Revenue | NOTE 3 – REVENUE Revenue Recognition General Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services, which may include various combinations of goods and services which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of sales taxes collected from customers which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. In situations where foreign withholding taxes are withheld by the Company’s licensee, revenue is recognized gross of withholding taxes that are remitted directly by the licensee to a local tax authority. Arrangements with Multiple Performance Obligations Some of the Company’s contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, the individual performance obligations are separately accounted for if they are distinct. In an arrangement with multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated among the separate performance obligations on a relative stand-alone selling price basis. The determination of stand-alone selling price considers market conditions, the size and scope of the contract, customer and geographic information, and other factors. When observable prices are not available, stand-alone selling price for separate performance obligations is based on the cost-plus-margin approach, considering overall pricing objectives. The allocation of transaction price among performance obligations in a contract may impact the amount and timing of revenue recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during a given period. Contract Modifications Contracts may be modified due to changes in contract specifications or customer requirements. Contract modifications occur when the change in terms either creates new enforceable rights and obligations or changes existing enforceable rights and obligations. The effect of a contract modification for goods and services that are not distinct in the context of the contract on the transaction price is recognized as an adjustment to revenue on a cumulative catch-up basis. Contract modifications that result in goods or services that are distinct from the existing goods or services are accounted for as separate contracts if they are sold at their stand-alone selling price, or otherwise prospectively. Variable Consideration When a contract with a customer includes a variable transaction price, an estimate of the consideration which the Company expects to be entitled to for transferring the promised goods or services is made at contract inception. Depending on the terms of the contract, variable consideration is estimated using either the expected value approach or the most likely value approach. Under either approach to estimating variable consideration, the estimate considers all information (historical, current and forecast) that is reasonably available at contract inception. The amount of variable consideration is estimated at contract inception and updated as additional information becomes available. The estimate of variable consideration is included in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Subsequent changes in the transaction price resulting from changes in the estimate of variable consideration are allocated to the performance obligations in the contract on the same basis as at contract inception. Certain payments to licensees, retailers and distributors, such as market development funds and revenue shares, are treated as a reduction of the transaction price, and therefore a reduction to revenue, unless the payment is in exchange for a distinct good or service that the licensee, retailer or distributor transfers to the Company. When variable consideration is in the form of a sales-based or usage-based royalty in exchange for a license of IP, or when a license of IP is the predominant item to which the variable consideration relates, revenue is recognized at the later of when the subsequent sale or usage occurs or the performance obligation to which some or all of the sales-based or usage-based royalty has been allocated has been satisfied or partially satisfied. Nature of Goods and Services The following is a discussion of the principal activities from which the Company generates its revenue. License Agreements The Company operates in two business segments. In its Product segment, the Company licenses its audio, digital radio, imaging, edge-based machine learning and multi-channel video user experience (“UX”) solutions. Within this segment, the Company groups its business into three categories based on the products delivered and customers served: Consumer Experience, Connected Car, and Pay-TV. In its IP Licensing segment, the Company licenses (i) its media patent portfolios (“Media IP licensing”) to multichannel video programming distributors, over-the-top video service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, social media, and other new media companies and (ii) its semiconductor technologies and associated patent portfolios (“Semiconductor IP licensing”) to memory, sensors, radio frequency (“RF”) component, and foundry companies. The Company licenses its technologies and portfolios under three revenue models: (i) fixed-fee Media IP licensing, (ii) fixed-fee or minimum guarantee Product or Semiconductor IP licensing, and (iii) per-unit or per-subscriber royalty licenses. Fixed-fee Media IP licensing The Company's long-term fixed-fee Media IP licensing agreements, which are related to the TiVo businesses following the Mergers, provide its customers with rights to future patented technologies over the term of the agreement that are highly interdependent or highly interrelated to the patented technologies provided at the inception of the agreement. The Company treats these rights as a single performance obligation with revenue recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the fixed-fee license agreement. At times, the Company enters into license agreements in which a licensee is released from past patent infringement claims or is granted a license to ship an unlimited number of units or for an unlimited number of subscribers over a future period for a fixed fee. In these arrangements, the Company allocates the transaction price between the release for past patent infringement claims and the future license. In determining the stand-alone selling price of the release for past patent infringement claims and the future license, the Company considers such factors as the number of units shipped in the past or the number of past subscribers and the relevant geographies of the shipped units or subscribers, the future number of subscribers or units, as well as the licensing rate the Company generally receives for per-subscriber or units shipped in the same geographies. As the release from past patent infringement claims is generally satisfied at execution of the agreement, the transaction price allocated to the release from past patent infringement claims is generally recognized in the period the agreement is executed and the amount of transaction price allocated to the future license is recognized ratably over the future license term. Fixed-fee or minimum guarantee Semiconductor IP or Product licensing The Company enters into Semiconductor IP or Product licenses that have fixed fee or minimum guarantee arrangements, whereby licensees pay a fixed fee for the right to incorporate the Company’s technology in the licensee's products over the license term. In arrangements with a minimum guarantee, the fixed fee component corresponds to a minimum number of units or dollars that the customer must produce or pay, with additional per-unit fees for any units or dollars exceeding the minimum. In most cases, the customer pays the fixed license fee in specified installments over the license term. For both fixed fee and minimum guarantee agreements for Semiconductor IP or Product licensing, the Company recognizes the full fixed fee as revenue at the beginning of the license term, when the licensee has the right to use the IP and begins to benefit from the license. If the contract term of a fixed fee or minimum guarantee arrangement is longer than one year, the Company also considers the scheduled payment arrangements to determine whether a significant financing component exists. In general, if the payment arrangements extend beyond the initial twelve months of the contract, the Company treats a portion of the payments as a significant financing component. The discount rate used for each arrangement reflects the rate that would be used in a separate financing transaction between the Company and the licensee at contract inception and takes into account the credit characteristics of the licensee and market interest rates as of the date of the agreement. As such, the amount of fixed fee revenue recognized at the beginning of the license term will be reduced by the calculated financing component. As payments are received from the licensee, the Company recognizes a portion of the financing component as interest income, reported as other income and expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Per-unit or per-subscriber royalty licenses The Company recognizes revenue from per-unit or per-subscriber royalty licenses in the period in which the licensee's sales or production are estimated to have occurred, which results in an adjustment to revenue when actual sales or production are subsequently reported by the licensee, which is generally in the month or quarter following usage or shipment. The Company generally recognizes revenue from royalty licenses on a per-subscriber per-month model for licenses with service providers and a per-unit shipped or manufactured model for licenses with CE manufacturers and memory, sensors, RF component, and foundry companies. Compliance Audits The Company actively monitors and enforces its IP, including seeking appropriate compensation from customers that have under-reported royalties owed under a license agreement and from third parties that utilize the Company’s intellectual property without a license. As a result of these activities, the Company may, from time to time, recognize revenue from payments resulting from periodic compliance audits of licensees for underreporting royalties incurred in prior periods, as part of a settlement of a patent infringement dispute, or from legal judgments in a license dispute. These recoveries and settlements may cause revenue to be higher than expected during a particular reporting period and such recoveries may not occur in subsequent periods. The Company recognizes revenue from recoveries when a binding agreement has been executed and the Company concludes collection under that agreement is likely . Arrangements with Multiple System Operators for the TiVo Service The Company's arrangements with multiple system operators (“MSOs”) typically include software customization and set-up services, associated maintenance and support, limited training, post-contract support, TiVo-enabled DVRs, non-DVR Set-Top Boxes (“STBs”), and the TiVo service. The Company has two types of arrangements with MSOs that include technology deployment and engineering services. In instances where the Company hosts the TiVo service, non-refundable payments received for customization and set-up services are deferred and recognized as revenue ratably over the hosting term. The related cost of such services is capitalized to the extent it is deemed recoverable and amortized to cost of revenue over the same period as the related TiVo service revenue is recognized. The Company estimates the stand-alone selling prices for training, DVRs, non-DVR STBs and maintenance and support based on the price charged in stand-alone sales of the promised good or service. The stand-alone selling price for the TiVo service is determined by considering the size of the MSO and expected volume of deployment, market conditions, competitive landscape, internal costs and total gross margin objectives. For a term license to the TiVo service, the Company receives license fees for the hosted TiVo service on either a per-subscriber per-month basis or a fixed fee. The Company recognizes revenue from per-subscriber per-month licenses during the month the TiVo service is provided to the customer and recognizes revenue from fixed fee licenses ratably over the license period. In arrangements where the Company does not host the TiVo service, which includes engineering services that are essential to the functionality of the licensed technology or involve significant customization or modification of the software, the Company recognizes revenue as progress toward completion is made using an input method based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to total estimated costs of the project. Project costs are primarily labor related to specific activities required for the project. Costs related to general infrastructure or uncommitted platform development are not included in the project cost estimates and are expensed as incurred. Estimating project costs requires forecasting costs, tracking progress toward completion and projecting the remaining effort to complete the project. These estimates are reassessed throughout the term of the arrangement, and revisions to estimates are recognized on a cumulative catch-up basis when the changed conditions become known. Provisions for losses are recorded when estimates indicate it is probable that a loss will be incurred for the contract. The Company generally recognizes revenue from license fees for the TiVo service that the Company does not host on a per-subscriber per-month basis due to the recognition constraint on intellectual property usage-based royalties. Subscription Services Subscription services revenue primarily consists of fees to provide customers with access to one or more of the Company's hosted products such as its iGuide interactive program guide (“IPG”), advanced search and recommendations, metadata and analytics products, including routine customer support. The Company generally receives per-subscriber per-month fees for its iGuide IPG and search and recommendations service and revenue is recorded in the month the customer uses the service. The Company generally receives a monthly or quarterly fee from its metadata or analytics licenses for the right to use the metadata or access its analytics platform and to receive regular updates. Revenue from the Company's metadata and analytics service is recognized ratably over the subscription period. TiVo-enabled DVRs and non-DVRs, including TiVo Stream 4K, and related TiVo Service The Company sells TiVo-enabled DVRs and non-DVRs and the related service directly to customers through sales programs via the TiVo.com website and licenses the sale of TiVo-enabled DVRs and non-DVRs through a limited number of retailers. All customers have the right to cancel their subscription to the TiVo service within 30 days of subscription activation for a full refund. After the initial subscription period for a DVR, all customers have various pricing options when they renew their subscription. The transaction price allocated to the DVR and non-DVR is recognized as revenue upon shipment to the customer and the transaction price allocated to the TiVo service is recognized as revenue ratably over the service period. Subscription revenue from lifetime subscriptions are recognized ratably over the estimated useful life of the DVR or non-DVR associated with the subscription. The estimated useful life for a DVR and non-DVR depends on a number of assumptions, including but not limited to, customer retention rates, the timing of new product introductions and historical experience. The Company periodically reassesses the estimated useful life of DVRs and non-DVRs. When the actual useful life of a DVR or a non-DVR materially differs from the Company's estimate, the estimated useful life of the DVR or non-DVR is adjusted, which could result in the recognition of revenue over a longer or shorter period of time. Significant Judgments Determining whether promises to transfer multiple goods and services in contracts with customers are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment, including related to the level of integration and interdependency between the performance obligations. In addition, judgment is necessary to allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations, including whether there is a discount or significant financing component to be allocated based on the relative stand-alone selling price of the various performance obligations. Significant judgment is required to determine the stand-alone selling price for each distinct performance obligation when an observable price is not available. In instances where stand-alone selling price is not directly observable, such as when the Company does not sell the good or service separately, the stand-alone selling price is determined using a range of inputs that includes market conditions and other observable inputs. More than one stand-alone selling price may exist for individual goods and services due to the stratification of those goods and services, considering attributes such as the size of the customer and geographic region. Due to the nature of the work required to be performed on some performance obligations, significant judgment may be required to determine the transaction price. It is common for the Company's license agreements to contain provisions that can either increase or decrease the transaction price. These variable amounts are generally estimated based on usage. In addition to estimating variable consideration, significant judgment is necessary to identify forms of variable consideration, determine whether the variable consideration relates to a sales-based or usage-based royalty of intellectual property and determine whether, and when to include estimates of variable consideration in the transaction price. For certain licensees, royalty revenue is generated based on a licensee’s production or shipment of licensed products incorporating the Company’s intellectual property, technologies or software. Licensees with a per-unit or per-subscriber arrangement pay a per-unit royalty for each product manufactured or sold, or for each subscriber, as set forth in its license agreement. Licensees generally report manufacturing, sales or subscriber information in the month or quarter subsequent to when the production, shipment or subscription activity takes place. The Company estimates the royalties earned each quarter based on its forecast of manufacturing and sales activity by its licensees in that quarter. Any differences between actual royalties owed by a licensee and the Company’s estimate are recognized when the licensee’s royalty report is received. Estimating licensees’ quarterly royalties prior to receiving the royalty reports requires the Company to make significant assumptions and judgments related to forecasted trends and growth rates used to estimate quantities manufactured, shipped or subscribed by licensees, which could have a material impact on the amount of revenue recognized. Some hardware products are sold with a right of return and, in certain circumstances, credits or incentives may be provided to customers or resellers at the time of sale. Such credits and incentives are accounted for as variable consideration and recognized as a reduction to revenue. Estimates of returns, credits and incentives are made at contract inception and updated each reporting period. In contracts where the Company does not host the TiVo service and that include engineering services that are essential to the functionality of the licensed technology or involve significant customization or modification of software, or where the Company provides non-recurring engineering (“NRE”) services, the Company recognizes revenue as progress toward completion occurs using an input method based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to total estimated costs of the project. Significant judgment is required to estimate the remaining effort to complete the project. These estimates are reassessed throughout the term of the arrangement. Management evaluates its estimates, inputs and assumptions related to revenue recognition on an ongoing basis. The use of different estimates, inputs or assumptions may materially affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the results of operations for the reporting period. Practical Expedients and Exemptions The Company applies a practical expedient to not perform an evaluation of whether a contract includes a significant financing component when the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of cash collection by one year or less. The Company applies a practical expedient to expense costs to obtain a contract with a customer as incurred as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses when the amortization period would have been one year or less. The Company applies a practical expedient when disclosing revenue expected to be recognized from unsatisfied performance obligations to exclude contracts with customers with an original duration of less than one year; contracts for which revenue is recognized based on the amount which the Company has the right to invoice for services performed and amounts attributable to variable consideration arising from (i) a sales-based or usage-based royalty of an intellectual property license or (ii) when variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation; or to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a distinct good or service that forms part of a single performance obligation . Revenue Details The following information depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors by disaggregating revenue by product category/end market and geographic location (presented in “Note 16 - Segment and Geographic Information Revenue disaggregated by product category/end market was as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Consumer Experience $ 46,877 $ 30,043 $ 98,131 $ 68,794 Pay-TV 54,013 21,300 106,354 21,300 Connected Car 19,536 12,781 39,523 29,972 Product revenue $ 120,426 $ 64,124 $ 244,008 $ 120,066 IP Licensing revenue 101,846 73,507 199,860 135,230 Total revenue $ 222,272 $ 137,631 $ 443,868 $ 255,296 Contract Balances Contracts Assets Contract assets primarily consist of unbilled contracts receivable that are expected to be received from customers in future periods, where the revenue recognized to date (or cumulative adjustments to retained earnings in the initial period of adopting Topic 606) exceeds the amount billed. The amount of unbilled contracts receivable may not exceed their net realizable value and are classified as long-term assets if the payments are expected to be received more than one year from the reporting date. Contract assets also include the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer, principally sales commissions when the renewal commission is not commensurate with the initial commission, and deferred engineering costs for significant software customization or modification and set-up services to the extent deemed recoverable. Contract assets were recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in thousands): June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Unbilled contracts receivable $ 126,549 $ 132,431 Other current assets 1,029 1,208 Long-term unbilled contracts receivable 6,152 6,761 Other long-term assets 2,750 2,591 Total contract assets $ 136,480 $ 142,991 Contract Liabilities Contract liabilities are mainly comprised of deferred revenue related to consumer lifetime subscriptions for the TiVo service, multi-period licensing or cloud-based services, and other offerings for which the Company is paid in advance while the promised good or service is transferred to the customer at a future date or over time. Deferred revenue also includes amounts received related to professional services to be performed in the future. Deferred revenue arises when cash payments are received, including amounts which are refundable, in advance of performance obligations being completed. Allowance for Credit Losses The allowance for credit losses, which includes the allowance for accounts receivable and unbilled contracts receivable, represents the Company’s best estimate of lifetime expected credit losses inherent in those financial assets. The Company’s lifetime expected credit losses are determined using relevant information about past events (including historical experience), current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect collectability. The Company monitors its credit exposure through ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and limits the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary. In addition, the Company performs routine credit management activities such as timely account reconciliations, dispute resolution, and payment confirmations. The Company may employ collection agencies and legal counsel to pursue recovery of defaulted receivables . The Company’s long-term unbilled contracts receivable is derived from fixed-fee or minimum-guarantee arrangements, primarily with large well-capitalized companies. It is generally considered to be of high credit quality due to past collection history and the nature of the customers. The following table presents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands): Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 Accounts Receivable Unbilled Contracts Receivable Accounts Receivable Unbilled Contracts Receivable Beginning balance $ 4,038 $ 2,884 $ 7,336 $ 2,231 Provision for credit losses 93 390 1,236 513 Charged-off/other adjustments — — (4,441 ) (1) 530 Balance at end of period $ 4,131 $ 3,274 $ 4,131 $ 3,274 (1) The charge off of accounts receivable in the three months ended March 31, 2021 was primarily related to a customer whose account had been substantially reserved for credit losses in 2020 due to deteriorating financial condition and delinquent payment history. Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Accounts Receivable Unbilled Contracts Receivable Accounts Receivable Unbilled Contracts Receivable Beginning balance $ 2,226 $ 283 $ 566 $ — Provision for credit losses 299 74 2,228 (2) 357 Charged-off/other adjustments (56 ) — (325 ) — Balance at end of period $ 2,469 $ 357 $ 2,469 $ 357 (2) The increase in provision for credit losses was based on assessment of then current conditions including the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipation of delayed or delinquent payments on existing accounts receivable as a result of declining financial health and liquidity positions of certain of the Company’s customers. Additional Disclosures The following table presents additional revenue and contract disclosures (in thousands): Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Revenue recognized in the period from: Amounts included in deferred revenue at the beginning of the period $ 6,936 $ 796 $ 18,152 $ 620 Performance obligations satisfied in previous periods (true ups, licensee reporting adjustments and settlements)* $ 13,053 $ 7,078 $ 32,916 $ 54,222 *True ups represent the differences between the Company’s quarterly estimates of per-unit royalty revenue and actual production/sales-based royalties reported by licensees in the following period. Licensee reporting adjustments represent corrections or revisions to previously reported per-unit royalties by licensees, generally resulting from the Company’s inquiries or compliance audits. Settlements represent resolutions of litigation during the period for past royalties owed pursuant to expired or terminated IP license agreements. Remaining revenue under contracts with performance obligations represents the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) under the Company’s fixed-fee IP, software-as-a-service agreements and engineering services contracts. The Company's remaining revenue under contracts with performance obligations was as follows (in thousands) : As of June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Revenue from contracts with performance obligations expected to be satisfied in: 2021 (remaining 6 months) $ 98,266 $ 152,008 2022 156,763 102,764 2023 141,044 91,636 2024 113,639 77,989 2025 106,423 76,028 Thereafter 13,646 429 Total $ 629,781 $ 500,854 |