Charter Communications Value Stock - Dividend - Research Selection

We are the second largest cable operator in the United States and a leading broadband communications services company providing video, Internet and voice services to approximately 26.2 million residential and business customers at December 31, 2016. In addition, we sell video and online advertising inventory to local, regional and national advertising customers and fiber-delivered communications and managed information technology (“IT”) solutions to larger enterprise customers. We also own and operate regional sports networks and local sports, news and lifestyle channels and sell security and home management services to the residential marketplace.

Our core strategy is to deliver high quality products at competitive prices, combined with outstanding service. This strategy, combined with simple, easy to understand pricing and packaging, is central to our goal of growing our customer base while also selling more individual services to each customer.  We expect to execute this strategy by managing our operations in a consumer-friendly, efficient and cost effective manner. Our operating strategy includes insourcing much of our customer care and field operations workforce which results in higher quality service transactions. While an insourced operating model can increase field operations and customer care costs associated with each service transaction, the higher quality nature of each service transaction significantly reduces the volume of service transactions per customer, more than offsetting the higher investment made in each service transaction. As we reduce the number of service transactions and recurring costs per customer relationship, we effectively pass those savings on to customers in the form of products and prices, that we believe are more cost effective than what our competitors offer. The combination of offering competitively priced products and high quality service, allows us to increase the number of customer relationships over a fixed network and products sold per relationship, while at the same time reducing the number of service transactions per relationship, improving customer satisfaction and reducing churn, which results in lower costs to acquire and serve customers.  Ultimately, this operating strategy enables us to offer high quality, competitively priced services profitably, while continuing to invest in new products and services.

Our principal executive offices are located at 400 Atlantic Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06901. Our telephone number is (203) 905-7800, and we have a website accessible at www.charter.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments thereto, are available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been filed. The information posted on our website is not incorporated into this annual report.

On May 18, 2016, the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Mergers dated as of May 23, 2015 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Legacy TWC, Legacy Charter, CCH I, LLC, previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Legacy Charter (“New Charter”) and certain other subsidiaries of New Charter were completed. As a result of the TWC Transaction, New Charter became the new public parent company that holds the operations of the combined companies and was renamed Charter Communications, Inc.

Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, upon consummation of the TWC Transaction, 285 million outstanding shares of Legacy TWC common stock were converted into 143 million shares of Charter Class A common stock valued at approximately $32 billion as of the date of acquisition. In addition, Legacy TWC shareholders (excluding Liberty Broadband Corporation (“Liberty Broadband”) and Liberty Interactive Corporation (“Liberty Interactive”)) received approximately $28 billion in cash.

As of the date of completion of the Transactions, the total value of the TWC Transaction was approximately $85 billion, including cash, equity and Legacy TWC assumed debt. The purchase price also includes an estimated pre-combination vesting period fair value of $514 million for Legacy TWC equity awards converted into Charter awards upon closing of the TWC Transaction (“Converted TWC Awards”) and $69 million of cash paid to former Legacy TWC employees and non-employee directors who held equity awards, whether vested or not vested.

Also, on May 18, 2016, Legacy Charter and Advance/Newhouse Partnership (“A/N”), the former parent of Legacy Bright House, completed their previously announced transaction, pursuant to a definitive Contribution Agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”), under which Charter acquired Bright House. Pursuant to the Bright House Transaction, Charter became the owner of the membership interests in Bright House and the other assets primarily related to Bright House (other than certain excluded assets and liabilities and non-operating cash). As of the date of acquisition, the purchase price totaled approximately $12.2 billion consisting of (a) $2 billion in cash, (b) 25 million convertible preferred units of Charter Communications Holdings, LLC ("Charter Holdings") with a face amount of $2.5 billion that pay a 6% annual preferential dividend, (c) approximately 31.0 million common units of Charter Holdings that are exchangeable into Charter Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis and (d) one share of Charter Class B common stock.

In connection with the TWC Transaction, Legacy Charter and Liberty Broadband completed their previously announced transactions pursuant to their investment agreement, in which Liberty Broadband purchased for cash approximately 22.0 million shares of Charter Class A common stock valued at $4.3 billion at the closing of the TWC Transaction to partially finance the cash portion of the TWC Transaction consideration. In connection with the Bright House Transaction, Liberty Broadband purchased approximately 3.7 million shares of Charter Class A common stock valued at $700 million at the closing of the Bright House Transaction. See Note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” for more information on the Transactions.

We offer our customers subscription-based video services, including video on demand (“VOD”), high definition (“HD”) television, and digital video recorder (“DVR”) service), Internet services and voice services. As of December 31, 2016, 70% of our footprint was all-digital enabling us to offer more HD channels, faster Internet speeds and better video picture quality and we intend to transition the remaining portions of our Legacy TWC and Legacy Bright House footprints. Our video, Internet, and voice services are offered to residential and commercial customers on a subscription basis, with prices and related charges based on the types of service selected, whether the services are sold as a “bundle” or on an individual basis, and the equipment necessary to receive our services. Bundled services are available to approximately 99% of our passings, and approximately 61% of our customers subscribe to a bundle of services.

Source: www.sec.gov