SiriusXM Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Results

NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SiriusXM today announced fourth quarter and full-year 2018 operating and financial results, including record revenue of $1.5 billion and $5.8 billion, respectively, increasing 7% and 6% compared to the prior year periods.

The Company's net income totaled $251 million in the fourth quarter, compared to $(37) million in the prior year period, while full-year 2018 net income grew 81% to a record $1.2 billion. Net income (loss) per diluted common share was $0.06 in the fourth quarter, compared to $(0.01) in the prior year period, while full-year 2018 net income per diluted common share grew 88% to $0.26. Adjusted EBITDA grew 6% to $576 million in the fourth quarter, and grew 6% for the full-year 2018 to a record $2.2 billion.

"SiriusXM had a strong finish to 2018, a year that saw our ninth consecutive year of one-million-plus net subscriber adds and our lowest full-year churn rate in the past decade. We have set even more ambitious goals for the Company to continue growing in 2019. In addition, we were pleased that yesterday Pandora's stockholders voted in favor of our proposed merger, and expect to close the transaction shortly," said Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM.

"Our disciplined approach to business models carries through to our programming decisions as a creator and curator of exclusive, compelling programming in talk, music and sports. We recently announced a special concert by KISS on the Sunset Strip, held a subscribers-only performance by Ricky Gervais in New York, launched back-to-back daily political shows with CNN's Chris Cuomo and ABC's Dan Abrams, and brought on two new full-time college sports channels. And this week, we are offering an unrivaled array of channels and shows from Radio Row at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta," added Meyer.

Full-Year 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

    --  Total Subscribers Top 34 Million. The Company added 414,000 net new
        self-pay subscribers in the fourth quarter and 1.4 million for the
        full-year to end 2018 with approximately 28.9 million self-pay
        subscribers. Total net subscriber additions in the fourth quarter and
        full-year were 346,000 and 1.3 million, respectively, resulting in more
        than 34.0 million total SiriusXM subscribers at the end of 2018.
        Self-pay churn for 2018 totaled just over 1.7%, the lowest full-year
        churn rate since 2007.


    --  Revenue of $5.8 Billion. Full-year 2018 revenue grew 6% compared to 2017
        to a record $5.8 billion. This growth was driven by a 4% increase in
        subscribers and growth in average revenue per user (ARPU) to $13.34. The
        full-year 2018 ARPU was impacted by the adoption of the new revenue
        recognition accounting standard (FASB ASU 2014-09) which reclassified
        approximately $95 million of revenue to offset expenses principally
        related to automaker agreements. Excluding these reclassifications,
        which reduced reported ARPU by $0.24 for the full-year 2018, ARPU would
        have increased by 2.5%.


    --  Record Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA in 2018 reached a record $2.2
        billion, growing 6% over the full-year 2017. The Company's adjusted
        EBITDA margin of 38.8% for 2018 was nearly flat over 2017's 38.9%
        adjusted EBITDA margin, despite the approximately 40% increase in
        satellite radio music performance royalties that took effect on January
        1, 2018.
    --  Net Income Grows 81%. Net income for the full-year 2018 totaled $1.2
        billion, up 81% from $648 million in 2017. This increase included a $43
        million unrealized gain associated with the change in fair value of the
        Company's Pandora investment, in addition to savings from the Tax Act,
        which reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%
        and savings from research and development credits. The Company's
        effective tax rate for the full-year 2018 totaled 17.2%, which is below
        the approximately 24-25% rate expected in the future.

"SiriusXM continued significant capital returns in 2018, distributing approximately $1.5 billion to stockholders throughout the year. We repurchased approximately 209 million shares in 2018 for $1.3 billion and, in addition, the Company paid over $200 million in dividends to stockholders. Our Board of Directors recently added an additional $2 billion to our stock repurchase authorization, bringing our total authorization to $14 billion, with $3.3 billion remaining. At year-end 2018, our debt to adjusted EBITDA was 3.1 times and we had cash on hand of $54 million with undrawn revolver capacity of approximately $1.3 billion. In 2019, we will continue to use our strong capitalization and ample liquidity to invest in our business, make strategic investments and further return capital to stockholders," noted David Frear, Chief Financial Officer, SiriusXM.

ACQUISITION OF PANDORA MEDIA

On September 24, 2018, Sirius XM Holdings Inc. announced it had signed an agreement to acquire Pandora Media in an all-stock transaction. Pandora's stockholders voted in favor of the transaction at a special meeting held yesterday, January 29, 2019. SiriusXM expects the acquisition to close shortly.

"We have made significant progress in our plans to integrate Pandora into SiriusXM, and I'd like to thank Roger Lynch for his thoughtful stewardship of Pandora over the past 16 months as its CEO. Together, the SiriusXM and Pandora brands are uniquely positioned to lead a new era of audio entertainment by delivering the most compelling subscription and ad-supported audio experiences to millions of listeners -- in the car, at home and on the go. I'm incredibly excited by the opportunity that sits in front of us to build a media company that will be competitive for decades to come," said Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM.

2019 GUIDANCE

The Company's full-year 2019 guidance for self-pay net subscriber additions, revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, as issued on January 8, 2019, is reiterated as follows:

    --  SiriusXM self-pay net subscriber additions approaching 1 million,
    --  Total revenue of approximately $6.1 billion,
    --  Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $2.3 billion, and
    --  Free cash flow of approximately $1.6 billion.

The company's guidance does not give effect to the expected acquisition of Pandora Media.

CAPITAL RETURN PROGRAM

Shares of common stock may be purchased from time to time on the open market, pursuant to pre-set trading plans meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in privately negotiated transactions, including in accelerated stock repurchase transactions and transactions with Liberty Media and its affiliates, or otherwise. The Company expects to fund the repurchases through a combination of cash on hand, cash generated by operations and future borrowings. The size and timing of these purchases will be based on a number of factors, including price and business and market conditions.

The Company's dividend policy may change at any time without notice to stockholders. The declaration and payment of dividends is at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law after taking into account various factors, including the Company's financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs, limitations imposed by its indebtedness, legal requirements and other factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant.

FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL-YEAR 2018 RESULTS


                                                            
            SIRIUS XM HOLDINGS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES


                                                          
           CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME




                                                                          For the Three Months Ended                                         For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                                        December 31,                                                       December 31,



     
              (in thousands, except per share data)               2018                                         2017                      2018                     2017

                                                                                                                                                                   ---

                                                              (Unaudited)                                             (Unaudited)



     Revenue:



     Subscriber revenue                                                    $
            1,175,318                                   $
        1,147,227                          $
          4,593,803  $
         4,472,522



     Advertising revenue                                          52,092                                         42,691                               187,569                        160,347



     Equipment revenue                                            42,250                                         39,917                               154,878                        131,586



     Music royalty fee and other revenue                         226,248                                        174,063                               834,442                        660,674




     Total revenue                                             1,495,908                                      1,403,898                             5,770,692                      5,425,129



     Operating expenses:



     Cost of services:



     Revenue share and royalties                                 336,411                                        343,632                             1,393,842                      1,210,323



     Programming and content                                     102,944                                         97,995                               405,686                        388,033



     Customer service and billing                                 98,464                                         98,677                               382,537                        385,431



     Satellite and transmission                                   25,307                                         21,190                                95,773                         82,747



     Cost of equipment                                             9,425                                         10,911                                30,768                         35,448



     Subscriber acquisition costs                                118,396                                        127,295                               470,336                        499,492



     Sales and marketing                                         139,618                                        119,604                               484,044                        437,739



     Engineering, design and development                          34,086                                         31,394                               123,219                        112,427



     General and administrative                                   93,709                                         88,028                               356,819                        334,023



     Depreciation and amortization                                78,375                                         68,466                               300,720                        298,602




     Total operating expenses                                  1,036,735                                      1,007,192                             4,043,744                      3,784,265




     Income from operations                                      459,173                                        396,706                             1,726,948                      1,640,864



     Other income (expense):



     Interest expense                                           (87,149)                                      (88,735)                            (350,073)                      (345,820)



     Loss on extinguishment of debt                                    -                                                                                                         (43,679)



     Other income                                               (38,635)                                      (71,053)                               43,699                         12,844




     Total other income (expense)                              (125,784)                                     (159,788)                             (306,374)                      (376,655)




     Income before income taxes                                  333,389                                        236,918                             1,420,574                      1,264,209



     Income tax expense                                         (82,337)                                     (273,914)                             (244,681)                      (616,301)




     Net income (loss)                                                       $
            251,052                                    $
        (36,996)                         $
          1,175,893    $
         647,908




     Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax        (18,641)                                        12,120                              (28,613)                        18,546




     Total comprehensive income                                              $
            232,411                                    $
        (24,876)                         $
          1,147,280    $
         666,454




     Net income (loss) per common share:



     Basic                                                                      $
            0.06                                      $
        (0.01)                              $
          0.26       $
         0.14




     Diluted                                                                    $
            0.06                                      $
        (0.01)                              $
          0.26       $
         0.14




     Weighted average common shares outstanding:



     Basic                                                     4,401,226                                      4,570,821                             4,461,827                      4,637,553




     Diluted                                                   4,478,163                                      4,570,821                             4,560,720                      4,723,535




     Dividends declared per common share                                      $
            0.0121                                      $
        0.0110                             $
          0.0451     $
         0.0410


                                                                                                                   
              SIRIUS XM HOLDINGS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES


                                                                                                                          
              CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS




                                                                                                                                                                              
            
          As of December 31,



           
                (in thousands, except per share data)                                                                                                                2018                                    2017

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ---

                                                                                       
              
                ASSETS



           Current assets:



           Cash and cash equivalents                                                                                                                                                 $
        54,431                              $
        69,022



           Receivables, net                                                                                                                                               232,986                                   241,727



           Inventory, net                                                                                                                                                  22,198                                    20,199



           Related party current assets                                                                                                                                    10,585                                    10,284



           Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                                                                                      158,033                                   129,669




           Total current assets                                                                                                                                           478,233                                   470,901



           Property and equipment, net                                                                                                                                  1,512,865                                 1,462,766



           Intangible assets, net                                                                                                                                       2,501,361                                 2,522,846



           Goodwill                                                                                                                                                     2,289,985                                 2,286,582



           Related party long-term assets                                                                                                                                 960,316                                   962,080



           Deferred tax assets                                                                                                                                            292,703                                   505,528



           Other long-term assets                                                                                                                                         137,273                                   118,671




           Total assets                                                                                                                                                           $
        8,172,736                           $
        8,329,374



                                                                   
              
                LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' (DEFICIT) EQUITY



           Current liabilities:



           Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                                                                                                                    $
        735,079                             $
        794,341



           Accrued interest                                                                                                                                               128,204                                   137,428



           Current portion of deferred revenue                                                                                                                          1,931,613                                 1,881,825



           Current maturities of debt                                                                                                                                       3,447                                     5,105



           Related party current liabilities                                                                                                                                4,335                                     2,839




           Total current liabilities                                                                                                                                    2,802,678                                 2,821,538



           Long-term deferred revenue                                                                                                                                     148,983                                   174,579



           Long-term debt                                                                                                                                               6,884,536                                 6,741,243



           Related party long-term liabilities                                                                                                                              4,270                                     7,364



           Deferred tax liabilities                                                                                                                                        47,251                                     8,169



           Other long-term liabilities                                                                                                                                    101,939                                   100,355




           Total liabilities                                                                                                                                            9,989,657                                 9,853,248




           Stockholders' (deficit) equity:



           Common stock, par value $0.001; 9,000,000 shares authorized; 4,345,606 and                                                                                       4,346                                     4,530
      4,530,928 shares issued; 4,345,606 and 4,527,742 outstanding at December 31, 2018
      and December 31, 2017, respectively



           Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax                                                                                                      (6,193)                                   18,407



           Additional paid-in capital                                                                                                                                     242,235                                 1,713,816



           Treasury stock, at cost; 0 and 3,186 shares of common stock at December 31, 2018 and                                                                                 -                                 (17,154)
      December 31, 2017, respectively



           Accumulated deficit                                                                                                                                        (2,057,309)                               (3,243,473)




           Total stockholders' (deficit) equity                                                                                                                       (1,816,921)                               (1,523,874)




           Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficit) equity                                                                                                                   $
        8,172,736                           $
        8,329,374


                                                                                        
      SIRIUS XM HOLDINGS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES


                                                                                         
      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS




                                                                                                                                                      For the Twelve Months Ended December 31,



     
                (in thousands)                                                                                                          2018                           2017

                                                                                                                                                                          ---


     Cash flows from operating activities:



     Net income                                                                                                                                $
          1,175,893                              $
      647,908



     Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:



     Depreciation and amortization                                                                                                     300,720                                      298,602



     Non-cash interest expense, net of amortization of premium                                                                           9,297                                        9,050



     Provision for doubtful accounts                                                                                                    50,824                                       55,715



     Amortization of deferred income related to equity method investment                                                               (2,776)                                     (2,776)



     Loss on extinguishment of debt                                                                                                          -                                      43,679



     Loss (gain) on unconsolidated entity investments, net                                                                              10,479                                      (4,561)



     Gain on fair value instrument                                                                                                    (42,617)                                       (472)



     Dividend received from unconsolidated entity investment                                                                             2,128                                        3,606



     Share-based payment expense                                                                                                       133,175                                      124,069



     Deferred income taxes                                                                                                             256,575                                      583,520



     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:



     Receivables                                                                                                                      (42,083)                                    (73,777)



     Inventory                                                                                                                         (1,999)                                       1,874



     Related party, net                                                                                                                  1,046                                      (1,738)



     Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                                                        (20,189)                                      50,194



     Other long-term assets                                                                                                             10,385                                        7,333



     Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                                                                            (20,086)                                      41,367



     Accrued interest                                                                                                                  (9,224)                                      22,795



     Deferred revenue                                                                                                                   70,002                                       41,894



     Other long-term liabilities                                                                                                       (1,132)                                       7,307




     Net cash provided by operating activities                                                                                       1,880,418                                    1,855,589



     Cash flows from investing activities:



     Additions to property and equipment                                                                                             (355,703)                                   (287,970)



     Purchases of other investments                                                                                                    (7,605)                                     (7,847)



     Acquisitions, net of cash acquired                                                                                                (2,377)                                   (107,273)



     Investments in related parties and other equity investees                                                                        (16,833)                                   (612,465)



     Repayment from (loan to) related party                                                                                              3,242                                    (130,794)



     Net cash used in investing activities                                                                                           (379,276)                                 (1,146,349)



     Cash flows from financing activities:



     Proceeds from exercise of stock options                                                                                                 7                                          774



     Taxes paid in lieu of shares issued for stock-based compensation                                                                (119,625)                                    (92,619)



     Revolving credit facility, net of deferred financing costs                                                                        136,190                                     (90,000)



     Proceeds from long-term borrowings, net of costs                                                                                        -                                   2,473,071



     Principal payments of long-term borrowings                                                                                       (15,998)                                 (1,512,578)



     Payment of premiums on redemption of debt                                                                                               -                                    (33,065)



     Common stock repurchased and retired                                                                                          (1,314,286)                                  (1,409,035)



     Dividends paid                                                                                                                  (201,434)                                   (190,242)




     Net cash used in financing activities                                                                                         (1,515,146)                                    (853,694)




     Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                                                                       (14,004)                                   (144,454)



     Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period                                                                  79,374                                      223,828




     Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period(1)                                                                               $
          65,370                               $
      79,374


              (1)              The following table reconciles
                                  cash, cash equivalents and
                                  restricted cash per the
                                  statement of cash flows to
                                  the balance sheet. The
                                  restricted cash balances are
                                  primarily due to letters of
                                  credit which have been issued
                                  to the landlords of leased
                                  office space. The terms of
                                  the letters of credit
                                  primarily extend beyond one
                                  year.


                                                                            December 31, 2018                  December 31, 2017           December 31, 2016




     Cash and cash equivalents                                                               $
     54,431                          $
     69,022                   $
     213,939



     Restricted cash included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets               150              244



     Restricted cash included in Other long-term assets                               10,789           10,108                                    9,889




     Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period                       $
     65,370                          $
     79,374                   $
     223,828

Key Financial and Operating Performance Metrics

Subscribers and subscription related revenues and expenses associated with our connected vehicle services and Sirius XM Canada are not included in our subscriber count or subscriber-based operating metrics.

Set forth below are our subscriber balances as of December 31, 2018 compared to December 31, 2017:


                                          As of December 31,          2018 vs 2017 Change



     
                (in thousands)    2018      2017            Amount                         %




     Self-pay subscribers         28,915               27,513                            1,402    5

                                                                                                %



     Paid promotional subscribers  5,124                5,223                             (99) (2)

                                                                                                %




     Ending subscribers           34,039               32,736                            1,303    4

                                                                                                %

The following table contains our Non-GAAP financial and operating performance measures which are based on our adjusted results of operations for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The ARPU and SAC, per installation, metrics have been reduced due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue - Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and related amendments, which established Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606 (the "new revenue standard") as of January 1, 2018. For the three months ended December 31, 2018 the ARPU and SAC, per installation, metrics have been reduced by $0.22 and $0.22, respectively. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018 the ARPU and SAC, per installation, metrics have been reduced by $0.24 and $0.26, respectively. For more information regarding the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on these metrics, refer to the glossary below.


                                                                                                                                                                                                             
     
           2018 vs 2017 Change



              
                (in thousands, except per                                          For the Three Months                                        For the Twelve Months                                 Three Months                                           12 Months
    subscriber and per installation                                                 Ended December 31,                                           Ended December 31,
    amounts)


                        
              
                2018                       2017                                            2018           2017                                   Amount                  %                       Amount                             %

                                     ---


              Self-pay subscribers                                         414                                               527                         1,402                                        1,562                                     (113)                               (21)                           (160)           (10)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                                              %



              Paid promotional subscribers                                (68)                                               42                          (99)                                       (172)                                    (110)                                262
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   %
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                              73              42



              Net additions                                                346                                               569                         1,303                                        1,390                                     (223)                               (39)                            (87)            (6)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                                              %



               Daily weighted average number of subscribers              33,799                                            32,309                        33,345                                       31,866                                     1,490                                   5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   %
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                           1,479               5



              Average self-pay monthly churn                     1.8
            %                                    1.8
            %                1.7
            %                                1.8
           %                                                 %                                %                    (0.1)            (6)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   %



              New vehicle consumer conversion rate                38
            %                                     39
            %                 39
            %                                 40
           %                                (1)
        %                                (3)                      (1)
         %            (3)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                                              %





              ARPU                                                               $
              13.64                                 $
        13.43                                            $
             13.34                                               $
          13.25                          $
         0.21                   2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             %
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          %                 $
          0.09      1



              SAC, per installation                                              $
              23.37                                 $
        28.07                                            $
             25.66                                               $
          29.53                        $
         (4.70)               (17)               $
          (3.87)  (13)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          %                                  %


               Customer service and billing expenses, per average                  $
              0.90                                  $
        0.95                                             $
             0.88                                                $
          0.94                        $
         (0.05)                (5)               $
          (0.06)   (6)
                subscriber
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          %                                  %



              Adjusted EBITDA                                                  $
              575,841                               $
        541,566                                         $
            2,240,396                                            $
         2,115,886                        $
         34,275                   6
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             %
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          %              $
          124,510      6



              Free cash flow                                                   $
              416,833                               $
        460,320                                         $
            1,517,110                                            $
         1,559,772                      $
         (43,487)                (9)             $
          (42,662)   (3)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          %                                  %


               Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding     4,478,163                                         4,570,821                     4,560,720                                    4,723,535                                  (92,658)                                (2)                       (162,815)            (3)
                (GAAP)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    %                                              %

Glossary

Adjusted EBITDA - EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization. We adjust EBITDA to exclude the impact of other income as well as certain other charges discussed below. Adjusted EBITDA is a Non-GAAP financial measure that excludes (if applicable): (i) certain adjustments as a result of the purchase price accounting for the XM Merger, (ii) share-based payment expense and (iii) other significant operating expense (income) that do not relate to the on-going performance of our business. We believe adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure of the underlying trend of our operating performance, which provides useful information about our business apart from the costs associated with our capital structure and purchase price accounting. We believe investors find this Non-GAAP financial measure useful when analyzing our past operating performance with our current performance and comparing our operating performance to the performance of other communications, entertainment and media companies. We believe investors use adjusted EBITDA to estimate our current enterprise value and to make investment decisions. As a result of large capital investments in our satellite radio system, our results of operations reflect significant charges for depreciation expense. We believe the exclusion of share-based payment expense is useful as it is not directly related to the operational conditions of our business. We also believe the exclusion of the legal settlements and reserves related to the historical use of sound recordings, acquisition related costs and loss on extinguishment of debt, to the extent they occur during the period, is useful as they are significant expenses not incurred as part of our normal operations for the period.

Adjusted EBITDA has certain limitations in that it does not take into account the impact to our statements of comprehensive income of certain expenses, including share-based payment expense and certain purchase price accounting for the XM Merger. We endeavor to compensate for the limitations of the Non-GAAP measure presented by also providing the comparable GAAP measure with equal or greater prominence and descriptions of the reconciling items, including quantifying such items, to derive the Non-GAAP measure. Investors that wish to compare and evaluate our operating results after giving effect for these costs, should refer to net income as disclosed in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Since adjusted EBITDA is a Non-GAAP financial performance measure, our calculation of adjusted EBITDA may be susceptible to varying calculations; may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies; and should not be considered in isolation, as a substitute for, or superior to measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The reconciliation of net income to the adjusted EBITDA is calculated as follows:


                                                                              For the Three Months Ended                      For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                                          December 31,                                    December 31,



     
                (in thousands)                                 2018                         2017             2018                                 2017

                                                                                                                                                      ---


     Net income (loss):                                               $
          251,052                               $
      (36,996)                         $
      1,175,893    $
      647,908



     Add back items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA:



     Purchase price accounting adjustments:



     Revenues                                                   1,813                                    1,813                          7,251                      7,251



     Sound recording legal settlements and reserves                 -                                  45,100                         69,144                     45,100



     Acquisition related costs                                  3,158                                                                  3,158



     Share-based payment expense (1)                           33,322                                   29,481                        133,175                    124,069



     Depreciation and amortization                             78,375                                   68,466                        300,720                    298,602



     Interest expense                                          87,149                                   88,735                        350,073                    345,820



     Loss on extinguishment of debt                                 -                                                                                          43,679



     Other (income) expense                                    38,635                                   71,053                       (43,699)                  (12,844)



     Income tax expense                                        82,337                                  273,914                        244,681                    616,301




     Adjusted EBITDA                                                  $
          575,841                                $
      541,566                          $
      2,240,396  $
      2,115,886






     (1)            Allocation of share-based payment expense:


                                                     For the Three Months Ended December 31,                       For the Twelve Months Ended December 31,



     
                (in thousands)           2018                     2017                    2018                        2017




     Programming and content                     $
       6,979                                       $
      6,076                                   $
              27,800   $
      27,047



     Customer service and billing         1,211                                1,018                         4,558                                          4,229



     Satellite and transmission           1,129                                1,232                         4,844                                          4,772



     Sales and marketing                  7,077                                5,214                        25,199                                         25,177



     Engineering, design and development  4,201                                4,049                        17,244                                         15,510



     General and administrative          12,725                               11,892                        53,530                                         47,334



     Total share-based payment expense          $
       33,322                                      $
      29,481                                  $
              133,175  $
      124,069

ARPU - is derived from total earned subscriber revenue, advertising revenue and other subscription-related revenue, excluding revenue associated with our connected vehicle services, divided by the number of months in the period, divided by the daily weighted average number of subscribers for the period. Other subscription-related revenue includes the U.S. Music Royalty Fee. The ARPU for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 reflects adjustments as a result of adopting the new revenue standard as of January 1, 2018. ARPU is calculated as follows:


                                                                                           For the Three Months Ended                    For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                                                     December 31,                               December 31,



            
                (in thousands, except per subscriber amounts)    2018                                    2017              2018                            2017




            Subscriber revenue, excluding connected vehicle                    $
             1,145,137                      $
         1,124,883                                $
        4,482,382  $
        4,388,676
    services



            Add: advertising revenue                                    52,092                                    42,691                     187,569                              160,347



            Add: other subscription-related revenue                    186,015                                   133,979                     669,563                              518,457



                                                                                $
             1,383,244                      $
         1,301,553                                $
        5,339,514  $
        5,067,480




            Daily weighted average number of subscribers                33,799                                    32,309                      33,345                               31,866




            ARPU                                                                  $
              13.64                         $
          13.43                                   $
         13.34     $
         13.25

The table below illustrates the impact that the adoption of the new revenue standard has had on ARPU for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018.


                                                                                                       For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018                                                        For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2018



            
                (in thousands, except per subscriber                   As Reported                                           Impact of                           Balances Without         As Reported                                          Impact of                         Balances Without
    amounts)                                                                                                              Adopting                         Adoption of ASU                                                Adopting                             Adoption of ASU
                                                                                                                        ASU 2014-09                            2014-09                                                  ASU 2014-09                                2014-09

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ---

             Subscriber revenue, excluding connected vehicle services                        $
        1,145,137                                                       $
           22,485            $
          1,167,622                                                                         $
             4,482,382           $
       94,767 $
        4,577,149



            Add: advertising revenue                                                 52,092                                                                                          52,092            187,569                                                                                              187,569



            Add: other subscription-related revenue                                 186,015                                                                                         186,015            669,563                                                                                              669,563



                                                                                             $
        1,383,244                                                       $
           22,485            $
          1,405,729                                                                         $
             5,339,514           $
       94,767 $
        5,434,281




            Daily weighted average number of subscribers                             33,799                                                        33,799                             33,799             33,345                                                                 33,345                         33,345




            ARPU                                                                               $
         13.64                                                         $
           0.22               $
           13.86                                                                            $
              13.34             $
       0.24    $
         13.58






            (a)            Amounts may not recalculate as a result of rounding.

Average self-pay monthly churn - is defined as the monthly average of self-pay deactivations for the period divided by the average number of self-pay subscribers for the period.

Customer service and billing expenses, per average subscriber - is derived from total customer service and billing expenses, excluding connected vehicle customer service and billing expenses and share-based payment expense, divided by the number of months in the period, divided by the daily weighted average number of subscribers for the period. We believe the exclusion of share-based payment expense in our calculation of customer service and billing expenses, per average subscriber, is useful as share-based payment expense is not directly related to the operational conditions that give rise to variations in the components of our customer service and billing expenses. Customer service and billing expenses, per average subscriber, is calculated as follows:


                                                                                             For the Three Months Ended                             For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                                                   December 31,                                     December 31,



              
                (in thousands, except per subscriber amounts)    2018                            2017             2018                             2017




              Customer service and billing expenses, excluding                   $
              92,571                               $
              93,034                           $
          357,997  $
        365,005
    connected vehicle services



              Less: share-based payment expense                          (1,211)                                    (1,018)                             (4,558)                      (4,229)


                                                                                  $
              91,360                               $
              92,016                           $
          353,439  $
        360,776




              Daily weighted average number of subscribers                33,799                                      32,309                               33,345                        31,866




              Customer service and billing expenses, per average                   $
              0.90                                 $
              0.95                              $
          0.88     $
        0.94
    subscriber

Free cash flow - is derived from cash flow provided by operating activities, net of additions to property and equipment and purchases of other investments. Free cash flow is a metric that our management and board of directors use to evaluate the cash generated by our operations, net of capital expenditures and other investment activity. In a capital intensive business, with significant investments in satellites, we look at our operating cash flow, net of these investing cash outflows, to determine cash available for future subscriber acquisition and capital expenditures, to repurchase or retire debt, to acquire other companies and to evaluate our ability to return capital to stockholders. We exclude from free cash flow certain items that do not relate to the on-going performance of our business, such as cash outflows for acquisitions, strategic investments, and net loan activity with related parties and other equity investees. We believe free cash flow is an indicator of the long-term financial stability of our business. Free cash flow, which is reconciled to "Net cash provided by operating activities," is a Non-GAAP financial measure. This measure can be calculated by deducting amounts under the captions "Additions to property and equipment" and deducting or adding Restricted and other investment activity from "Net cash provided by operating activities" from the consolidated statements of cash flows. Free cash flow should be used in conjunction with other GAAP financial performance measures and may not be comparable to free cash flow measures presented by other companies. Free cash flow should be viewed as a supplemental measure rather than an alternative measure of cash flows from operating activities, as determined in accordance with GAAP. Free cash flow is limited and does not represent remaining cash flows available for discretionary expenditures due to the fact that the measure does not deduct the payments required for debt maturities. We believe free cash flow provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our current cash flow, along with other GAAP measures (such as cash flows from operating and investing activities), to determine our financial condition, and to compare our operating performance to other communications, entertainment and media companies. Free cash flow is calculated as follows:


                                                                    For the Three Months Ended                    For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                               December 31,                                   December 31,



     
                (in thousands)                    2018                                       2017                       2018               2017




     
                Cash Flow information



     Net cash provided by operating activities             $
            534,032                            $
        541,825                                 $
         1,880,418      $
          1,855,589



     Net cash used in investing activities               $
            (128,012)                          $
        (81,687)                                $
         (379,276)   $
          (1,146,349)



     Net cash used in financing activities               $
            (397,633)                         $
        (464,591)                              $
         (1,515,146)     $
          (853,694)



     
                Free Cash Flow



     Net cash provided by operating activities             $
            534,032                            $
        541,825                                 $
         1,880,418      $
          1,855,589



     Additions to property and equipment       (116,968)                                    (81,253)                   (355,703)                            (287,970)



     Purchases of other investments                (231)                                       (252)                     (7,605)                             (7,847)



     Free cash flow                                        $
            416,833                            $
        460,320                                 $
         1,517,110      $
          1,559,772

New vehicle consumer conversion rate - is defined as the percentage of owners and lessees of new vehicles that receive our satellite radio service and convert to become self-paying subscribers after the initial promotion period. At the time satellite radio enabled vehicles are sold or leased, the owners or lessees generally receive trial subscriptions ranging from three to twelve months. We measure conversion rate three months after the period in which the promotional period ends. The metric excludes rental and fleet vehicles.

Subscriber acquisition cost, per installation - or SAC, per installation, is derived from subscriber acquisition costs and margins from the sale of radios, components and accessories (excluding connected vehicle services), divided by the number of satellite radio installations in new vehicles and shipments of aftermarket radios for the period. The SAC, per installation, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018 reflects adjustments as a result of adopting the new revenue standard as of January 1, 2018. SAC, per installation, is calculated as follows:


                                                                                              For the Three Months Ended                       For the Twelve Months Ended
                                                                                          December 31,                                     December 31,



              
                (in thousands, except per installation amounts)     2018                           2017             2018                       2017




              Subscriber acquisition costs, excluding connected                     $
            118,396                               $
       127,306                          $
         470,336  $
       499,492
    vehicle services



              Less: margin from sales of radios and accessories,           (33,263)                                  (29,217)                     (122,347)                    (96,110)
    excluding connected vehicle services


                                                                                      $
            85,133                                $
       98,089                          $
         347,989  $
       403,382




              Installations                                                   3,643                                      3,495                         13,563                      13,662




              SAC, per installation                                                   $
            23.37                                 $
       28.07                            $
         25.66    $
       29.53

The table below illustrates the impact that the adoption of the new revenue standard has had on SAC, per installation, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018.


                                                                                                        For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018                                                     For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2018



              
                (in thousands, except per installation                 As Reported                                        Impact of                            Balances Without    As Reported                                        Impact of                 Balances Without
    amounts)                                                                                                            Adopting                           Adoption of ASU                                              Adopting                            Adoption of ASU
                                                                                                                       ASU 2014-09                             2014-09                                                ASU 2014-09                               2014-09

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ---


              Subscriber acquisition costs,                                                   $
       118,396                                                          $
           792                                              $
              119,188                                                 $
       470,336                $
      3,540 $
       473,876
    excluding connected vehicle
    services



              Less: margin from sales of radios                                      (33,263)                                                                                      (33,263)                                           (122,347)                                                                (122,347)
    and accessories, excluding
    connected vehicle services


                                                                                                $
       85,133                                                          $
           792                                               $
              85,925                                                 $
       347,989                $
      3,540 $
       351,529




              Installations                                                             3,643                                                       3,643                               3,643                                               13,563                                         13,563                      13,563




              SAC, per installation                                                             $
       23.37                                                         $
           0.22                                                $
              23.59                                                   $
       25.66                 $
      0.26   $
       25.92






              (a)            Amounts may not recalculate as a result of rounding.

About SiriusXM

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the world's largest radio company measured by revenue and has approximately 34.0 million subscribers. SiriusXM creates and offers commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; exclusive talk and entertainment, and a wide-range of Latin music, sports and talk programming. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company and on smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at siriusxm.com. SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. SiriusXM also provides premium traffic, weather, data and information services for subscribers through SiriusXM Traffic(TM), SiriusXM Travel Link, NavTraffic®, NavWeather(TM). SiriusXM delivers weather, data and information services to aircraft and boats through SiriusXM Aviation(TM) and SiriusXM Marine(TM). In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides commercial-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM holds a minority interest in SiriusXM Canada which has approximately 2.6 million subscribers. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.

To download SiriusXM logos and artwork, visit http://www.siriusxm.com/LogosAndPhotos.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimated," "believe," "intend," "plan," "projection," "outlook" or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: our substantial competition, which is likely to increase over time; our ability to attract and retain subscribers, which is uncertain; interference to our service from wireless operations; consumer protection laws and their enforcement; unfavorable outcomes of pending or future litigation; the market for music rights, which is changing and subject to uncertainties; our dependence upon the auto industry; general economic conditions; the security of the personal information about our customers; existing or future government laws and regulations could harm our business; failure of our satellites would significantly damage our business; the interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems; our failure to realize benefits of acquisitions or other strategic initiatives; rapid technological and industry changes; failure of third parties to perform; our failure to comply with FCC requirements; modifications to our business plan; our indebtedness; our principal stockholder has significant influence over our affairs and over actions requiring stockholder approval and its interests may differ from interests of other holders of our common stock; impairment of our business by third-party intellectual property rights; and changes to our dividend policies which could occur at any time. Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site ( http://www.sec.gov ). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

Source: SiriusXM

Contact for SiriusXM:

Hooper Stevens
212-901-6718
Hooper.stevens@siriusxm.com

Patrick Reilly
212-901-6646
patrick.reilly@siriusxm.com

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SOURCE Sirius XM Holdings Inc.