying value and fair value of the Company’s long-term debt instruments that are subject to fair value disclosures as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Debt instruments, excluding finance lease obligations $ 9,771,289 $ 10,165,580 $ 9,952,385 $ 9,828,274
Derivative Financial Instruments	Derivative Financial Instruments
Guarantees	Guarantees
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases , and related amendments, require lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for substantially all leases and to disclose key information about leasing arrangements and aligns certain underlying principles of the lessor model with the revenue standard. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2019 using the optional transition method, which allows entities to apply the guidance at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, if any, in the period of adoption with no restatement of comparative periods. As part of the adoption, the Company elected to apply the package of transitional practical expedients under which the Company did not reassess prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs of existing leases as of the date of adoption. Additionally, the Company elected lessee and lessor practical expedients to not separate non-lease components from lease components. The Company did not elect to apply the hindsight transitional practical expedient to reassess the lease terms of existing lease arrangements as of the date of adoption or the short-term lease recognition exemption. Upon transition to the guidance as of the date of adoption, the Company recognized operating lease liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, with a corresponding amount of right-of-use assets, net of amounts reclassified from other assets and liabilities that are required to be presented as a component of operating lease liabilities or right-of-use assets. Refer to Note 13 “ Leases ” for further discussion regarding the amount of operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets recognized as of the date of adoption. Further, the adoption did not have a material effect on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations or Cash Flows. The net impact of the adoption to the line items in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet was as follows: (in thousands) December 31, 2018 Lease Standard Adoption Adjustment January 1, 2019 Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 129,811 $ (885 ) $ 128,926 Intangible assets, net 7,488,194 (658 ) 7,487,536 Other assets 120,279 125,170 245,449 Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 398,079 29,460 427,539 Other liabilities 140,604 94,167 234,771 Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements There are no recently issued accounting pronouncements that the Company expects to have a material effect on the condensed consolidated financial statements, except as otherwise noted in our 2018 Annual Report.
Legal Proceedings	Legal Proceedings The Company is subject to various claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business, which include contractual disputes; worker’s compensation; employment matters; product, general, and auto liability claims; claims that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; claims related to alleged security system failures; and consumer and employment class actions. The Company is also subject to regulatory and governmental examinations, information requests and subpoenas, inquiries, investigations, and threatened legal actions and proceedings. In connection with such formal and informal inquiries, the Company receives numerous requests, subpoenas, and orders for documents, testimony, and information in connection with various aspects of its activities. The Company records accruals for losses that are probable and reasonably estimable. These accruals are based on a variety of factors such as judgment, probability of loss, opinions of internal and external legal counsel, and actuarially determined estimates of claims incurred but not yet reported based upon historical claims experience. Legal costs in connection with claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business are expensed as incurred. Additionally, the Company records insurance recovery receivables from third-party insurers when recovery has been determined to be probable.

Revenue Revenue (Policies)

Revenue Revenue (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue [Abstract]
Revenue Outright Sale Policy [Policy Text Block]	In transactions involving security systems that are sold outright to the customer, the Company’s performance obligations generally include monitoring, related services, and the sale and installation of the security systems. For such arrangements, the Company allocates a portion of the transaction price to each performance obligation based on a relative standalone selling price. Revenue associated with the sale and installation of security systems is generally recognized once installation is complete and is reflected in installation and other revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Revenue associated with monitoring and related services is recognized as those services are provided and is reflected in monitoring and related services revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Policy Text Block]	The Company generates revenue primarily through contractual monthly recurring fees received for monitoring and related services provided to customers. In transactions in which the Company provides monitoring and related services but retains ownership of the security systems, the Company’s performance obligations primarily include monitoring, related services (such as maintenance agreements), and a material right associated with the non-refundable fees received in connection with the initiation of a monitoring contract (referred to as deferred subscriber acquisition revenue) that the customer will not need to pay upon a renewal of the contract. The portion of the transaction price associated with monitoring and related services revenue is recognized when the services are provided to the customer and is reflected in monitoring and related services revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Costs [Policy Text Block]	Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net represent incremental selling expenses (primarily commissions) related to acquiring customers. Amortization expense relating to deferred subscriber acquisition costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations was $21 million and $16 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and $59 million and $43 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively.
Revenue Recognition, Deferred Revenue [Policy Text Block]	Customer billings for services not yet rendered are deferred and recognized as revenue as services are provided. These fees are recorded as current deferred revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as the Company expects to satisfy any remaining performance obligations, as well as recognize the related revenue, within the next twelve months. Accordingly, the Company has applied the practical expedient regarding deferred revenue to exclude the value of remaining performance obligations if (i) the contract has an original expected term of one year or less or (ii) the Company recognizes revenue in proportion to the amount it has the right to invoice for services performed.

Equity Share Repurchase (Polici

Equity Share Repurchase (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Share Repurchase and Retirement [Policy Text Block]	All of the shares repurchased were treated as retirements and reduced the number of shares issued and outstanding. In addition, the Company recorded the excess of the purchase price over the par value per share as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.

Leases (Policies)

Leases (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Lessor, Leases [Policy Text Block]	The Company is a lessor in certain transactions in which the Company provides monitoring and related services but retains ownership of the security systems as the Company has identified a lease component associated with the right-of-use of the security systems and a non-lease component associated with monitoring and related services. For transactions in which the timing and pattern of transfer is the same for the lease and non-lease components, and the lease component would be classified as an operating lease if accounted for separately, the Company applies the practical expedient to aggregate the lease and non-lease components and accounts for the combined component based upon its predominant characteristic, which is the non-lease component. As a result, the Company accounts for the combined component as a single performance obligation under the applicable revenue guidance and the underlying assets are reflected within subscriber system assets, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Certain of the Company’s transactions do not qualify for the practical expedient as the lease component represents a sales-type lease, and as such, the Company separately accounts for the lease component and non-lease component. The Company’s sales-type leases are not material.

Leases Lessee, Leases, Descript

Leases Lessee, Leases, Description (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]	The Company leases real estate, vehicles, and equipment with various lease terms and maturities that extend out through 2030 from various counter parties as part of normal operations. The Company applies the practical expedient to not separate the lease and non-lease components and accounts for the combined component as a lease. Additionally, the Company’s right-of-use assets and lease liabilities include leases with an initial lease term of 12 months or less. The Company’s right-of-use assets and lease liabilities primarily represent (a) lease payments that are fixed at the commencement of a lease and (b) variable lease payments that depend on an index or rate. Lease payments are recognized as lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term, which is determined as the non-cancelable period, periods in which termination options are reasonably certain of not being exercised, and periods in which renewal options are reasonably certain of being exercised. The discount rate for a lease is determined using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate that coincides with the lease term at the commencement of a lease. The incremental borrowing rate is estimated based on publicly available data for the Company’s debt instruments and other instruments with similar characteristics. Lease payments that are not fixed or that are not dependent on an index or rate and vary because of changes in usage or other factors are included in variable lease costs. Variable lease costs, which primarily relate to fuel, repair, and maintenance payments that vary based on the usage of leased vehicles, are recorded in the period in which the obligation is incurred. The Company’s leases do not contain material residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants. The Company’s subleases are not material.

Basis of Presentation and Sum_3

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of System Assets	The gross carrying amount, accumulated depreciation, and net carrying amount of the Company’s subscriber system assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Gross carrying amount $ 4,501,992 $ 4,304,279 Accumulated depreciation (1,726,716 ) (1,396,578 ) Subscriber system assets, net $ 2,775,276 $ 2,907,701
Schedule of Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 consisted of the following: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Accrued interest $ 110,569 $ 85,046 Payroll-related accruals 95,771 105,089 Other accrued liabilities 285,202 207,944 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 491,542 $ 398,079
Schedule of Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Values of Debt Instruments and Securities	The carrying value and fair value of the Company’s long-term debt instruments that are subject to fair value disclosures as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Debt instruments, excluding finance lease obligations $ 9,771,289 $ 10,165,580 $ 9,952,385 $ 9,828,274
Impact of New Accounting Pronouncements on Financial Statements	The net impact of the adoption to the line items in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet was as follows: (in thousands) December 31, 2018 Lease Standard Adoption Adjustment January 1, 2019 Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 129,811 $ (885 ) $ 128,926 Intangible assets, net 7,488,194 (658 ) 7,487,536 Other assets 120,279 125,170 245,449 Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 398,079 29,460 427,539 Other liabilities 140,604 94,167 234,771
Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents	The following table provides a reconciliation of the amount of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents reported within the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets to the same of such amounts shown in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Cash and cash equivalents $ 155,774 $ 363,177 Restricted cash and cash equivalents in prepaid expenses and other current assets 600 3,985 Cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale 4,221 — Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 160,595 $ 367,162

Revenues (Tables)

Revenues (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue	The following table sets forth the Company’s revenues disaggregated by source: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Monitoring and related services $ 1,093,564 $ 1,029,399 $ 3,249,401 $ 3,069,817 Installation and other 207,006 118,917 577,973 326,406 Total revenue $ 1,300,570 $ 1,148,316 $ 3,827,374 $ 3,396,223

Acquisitions and Dispositions A

Acquisitions and Dispositions Acquisitions and Dispositions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Schedule of Disposal Group	The major classes of assets and liabilities that were classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2019 were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, Assets held for sale: Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,221 Accounts receivable trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 7,118 Inventories, net 3,481 Work-in-progress 2,445 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,053 Property and equipment, net 15,998 Subscriber system assets, net 144,603 Intangible assets, net 278,707 Goodwill 160,420 Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net 21,183 Other assets 6,687 Held for sale valuation allowance (55,489 ) Total assets held for sale $ 591,427 Liabilities held for sale: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 195 Accounts payable 11,614 Deferred revenue 10,021 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 12,318 Long-term debt 384 Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue 23,720 Deferred tax liabilities 60,222 Other liabilities 10,259 Total liabilities held for sale $ 128,733 The following represents ADT Canada’s (loss) income before income taxes for the periods presented: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (Loss) income before income taxes $ (38,661 ) $ 135 $ (46,997 ) $ 712

Goodwill and Other Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets	The gross carrying amounts, accumulated amortization, and net carrying amounts of the Company’s other intangible assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Definite-lived intangible assets: Contracts and related customer relationships $ 7,734,227 $ (3,515,480 ) $ 4,218,747 $ 7,568,456 $ (2,816,079 ) $ 4,752,377 Dealer relationships 1,518,020 (279,414 ) 1,238,606 1,598,916 (230,511 ) 1,368,405 Other 207,417 (182,183 ) 25,234 210,802 (176,390 ) 34,412 Total definite-lived intangible assets 9,459,664 (3,977,077 ) 5,482,587 9,378,174 (3,222,980 ) 6,155,194 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade name 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 Intangible assets $ 10,792,664 $ (3,977,077 ) $ 6,815,587 $ 10,711,174 $ (3,222,980 ) $ 7,488,194
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets	For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the changes in the net carrying amount of contracts and related customer relationships were as follows: (in thousands) Beginning balance $ 4,752,377 Acquisition of customer relationships 34,792 Customer contract additions, net of dealer charge-backs 514,459 Amortization (863,352 ) Reclassification to held for sale (205,235 ) Currency translation and other (14,294 ) Ending balance $ 4,218,747 The gross carrying amounts, accumulated amortization, and net carrying amounts of the Company’s other intangible assets as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Definite-lived intangible assets: Contracts and related customer relationships $ 7,734,227 $ (3,515,480 ) $ 4,218,747 $ 7,568,456 $ (2,816,079 ) $ 4,752,377 Dealer relationships 1,518,020 (279,414 ) 1,238,606 1,598,916 (230,511 ) 1,368,405 Other 207,417 (182,183 ) 25,234 210,802 (176,390 ) 34,412 Total definite-lived intangible assets 9,459,664 (3,977,077 ) 5,482,587 9,378,174 (3,222,980 ) 6,155,194 Indefinite-lived intangible assets: Trade name 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 1,333,000 — 1,333,000 Intangible assets $ 10,792,664 $ (3,977,077 ) $ 6,815,587 $ 10,711,174 $ (3,222,980 ) $ 7,488,194
Schedule of Goodwill	The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were as follows: (in thousands) Beginning balance $ 5,081,887 Acquisitions 44,570 Goodwill impairment (45,482 ) Reclassification to held for sale (160,420 ) Currency translation and other 36,362 Ending balance $ 4,956,917
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Amortization Expense	Amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets for the periods presented was as follows: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Definite-lived intangible asset amortization expense $ 315,732 $ 293,535 $ 933,260 $ 906,233
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss		$ 88

Derivative Financial Instrume_2

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Interest Rate Derivatives [Table Text Block]	The fair value of the Company’s derivatives and related classification in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the periods presented were as follows: (in thousands) September 30, December 31, Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 437 $ 6,525 Other assets — 1,236 Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 32,163 1,989 Other liabilities 71,331 26,040 Fair value of interest rate swaps $ 103,057 $ 20,268 As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, AOCI, net of tax related to interest rate swap contracts designated as cash flow hedges was $77 million and $21 million , respectively. Modifications to Cash Flow Hedges In October 2019, the Company terminated interest rate swap contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $3.8 billion , of which $2.8 billion were designated as cash flow hedges, and concurrently entered into new LIBOR-based interest rate swap contracts, which were designated as cash flow hedges, with an aggregate notional amount of $2.8 billion and maturity of September 2026. The new interest rate swap terms represent a blend of the current interest rate environment and the unfavorable positions of the terminated interest rate swap contracts. Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Derivatives During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company entered into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to manage exposure to variability in foreign exchange rates on the sale proceeds of ADT Canada.
Schedule of Derivative Instruments [Table Text Block]	Below is a summary of the Company’s interest rate swap contracts as of September 30, 2019 (in thousands): Execution Maturity Designation Notional Amount April 2017 April 2020 Not designated $ 1,000,000 June 2018 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 1,500,000 August 2018 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 1,000,000 January 2019 April 2022 Not designated 125,000 January 2019 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 300,000 February 2019 April 2022 Not designated 100,000 February 2019 April 2022 Cash flow hedge 200,000 Total notional amount $ 4,225,000

Share-based Compensation Schedu

Share-based Compensation Schedule of Share Based Payments Award Valuation Assumptions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]	The Company used the following significant assumptions to estimate the grant date fair value for the options using the Black Scholes valuation approach: For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Risk-free interest rate 1.58% - 2.51% Expected exercise term (years) 6.0 - 6.5 Expected dividend yield 2.1% - 2.7% Expected volatility 41%

Equity (Tables)

Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Dividends Declared	During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , the Company declared the following dividends on common stock: Declared Date Dividend per Share Record Date Payment Date March 11, 2019 $0.035 April 2, 2019 April 12, 2019 May 7, 2019 $0.035 June 11, 2019 July 2, 2019 August 6, 2019 $0.035 September 11, 2019 October 2, 2019

Net Loss per Share (Tables)

Net Loss per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	The computations of basic and diluted net loss per share for the periods presented are as follows: For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended (in thousands, except per share amounts) September 30, September 30, September 30, September 30, Numerator: Net loss $ (181,630 ) $ (235,544 ) $ (352,157 ) $ (459,686 ) Denominator: Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 739,852 755,277 748,500 744,720 Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.25 ) $ (0.31 ) $ (0.47 ) $ (0.62 )

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Leases [Abstract]
Lease, Cost [Table Text Block]	The following is a summary of the Company’s lease cost for the presented periods: Lease Cost ( in thousands ) For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Operating lease cost $ 14,618 $ 44,691 Finance lease cost Amortization of right-of-use assets 6,780 17,298 Interest on lease liabilities 1,017 2,674 Variable lease costs 11,096 35,955 Total lease cost $ 33,511 $ 100,618
Leases, Operating and Finance [Table Text Block]	The following table presents the amounts reported in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets related to operating and finance leases as of the periods presented below: Leases ( in thousands ) Classification September 30, 2019 January 1, 2019 Assets Current Operating Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 1,191 $ 1,642 Non-current Operating Other assets 123,658 125,936 Finance Property and equipment, net (a) 69,359 38,181 Total right-of-use assets $ 194,208 $ 165,759 Liabilities Current Operating Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 30,851 $ 30,357 Finance Current maturities of long-term debt 28,140 18,343 Non-current Operating Other liabilities 98,785 99,168 Finance Long-term debt 51,566 31,568 Total lease liabilities $ 209,342 $ 179,436 _________________ (a) Finance right-of-use assets are recorded net of accumulated amortization of approximately $39 million and $32 million as of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019, respectively.
Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Table Text Block]	The following is a summary of the cash flows and supplemental information associated with the Company’s leases for the presented period: Other information ( in thousands ) For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 45,116 Operating cash flows from finance leases 2,674 Financing cash flows from finance leases 17,166 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities 49,053 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities 41,307
Schedule of Operating and Finance Lease Weighted Average Lease Term and Discount Rate [Table Text Block]	The following is a summary of the weighted-average lease term and discount rate for operating and finance leases as of the presented period: Lease Term and Discount Rate September 30, 2019 Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) Operating leases 4.8 Finance leases 3.2 Weighted-average discount rate Operating leases 6.50 % Finance leases 5.00 %
Lessee, Operating and Finance Lease, Liability, Maturity [Table Text Block]	The following is a maturity analysis related to the Company’s operating and finance leases as of September 30, 2019 : Maturity of Lease Liabilities ( in thousands ) Operating Leases Finance Leases 2019 $ 8,692 $ 7,902 2020 36,883 29,075 2021 31,514 24,138 2022 28,363 18,707 2023 22,670 5,854 Thereafter 23,393 291 Total lease payments $ 151,515 $ 85,967 Less interest 21,879 6,261 Total $ 129,636 $ 79,706	The following is a maturity analysis related to the Company’s operating and finance leases as of December 31, 2018 : Maturity of Lease Liabilities ( in thousands ) Operating Leases Finance Leases 2019 $ 40,192 $ 20,604 2020 31,885 16,735 2021 26,336 10,728 2022 22,751 5,386 2023 16,731 696 Thereafter 17,727 — Total lease payments $ 155,622 $ 54,149 Less interest — 4,238 Total $ 155,622 $ 49,911

Basis of Presentation and Sum_4

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)reportable_segment	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Amortization		$ 21,000	$ 16,000	$ 58,544	$ 42,876
Number of operating segments | reportable_segment				1
Money market funds		124,000		$ 124,000		$ 221,000
Guarantor obligations, current carrying value		57,000		$ 57,000		54,000
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Term of Customer Relationship				15 years
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		(2,112,318)		$ (2,112,318)		(1,680,432)
Deferred tax liabilities		$ 1,190,298		$ 1,190,298		$ 1,342,168
Litigation settlement, payment term	48 months

Basis of Presentation and Sum_5

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Subscriber System Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Term of Customer Relationship	15 years
Gross carrying amount	$ 4,501,992	$ 4,304,279
Accumulated depreciation	(1,726,716)	(1,396,578)
Subscriber system assets, net	$ 2,775,276	$ 2,907,701

Basis of Presentation and Sum_6

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Subscriber System Depreciation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Amortization of deferred subscriber acquisition costs	$ 21,000	$ 16,000	$ 58,544	$ 42,876
Subscriber system assets, depreciation expense	$ 142,000	$ 137,000	$ 423,000	$ 410,000

Basis of Presentation and Sum_7

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Accrued interest	$ 110,569		$ 85,046
Payroll-related accruals	95,771		105,089
Other accrued liabilities	285,202		207,944
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$ 491,542	$ 427,539	$ 398,079

Basis of Presentation and Sum_8

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Carrying Values and Fair Values of Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Reported Value Measurement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instruments, excluding capital lease obligations	$ 9,771,289	$ 9,952,385
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instruments, excluding capital lease obligations	$ 10,165,580	$ 9,828,274

Basis of Presentation and Sum_9

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Impact of New Accounting Standard on Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$ 141,221	$ 128,926
Other assets	248,323	$ 245,449
Liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities	1,190,298		$ 1,342,168
Stockholders' equity
Accumulated deficit	$ (2,112,318)		$ (1,680,432)

Basis of Presentation and Su_10

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Cash and Cash Equivalents (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 155,774	$ 363,177
Restricted cash and cash equivalents in prepaid expenses and other current assets	600	3,985
Cash and cash equivalents	4,221	0
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 160,595	$ 367,162	$ 260,802	$ 126,782

Basis of Presentation and Su_11

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Radio Conversion Costs (Details) number in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Radio Conversion Number of Customer Sites Using 3G or CDMA	3,400
Radio Conversion Cost Per Site	$ 90
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Radio Conversion Cost			$ 200,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Radio Conversion Cost		$ 325,000,000		$ 35,000,000

Basis of Presentation and Su_12

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Segment (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019reportable_segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of Reportable Segments	1

Basis of Presentation and Su_13

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Leases, Impact of New Accounting Standard Adoption (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Leases, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$ 141,221	$ 128,926
Intangible assets, net	6,815,587	7,487,536	$ 7,488,194
Other assets	248,323	245,449
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	491,542	427,539	398,079
Other liabilities	$ 288,731	234,771
Calculated under Lease Guidance in Effect before ASC 842 [Member]
Leases, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			129,811
Intangible assets, net			7,488,194
Other assets			120,279
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			398,079
Other liabilities			$ 140,604
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Difference between Lease Guidance in Effect before and after ASC 842 [Member]
Leases, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(885)
Intangible assets, net		(658)
Other assets		125,170
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		29,460
Other liabilities		$ 94,167

Revenue - Additional Informatio

Revenue - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Amortization of deferred subscriber acquisition revenue	$ 28,000	$ 21,000	$ 78,506	$ 56,381

Revenue - Disaggregation of Rev

Revenue - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,300,570	$ 1,148,316	$ 3,827,374	$ 3,396,223
Monitoring and Related Services
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Revenue	1,093,564	1,029,399	3,249,401	3,069,817
Installation and Other
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 207,006	$ 118,917	$ 577,973	$ 326,406

Acquisitions (Details)

Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	$ 95,312	$ 48,473
Goodwill	4,956,917		$ 5,081,887
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	95,000
Goodwill	45,000
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions | Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles	$ 35,000

Goodwill and Other Intangible_3

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Schedule of Changes in Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance			$ 5,081,887
Acquisitions			44,570
Goodwill impairment	$ (45,482)	$ 0	(45,482)	$ 0
Reclassification to held for sale			(160,420)
Currency translation and other			36,362
Ending balance	$ 4,956,917		$ 4,956,917

Acquisitions and Dispositions D

Acquisitions and Dispositions Disposition of Canadian Operations Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands, $ in Millions	Nov. 05, 2019USD ($)	Nov. 05, 2019CAD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on business held for sale			$ 55,489	$ 0	$ 55,489	$ 0
Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Canadian Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on business held for sale					55,000
Foreign currency translation loss					$ 38,000
Subsequent Event | Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Canadian Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from disposition of business	$ 519,000	$ 683

Goodwill and Other Intangible_4

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Gross Carrying Amounts and Accumulated Amortization of Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 9,459,664		$ 9,378,174
Accumulated Amortization	(3,977,077)		(3,222,980)
Net Carrying Amount	5,482,587		6,155,194
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	10,792,664		10,711,174
Net Carrying Amount	6,815,587	$ 7,487,536	7,488,194
Trade name
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	1,333,000		1,333,000
Customer-Related Intangible Assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	7,734,227		7,568,456
Accumulated Amortization	(3,515,480)		(2,816,079)
Net Carrying Amount	4,218,747		4,752,377
Dealer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	1,518,020		1,598,916
Accumulated Amortization	(279,414)		(230,511)
Net Carrying Amount	1,238,606		1,368,405
Other Intangible Assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	207,417		210,802
Accumulated Amortization	(182,183)		(176,390)
Net Carrying Amount	$ 25,234		$ 34,412

Acquisitions and Dispositions S

Acquisitions and Dispositions Schedule of Disposal Group, Held For Sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Assets held for sale:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 4,221		$ 4,221		$ 0
Total assets held for sale	591,427		591,427		0
Liabilities held for sale:
Total liabilities held for sale	128,733		128,733		$ 0
Canadian Operations | Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Assets held for sale:
Cash and cash equivalents	4,221		4,221
Accounts receivable trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	7,118		7,118
Inventories, net	3,481		3,481
Work-in-progress	2,445		2,445
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,053		2,053
Property and equipment, net	15,998		15,998
Subscriber system assets, net	144,603		144,603
Intangible assets, net	278,707		278,707
Goodwill	160,420		160,420
Deferred subscriber acquisition costs, net	21,183		21,183
Other assets	6,687		6,687
Held for sale valuation allowance	(55,489)		(55,489)
Total assets held for sale	591,427		591,427
Liabilities held for sale:
Current maturities of long-term debt	195		195
Accounts payable	11,614		11,614
Deferred revenue	10,021		10,021
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	12,318		12,318
Long-term debt	384		384
Deferred subscriber acquisition revenue	23,720		23,720
Deferred tax liabilities	60,222		60,222
Other liabilities	10,259		10,259
Total liabilities held for sale	128,733		128,733
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation During Phase-out Period, Net of Tax [Abstract]
(Loss) income before income taxes	$ (38,661)	$ 135	$ (46,997)	$ 712

Goodwill and Other Intangible_5

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets			$ 514,487	$ 526,654
Goodwill impairment	$ (45,482)	$ 0	$ (45,482)	$ 0
Customer-Related Intangible Assets
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Acquired finite-lived intangible assets, weighted average useful life			15 years

Goodwill and Other Intangible_6

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Changes in Net Carrying Amount of Contracts and Related Customer Relationships (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Balance as of beginning of period			$ 6,155,194
Amortization	$ (315,732)	$ (293,535)	(933,260)	$ (906,233)
Balance as of end of period	5,482,587		5,482,587
Customer-Related Intangible Assets
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Balance as of beginning of period			4,752,377
Amortization			(863,352)
Reclassification to held for sale			(205,235)
Currency translation and other			(14,294)
Balance as of end of period	$ 4,218,747		4,218,747
Customer Relationships
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Customer contract additions, net of dealer charge-backs			34,792
Customer Contracts
Finite-lived Intangible Assets [Roll Forward]
Customer contract additions, net of dealer charge-backs			$ 514,459

Goodwill and Other Intangible_7

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Finite-lived Intangible Assets Amortization Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible asset amortization expense	$ 315,732	$ 293,535	$ 933,260	$ 906,233

Debt (Details)

Debt (Details) $ in Thousands	Oct. 23, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 23, 2019USD ($)	Feb. 01, 2019USD ($)	Oct. 23, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Feb. 15, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Feb. 21, 2018USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium), Net					$ (27,739)		$ (27,739)		$ (27,739)			$ (19,642)
Debt Issuance Costs, Net					(61,144)		(61,144)		(61,144)			(42,840)
Accretion of Purchase Accounting, Fair Value Adjustment, Debt					(198,488)		(198,488)		(198,488)			(205,483)
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities					9,850,995		9,850,995		9,850,995			10,002,296
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities					(212,877)		(212,877)		(212,877)			(58,184)
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities					9,638,118		9,638,118		9,638,118			9,944,112
Deferred Financing Costs						$ 17,000
Debt premium percentage		2.00%
Loss on extinguishment of debt							14,532	$ 213,239	103,004	$ 274,836
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capital Lease Obligations					79,706		79,706		79,706			49,911
Revolving Credit Facility | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Description						50,000
First Lien Term B1 Loan [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 3,400,000			0		0		0			3,924,438
Repurchased face amount		300,000				500,000
Debt Instrument, Additional Incremental Debt Capacity									$ 300,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt						$ (6,000)
First Lien Term B1 Loan [Member] | Minimum | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net First Lien Leverage Ratio, incurrence indebtedness						1			1
First Lien Term B1 Loan [Member] | Maximum | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net First Lien Leverage Ratio, incurrence indebtedness						3.20			2.35
2023 Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity					$ 400,000		$ 400,000		$ 400,000		$ 50,000
Prime Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt										275,000
Prime Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					9.25%		9.25%		9.25%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 1,246,000		$ 1,246,000		$ 1,246,000			2,546,000
Repurchased face amount			$ 300,000			$ 1,000,000							$ 594,000
Repayments of Debt			319,000			$ 1,100,000
ADT Notes due 2020 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					5.25%		5.25%		5.25%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 152,748		$ 152,748		$ 152,748			300,000
ADT Notes due 2020 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repurchased face amount		147,000
Repayments of senior debt					$ 149,000
ADT Notes due 2021 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					6.25%		6.25%		6.25%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000			1,000,000
ADT Notes due 2022 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					3.50%		3.50%		3.50%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000			1,000,000
ADT Notes due 2023 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					4.125%		4.125%		4.125%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 700,000		$ 700,000		$ 700,000			700,000
ADT Notes due 2032 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					4.875%		4.875%		4.875%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 728,016		$ 728,016		$ 728,016			728,016
ADT Notes due 2042 [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					4.875%		4.875%		4.875%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 21,896		$ 21,896		$ 21,896			21,896
First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2024 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					5.25%	5.25%	5.25%		5.25%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 750,000		$ 750,000		$ 750,000			0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount						$ 750,000
First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred Financing Costs		8,000
First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2026 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate					5.75%	5.75%	5.75%		5.75%
Long-term debt, gross					$ 1,350,000		$ 1,350,000		$ 1,350,000			0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 600,000				$ 750,000
First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2024 and 2026 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred Financing Costs						25,000
First Lien Term Loan due 2026 [Member] [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross					$ 3,110,000		$ 3,110,000		$ 3,110,000			$ 0
Discount percentage		1.00%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 3,100,000
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Percent		0.25%
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment		$ 8,000
Prepayment premium percentage		1.00%
First Lien Term Loan due 2026 [Member] [Member] | Federal Funds Effective Swap Rate | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		0.50%
First Lien Term Loan due 2026 [Member] [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin		3.25%
Variable rate basis, floor		1.00%
First Lien Term Loan due 2026 [Member] [Member] | Base Rate | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.00%
Applicable margin		2.25%
Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt										$ 213,000
Prime Notes [Member] | Prime Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt			$ (22,000)			$ (61,000)
Subsequent Event | First Lien Term B1 Loan [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt	$ (13,000)
Subsequent Event | ADT Notes due 2020 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repurchased face amount	$ 153,000			$ 153,000
Repayments of senior debt				$ 155,000

Mandatorily Redeemable Preferre

Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt	$ 14,532	$ 213,239	$ 103,004	$ 274,836
Mandatorily Redeemable Preferred Stock | Koch
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt			$ 213,000

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax benefit	$ 36,367	$ 7,701	$ 81,576	$ 19,840
Effective tax rate	16.70%	3.20%	18.80%	4.10%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent			21.00%	21.00%
adt_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseFinancialInstrumentsSubjecttoMandatoryRedemptionPercent		11.20%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, State and Local Income Taxes, Percent			2.30%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Change in Deferred Tax Assets Valuation Allowance, Percent	21.90%		11.00%
Preferred securities, tax impact				11.60%
Share-based compensation cost, tax impact				7.30%
Prior year taxes, tax impact	(0.00%)			(5.60%)
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation,Other Reconciling Items, Percent	20.70%	5.60%	10.40%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Impairment Losses, Percent	5.60%		2.80%
adt:EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationLegislativeChangesPercent	4.60%	4.90%		4.20%

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)claim	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Jan. 19, 2018claim
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency Accrual | $	$ 109	$ 74
Wireless Encryption Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims	5
Wireless Encryption Litigation, Federal
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims	3
Wireless Encryption Litigation, State
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims	2
Shareholder Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims			5

Commitments and Contingencies P

Commitments and Contingencies Purchase Obligations (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation	$ 80

Derivative Financial Instrume_3

Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) $ in Millions	Oct. 01, 2019USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2019CAD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2019USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			$ 4,225,000,000	$ 725,000,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			141,221,000		$ 128,926,000
Other assets			248,323,000		245,449,000
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			491,542,000		427,539,000	$ 398,079,000
Other liabilities			288,731,000		$ 234,771,000
Fair value of interest rate swaps			103,057			20,268
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			(114,172,000)			(71,779,000)
Interest Rate Swap, April 2017 | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			1,000,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, January 2019 (unhedged) [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			125,000,000
Interest Rate Swap, February 2019 (unhedged) [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			100,000,000
Forward foreign currency exchange contract | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount		$ 675
Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, June 2018 | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			1,500,000,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			437			6,525
Other assets			0			1,236
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			32,163			1,989
Other liabilities			71,331			26,040
Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, August 2018 | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			1,000,000,000
Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, January 2019 | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			300,000,000
Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, February 2019 | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount			200,000,000
Accumulated Gain (Loss), Net, Cash Flow Hedge, Parent [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss			$ (77,000,000)			$ (21,000,000)
Subsequent Event | Terminated Interest Rate Swap
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 3,800,000,000
Subsequent Event | Cash Flow Hedging | Interest Rate Swap, June 2018 | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	2,800,000,000
Subsequent Event | Cash Flow Hedging | Terminated Interest Rate Swap | Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, notional amount	$ 2,800,000,000

Share-based Compensation - Addi

Share-based Compensation - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate			41.00%
Share-based compensation expense	$ 19,000	$ 18,000	$ 65,126	$ 112,905
Minimum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate			2.30%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term, Simplified Method			P6Y
Expected dividend yield			2.10%
Maximum [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate			2.51%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term, Simplified Method			P6Y6M
Expected dividend yield			2.30%
Share-based Compensation, 2018 Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	88		88		38
Share-based Compensation, 2018 Plan [Member] | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
RSUs granted in period (in shares)			4,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value			$ 6.23
Share-based Compensation, 2018 Plan [Member] | Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value			$ 2.11
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross			9,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price			$ 6.18

Equity - Schedule of Dividends

Equity - Schedule of Dividends Declared (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands, shares in Millions	Oct. 02, 2019	Aug. 06, 2019	Jul. 02, 2019	May 07, 2019	Mar. 11, 2019	Nov. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Oct. 01, 2019	Feb. 27, 2019
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, Common Stock							$ 3,690	$ 26,796	$ 34,342	$ 80,511
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares									24
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.035		$ 0.035	$ 0.035		$ 0.035		$ 0.105
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount												$ 150,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan									11
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value									$ 149,868	$ 0
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)						$ 0.035
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan	4
Common Stock, Special Dividend, Per Share, Declared											$ 0.70
Dividend Declared [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, Common Stock							$ 26,000		79,000
Dividend Settled in Cash [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, Common Stock			$ 3,000						11,000
Dividend Settled in Stock [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends, Common Stock			$ 23,000						$ 68,000

Equity - Additional Information

Equity - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Payments of dividends	$ 33,855	$ 52,959
Accumulated deficit	$ (2,112,318)		$ (1,680,432)

Equity Additional (Details)

Equity Additional (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands

Oct. 02, 2019

Aug. 06, 2019

Jul. 02, 2019

May 07, 2019

Mar. 11, 2019

Nov. 30, 2019

Sep. 30, 2019

Sep. 30, 2018

Sep. 30, 2019

Sep. 30, 2018

Feb. 01, 2019

Jan. 19, 2018

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividends, Common Stock

$ 3,690

$ 26,796

$ 34,342

$ 80,511

Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan

11,000,000

Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared

$ 0.035

$ 0.035

$ 0.035

$ 0.035

$ 0.105

Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value

$ 149,868

$ 0

Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares

24,000,000

Shares Issued, Price Per Share

$ 14

Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased

18,750,000

IPO [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction

105,000,000

Sale of Stock, Consideration Received on Transaction

$ 1,400,000

Dividend Declared [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividends, Common Stock

$ 26,000

$ 79,000

Dividend Settled in Stock [Member]

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Dividends, Common Stock

$ 23,000

$ 68,000

Subsequent Event

Class of Stock [Line Items]

Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan

4,000,000

Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared

$ 0.035

Net Loss per Share - Computatio

Net Loss per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Numerator:
Net loss	$ (181,630)	$ (235,544)	$ (352,157)	$ (459,686)
Denominator:
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding, basic and diluted (in shares)	739,852	755,277	748,500	744,720
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.25)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.47)	$ (0.62)

Related Party Transactions (Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments of dividends	$ 33,855	$ 52,959

Subsequent Events (Details)

Subsequent Events (Details) - $ / shares	Aug. 06, 2019	May 07, 2019	Mar. 11, 2019	Nov. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.035	$ 0.035	$ 0.035		$ 0.035	$ 0.105
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)				$ 0.035

Leases (Details)

Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 9 months 18 days	4 years 9 months 18 days
Operating Lease, Payments		$ 45,116
Operating Lease, Cost	$ 14,618	44,691
Capital Leases, Lessee Balance Sheet, Assets by Major Class, Accumulated Depreciation	39,000	39,000	$ 32,000
Operating Lease, Right of Use Assets, Current	1,191	1,191	1,642
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	123,658	123,658	125,936
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	69,359	69,359	38,181
Leased Assets	194,208	194,208	165,759
Operating Lease, Liability, Current	30,851	30,851	30,357
Finance Lease, Liability, Current	28,140	28,140	18,343
Operating Lease, Liability	98,785	98,785	99,168
Finance Lease, Liability	51,566	51,566	31,568
Lease Liability	209,342	209,342	$ 179,436
Finance Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Amortization	6,780	17,298
Finance Lease, Interest Expense	1,017	2,674
Variable Lease, Cost	11,096	35,955
Lease, Cost	$ 33,511	100,618
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability		2,674
Finance Lease, Principal Payments		17,166
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability		49,053
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Operating Lease Liability		$ 41,307
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	3 years 2 months 12 days	3 years 2 months 12 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	6.50%	6.50%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	5.00%	5.00%
Operating Lease [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due in Rolling Year Five	$ 8,692	$ 8,692		$ 40,192
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	36,883	36,883		31,885
Operating Lease, Liability	129,636	129,636		155,622
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	31,514	31,514		26,336
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	28,363	28,363		22,751
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	22,670	22,670		16,731
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	23,393	23,393		17,727
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	151,515	151,515		155,622
Leases Interest Payments Due	21,879	21,879		0
Finance Lease [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	7,902	7,902		20,604
Finance Lease, Liability	79,706	79,706		49,911
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	29,075	29,075		16,735
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	24,138	24,138		10,728
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	18,707	18,707		5,386
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	5,854	5,854		696
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	291	291		0
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	85,967	85,967		54,149
Leases Interest Payments Due	$ 6,261	$ 6,261		$ 4,238

Uncategorized Items - adtinc10-

Label	Element	Value
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 34,430,000
Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 34,430,000