Charter Communications 10-Q 2025-09-30

Filed 2025-10-31. 7 sections, 173K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON

Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM 10-Q


(Mark One)

☒QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2025

or

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period From to

Commission File Number: 001-33664

Charter_Communications_Logo_R_RGB.jpg

Charter Communications, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware84-1496755
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
400 Washington Blvd.StamfordConnecticut06902
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

(203) 905-7801

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock $.001 Par ValueCHTRNASDAQ Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No x

Number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2025: 129,409,366

Number of shares of Class B common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2025: 1

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CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page No.
PART IFINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1Financial Statements ‑ Charter Communications, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 20241
Consolidated Statements of Operations
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 20242
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 20243
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 20245
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements6
Item 2Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations15
Item 3Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk28
Item 4Controls and Procedures28
PART IIOTHER INFORMATION
Item 1Legal Proceedings30
Item 1ARisk Factors30
Item 2Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds35
Item 6Exhibits35
SignaturesS-1
Exhibit IndexE-1

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q is for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) allows us to “incorporate by reference” information that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you directly to those documents. In this quarterly report, “Charter,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Charter Communications, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

i

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This quarterly report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, among other things, our plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial including, without limitation, the forward-looking statements set forth in Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this quarterly report. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations as reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, without limitation, the factors described under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our most recent Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this quarterly report may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believe,” “future,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “will,” “may,” “intend,” “estimated,” “aim,” “on track,” “target,” “opportunity,” “tentative,” “positioning,” “designed,” “create,” “predict,” “project,” “initiatives,” “seek,” “would,” “could,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “upside,” “increases,” “grow,” “focused on” and “potential,” among others. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this quarterly report are set forth in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, in our annual report on Form 10-K, and in other reports or documents that we file from time to time with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to:

  • our ability to sustain and grow revenues and cash flow from operations by offering Internet, mobile, video, voice, advertising and other services to residential and commercial customers, to adequately meet the customer experience demands in our service areas and to maintain and grow our customer base, particularly in the face of increasingly aggressive competition, the need for innovation and the related capital expenditures;

  • the impact of competition from other market participants, including but not limited to incumbent telephone companies, direct broadcast satellite ("DBS") operators, wireless broadband and telephone providers, digital subscriber line (“DSL”) providers, fiber to the home providers and providers of video content over broadband Internet connections;

  • general business conditions, unemployment levels and the level of activity in the housing sector and economic uncertainty or downturn;

  • our ability to develop and deploy new products and technologies including consumer services and service platforms;

  • any events that disrupt our networks, information systems or properties and impair our operating activities or our reputation;

  • the effects of governmental regulation on our business including subsidies to consumers, subsidies and incentives for competitors, costs, disruptions and possible limitations on operating flexibility related to, and our ability to comply with, regulatory conditions applicable to us;

  • our ability to procure necessary services and equipment from our vendors in a timely manner and at reasonable costs including in connection with our network evolution and rural construction initiatives;

  • our ability to obtain programming at reasonable prices or to raise prices to offset, in whole or in part, the effects of higher programming costs (including retransmission consents and distribution requirements);

  • the ability to hire and retain key personnel;

  • the availability and access, in general, of funds to meet our debt obligations prior to or when they become due and to fund our operations and necessary capital expenditures, either through (i) cash on hand, (ii) free cash flow, or (iii) access to the capital or credit markets;

  • our ability to comply with all covenants in our indentures and credit facilities, any violation of which, if not cured in a timely manner, could trigger a default of our other obligations under cross-default provisions;

  • our ability to satisfy the conditions to consummate the Liberty Broadband Combination and/or the Cox Transactions and/or to consummate the Liberty Broadband Combination and/or the Cox Transactions in a timely manner or at all;

  • the risks related to us being restricted in the operation of our business while the Liberty Broadband Merger Agreement and the Cox Communications Transaction Agreement are in effect;

  • other risks related to the Liberty Broadband Combination as described in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the Liberty Broadband Combination, filed by Charter on January 22, 2025, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Where You Can Find More Information” included therein; and

  • other risks related to the Cox Transactions as described in the definitive proxy statement with respect to the Cox Transactions, filed by Charter on July 2, 2025, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Where You Can Find More Information” included therein.

All forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. We are under no duty or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this quarterly report.

ii

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(dollars in millions, except share data)

September 30, 2025December 31, 2024
(unaudited)
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents$464$459
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $234 and $204, respectively3,5983,097
Prepaid expenses and other current assets805677
Total current assets4,8674,233
INVESTMENT IN CABLE PROPERTIES:
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $41,239 and $39,409, respectively45,18742,913
Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization of $17,759 and $17,319, respectively555975
Franchises67,46867,462
Goodwill29,71029,674
Total investment in cable properties, net142,920141,024
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS5,0634,763
Total assets$152,850$150,020
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable, accrued and other current liabilities$12,244$11,687
Current portion of long-term debt7501,799
Total current liabilities12,99413,486
LONG-TERM DEBT94,41392,134
EQUIPMENT INSTALLMENT PLAN FINANCING FACILITY1,3651,072
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES19,60418,845
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES4,8864,776
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Class A common stock; $0.001 par value; 900 million shares authorized;
142,990,100 and 141,946,426 shares issued, respectively——
Class B common stock; $0.001 par value; 1,000 shares authorized;
1 share issued and outstanding——
Preferred stock; $0.001 par value; 250 million shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding——
Additional paid-in capital23,84223,337
Accumulated deficit(4,095)(7,750)
Treasury stock at cost; 13,580,734 and no shares, respectively(4,407)—
Total Charter shareholders’ equity15,34015,587
Noncontrolling interests4,2484,120
Total shareholders’ equity19,58819,707
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$152,850$150,020

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(dollars in millions, except per share data)

Unaudited

Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2025202420252024
REVENUES$13,672$13,795$41,173$41,159
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Operating costs and expenses (exclusive of items shown separately below)8,2628,29424,68624,863
Depreciation and amortization2,1602,1456,5176,505
Other operating expenses, net1192132362
10,54110,46031,52631,430
Income from operations3,1313,3359,6479,729
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES):
Interest expense, net(1,268)(1,311)(3,772)(3,955)
Other expenses, net(129)(144)(378)(318)
(1,397)(1,455)(4,150)(4,273)
Income before income taxes1,7341,8805,4975,456
Income tax expense(418)(406)(1,277)(1,279)
Consolidated net income1,3161,4744,2204,177
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests(179)(194)(565)(560)
Net income attributable to Charter shareholders$1,137$1,280$3,655$3,617
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHARTER SHAREHOLDERS:
Basic$8.50$8.99$26.52$25.23
Diluted$8.34$8.82$25.95$24.86
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic133,763,886142,308,740137,825,025143,379,041
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted136,395,133145,059,470140,826,301145,489,370

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(dollars in millions)

Unaudited

Class A Common StockClass B Common StockAdditional Paid-in CapitalAccumulated DeficitTreasury Stock**Total Charter Shareholders’ Equity

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

General

Charter Communications, Inc. (together with its controlled subsidiaries, “Charter”) is a leading broadband connectivity company with services available to 58 million homes and small to large businesses across 41 states through our Spectrum brand. Founded in 1993, we have evolved from providing cable TV to streaming, and from high-speed Internet to a converged broadband, WiFi and mobile experience. Over the Spectrum Fiber Broadband Network and supported by our 100% U.S.-based employees, we offer Seamless Connectivity and Entertainment with Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice products.

Charter is a holding company whose principal asset is a controlling equity interest in Charter Communications Holdings, LLC (“Charter Holdings”), an indirect owner of Charter Communications Operating, LLC (“Charter Operating”) under which substantially all of the operations reside. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions among consolidated entities have been eliminated.

The Cox Transactions

On May 16, 2025, Charter, Charter Holdings, and Cox Enterprises, Inc. (“Cox Enterprises”) entered into a Transaction Agreement (the “Transaction Agreement”) pursuant to which (i) Cox Enterprises will sell and transfer to Charter 100% of the equity interests of certain subsidiaries of Cox Communications, Inc. (“Cox Communications”) that conduct Cox Communications’ commercial fiber and managed IT and cloud services businesses (the “Equity Sale”), (ii) Cox Enterprises will contribute the equity interests of Cox Communications and certain other assets (other than certain excluded assets) primarily related to Cox Communications’ residential cable business to Charter Holdings (the “Contribution”), and (iii) Cox Enterprises will pay $1.00 to Charter (collectively, the “Cox Transactions”). Under the Transaction Agreement, Charter and Cox Enterprises may designate one or more wholly owned subsidiaries to take actions with respect to Charter and Cox Enterprises, respectively.

Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, at the closing of the Cox Transactions (the “Closing”):

  • in consideration of the Equity Sale, Charter will pay $3.5 billion in cash to Cox Enterprises;

  • in consideration of the Contribution, Charter Holdings will (i) pay to Cox Enterprises $500 million in cash and (ii) issue to Cox Enterprises convertible preferred units of Charter Holdings with an aggregate liquidation preference of $6.0 billion, which will pay a 6.875% dividend per annum, and approximately 33.6 million Charter Holdings common units. The Charter Holdings convertible preferred units will be convertible into Charter Holdings common units, with an initial conversion price of $477.41, subject to certain adjustments. The Charter Holdings common units will be exchangeable by the holder, in certain circumstances, for cash or, at the election of Charter, Charter Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments; and

  • in consideration of the $1.00 payment from Cox Enterprises to Charter, Charter will issue to Cox Enterprises one share of the newly created Charter Class C common stock. The Charter Class C common stock will be equivalent, economically, to the outstanding Charter Class A common stock and the Charter Class B common stock but will have a number of votes per share that reflect the voting power of the Charter Holdings common units and the Charter Holdings convertible preferred units held by Cox Enterprises on an as-converted, as-exchanged basis.

The combined entity will assume Cox Communications’ approximately $12.4 billion in outstanding net debt and finance leases.

Overview

During the third quarter of 2025, we added 493,000 mobile lines and video losses improved as compared to the prior year period. Internet losses remained relatively flat as compared to the prior year period. Sales were challenged by the competitive environment offset by lower customer churn. However, we remain focused on improving customer results through our pricing and packaging strategy launched in September 2024 and our brand platform, Life Unlimited. Life Unlimited emphasizes the power of our advanced network and cutting-edge connectivity products and services, and our simplified pricing and packaging strategy better utilizes our seamless connectivity and entertainment products to offer lower promotional and persistent bundled pricing to drive growth. Our Internet and mobile product bundles provide a differentiated connectivity experience by bringing together Spectrum Internet, Advanced WiFi and Unlimited Spectrum Mobile to offer consumers fast, reliable and secure online connections on their favorite devices at home and on the go in high-value packages. We have completed deals with every

major programmer to deliver better flexibility and greater value to our customers by including seamless entertainment applications with our Spectrum TV services at no additional cost. In July 2025, we began launching the sale of these seamless entertainment applications to customers à la carte and just recently launched the Spectrum App Store, a digital storefront that helps customers activate, upgrade, buy and manage their streaming applications in one place. We also continue to evolve other elements of our video product and are deploying Xumo stream boxes to new video customers.

Our new customer commitments focus on reliable connectivity, transparency, exceptional service and always improving. By continually improving our product set and offering consumers the opportunity to save money by switching to our services, we believe we can continue to penetrate our expanding footprint and sell additional products to our existing customers. We see operational benefits from the targeted investments we made in employee wages and benefits to build employee skill sets and tenure, as well as the continued investments in digitization of our customer service platforms, all with the goal of improving the customer experience, reducing transactions and driving customer growth and retention.

We spent $582 million and $1.6 billion on our subsidized rural construction initiative during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and activated approximately 124,000 and 336,000 subsidized rural passings, respectively. And we are upgrading our network to deliver symmetrical and multi-gigabit speeds across our footprint as part of our network evolution initiative.

We realized revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and income from operations during the periods presented as follows (in millions; all percentages are calculated using whole numbers; minor differences may exist due to rounding):

Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
20252024% Change20252024% Change
Revenues$13,672$13,795(0.9)%$41,173$41,1590.0%
Adjusted EBITDA$5,561$5,647(1.5)%$17,017$16,8091.2%
Income from operations$3,131$3,335(6.1)%$9,647$9,729(0.8)%

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income attributable to Charter shareholders plus net income attributable to noncontrolling interest, interest expense, net, income taxes,

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

There have been no material changes to the interest rate risk as previously disclosed in Part II, Item 7A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

As of the end of the period covered by this report, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness of our design and operation of disclosure controls and procedures with respect to the information generated for use in this quarterly report. The evaluation was based upon reports and certifications provided by a number of executives. Based on, and as of the date of that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurances that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based upon the evaluation, we believe that our controls provide such reasonable assurances.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2025, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

See Note 19 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 for a discussion of legal proceedings. Within this section, we use a threshold of $1 million in disclosing environmental proceedings involving a governmental authority, if any.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes "Risk Factors" under Item 1A of Part I. There have been no material changes from the risk factors described in our Form 10-K except to add the risk factors set forth below.

Risks Related to the Cox Transactions

The Cox Transactions are subject to conditions, some or all of which may not be satisfied, or completed on a timely basis, if at all. Failure to complete the Cox Transactions could have a material adverse effect on us.

The completion of the Cox Transactions is subject to a number of conditions, including, among other things, (i) the approval of the certificate amendment proposal by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the aggregate voting power of the outstanding shares of Charter Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class; (ii) the approval of the share issuance proposal by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast by the holders of Charter Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class; (iii) any applicable waiting period (and any extension thereof) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and any commitments by the parties not to close before a certain date under any timing agreement entered into with a government entity, in each case, with respect to the Cox Transactions shall have expired or been terminated (solely with respect to the obligations of the Charter parties to close, without the imposition of a burdensome condition); (iv) the receipt of certain other required regulatory approvals, including approval of the Federal Communications Commission and certain local franchise authority, state franchising and state public utility commission approvals (solely with respect to the obligations of the Charter parties to close, without the imposition of a burdensome condition); (v) the absence of any law, rule, executive order, decree, judgment, injunction or other order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) which makes unlawful, prohibits, delays, enjoins or otherwise prevents or restrains the completion of the Cox Transactions; (vi) each party’s representations and warranties being true and correct (subject to certain materiality and material adverse effect qualifications); (vii) the absence of a material adverse effect on each party; and (viii) each party having performed in all material respects its obligations under the Transaction Agreement.

While the parties have agreed in the Transaction Agreement to use reasonable best efforts to satisfy the closing conditions, the parties may not be successful in their efforts to do so. The failure to satisfy all of the required conditions could delay the completion of the Cox Transactions for a significant period of time or prevent completion from occurring at all. Any delay in completing the Cox Transactions could cause us not to realize some or all of the benefits of the Cox Transactions, or realize them on a different timeline than expected. There can be no assurance that the conditions in the Transaction Agreement will be satisfied or (to the extent permitted) waived or that the Cox Transactions will be completed. In addition, subject to limited exceptions, either Charter or Cox Enterprises may terminate the Transaction Agreement if the Cox Transactions have not been consummated by the end date, so long as the terminating party’s failure to comply in all material respects with the Transaction Agreement has not been a primary cause of the failure of the Closing to occur on or before the end date.

If the Cox Transactions are not completed, we may be materially adversely affected, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of having completed the Cox Transactions, and we will be subject to a number of risks, including the following:

  • the market price of Charter common stock could decline;

  • we could owe a substantial termination fee to Cox Enterprises under certain circumstances;

  • if the Transaction Agreement is terminated and we seek another transaction, we may not find a party willing to enter into a transaction on terms comparable to or more attractive than the terms agreed to in the Transaction Agreement;

  • time and resources, financial and other, committed by Charter’s and its subsidiaries’ management to matters relating to the Cox Transactions could otherwise have been devoted to pursuing other beneficial opportunities;

  • Charter and its subsidiaries may experience negative reactions from the financial markets or from our customers, suppliers, regulators or employees;

  • we will be required to pay certain costs relating to the Cox Transactions, such as legal, accounting, financial advisory, filing, printing and mailing fees, whether or not the Cox Transactions are completed;

  • Charter and Cox Communications are subject to restrictions on the conduct of their respective businesses prior to the effective time, as set forth in the Transaction Agreement, which may prevent us or Cox Communications, as applicable, from making certain acquisitions or taking other actions during the pendency of the Cox Transactions; and

  • we may experience reputational harm due to the adverse perception of any failure to successfully complete the Cox Transactions.

In addition, if the Cox Transactions are not completed, we could be subject to litigation related to any failure to complete the Cox Transactions or related to any enforcement proceeding commenced against us to perform our obligations under the Transaction Agreement. Any of these risks could materially and adversely impact our financial condition, financial results and stock price.

Our plans for funding the cash consideration and assuming indebtedness of Cox Communications may be adversely affected to the extent of any greater-than-expected increases in our indebtedness, lower-than-expected operating results, credit rating downgrades, or significant financial market disruptions.

We are obligated to fund $4.0 billion of cash consideration under the Transaction Agreement which we expect to fund by incurring indebtedness, and expect to assume approximately $12.4 billion of Cox Communications’ outstanding net debt and finance leases in connection with the Cox Transactions, including Cox Communications’ outstanding unsecured notes as of Closing (the “Cox Notes”). The indentures and supplemental indentures governing the Cox Notes contain certain negative covenants, including restrictions on the incurrence of secured indebtedness and indebtedness of restricted subsidiaries. If our indebtedness increases more than expected, our operating results are lower than expected, or significant financial markets disruptions occur, our cash on hand and available liquidity under our existing credit facilities may be insufficient to fund the cash portion of the consideration. Further, completion of the Cox Transactions may constitute a “change of control repurchase event” under the supplemental indentures governing certain of the Cox Notes if, in connection with the Cox Transactions, each of S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Fitch Ratings, Inc. downgrade the credit rating of certain series of Cox Notes to a rating below “investment grade” (regardless of whether the rating prior to such downgrade was “investment grade” or below “investment grade”) prior to 60 days following consummation of a change of control (which period may be extended in certain circumstances). In such a circumstance, Charter (or one of its subsidiaries that, at the time, is the primary obligor of such series of notes) would be required to offer to repurchase each applicable holder’s Cox Notes of such series at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of such series of Cox Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest. In the event of such ratings downgrades, we may require additional debt financing to fund such repurchases, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. A failure to make the applicable change of control offer or to pay the applicable change of control purchase price when due would result in a default in respect of the applicable series of Cox Notes and could result in a default under the terms of other indebtedness of Charter and its subsidiaries.

Charter and Cox Communications are subject to contractual restrictions while the Cox Transactions are pending, which could adversely affect their respective businesses and operations.

Under the terms of the Transaction Agreement, Charter and Cox Communications are subject to certain restrictions on the conduct of their respective businesses prior to the Closing. Such limitations may affect Charter’s or Cox Communications’ ability to execute certain of their business strategies, including the ability in certain cases to amend their organizational documents, repurchase shares or declare dividends in certain circumstances, incur certain indebtedness or complete certain acquisitions and other transactions, which could adversely affect Charter or Cox Communications prior to the effective time.

The risks described above may be exacerbated by delays or other adverse developments with respect to the completion of the Cox Transactions.

We will incur direct and indirect costs as a result of the Cox Transactions.

We will incur substantial expenses in connection with and as a result of completing the Cox Transactions, including advisory, legal and other transaction costs, and, following the completion of the Cox Transactions, we expect to incur additional expenses in connection with combining the companies. A portion of these costs have already been incurred or will be incurred regardless of whether the Cox Transactions are completed. Factors beyond our control could affect the total amount or timing of these expenses, many of which, by their nature, are difficult to estimate accurately. Our management continues to assess the magnitude of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in connection with the Cox Transactions.

Although we expect that the realization of benefits related to the Cox Transactions will offset such costs and expenses over time, no assurances can be made that this net benefit will be achieved in the near term, or at all.

A/N and Liberty Broadband currently have governance rights that give them influence over corporate transactions and other matters. In connection with the Cox Transactions, Liberty Broadband will lose its governance rights (assuming the closing of the Liberty Broadband Combination), A/N’s governance rights will be modified and Cox Enterprises will receive governance rights pursuant to the amended stockholders agreement and amendments to Charter’s governing documents, and Cox Enterprises and A/N will have influence over corporate transactions and other matters.

The Transaction Agreement contemplates that, at the Closing, Charter, A/N and Cox Enterprises will enter into the amended stockholders agreement, which will amend and restate in its entirety the existing stockholders agreement. If the Liberty Broadband Combination is completed, the existing stockholders agreement, which sets forth, among other things, certain of Liberty Broadband’s governance rights with respect to Charter, will terminate with respect to Liberty Broadband. The Liberty Broadband side letter further provides that Liberty Broadband will cause the three Liberty Broadband designees serving on Charter’s board of directors (the “Charter Board”) to resign effective immediately prior to the effective time of the closing of the Liberty Broadband Combination.

Based on Charter’s share count as of September 30, 2025, Charter expects that Cox Enterprises will own approximately 24.8% of the combined entity’s diluted shares outstanding, on an as-exchanged, as-converted basis and assuming the contemporaneous closing of the previously announced Liberty Broadband Combination. Pursuant to the amended stockholders agreement and the amended certificate of incorporation, the size of the Charter Board will continue to be fixed at 13 directors, and at the Closing, the directors then serving as A/N’s designees will continue to serve on the Charter Board and three designees selected by Cox Enterprises (with the prior approval of Charter (not to be unreasonably withheld)) will become members of the Charter Board. Thereafter, each of Cox Enterprises and A/N will be entitled to designate up to three nominees to be elected to the Charter Board provided that each maintains certain specified voting or equity ownership thresholds. Cox Enterprises and A/N will be required to vote (subject to the applicable voting cap) their respective shares of Charter common stock for the director nominees nominated by the nominating committee of the Charter Board, including the respective designees of Cox Enterprises and A/N, and against any other nominees, except that, with respect to the directors that were not designated by either Cox Enterprises or A/N (the “Unaffiliated Directors”), Cox Enterprises and A/N must instead vote in the same proportion as the voting securities are voted by stockholders other than Cox Enterprises and A/N or any group (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) which includes any of them are voted, if doing so would cause a different outcome with respect to the Unaffiliated Directors. Cox Enterprises and A/N also will have certain committee designation and other governance rights. Additionally, the amended stockholders agreement will provide that each of Cox Enterprises and A/N will be subject to certain limits on acquisitions of Charter shares (30% in the case of Cox Enterprises; 19% in the case of A/N). In addition, any shares owned by Cox Enterprises or A/N in excess of its applicable voting cap (30% in the case of Cox Enterprises; 15% in the case of A/N) must be voted in proportion to the public stockholders of Charter, other than with respect to certain excluded matters.

The amended stockholders agreement will also provide that at the Closing, Alexander C. Taylor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cox Enterprises, will serve as the Chairman of the Charter Board for an initial three-year term (unless Mr. Taylor ceases to serve as a member of the Charter Board prior thereto). The lead independent director of the Charter Board at the Closing will be Eric L. Zinterhofer, current Non-executive Chairman of the Charter Board. Following Mr. Taylor’s term as Chairman, the Charter Board will return to its normal annual process. Additionally, following Mr. Taylor’s term as Chairman, Christopher L. Winfrey, the Chief Executive Officer of Charter, will serve as Chairman of the Charter Board; provided that if Mr. Winfrey is no longer a member of the Charter Board or is unwilling to serve as Chairman, then Mr. Zinterhofer instead will serve as Chairman (subject to his continued membership on the Charter Board and willingness to serve).

At the Closing, Charter will amend its certificate of incorporation and bylaws in order to, among other things, reflect the agreed-upon governance terms to be included in the amended stockholders agreement.

As a result of their rights under the amended stockholders agreement and their significant equity and voting stakes in Charter, Cox Enterprises and/or A/N, who may have interests different from those of other stockholders, will be able to exercise substantial influence over certain matters relating to the governance of Charter, including the approval of significant corporate actions, such as mergers and other business combination transactions.

The amended stockholders agreement will provide A/N and Cox Enterprises with preemptive rights with respect to issuances of Charter equity in connection with certain transactions, and in the event that A/N or Cox Enterprises exercises these rights, holders of Charter Class A common stock may experience further dilution.

The amended stockholders agreement will provide that after the Closing, if Charter proposes to issue any equity securities of Charter in a capital raising transaction, each of Cox Enterprises and A/N (for so long as each party’s equity interest in Charter is equal to or greater than 10%), will have the right to purchase, in whole or in part, for cash a number of such securities that will be determined based on such investor’s pro rata equity interest in Charter. The amended stockholders agreement will define a capital raising transaction as any offering of shares of Charter Class A common stock (or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Charter Class A common stock) for cash, whether registered under the Securities Act or otherwise (other than pursuant to a stockholders rights plan).

As a result, if Cox Enterprises and/or A/N elect to exercise their preemptive rights, (i) these parties would not experience the dilution experienced by the other holders of Charter Class A common stock, and (ii) such other holders of Charter Class A common stock may experience further dilution of their interest in Charter upon such exercise.

We currently have a significant amount of debt and expect to incur additional debt in connection with the Cox Transactions, which could adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to react to changes in our business.

We have significant debt, with total principal amount of approximately $95.0 billion and a leverage ratio of 4.2 times Adjusted EBITDA as of September 30, 2025. We expect to incur additional debt in the future as Charter plans to maintain leverage near the midpoint of its stated 4.0 to 4.5 times Adjusted EBITDA target leverage range (net debt divided by the last twelve months Adjusted EBITDA) in the period leading up to the Closing and to fund the $4.0 billion of cash consideration required in the Cox Transactions using debt. Charter will also assume Cox Communications' approximately $12.4 billion of net debt and finance leases as part of the Cox Transactions. Charter plans to adjust its long-term target leverage range after Closing to 3.5 to 4.0 times Adjusted EBITDA but will still have a significant amount of debt.

Our significant amount of debt could have adverse consequences, such as to:

  • impact our ability to raise additional debt capital at reasonable rates, or at all;

  • make us vulnerable to interest rate increases, in part because approximately 13% of our borrowings as of September 30, 2025 were, and may continue to be, subject to variable rates of interest;

  • expose us to increased interest expense to the extent we refinance existing debt with higher cost debt;

  • require us to dedicate a significant portion of our cash flow from operating activities to make payments on our debt, reducing our funds available for capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;

  • limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business, the cable and telecommunications industries, and the economy at large;

  • place us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors that have proportionately less debt; and

  • adversely affect our relationship with customers and suppliers.

In addition, we expect to incur additional indebtedness in the future, including to refinance and/or in connection with the assumption of indebtedness of Cox Communications and/or its subsidiaries after the completion of the Cox Transactions. To the extent our current debt amounts increase more than expected, our operating results are lower than expected, credit rating agencies downgrade our debt thereby increasing our costs of borrowing and potentially limiting our access to investment grade markets, or significant financial market disruptions occur, the related risks that we now face will intensify.

If we are not able to successfully integrate Cox Communications’ business within the anticipated time frame, or at all, the anticipated cost savings and other benefits of the Cox Transactions may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. In such circumstances, in the event the Cox Transactions are completed, we may not perform as expected and the value of the Charter Class A common stock may be adversely affected.

Charter and Cox Communications have operated and, until completion of the Cox Transactions will continue to operate, independently, and there can be no assurances that their businesses can be integrated successfully. After the consummation of the Cox Transactions the combined company will have significantly more systems, assets, investments, businesses, customers and employees than each company did prior to the Cox Transactions. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key Charter and/or Cox Communications employees, the loss of subscribers and customers, the disruption of the companies’ ongoing businesses or unexpected integration issues, higher than expected integration costs and an overall post-completion integration process that takes longer than originally anticipated. The process of integrating Cox Communications

with the businesses Charter operated prior to the Cox Transactions will require significant capital expenditures and the expansion of certain operations and operating and financial systems. Management of each company will be required to devote a significant amount of time and attention to the integration process before the Cox Transactions are completed. There is a significant degree of difficulty and management involvement inherent in that process. These difficulties include:

  • integrating the companies’ operations and corporate functions;

  • integrating the companies’ technologies, networks and customer service platforms;

  • integrating and unifying the product offerings and services available to customers;

  • harmonizing the companies’ operating practices, employee development and compensation programs, internal controls and other policies, procedures and processes;

  • maintaining existing relationships and agreements with customers, providers, programmers and other vendors and avoiding delays in entering into new agreements with prospective customers, providers and vendors;

  • addressing possible differences in business backgrounds, corporate cultures and management philosophies;

  • consolidating the companies’ administrative and information technology infrastructure;

  • coordinating programming and marketing efforts;

  • coordinating geographically dispersed organizations;

  • integrating information, purchasing, provisioning, accounting, finance, sales, billing, payroll, reporting and regulatory compliance systems;

  • integrating and unifying the product offerings and services available to customers, including customer premise equipment and video user interfaces;

  • managing a larger company than before the completion of the Cox Transactions; and

  • attracting and retaining the necessary personnel associated with the acquired assets.

Even if the new businesses are successfully integrated, it may not be possible to realize the benefits that are expected to result from the Cox Transactions, or realize these benefits within the time frame that is expected. For example, the elimination of duplicative costs may not be possible or may take longer than anticipated, or the benefits from the Cox Transactions may be offset by costs incurred or delays in integrating the businesses and increased operating costs. If the combined company fails to realize the anticipated benefits from the Cox Transactions, its liquidity, results of operations, financial condition and/or share price may be adversely affected. In addition, at times, the attention of certain members of Charter’s and/or Cox Communications’ management and resources may be focused on the completion of the Cox Transactions and the integration of the businesses and diverted from day-to-day business operations, which may disrupt each company’s business and the business of the combined company.

The market prices of Charter Class A common stock may decline as a result of the Cox Transactions.

The market prices of Charter Class A common stock may decline as a result of the Cox Transactions if, among other things, the costs of the Cox Transactions are greater than expected, we do not achieve the perceived benefits of the Cox Transactions as rapidly or to the extent anticipated by financial or industry analysts or the effect of the Cox Transactions on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows is not consistent with the expectations of financial or industry analysts. Any of these events may make it more difficult for Charter to sell equity or equity-related securities and have an adverse impact on the price of Charter Class A common stock.

The Cox Transactions raise other risks.

The pending Cox Transactions raise additional risks not described above. For additional information, see the definitive proxy statement with respect to the Cox Transactions, filed by Charter on July 2, 2025, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Where You Can Find More Information” included therein.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer

The following table presents Charter’s purchases of equity securities completed during the third quarter of 2025 (dollars in millions, except per share amounts):

PeriodTotal Number of Shares Purchased (1)Average Price Paid per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (2)Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (2)
July 1 - 31, 20251,157,009$383.411,145,112$904
August 1 - 31, 20252,391,841$278.392,388,637$732
September 1 - 30, 20253,810,838$264.433,764,309$252

(1)Includes 11,897, 3,204 and 46,529 shares withheld from employees for the payment of taxes and exercise costs upon the exercise of stock options or vesting of other equity awards for the months of July, August and September 2025, respectively.

(2)During the three months ended September 30, 2025, Charter purchased approximately 7.3 million shares of its Class A common stock for approximately $2.1 billion. Charter Holdings purchased 0.3 million Charter Holdings common units from A/N at an average price per unit of $386.99, or $121 million, during the three months ended September 30, 2025. As of September 30, 2025, Charter had remaining board authority to purchase an additional $252 million of Charter’s Class A common stock and/or Charter Holdings common units, excluding purchases from Liberty Broadband. In addition to open market purchases including pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 plans adopted from time to time, Charter may also buy shares of Charter Class A common stock, from time to time, pursuant to private transactions outside of its Rule 10b5-1 plan and any such repurchases may also trigger the repurchases from A/N pursuant to and to the extent provided in the Existing A/N Letter Agreement or Liberty Broadband pursuant to the Stockholders and Letter Agreement Amendment.

Item 6. Exhibits.

See Exhibit Index.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Charter Communications, Inc. has duly caused this quarterly report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Registrant
By:/s/ Kevin D. Howard
Kevin D. Howard
Date: October 31, 2025Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller

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Exhibit Index

ExhibitDescription
4.1Indenture, dated as of July 23, 2015, among Charter Communications Operating, LLC, Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp. and CCO Safari II, LLC, as issuers, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Charter Communications, Inc. on July 27, 2015).
4.2Twenty-Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 2, 2025, among Charter Communications Operating, LLC, Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., as issuers, CCO Holdings, LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee and collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Charter Communications, Inc. on September 2, 2025).
4.3Form of 5.850% Senior Secured Notes due 2035 (included in Exhibit 4.2 hereto).
4.4Form of 6.700% Senior Secured Notes due 2055 (included in Exhibit 4.2 hereto).
10.1Employment Agreement between Charter Communications, Inc. and Richard DiGeronimo, dated August 1, 2025 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Charter Communications, Inc. on August 5, 2025).
31.1Certificate of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/Rule 15d-14(a) under the under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2Certificate of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/Rule 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Executive Officer).
32.2Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Financial Officer).
101The following financial information from Charter Communications, Inc.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 31, 2025, formatted in iXBRL (inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language) includes: (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets; (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations; (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity; (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows; and (vi) the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
104Cover Page, formatted in iXBRL and contained in Exhibit 101.

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