Liberty Global Ltd. (LBTYA) FY 2022 MD&A

Item 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis, which should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, is intended to assist in providing an understanding of our results of operations and financial condition and is organized as follows:

•Overview. This section provides a general description of our business and recent events.

•Results of Operations. This section provides an analysis of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.

•Liquidity and Capital Resources. This section provides an analysis of our corporate and subsidiary liquidity and consolidated statements of cash flows.

•Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates. This section discusses those material accounting policies that involve uncertainties and require significant judgment in their application.

•Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk. This section provides discussion and analysis of the foreign currency, interest rate and other market risk that our company faces.

Included below is an analysis of our results of operations and cash flows for 2022, as compared to 2021. An analysis of our results of operations and cash flows for 2021, as compared to 2020, can be found under Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2021 (our 2021 10-K), which is available through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.

Unless otherwise indicated, convenience translations into U.S. dollars are calculated, and operational data is presented, as of December 31, 2022.

Overview

General

We are an international provider of broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony and mobile communications services to residential customers and businesses in Europe. Our operations comprise businesses that provide residential and B2B communications services in (i) Switzerland and Slovakia through UPC Holding, (ii) Belgium through Telenet and (iii) Ireland through VM Ireland. In addition, we own 50% noncontrolling interests in (a) the VMO2 JV, which provides residential and B2B communications services in the U.K., and (b) the VodafoneZiggo JV, which provides residential and B2B communications services in the Netherlands.

Through March 31, 2022, we provided residential and B2B communications services in Poland through UPC Holding. On April 1, 2022, we completed the sale of our operations in Poland. Accordingly, our operations in Poland are reflected as discontinued operations for all applicable periods. In the following discussion and analysis, the operating statistics, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition that we present and discuss are those of our continuing operations, unless otherwise indicated. For additional information regarding the sale of UPC Poland, including with respect to our use of proceeds, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Through May 31, 2021, our consolidated operations also provided residential and B2B communications services in the U.K. through Virgin Media. On June 1, 2021, we contributed the U.K. JV Entities to the VMO2 JV and began accounting for our 50% interest in the VMO2 JV as an equity method investment. For additional information, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Operations

Our company delivers market-leading products through next-generation networks that connect our customers to broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony and mobile services. At December 31, 2022, our continuing operations owned and operated networks that passed 7,553,400 homes and served 4,083,200 fixed-line customers and 5,850,300 mobile subscribers.

Broadband internet services. We offer multiple tiers of broadband internet service up to Gigabit speeds depending on location. We continue to invest in new technologies that allow us to increase the internet speeds we offer to our customers.

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Video services. We provide video services, including various enhanced products that enable our customers to control when they watch their programming. These products range from digital video recorders to multimedia home gateway systems capable of distributing video, voice and data content throughout the home and to multiple devices.

Fixed-line telephony services. We offer fixed-line telephony services via either voice-over-internet-protocol or “VoIP” technology or circuit-switched telephony, depending on location.

Mobile services. We offer voice and data mobile services, either over our own networks or as an MVNO over third-party networks, depending on location. In addition, we generate revenue from the sale of mobile handsets.

B2B services. Our B2B services include voice, broadband internet, data, video, wireless and cloud services.

Other. We also have significant investments in ITV, Televisa Univision, Lacework, Plume, the AtlasEdge JV, All3Media, EdgeConneX, Lionsgate, the Formula E racing series and several regional sports networks. The investments identified by company name above are intended to be merely illustrative, do not represent a complete list and are not necessarily the largest of our long-term investments. From time to time, we may make investments in other companies that we choose not to identify by company name for commercial, legal, strategic or other reasons.

For additional information regarding the details of our products and services, see Item 1. Business included in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Strategy and Management Focus

From a strategic perspective, we are seeking to build national fixed-mobile converged communications businesses that have strong prospects for future growth. As discussed further under Liquidity and Capital Resources — Capitalization below, we also seek to maintain our debt at levels that provide for attractive equity returns without assuming undue risk.

We strive to achieve organic revenue and customer growth in our operations by developing and marketing bundled entertainment and information and communications services, and extending and upgrading the quality of our networks where appropriate. As we use the term, organic growth excludes foreign currency translation effects (FX) and the estimated impact of acquisitions and dispositions. While we seek to increase our customer base, we also seek to maximize the average revenue we receive from each household by increasing the penetration of our broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony and mobile services with existing customers through product bundling and upselling.

Impact of COVID-19

The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the economies of the countries in which we operate. However, during 2022, the impact on our company continued to be relatively minimal as demand for our products and services remained strong. It is not currently possible to estimate the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic or the adverse economic impact resulting from the preventative measures taken to contain or mitigate its outbreak, therefore no assurance can be given that an extended period of global economic disruption would not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations in future periods.

Competition and Other External Factors

We are experiencing competition in all of the markets in which we or our affiliates operate. This competition, together with macroeconomic and regulatory factors, has adversely impacted our revenue, number of customers and/or average monthly subscription revenue per fixed-line customer or mobile subscriber, as applicable (ARPU). For additional information regarding the competition we face, see Item 1. Business — Competition and — Regulatory Matters included in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information regarding the revenue impact of changes in the fixed-line customers and ARPU of our consolidated reportable segments, see Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments below.

For information regarding certain other regulatory developments that could adversely impact our results of operations in future periods, see Legal and Regulatory Proceedings and Other Contingencies in note 18 to our consolidated financial statements.

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Results of Operations

We have completed a number of transactions that impact the comparability of our 2022 and 2021 results of operations, the most notable of which are (i) the U.K. JV Transaction on June 1, 2021, (ii) the sale of UPC Poland on April 1, 2022 and (iii) the Telenet Tower Sale on June 1, 2022. For further information regarding our acquisitions and dispositions, see notes 5 and 6, respectively, to our consolidated financial statements.

In the following discussion, we quantify the estimated impact of material acquisitions (the Acquisition Impact) and dispositions on our operating results. The Acquisition Impact represents our estimate of the difference between the operating results of the periods under comparison that is attributable to an acquisition. In general, we base our estimate of the Acquisition Impact on an acquired entity’s operating results during the first three to twelve months following the acquisition date, as adjusted to remove integration costs and any other material unusual or nonoperational items, such that changes from those operating results in subsequent periods are considered to be organic changes. Accordingly, in the following discussion, (i) organic variances attributed to an acquired entity during the first 12 months following the acquisition date represent differences between the Acquisition Impact and the actual results and (ii) the calculation of our organic change percentages includes the organic activity of an acquired entity relative to the Acquisition Impact of such entity. With respect to material dispositions, the organic changes that are discussed below reflect adjustments to exclude the historical prior-year results of any disposed entities to the extent that such entities are not included in the corresponding results for the current-year period.

Changes in foreign currency exchange rates have a significant impact on our reported operating results as all of our operating segments have functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Our primary exposure to FX risk during the three months ended December 31, 2022 was to the euro and Swiss franc, as 55.1% and 43.6% of our reported revenue during the period was derived from subsidiaries whose functional currencies are the euro and Swiss franc, respectively. In addition, our reported operating results are impacted by changes in the exchange rates for certain other local currencies in Europe. The portions of the changes in the various components of our results of operations that are attributable to changes in FX are highlighted under Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments and Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results below. For information regarding our foreign currency risks and the applicable foreign currency exchange rates in effect for the periods covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Currency Risk below.

The amounts presented and discussed below represent 100% of each of our consolidated reportable segment’s results of operations. As we have the ability to control Telenet, we consolidate 100% of its revenue and expenses in our consolidated statements of operations despite the fact that third parties own a significant interest. The noncontrolling owners’ interests in the operating results of Telenet and other less significant majority-owned subsidiaries are reflected in net earnings or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in our consolidated statements of operations. Similarly, despite only holding a 50% noncontrolling interest in both the VMO2 JV and the VodafoneZiggo JV, we present 100% of the revenue and Adjusted EBITDA of those entities in the tables below.

Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments

General

All of our reportable segments derive their revenue primarily from residential and B2B communications services. For detailed information regarding the composition of our reportable segments and how we define and categorize our revenue components, see note 19 to our consolidated financial statements. For additional information regarding the results of operations of the VMO2 JV and the VodafoneZiggo JV, refer to Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results — Share of results of affiliates, net below.

The tables presented below in this section provide the details of the revenue and Adjusted EBITDA of our reportable segments for 2022, as compared to 2021. These tables present (i) the amounts reported for the current and comparative periods, (ii) the reported U.S. dollar change and percentage change from period to period and (iii) with respect to our consolidated reportable segments, the organic U.S. dollar change and percentage change from period to period. For our organic comparisons, which exclude the impact of FX, we assume that exchange rates remained constant at the prior-period rate during all periods presented. We also provide a table showing the Adjusted EBITDA margins of our reportable segments for 2022 and 2021 at the end of this section.

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Most of our revenue is derived from jurisdictions that administer VAT or similar revenue-based taxes. Any increases in these taxes could have an adverse impact on our ability to maintain or increase our revenue to the extent that we are unable to pass such tax increases on to our customers. In the case of revenue-based taxes for which we are the ultimate taxpayer, we will also experience increases in our operating costs and expenses and corresponding declines in our Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margins to the extent of any such tax increases.

We pay interconnection fees to other telephony providers when calls or text messages from our subscribers terminate on another network, and we receive similar fees from such providers when calls or text messages from their customers terminate on our networks or networks that we access through MVNO or other arrangements. The amounts we charge and incur with respect to fixed-line telephony and mobile interconnection fees are subject to regulatory oversight. To the extent that regulatory authorities introduce fixed-line or mobile termination rate changes, we would experience prospective changes and, in very limited cases, we could experience retroactive changes in our interconnect revenue and/or costs. The ultimate impact of any such changes in termination rates on our Adjusted EBITDA would be dependent on the call or text messaging patterns that are subject to the changed termination rates.

We are subject to inflationary pressures with respect to certain costs and foreign currency exchange risk with respect to costs and expenses that are denominated in currencies other than the respective functional currencies of our reportable segments. Any cost increases that we are not able to pass on to our subscribers through rate increases would result in increased pressure on our operating margins. For additional information regarding our foreign currency exchange risks see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Currency Risk below.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which we believe is a meaningful measure because it represents a transparent view of our recurring operating performance that is unaffected by our capital structure and allows management to readily view operating trends from a consolidated view. Investors should view consolidated Adjusted EBITDA as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, GAAP measures of performance included in our consolidated statements of operations.

The following table provides a reconciliation of earnings (loss) from continuing operations to Adjusted EBITDA:

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Revenue of our Reportable Segments

General. While not specifically discussed in the below explanations of the changes in the revenue of our reportable segments, we are experiencing competition in all of our markets. This competition has an adverse impact on our ability to increase or maintain our total number of customers and/or our ARPU.

Variances in the subscription revenue that we receive from our customers are a function of (i) changes in the number of our fixed-line customers or mobile subscribers outstanding during the period and (ii) changes in ARPU. Changes in ARPU can be attributable to (a) changes in prices, (b) changes in bundling or promotional discounts, (c) changes in the tier of services selected, (d) variances in subscriber usage patterns and (e) the overall mix of fixed and mobile products within a segment during the period.

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N.M. — Not Meaningful.

(a)Represents the revenue of the U.K. JV Entities through the June 1, 2021 closing of the U.K. JV Transaction.

(b)The 2021 amount represents the revenue of the VMO2 JV for the period beginning June 1, 2021.

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Switzerland. The details of the decrease in Switzerland’s revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, are set forth below:

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(a)The decrease in residential fixed non-subscription revenue is primarily due to lower revenue associated with our Swiss sports channels.

(b)The increase in residential mobile subscription revenue is largely due to an increase in the average number of mobile subscribers. The increase in residential mobile non-subscription revenue is primarily attributable to an increase in revenue from handset sales.

(c)The increase in B2B non-subscription revenue is primarily due to the net effect of (i) higher revenue from wholesale services and (ii) lower revenue from telephony services.

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Belgium. The details of the decrease in Belgium’s revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, are set forth below:

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(a)The increase in residential mobile subscription revenue is primarily due to higher ARPU. The decrease in residential mobile non-subscription revenue is primarily attributable to lower interconnect revenue.

(b)The increase in B2B subscription revenue is primarily attributable to an increase in ARPU. The increase in B2B non-subscription revenue is largely due to higher revenue from wholesale services and an increase in interconnect revenue.

For information concerning certain regulatory developments that could have an adverse impact on our revenue in Belgium, see Legal and Regulatory Proceedings and Other Contingencies — Belgium Regulatory Developments in note 18 to our consolidated financial statements.

Ireland. The details of the decrease in Ireland’s revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, are set forth below:

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Programming and Other Direct Costs of Services, Other Operating Expenses and SG&A Expenses of our Consolidated Reportable Segments

For information regarding the changes in our (i) programming and other direct costs of services, (ii) other operating expenses and (iii) SG&A expenses, see Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results below.

Adjusted EBITDA of our Reportable Segments

Adjusted EBITDA is the primary measure used by our chief operating decision maker to evaluate segment operating performance. As presented below, consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which investors should view as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, GAAP measures of performance included in our consolidated statements of operations. The following table sets forth the Adjusted EBITDA of our reportable segments.

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N.M. — Not Meaningful.

(a)Represents the Adjusted EBITDA of the U.K. JV Entities through the June 1, 2021 closing of the U.K. JV Transaction.

(b)The 2021 amount represents Adjusted EBITDA of the VMO2 JV for the period beginning June 1, 2021.

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

The following table sets forth the Adjusted EBITDA margins (Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue) of each of our reportable segments:

In addition to organic changes in the revenue, operating and SG&A expenses of our reportable segments, the Adjusted EBITDA margins presented above include the impact of acquisitions, as applicable. For discussion of the factors contributing to the changes in the Adjusted EBITDA margins of our consolidated reportable segments, see the analysis of our revenue included in Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments above and the analysis of our expenses included in Discussion and

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Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results below. For discussion of the factors contributing to the changes in the Adjusted EBITDA margins of the VMO2 JV and the VodafoneZiggo JV, see Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results — Share of results of affiliates, net below.

Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results

General

For more detailed explanations of the changes in our revenue, see Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments above.

Revenue

Our revenue by major category is set forth below:

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(a)Residential fixed subscription revenue includes amounts received from subscribers for ongoing services and the recognition of deferred installation revenue over the associated contract period. Residential fixed non-subscription revenue includes, among other items, channel carriage fees, late fees and revenue from the sale of equipment.

(b)Residential subscription revenue from subscribers who purchase bundled services at a discounted rate is generally allocated proportionally to each service based on the standalone price for each individual service. As a result, changes in the standalone pricing of our fixed and mobile products or the composition of bundles can contribute to changes in our product revenue categories from period to period.

(c)Residential mobile subscription revenue includes amounts received from subscribers for ongoing services. Residential mobile non-subscription revenue includes, among other items, interconnect revenue and revenue from sales of mobile handsets and other devices. Residential mobile interconnect revenue was $140.0 million and $232.6 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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(d)B2B subscription revenue represents revenue from (i) services provided to SOHO subscribers and (ii) mobile services provided to medium and large enterprises. SOHO subscribers pay a premium price to receive expanded service levels along with broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony or mobile services that are the same or similar to the mass marketed products offered to our residential subscribers. A portion of the change in our B2B subscription revenue is attributable to the conversion of certain residential subscribers to SOHO subscribers. B2B non-subscription revenue includes (a) revenue from business broadband internet, video, fixed-line telephony and data services offered to medium and large enterprises and, fixed-line and mobile services on a wholesale basis, to other operators and (b) revenue from long-term leases of portions of our network.

(e)Other revenue includes, among other items, (i) revenue earned from the U.K. JV Services and NL JV Services, (ii) broadcasting revenue in Belgium and Ireland, (iii) revenue earned from transitional and other services provided to various third parties and (iv) revenue earned from the sale of CPE to the VodafoneZiggo JV.

Total revenue. Our consolidated revenue decreased $3,115.6 million or 30.2% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease includes a decrease of $2,736.4 million attributable to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction. On an organic basis, our consolidated revenue increased $126.3 million or 1.7%.

Residential revenue. The details of the decrease in our consolidated residential revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, are as follows (in millions):

On an organic basis, our consolidated residential fixed subscription revenue decreased $60.4 million or 1.9% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily attributable to a decrease in Switzerland.

On an organic basis, our consolidated residential fixed non-subscription revenue decreased $18.0 million or 15.1% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily due to a decrease in Switzerland.

On an organic basis, our consolidated residential mobile subscription revenue increased $63.6 million or 4.4% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily attributable to increases in Belgium and Switzerland.

On an organic basis, our consolidated residential mobile non-subscription revenue decreased $21.1 million or 3.5% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily due to a decrease in Belgium, partially offset by an increase in Switzerland.

B2B revenue. On an organic basis, our consolidated B2B subscription revenue increased $18.6 million or 3.4% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily due to an increase in Belgium.

On an organic basis, our consolidated B2B non-subscription revenue increased $68.6 million or 7.9% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily attributable to increases in Belgium and Switzerland.

Other revenue. On an organic basis, our consolidated other revenue increased $75.0 million or 8.4% during 2022, as compared to 2021, primarily attributable to an increase in Central and Other due to the net effect of (i) an increase in revenue earned from the sale of CPE to the VodafoneZiggo JV and (ii) a decrease in revenue earned from the NL JV Services.

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Programming and other direct costs of services

Programming and other direct costs of services include programming and copyright costs, interconnect and access costs, costs of mobile handsets and other devices and other direct costs related to our operations, including costs associated with our transitional service agreements. Programming and copyright costs represent a significant portion of our operating costs and are subject to rise in future periods due to various factors, including (i) higher costs associated with the expansion of our digital video content, including rights associated with ancillary product offerings and rights that provide for the broadcast of live sporting events and (ii) rate increases.

The details of our programming and other direct costs of services are as follows:

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N.M. — Not Meaningful.

(a)Represents the programming and other direct costs of the U.K. JV Entities through the June 1, 2021 closing of the U.K. JV Transaction.

Our programming and other direct costs of services decreased $931.9 million or 30.9% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease includes a decrease of $868.1 million attributable to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction. On an organic basis, our programming and other direct costs of services increased $60.0 million or 2.7%. This increase is primarily due to the net effect of the following factors:

•An increase in costs of $65.8 million in Central and Other related to the sale of CPE to the VodafoneZiggo JV;

•A decrease in programming and copyright costs of $22.3 million or 3.7%, attributable to lower costs for certain premium and/or basic content, primarily in Ireland and Switzerland;

•A decrease in interconnect and access costs of $22.3 million or 2.8%, primarily due to the net effect of (i) lower interconnect and mobile roaming costs in Switzerland and Belgium, (ii) higher leased tower costs in Switzerland and (iii) lower MVNO costs in Switzerland;

•An increase in mobile handset and other device costs of $21.9 million or 6.7%, largely due to higher sales volumes in Switzerland; and

•An increase of $8.1 million associated with the impact of the classification of costs in connection with the U.K. JV Services provided by Central and Other, which, subsequent to the completion of the U.K. JV Transaction, are classified as direct costs of services. This increase was fully offset by a corresponding decrease in various SG&A expense categories within Central and Other.

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Other operating expenses

Other operating expenses include network operations, customer operations, customer care, share-based compensation and other costs related to our operations. We do not include share-based compensation in the following discussion and analysis of the other operating expenses of our consolidated reportable segments as share-based compensation expense is not included in the performance measures of our consolidated reportable segments. Share-based compensation expense is separately discussed further below.

The details of our other operating expenses are as follows:

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N.M. — Not Meaningful.

(a)Represents the other operating expenses of the U.K. JV Entities through the June 1, 2021 closing of the U.K. JV Transaction.

Our other operating expenses (exclusive of share-based compensation expense) decreased $387.6 million or 26.4% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease includes a decrease of $405.9 million attributable to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction. On an organic basis, our other operating expenses increased $85.8 million or 7.9%. This increase is primarily due to the following factors:

•An increase in business service costs of $42.4 million or 32.5%, primarily due to (i) an increase in energy costs, primarily in Belgium, and (ii) higher consulting costs, primarily in Central and Other;

•An increase in bad debt expense of $17.6 million or 82.3%, primarily in Switzerland. This increase includes $4.5 million recognized in Switzerland associated with the sale of certain handset receivables, for which the proceeds of CHF 110.3 million ($113.7 million at the applicable rate) were received on July 1, 2022. The expense recognized during the second quarter of 2022 represents the difference between the carrying amount of the associated receivables and the amount received pursuant to the sale; and

•An increase in core network and information technology-related costs of $14.2 million or 5.7%, primarily due to (i) higher network maintenance costs, primarily due to an increase in Central and Other that was only partially offset by a decrease in Switzerland, and (ii) higher information technology-related expenses in Ireland, Central and Other and Belgium.

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SG&A expenses

SG&A expenses include human resources, information technology, general services, management, finance, legal, external sales and marketing costs, share-based compensation and other general expenses. We do not include share-based compensation in the following discussion and analysis of the SG&A expenses of our consolidated reportable segments as share-based compensation expense is not included in the performance measures of our consolidated reportable segments. Share-based compensation expense is separately discussed further below.

The details of our SG&A expenses are as follows:

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N.M. — Not Meaningful.

(a)Represents the SG&A expenses the U.K. JV Entities through the June 1, 2021 closing of the U.K. JV Transaction.

Supplemental SG&A expense information

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(a)General and administrative expenses include all personnel-related costs within our SG&A expenses, including personnel-related costs associated with our sales and marketing function.

Our SG&A expenses (exclusive of share-based compensation expense) decreased $428.4 million or 23.0% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease includes a decrease of $377.1 million attributable to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction. On an organic basis, our SG&A expenses increased $32.7 million or 2.2%. This increase is primarily due to the following factors:

•An increase in business service costs of $27.2 million or 15.7%, primarily due to higher (i) travel and entertainment costs in Central and Other, (ii) energy costs in Central and Other and Belgium, (iii) facility management costs in Belgium and Central and Other and (iv) consulting costs, as a decrease in Switzerland was more than offset by increases in Belgium and Central and Other; and

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•An increase in external sales and marketing costs of $14.8 million or 4.4%, primarily due to higher costs associated with advertising campaigns in Switzerland.

Share-based compensation expense

Our share-based compensation expense primarily relates to the share-based incentive awards issued by Liberty Global to its employees and employees of its subsidiaries. A summary of our aggregate share-based compensation expense is set forth below:

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(a)In April 2021, with respect to 2014 and 2015 grants, the compensation committee of our board of directors approved the extension dates of outstanding SARs and director options from a seven-year term to a ten-year term. Accordingly, the Black-Scholes fair values of the respective outstanding awards increased, resulting in the recognition of an aggregate incremental share-based compensation expense of $22.7 million during 2021.

(b)Includes share-based compensation expense related to (i) our 2019 Challenge Performance Awards and (ii) in the 2021 period, PSUs and our 2019 CEO Performance Award.

(c)Represents annual incentive compensation and defined contribution plan liabilities that have been or are expected to be settled with Liberty Global ordinary shares. In the case of the annual incentive compensation, shares have been or will be issued to senior management and key employees pursuant to a shareholding incentive program. The shareholding incentive program allows these employees to elect to receive up to 100% of their annual incentive compensation in ordinary shares of Liberty Global in lieu of cash. In addition, amounts include compensation expense related to the 2022 and 2021 Ventures Incentive Plans.

(d)Represents the share-based compensation expense associated with Telenet’s share-based incentive awards, which, at December 31, 2022, included performance- and non-performance-based stock option awards with respect to 3,519,920 Telenet shares. These stock option awards had a weighted average exercise price of €31.43 ($33.66).

For additional information concerning our share-based compensation, see note 15 to our consolidated financial statements.

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Depreciation and amortization expense

Our depreciation and amortization expense was $2,171.4 million and $2,353.7 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively. Excluding the effects of FX, depreciation and amortization expense decreased $6.3 million or 0.3% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease is primarily due to the net effect of (i) a decrease associated with certain assets becoming fully depreciated, primarily in Central and Other, Switzerland and Belgium and (ii) an increase associated with property and equipment additions related to the installation of CPE, the expansion and upgrade of our networks and other capital initiatives, primarily in Central and Other, Switzerland and Belgium.

Impairment, restructuring and other operating items, net

We recognized impairment, restructuring and other operating items, net, of $85.1 million during 2022, as compared to ($19.0 million) during 2021.

The 2022 amount primarily includes (i) a $39.6 million provision in Central and Other related to a legal contingency, (ii) abandoned lease expense of $20.2 million, primarily in Switzerland, and (iii) direct acquisition and disposition costs of $19.4 million, primarily in Belgium.

The 2021 amount primarily includes (i) a $108.6 million gain related to the settlement of certain litigation in Switzerland, (ii) restructuring charges of $58.2 million, including $53.7 million of employee severance and termination costs related to certain reorganization activities, primarily in Switzerland, and (iii) direct acquisition and disposition costs of $53.0 million, primarily related to costs incurred in connection with the formation of the VMO2 JV and the Sunrise Acquisition.

If, among other factors, (i) our equity values were to decline or (ii) the adverse impacts of economic, competitive, regulatory or other factors were to cause our results of operations or cash flows to be worse than anticipated, we could conclude in future periods that impairment charges are required in order to reduce the carrying values of our goodwill and, to a lesser extent, other long-lived assets. Any such impairment charges could be significant.

For additional information regarding our impairments, see Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates — Impairment of Goodwill below.

Interest expense

We recognized interest expense of $589.3 million and $882.1 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively. Excluding the effects of FX, interest expense decreased $220.4 million or 25.0% during 2022, as compared to 2021. This decrease is primarily attributable to a lower average outstanding debt balance, largely due to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction. For additional information regarding our outstanding indebtedness, see note 11 to our consolidated financial statements.

It is possible that the interest rates on (i) any new borrowings could be higher than the current interest rates on our existing indebtedness and (ii) our variable-rate indebtedness could increase in future periods. As further discussed in note 8 to our consolidated financial statements and under Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures about Market Risk below, we use derivative instruments to manage our interest rate risks.

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Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net

Our realized and unrealized gains or losses on derivative instruments include (i) unrealized changes in the fair values of our derivative instruments that are non-cash in nature until such time as the derivative contracts are fully or partially settled and (ii) realized gains or losses upon the full or partial settlement of the derivative contracts. The details of our realized and unrealized gains (losses) on derivative instruments, net, are as follows:

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(a)The gains during 2022 and 2021 are attributable to net gains associated with changes in (i) certain market interest rates and (ii) the relative value of certain currencies. In addition, the gains during 2022 and 2021 include net losses of $16.6 million and $10.7 million, respectively, resulting from changes in our credit risk valuation adjustments.

(b)For information concerning the factors that impact the valuations of our equity-related derivative instruments, see note 8 to our consolidated financial statements.

For additional information concerning our derivative instruments, see note 8 to our consolidated financial statements and Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk below.

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Foreign currency transaction gains (losses), net

Our foreign currency transaction gains or losses primarily result from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in currencies other than the underlying functional currency of the applicable entity. Unrealized foreign currency transaction gains or losses are computed based on period-end exchange rates and are non-cash in nature until such time as the amounts are settled. The details of our foreign currency transaction gains (losses), net, are as follows:

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(a)Amounts primarily relate to (i) loans between certain of our non-operating and operating subsidiaries in Europe, which generally are denominated in the currency of the applicable operating subsidiary, and (ii) loans between certain of our non-operating subsidiaries in the U.S. and Europe.

For information regarding how we manage our exposure to foreign currency risk, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Currency Risk below.

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Realized and unrealized gains (losses) due to changes in fair values of certain investments, net

Our realized and unrealized gains or losses due to changes in fair values of certain investments include unrealized gains or losses associated with changes in fair values that are non-cash in nature until such time as these gains or losses are realized through cash transactions. For additional information regarding our investments, fair value measurements and debt, see notes 7, 9 and 11, respectively, to our consolidated financial statements. The details of our realized and unrealized gains (losses) due to changes in fair values of certain investments, net, are as follows:

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(a)Our investment in TiBiT was sold during the fourth quarter of 2022.

(b)Includes gains of $15.7 million and $12.9 million, respectively, related to investments that were sold during the year.

Gains (losses) on debt extinguishment, net

We recognized net gains (losses) on debt extinguishment of $2.8 million and ($90.6 million) during 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The gain during 2022 is attributable to (i) a net gain associated with settlement discounts of $9.8 million, (ii) the write-off of $5.5 million of unamortized deferred financing costs and discounts and (iii) the payment of $1.5 million of third-party costs.

The loss during 2021 is attributable to (i) the write-off of $77.7 million of unamortized deferred financing costs and discounts and (ii) the payment of $12.9 million of redemption premiums.

For additional information concerning our gains (losses) on debt extinguishment, net, see note 11 to our consolidated financial statements.

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Share of results of affiliates, net

The following table sets forth the details of our share of results of affiliates, net:

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(a)Represents (i) our 50% share of the results of operations of the VMO2 JV and (ii) 100% of the share-based compensation expense associated with Liberty Global awards granted to VMO2 JV employees who were formerly employees of Liberty Global prior to the VMO2 JV formation, as these awards remain our responsibility. The summarized results of operations of the VMO2 JV are set forth below:

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(1)Includes the operating results of the VMO2 JV for the period from June 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

(2)Includes depreciation and amortization expense of $4,108.5 million and $2,551.2 million, respectively.

(3)Includes interest expense of $1,016.2 million and $568.6 million, respectively. The 2022 amount includes a charge of £3.1 billion ($3.6 billion at the applicable rate) related to the VMO2 JV’s goodwill impairment, as described in note 7 to our consolidated financial statements.

The VMO2 JV was formed on June 1, 2021. As a result, the reported amounts for 2021 are based on results for the period beginning June 1, 2021. The change in the VMO2 JV’s revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, is primarily due to the net effect of (i) an increase in mobile subscription revenue and (ii) a decrease in B2B revenue, with each revenue category as defined and reported by the VMO2 JV. The change in the VMO2 JV’s Adjusted EBITDA during 2022, as compared to 2021, is primarily due to the net effect of (a) the realization of synergies and cost efficiencies and (b) higher energy costs. In addition, the reported revenue and Adjusted EBITDA amounts are impacted by FX.

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(b)Represents (i) our 50% share of the results of operations of the VodafoneZiggo JV and (ii) interest income of $53.8 million and $56.5 million, respectively, representing 100% of the interest earned on the VodafoneZiggo JV Receivables. The summarized results of operations of the VodafoneZiggo JV are set forth below:

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(1)Includes depreciation and amortization expense of $1,610.7 million and $1,870.0 million, respectively.

(2)Includes interest expense of $606.4 million and $605.0 million, respectively.

The decrease in the VodafoneZiggo JV’s revenue during 2022, as compared to 2021, is primarily due to the net effect of (i) a decrease in residential fixed revenue, (ii) an increase in B2B revenue and (iii) higher residential mobile revenue. The decrease in the VodafoneZiggo JV’s Adjusted EBITDA during 2022, as compared to 2021, is primarily due to inflation-related increases in energy and staff costs. In addition, the reported revenue and Adjusted EBITDA amounts are impacted by FX.

For additional information regarding our equity method investments, see note 7 to our consolidated financial statements.

Gain on Telenet Tower Sale

In connection with the Telenet Tower Sale, we recognized a pre-tax gain during 2022 of $700.5 million. For additional information, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Gain on U.K. JV Transaction

In connection with the U.K. JV Transaction, we recognized a pre-tax gain during 2021 of $10,873.8 million, net of the recognition of a cumulative foreign currency translation loss of $1,198.6 million. For additional information, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Gain on AtlasEdge JV Transactions

In connection with the AtlasEdge JV Transactions, we recognized a pre-tax gain during 2021 of $227.5 million, net of the recognition of a cumulative foreign currency translation loss of $1.8 million. For additional information, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Other income, net

We recognized other income, net, of $134.4 million and $44.9 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively. These amounts include (i) interest and dividend income of $76.6 million and $13.9 million, respectively, and (ii) credits related to the non-service component of our net periodic pension costs of $33.9 million and $38.9 million, respectively.

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Income tax benefit (expense)

We recognized income tax expense of $318.9 million and $473.3 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The income tax expense during 2022 differs from the expected income tax expense of $270.6 million (based on the U.K. statutory income tax rate of 19.0%), primarily due to the net negative impact of (i) statutory rates in certain jurisdictions in which we operate that differ from the U.K. statutory income tax rate, (ii) certain permanent differences between the financial and tax accounting treatment of interest and other expenses and (iii) certain permanent differences between the financial and tax accounting treatment of items associated with investments in subsidiaries and affiliates. The negative impact of these items was partially offset by the net positive impact of non-deductible or non-taxable foreign currency exchange results.

The income tax expense during 2021 differs from the expected income tax expense of $2,660.2 million (based on the U.K. statutory income tax rate of 19.0%), primarily due to the positive impact of the non-taxable gain associated with the U.K. JV Transaction.

For additional information concerning our income taxes, see note 13 to our consolidated financial statements.

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

During 2022 and 2021, we reported earnings from continuing operations of $1,105.3 million and $13,527.5 million, respectively, consisting of (i) operating income of $146.8 million and $1,320.3 million, respectively, (ii) net non-operating income of $1,277.4 million and $12,680.5 million, respectively, and (iii) income tax expense of $318.9 million and $473.3 million, respectively.

Gains or losses associated with (i) changes in the fair values of derivative instruments, (ii) movements in foreign currency exchange rates and (iii) the disposition of assets and changes in ownership are subject to a high degree of volatility and, as such, any gains from these sources do not represent a reliable source of income. In the absence of significant gains in the future from these sources or from other non-operating items, our ability to achieve earnings is largely dependent on our ability to increase our aggregate operating income to a level that more than offsets the aggregate amount of our (a) interest expense, (b) other non-operating expenses and (c) income tax expense.

Due largely to the fact that we seek to maintain our debt at levels that provide for attractive equity returns, as discussed under Material Changes in Financial Condition — Capitalization below, we expect we will continue to report significant levels of interest expense for the foreseeable future. For information concerning our expectations with respect to trends that may affect certain aspects of our operating results in future periods, see the discussion under Overview above. For information concerning the reasons for changes in specific line items in our consolidated statements of operations, see Discussion and Analysis of our Reportable Segments and Discussion and Analysis of our Consolidated Operating Results above.

Earnings from discontinued operations, net of taxes

We reported earnings from discontinued operations, net of taxes, of $34.6 million and $82.6 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to the results of UPC Poland. In addition, we recognized a gain on the sale of UPC Poland of $846.4 million during 2022, which includes a cumulative foreign currency translation gain of $10.9 million. For additional information, see note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests were $513.1 million and $183.3 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively, primarily attributable to the results of operations of Telenet.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources and Uses of Cash

We are a holding company that is dependent on the capital resources of our subsidiaries to satisfy our liquidity requirements at the corporate level. Each of our significant operating subsidiaries is separately financed within one of our three subsidiary “borrowing groups”. These borrowing groups include the respective restricted parent and subsidiary entities within UPC Holding, Telenet and VM Ireland. Although our borrowing groups typically generate cash from operating activities, the terms of the instruments governing the indebtedness of these borrowing groups may restrict our ability to access the liquidity of these subsidiaries. In addition, our ability to access the liquidity of these and other subsidiaries may be limited by tax and legal considerations, the presence of noncontrolling interests and other factors.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and SMAs

The details of the U.S. dollar equivalent balances of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents and investments held under SMAs at December 31, 2022 are set forth in the following table (in millions):

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(a)Represents the amount held by Liberty Global on a standalone basis.

(b)Represents the aggregate amount held by subsidiaries that are outside of our borrowing groups.

(c)Represents the aggregate amounts held by the parent entity and restricted subsidiaries of our borrowing groups.

(d)The total cash and cash equivalents balance includes $1,307.9 million or 75.8% and $347.2 million or 20.1% denominated in euros and U.S. dollars, respectively.

(e)The balance of our investments held under SMAs was denominated entirely in U.S. dollars.

For additional information regarding our cash and cash equivalents and investments held under SMAs, see the discussion under Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Cash and Investments below.

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Liquidity of Liberty Global and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries

The $1.8 million of cash and cash equivalents held by Liberty Global and, subject to certain tax and legal considerations, the $580.5 million of aggregate cash and cash equivalents held by unrestricted subsidiaries, together with the $2,854.6 million of investments held under SMAs, represented available liquidity at the corporate level at December 31, 2022. Our remaining cash and cash equivalents of $1,143.9 million at December 31, 2022 were held by our borrowing groups, as set forth in the table above. As noted above, various factors may limit our ability to access the cash of our borrowing groups. For information regarding certain limitations imposed by our subsidiaries’ debt instruments at December 31, 2022, see note 11 to our consolidated financial statements.

Our short-term sources of corporate liquidity include (i) cash and cash equivalents held by Liberty Global and, subject to certain tax and legal considerations, Liberty Global’s unrestricted subsidiaries, (ii) investments held under SMAs, (iii) interest and dividend income received on our and, subject to certain tax and legal considerations, our unrestricted subsidiaries’ cash and cash equivalents and investments, including dividend distributions received from the VMO2 JV or the VodafoneZiggo JV, (iv) cash received with respect to transitional and other services provided to various third parties and (v) interest payments received with respect to the VodafoneZiggo JV Receivables.

From time to time, Liberty Global and its unrestricted subsidiaries may also receive (i) proceeds in the form of dividend distributions or loan repayments from Liberty Global’s borrowing groups or affiliates (including amounts from the VMO2 JV or the VodafoneZiggo JV) upon (a) the completion of recapitalizations, refinancings, asset sales or similar transactions by these entities or (b) the accumulation of excess cash from operations or other means, (ii) proceeds upon the disposition of investments and other assets of Liberty Global and its unrestricted subsidiaries, such as the sale of UPC Poland, and (iii) proceeds in connection with the incurrence of debt by Liberty Global or its unrestricted subsidiaries or the issuance of equity securities by Liberty Global, including equity securities issued to satisfy subsidiary obligations. No assurance can be given that any external funding would be available to Liberty Global or its unrestricted subsidiaries on favorable terms, or at all.

At December 31, 2022, our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance included $1,345.8 million held by entities that are domiciled outside of the U.K. Based on our assessment of our ability to access the liquidity of our subsidiaries on a tax efficient basis and our expectations with respect to our corporate liquidity requirements, we do not anticipate that tax considerations will adversely impact our corporate liquidity over the next 12 months. Our ability to access the liquidity of our subsidiaries on a tax efficient basis is a consideration in assessing the extent of our share repurchase program.

In addition, the amount of cash we receive from our subsidiaries and affiliates to satisfy U.S. dollar-denominated liquidity requirements is impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with regard to the translation of euros, British pound sterling and Swiss francs into U.S. dollars. In this regard, the strengthening (weakening) of the U.S. dollar against these currencies will result in decreases (increases) in the U.S. dollars received from the applicable subsidiaries to fund the repurchase of our equity securities and other U.S. dollar-denominated liquidity requirements.

Our short- and long-term liquidity requirements include corporate general and administrative expenses and, from time to time, cash requirements in connection with (i) the repayment of third-party and intercompany debt, (ii) the satisfaction of contingent liabilities, (iii) acquisitions, (iv) the repurchase of equity and debt securities, (v) other investment opportunities, (vi) any funding requirements of our subsidiaries and affiliates or (vii) income tax payments. In addition, our parent entity uses available liquidity to make interest and principal payments on notes payable to certain of our unrestricted subsidiaries (aggregate outstanding principal of $12.7 billion at December 31, 2022 with varying maturity dates).

During 2022, the aggregate amount of our share repurchases, including direct acquisition costs, was $1,702.6 million. As a U.K. incorporated company, we may only elect to repurchase shares or pay dividends to the extent of our Distributable Reserves. Under our current repurchase program, we are authorized during 2023 to repurchase 10% of our total outstanding shares as of the beginning of the year. For additional information regarding our share repurchase programs, see note 14 to our consolidated financial statements.

Liquidity of Borrowing Groups

The cash and cash equivalents of our borrowing groups are detailed in the table above. In addition to cash and cash equivalents, the primary sources of liquidity of our borrowing groups are cash provided by operations and borrowing availability under their respective debt instruments. For the details of the borrowing availability of our borrowing groups at December 31, 2022, see note 11 to our consolidated financial statements. The aforementioned sources of liquidity may be supplemented in certain cases by contributions and/or loans from Liberty Global and its unrestricted subsidiaries.

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The liquidity of our borrowing groups generally is used to fund (i) property and equipment additions, (ii) debt service requirements and (iii) income tax payments, as well as to settle certain obligations that are not included on our December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet. In this regard, we have significant commitments related to (a) certain operating costs associated with our networks, (b) purchase obligations associated with CPE and certain service-related commitments and (c) programming studio output and sports rights contracts. These obligations are expected to represent a significant liquidity requirement of our borrowing groups, a significant portion of which is due over the next 12 to 24 months. For additional information regarding our commitments, see note 18 to our consolidated financial statements.

From time to time, our borrowing groups may also require liquidity in connection with (i) acquisitions and other investment opportunities, (ii) loans to Liberty Global, (iii) capital distributions to Liberty Global and other equity owners or (iv) the satisfaction of contingent liabilities. No assurance can be given that any external funding would be available to our borrowing groups on favorable terms, or at all.

For additional information regarding our consolidated cash flows, see the discussion under Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows below.

Capitalization

We seek to maintain our debt at levels that provide for attractive equity returns without assuming undue risk. In this regard, we generally seek to cause our operating subsidiaries to maintain their debt at levels that result in a consolidated debt balance (measured using subsidiary debt figures at swapped foreign currency exchange rates, consistent with the covenant calculation requirements of our subsidiary debt agreements) that is between four and five times our consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, although the timing of our acquisitions and financing transactions and the interplay of average and spot foreign currency rates may impact this ratio. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which investors should view as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, GAAP measures of performance included in our consolidated statements of operations.

Our ability to service or refinance our debt and to maintain compliance with the leverage covenants in the credit agreements and indentures of our borrowing groups is dependent primarily on our ability to maintain or increase the Adjusted EBITDA of our operating subsidiaries and to achieve adequate returns on our property and equipment additions and acquisitions. In addition, our ability to obtain additional debt financing is limited by the incurrence-based leverage covenants contained in the various debt instruments of our borrowing groups. For example, if the Adjusted EBITDA of one of our borrowing groups were to decline, our ability to obtain additional debt could be limited. Under our credit facilities and senior and senior secured notes there is no cross-default risk between subsidiary borrowing groups in the event that one or more of our borrowing groups were to experience significant declines in their Adjusted EBITDA to the extent they were no longer able to service their debt obligations. Any mandatory prepayment events or events of default that may occur would only impact the relevant borrowing group in which these events occur and do not allow for any recourse to other borrowing groups or Liberty Global plc. Our credit facilities and senior and senior secured notes require that certain members of the relevant borrowing group guarantee the payment of all sums payable thereunder and such group members are required to grant first-ranking security over their shares or, in certain borrowing groups, over substantially all of their assets to secure the payment of all sums payable thereunder. At December 31, 2022, each of our borrowing groups was in compliance with its debt covenants. In addition, we do not anticipate any instances of non-compliance with respect to the debt covenants of our borrowing groups that would have a material adverse impact on our liquidity during the next 12 months.

At December 31, 2022, the outstanding principal amount of our consolidated debt, together with our finance lease obligations, aggregated $13.8 billion, including $0.8 billion that is classified as current on our consolidated balance sheet and $12.7 billion that is not due until 2028 or thereafter. All of our consolidated debt and finance lease obligations have been borrowed or incurred by our subsidiaries at December 31, 2022.

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We believe we have sufficient resources to repay or refinance the current portion of our debt and finance lease obligations and to fund our foreseeable liquidity requirements during the next 12 months. However, as our maturing debt grows in later years, we anticipate we will seek to refinance or otherwise extend our debt maturities. No assurance can be given that we will be able to complete these refinancing transactions or otherwise extend our debt maturities. In this regard, it is not possible to predict how political and economic conditions, sovereign debt concerns or any adverse regulatory developments could impact the credit and equity markets we access and, accordingly, our future liquidity and financial position. Our ability to access debt financing on favorable terms, or at all, could be adversely impacted by (i) the financial failure of any of our counterparties, which could (a) reduce amounts available under committed credit facilities and (b) adversely impact our ability to access cash deposited with any failed financial institution, and (ii) tightening of the credit markets. In addition, any weakness in the equity markets could make it less attractive to use our shares to satisfy contingent or other obligations, and sustained or increased competition, particularly in combination with adverse economic or regulatory developments, could have an unfavorable impact on our cash flows and liquidity.

For additional information concerning our debt and finance lease obligations, see notes 11 and 12, respectively, to our consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

General. Our cash flows are subject to significant variations due to FX. See related discussion under Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Currency Risk below.

Summary. The 2022 and 2021 consolidated statements of cash flows of our continuing operations are summarized as follows:

Operating Activities. The decrease in net cash provided by our operating activities is primarily attributable to the net effect of (i) a decrease in cash provided by our Adjusted EBITDA and related working capital items, which includes (a) the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction and (b) an increase in cash of $113.7 million (at the applicable rate) in connection with the sale of certain handset receivables in Switzerland, (ii) an increase in cash provided due to higher dividend distributions from the VMO2 JV, (iii) a decrease due to FX, (iv) an increase in cash provided due to lower payments of interest, including the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction, (v) an increase in cash provided due to higher net cash receipts related to derivative instruments, and (vi) an increase in cash provided due to higher receipts of interest. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, which investors should view as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, GAAP measures of performance included in our consolidated statements of operations.

Investing Activities. The change in net cash provided (used) by our investing activities is primarily attributable to (i) an increase in cash of $3,424.0 million associated with restricted cash contributed to the VMO2 JV in connection with the U.K. JV Transaction during the first six months of 2021, (ii) an increase in cash of $1,553.3 million in connection with the sale of UPC Poland, (iii) an increase in cash of $870.5 million associated with lower net cash paid for investments, primarily related to our investments held under SMAs, (iv) an increase in cash of $779.9 million in connection with the Telenet Tower Sale and (v) an increase in cash of $477.9 million due to higher dividend distributions received from the VMO2 JV. Capital expenditures decreased from $1,408.0 million during 2021 to $1,303.2 million during 2022 due to the net effect of (a) a decrease due to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction, (b) a decrease due to FX and (c) an increase in our net local currency capital expenditures and related working capital movements, including the impact of lower capital-related vendor financing.

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The capital expenditures we report in our consolidated statements of cash flows do not include amounts that are financed under capital-related vendor financing or finance lease arrangements. Instead, these amounts are reflected as non-cash additions to our property and equipment when the underlying assets are delivered and as repayments of debt when the principal is repaid. In this discussion, we refer to (i) our capital expenditures as reported in our consolidated statements of cash flows, which exclude amounts financed under capital-related vendor financing or finance lease arrangements, and (ii) our total property and equipment additions, which include our capital expenditures on an accrual basis and amounts financed under capital-related vendor financing or finance lease arrangements. For further details regarding our property and equipment additions, see note 19 to our consolidated financial statements. A reconciliation of our consolidated property and equipment additions to our consolidated capital expenditures, as reported in our consolidated statements of cash flows, is set forth below:

The decrease in our property and equipment additions during 2022, as compared to 2021, is primarily due to the net effect of (i) a decrease due to the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction, (ii) a decrease due to FX, (iii) an increase in local currency expenditures of our subsidiaries due to the net effect of (a) an increase in expenditures for the purchase and installation of CPE, (b) an increase in expenditures for new build and upgrade projects, (c) a decrease in baseline expenditures, including network improvements and expenditures for property and facilities and information technology systems, and (d) a decrease expenditures to support new customer products and operational efficiency initiatives. During 2022 and 2021, our property and equipment additions represented 22.1% and 21.0% of revenue, respectively.

We expect our 2023 property and equipment additions to remain relatively stable as compared to our 2022 property and equipment additions. The actual amount of our 2023 property and equipment additions may vary from our expectations for a variety of reasons, including (i) changes in (a) the competitive or regulatory environment, (b) business plans, (c) our expected future operating results or (d) foreign currency exchange rates and (ii) the availability of sufficient capital. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that our actual property and equipment additions will not vary materially from our expectations.

Financing Activities. The increase in net cash used by our financing activities is primarily attributable to the net effect of (i) an increase in cash used of $1,825.9 million due to higher net repayments of debt, (ii) a decrease in cash used of $287.3 million due to lower net repayments of vendor financing, including the impact of the U.K. JV Transaction, (iii) an increase in cash used of $193.6 million due to higher net payments related to derivatives and (iv) an increase in cash used of $123.0 million due to higher repurchases of Liberty Global ordinary shares.

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Adjusted Free Cash Flow

We define adjusted free cash flow as net cash provided by the operating activities of our continuing operations, plus operating-related vendor financed expenses (which represents an increase in the period to our actual cash available as a result of extending vendor payment terms beyond normal payment terms, which are typically 90 days or less, through non-cash financing activities), less (i) cash payments in the period for capital expenditures, (ii) principal payments on operating- and capital-related amounts financed by vendors and intermediaries (which represents a decrease in the period to our actual cash available as a result of paying amounts to vendors and intermediaries where we previously had extended vendor payments beyond the normal payment terms) and (iii) principal payments on finance leases (which represents a decrease in the period to our actual cash available), each as reported in our consolidated statements of cash flows with each item excluding any cash provided or used by our discontinued operations. Net cash provided by the operating activities of our continuing operations includes cash paid for third-party costs directly associated with successful and unsuccessful acquisitions and dispositions of $36.2 million and $80.5 million during 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We believe our presentation of adjusted free cash flow, which is a non-GAAP measure, provides useful information to our investors because this measure can be used to gauge our ability to (i) service debt and (ii) fund new investment opportunities after consideration of all actual cash payments related to our working capital activities and expenses that are capital in nature whether paid inside normal vendor payment terms or paid later outside normal vendor payment terms (in which case we typically pay in less than 365 days). Adjusted free cash flow should not be understood to represent our ability to fund discretionary amounts, as we have various mandatory and contractual obligations, including debt repayments, that are not deducted to arrive at these amounts. Investors should view adjusted free cash flow as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, GAAP measures of liquidity included in our consolidated statements of cash flows. Further, our adjusted free cash flow may differ from how other companies define and apply their definition of adjusted free cash flow.

The following table provides the details of our adjusted free cash flow:

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(a)For purposes of our consolidated statements of cash flows, operating-related vendor financing additions represent operating-related expenses financed by an intermediary that are treated as constructive operating cash outflows and constructive financing cash inflows when the intermediary settles the liability with the vendor. When we pay the financing intermediary, we record financing cash outflows in our consolidated statements of cash flows. For purposes of our adjusted free cash flow definition, we (i) add in the constructive financing cash inflow when the intermediary settles the liability with the vendor as our actual net cash available at that time is not affected and (ii) subsequently deduct the related financing cash outflow when we actually pay the financing intermediary, reflecting the actual reduction to our cash available to service debt or fund new investment opportunities.

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Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates

In connection with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Critical accounting policies are defined as those policies that are reflective of significant judgments, estimates and uncertainties, which would potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. We believe the following accounting policies are critical in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements because of the judgment necessary to account for these matters and the significant estimates involved, which are susceptible to change:

•Impairment of goodwill;

•Costs associated with the capitalization of property and equipment;

•Fair value measurements; and

•Income tax accounting.

We have discussed the selection of the aforementioned critical accounting policies with the audit committee of our board of directors. For additional information concerning our significant accounting policies, see note 3 to our consolidated financial statements.

Impairment of Goodwill

Carrying Value. The aggregate carrying value of our goodwill comprised 21.7% of our total assets at December 31, 2022.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment at least annually on October 1 and whenever facts and circumstances indicate that a reporting unit’s carrying amount may not be recoverable. For impairment evaluations, we first make a qualitative assessment to determine if the goodwill may be impaired. If it is more-likely-than-not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value, we then compare the fair value of the reporting unit to its respective carrying amount. Any excess of the carrying amount over the fair value would be charged to operations as an impairment loss. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a “component”).

When required, considerable management judgment is necessary to estimate the fair value of reporting units. The equity of one of our reporting units, Telenet, is publicly traded in an active market. For this reporting unit, our fair value determination is based on quoted market prices. For other reporting units, we typically determine fair value using an income-based approach (discounted cash flows) based on assumptions in our long-range business plans and, in some cases, a combination of an income-based approach and a market-based approach. With respect to our discounted cash flow analysis used in the income-based approach, the timing and amount of future cash flows under these business plans require estimates of, among other items, subscriber growth and retention rates, rates charged per product, expected gross margins and Adjusted EBITDA margins and expected property and equipment additions. The development of these cash flows, and the discount rate applied to the cash flows, is subject to inherent uncertainties, and actual results could vary significantly from such estimates. Our determination of the discount rate is based on a weighted average cost of capital approach, which uses a market participant’s cost of equity and after-tax cost of debt and reflects the risks inherent in the cash flows. Based on the results of our 2022 qualitative assessment of our reporting unit carrying values, we determined that it was more-likely-than-not that fair value exceeded carrying value for all of our reporting units.

During the three years ended December 31, 2022, we did not record any significant impairment charges with respect to our goodwill. For additional information regarding our goodwill, see note 10 to our consolidated financial statements.

If, among other factors, (i) our equity values were to decline or (ii) the adverse impacts of economic, competitive, regulatory or other factors were to cause our results of operations or cash flows to be worse than anticipated, we could conclude in future periods that impairment charges are required in order to reduce the carrying values of our goodwill. Any such impairment charges could be significant.

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Costs Associated with the Capitalization of Property and Equipment

We capitalize costs associated with the construction of new, or upgrades to existing, fixed and mobile transmission and distribution facilities, the installation of new fixed-line services and the development of internal-use software. Installation activities that are capitalized include (i) the initial connection (or drop) from our fixed-line system to a customer location, (ii) the replacement of a drop and (iii) the installation of equipment for new, or upgrades to existing, fixed-line services. The costs of other customer-facing activities, such as reconnecting customer locations where a drop already exists, disconnecting customer locations and repairing or maintaining drops, are expensed as incurred. We capitalize internal and external costs directly associated with the development of internal-use software.

We make judgments regarding the construction, upgrade and installation activities to be capitalized and the development of internal-use software. In addition to direct external and internal labor and materials, we also capitalize other costs directly attributable to our construction and installation activities, including dispatch costs, quality-control costs, vehicle-related costs and certain warehouse-related costs. The capitalization of these costs is based on time sheets, standard costs, call tracking systems and other verifiable means that directly link the costs incurred with the applicable capitalizable activity. We continuously monitor the appropriateness of our capitalization policies and update the policies when necessary to respond to changes in facts and circumstances, such as the development of new products and services and changes in the manner that installations, construction or upgrade activities or the development of internal-use software are performed.

Fair Value Measurements

GAAP provides guidance with respect to the recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements and for a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted market prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

Recurring Valuations. We perform recurring fair value measurements with respect to our derivative instruments and our fair value method investments. We use (i) cash flow valuation models to determine the fair values of our interest rate and foreign currency derivative instruments and (ii) a Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair values of our equity-related derivative instruments. We use quoted market prices when available and, when not available, we use a combination of an income approach (discounted cash flows) and a market approach (market multiples of similar businesses) to determine the fair value of our fair value method investments. For a detailed discussion of the inputs we use to determine the fair value of our derivative instruments and fair value method investments, see note 9 to our consolidated financial statements. See also notes 7 and 8 to our consolidated financial statements for information concerning our fair value method investments and derivative instruments, respectively.

Changes in the fair values of our derivative instruments and fair value method investments have had, and we believe will continue to have, a significant and volatile impact on our results of operations. During 2022, 2021 and 2020, we recognized net gains (losses) of $889.6 million, $1,357.9 million and ($833.5 million), respectively, attributable to changes in the fair values of these items.

As further described in note 9 to our consolidated financial statements, actual amounts received or paid upon the settlement or disposition of these investments and instruments may differ materially from the recorded fair values at December 31, 2022.

For information concerning the sensitivity of the fair value of certain of our more significant derivative instruments to changes in market conditions, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk — Sensitivity Information below.

Nonrecurring Valuations. Our nonrecurring valuations are primarily associated with (i) the application of acquisition accounting, (ii) impairment assessments and (iii) the accounting for our initial investment in significant joint ventures, each of which require that we make fair value determinations as of the applicable valuation date. In making these determinations, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the recorded amounts, including, but not limited to, expected future cash flows, market comparables and discount rates, remaining useful lives of long-lived assets, replacement or reproduction costs of property and equipment and the amounts to be recovered in future periods from acquired net operating losses and other deferred tax assets. To assist us in making these fair value determinations, we may engage third-party valuation specialists. Our estimates in this area impact, among other items, the amount of depreciation and amortization, impairment charges and income tax expense or benefit that we report. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain. A significant portion of our long-lived assets were initially recorded through the application of

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acquisition accounting and all of our long-lived assets are subject to impairment assessments. For additional information, see note 9 to our consolidated financial statements. For information regarding our acquisitions and long-lived assets, see notes 5 and 10 to our consolidated financial statements, respectively.

Income Tax Accounting

We are required to estimate the amount of tax payable or refundable for the current year and the deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and income tax basis of assets and liabilities and the expected benefits of utilizing net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, using enacted tax rates in effect for each taxing jurisdiction in which we operate for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. This process requires our management to make assessments regarding the timing and probability of the ultimate tax impact of such items.

Net deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if we believe that it is more-likely-than-not such net deferred tax assets will not be realized. Establishing or reducing a tax valuation allowance requires us to make assessments about the timing of future events, including the probability of expected future taxable income and available tax planning strategies. At December 31, 2022, the aggregate valuation allowance provided against deferred tax assets was $1,586.5 million. The actual amount of deferred income tax benefits realized in future periods will likely differ from the net deferred tax assets reflected in our December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet due to, among other factors, possible future changes in income tax law, or interpretations thereof, in the jurisdictions in which we operate and differences between estimated and actual future taxable income. Any such factors could have a material effect on our current and deferred tax positions as reported in our consolidated financial statements. A high degree of judgment is required to assess the impact of possible future outcomes on our current and deferred tax positions.

Tax laws in jurisdictions in which we have a presence are subject to varied interpretation, and many tax positions we take are subject to significant uncertainty regarding whether the position will be ultimately sustained after review by the relevant tax authority. We recognize the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more-likely-than-not, based on technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. The determination of whether the tax position meets the more-likely-than-not threshold requires a facts-based judgment using all information available. In a number of cases, we have concluded that the more-likely-than-not threshold is not met and, accordingly, the amount of tax benefit recognized in our consolidated financial statements is different than the amount taken or expected to be taken in our tax returns. As of December 31, 2022, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits for financial reporting purposes, but taken or expected to be taken in our tax returns, was $435.2 million, of which $337.9 million would have a favorable impact on our effective income tax rate if ultimately recognized, after considering amounts that we would expect to be offset by valuation allowances.

We are required to continually assess our tax positions, and the results of tax examinations or changes in judgment can result in substantial changes to our unrecognized tax benefits.

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