Revenue

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2025

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

NOTE 3 – REVENUE

Revenue Recognition

General

Revenue is recognized when control of the IP rights is transferred to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for the licensing of the Company’s IP, which may include various combinations of IP rights and services which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. In situations where foreign withholding taxes are withheld by the Company’s licensee, revenue is recognized gross of withholding taxes that are remitted directly by the licensee to a local tax authority.

Some of the Company’s contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, the individual performance obligations are separately accounted for if they are distinct. In a contract with multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated among the separate performance obligations on a relative standalone selling price basis. The determination of standalone selling price considers market conditions, the size and scope of the contract, customer and geographic information, and other factors. When observable prices are not available, standalone selling price for separate performance obligations is based on the adjusted market assessment approach to estimate the price that a customer in the relevant market would be willing to pay for licensing the Company’s IP rights. The allocation of transaction price among performance obligations in a contract may impact the amount and timing of revenue recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income during a given period.

When a contract with a customer includes variable consideration, an estimate of the consideration which the Company expects to be entitled to for transferring the promised IP rights or services is made at contract inception and in each subsequent reporting period until the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. The amount of variable consideration is estimated by considering all available information (historical, current, and forecast) and is updated as additional information becomes available.

The estimate of variable consideration is included in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. When the uncertainty associated with variable consideration relates to potential price adjustments as a result of a legal contract dispute, the Company estimates variable consideration using the expected value method or the most likely amount method, whichever is more appropriate in the circumstances, and considers all available information, including historical data and experience. Estimating variable consideration related to potential future price adjustments requires significant judgment in evaluating the possible outcomes. Subsequent changes in the transaction price resulting from changes in the estimate of variable consideration are allocated to the performance obligations in the contract on the same basis as at contract inception.

When variable consideration is in the form of a sales-based or usage-based royalty in exchange for a license of IP, revenue is recognized at the later of when the subsequent sale or usage occurs or the performance obligation to which some or all of the sales-based or usage-based royalty has been allocated has been satisfied or partially satisfied.

Description of Revenue-Generating Activities

IP License Arrangements

The Company licenses (i) its media patent portfolio (“Media IP licensing”) to multichannel video programming distributors, over-the-top (“OTT”) video service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, social media, and other new media companies and (ii) its semiconductor technologies and associated patent portfolio (“Semiconductor IP licensing”) to memory, logic, sensors, radio frequency component, and foundry companies. The Company generally licenses its IP portfolios under three models: (i) per-unit or per-subscriber Media IP or Semiconductor IP royalty licensing, (ii) fixed-fee Media IP licensing, and (iii) fixed-fee or minimum guarantee Semiconductor IP licensing.

Per-unit or per-subscriber Media IP or Semiconductor IP royalty licensing

The Company recognizes revenue from per-unit or per-subscriber IP royalty licenses in the period in which the licensee’s sales or production are estimated to have occurred, which results in an adjustment to revenue when actual sales or production are subsequently reported by the licensee, which is generally in the month or quarter following usage or shipment. Estimating customers’ monthly or quarterly royalties prior to receiving the royalty reports requires the Company to make significant assumptions and judgments related to forecasted trends and growth rates used to estimate quantities shipped or manufactured by customers, which could have a material impact on the amount of revenue it reports on a quarterly basis.

Fixed-fee Media IP licensing

The Company’s long-term fixed-fee Media IP licensing contracts provide its customers with rights to future patented technologies over the term of the contract that are highly interdependent or highly interrelated to the patented technologies provided at the inception of the contract. The Company treats these rights as a single performance obligation with revenue recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the fixed-fee license contract. The transaction price is adjusted for the effect of any significant financing components calculated using borrower-specific, risk-adjusted interest rates, with the related interest income or expense being recognized over time on an effective rate basis.

Fixed-fee or minimum guarantee Semiconductor IP licensing

The Company enters into Semiconductor IP licenses that have a fixed fee or a minimum guarantee, whereby licensees pay a fixed fee for the right to incorporate the Company’s IP technologies in the licensee’s products over the license term. In contracts with a minimum guarantee, the fixed fee component corresponds to a minimum number of units or dollars that the customer must produce or pay, with additional per-unit fees for any units or dollars exceeding the minimum. The Company generally recognizes the full fixed fee as revenue at the beginning of the license term when the customer has the right to use the IP and begins to benefit from the license, adjusted for the effect of any significant financing components calculated using borrower-specific, risk-adjusted interest rates, with the related interest income or expense being recognized over time on an effective rate basis. For minimum guarantee contracts where the customer exceeds the minimum, the Company recognizes revenue relating to any additional per-unit fees in the periods it believes the customer has exceeded the minimum and adjusts the revenue based on actual usage once that is reported by the customer.

IP license contracts with multiple performance obligations

At times, the Company enters into long-term license contracts with more than one performance obligation, which may include releases from past patent infringement claims or one or more prospective licenses. In these arrangements, the Company allocates the transaction price between releases for past patent infringement claims and prospective licenses based on their relative standalone selling prices, which requires significant management judgment.

In determining the standalone selling price of each performance obligation, the Company considers such factors as the customer’s revenues, the number of past and projected future subscribers, units shipped, and units manufactured, as well as the per-subscriber or per-unit licensing rates the Company generally receives from licensees of comparable sizes in comparable markets and geographies.

As a release from past patent infringement claims is generally satisfied at execution of the contract, the transaction price allocated to the release from past patent infringement claims is generally recognized in the period the contract is executed. Transaction price allocated to prospective Media IP licenses is recognized ratably over the license term, and transaction price allocated to prospective Semiconductor IP licenses is recognized upon execution of the contract.

Practical Expedients and Exemptions

The Company applies a practical expedient to not perform an evaluation of whether a contract includes a significant financing component when the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of cash collection by one year or less.

The Company applies a practical expedient to expense costs to obtain a contract with a customer as incurred as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses when the amortization period would have been one year or less.

The Company applies a practical expedient when disclosing revenue expected to be recognized from unsatisfied performance obligations to exclude contracts with customers with an original duration of less than one year; amounts attributable to variable consideration arising from (i) a sales-based or usage-based royalty of an intellectual property license or (ii) when variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation; or to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a distinct good or service that forms part of a single performance obligation.

Revenue Details

Revenue Disaggregation

The following information depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors by disaggregating revenue by category, market vertical and geographic location (presented in “Note 15 – Segment Information”). This information includes revenue recognized from contracts with customers and revenue from other sources, including sales-based or usage-based royalty revenues and fees associated with releases for past infringement.

Recurring and non-recurring revenue

Recurring revenue includes the following: (i) for fixed-fee Media IP license agreements, revenue associated with rights to existing and future patented technologies during reporting periods beginning with the reporting period in which the agreement is executed through the end of the term of the agreement, which are recognized on a straight-line basis; and (ii) for per-unit or per-subscriber Media IP or Semiconductor IP royalty license agreements, revenue associated with sales-based or usage-based royalties in exchange for a license of IP, which are recognized in the period such subsequent sales or usage occurs.

Non-recurring revenue includes the following: (i) for fixed-fee or minimum guarantee Semiconductor IP license agreements, revenue in the amount of such fixed fee or minimum guarantee associated with the right to use the IP, which is recognized upon execution of the agreement; and (ii) for all license agreements, revenue in the amount of the fees associated with releases for past patent infringement or licenses, in each case with respect to reporting periods prior to the execution of the agreement, which is recognized upon execution of the agreement.

Revenue disaggregated by recurring and non-recurring nature was as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2025		2024		2025		2024
Recurring revenue	$	85,097	$	82,269	$	169,506	$	165,045
Non-recurring revenue		638		5,081		3,899		5,710
Total revenue	$	85,735	$	87,350	$	173,405	$	170,755

Revenue by market vertical

Revenue disaggregated by market vertical was as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2025		2024		2025		2024
Media	$	81,041	$	83,626	$	165,027	$	164,063
Semiconductor		4,694		3,724		8,378		6,692
Total revenue	$	85,735	$	87,350	$	173,405	$	170,755

Contract Balances

Contracts Assets

Contract assets primarily consist of unbilled contracts receivable that are expected to be received from customers in future periods, where the revenue recognized to date exceeds the amount billed. The amount of unbilled contracts receivable may not exceed their net realizable value and are classified as long-term assets if the payments are expected to be received more than one year from the reporting date. Contract assets also include the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer, principally sales commissions when the renewal commission is not commensurate with the initial commission.

Contract assets were recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in thousands):


	June 30, 2025		December 31, 2024
Unbilled contracts receivable	$	107,015	$	104,047
Other current assets		597		711
Long-term unbilled contracts receivable		47,933		62,767
Other long-term assets		970		919
Total contract assets	$	156,515	$	168,444

Contract Liabilities

Contract liabilities are comprised of deferred revenue related to multi-period licensing arrangements for which the Company is paid in advance, while the underlying performance obligation is satisfied at a future date or over time.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses represents the Company’s best estimate of lifetime expected credit losses inherent in accounts receivable and unbilled contracts receivable. The Company’s long-term unbilled contracts receivable is derived from fixed-fee or minimum-guarantee Semiconductor IP licensing and is primarily comprised of contracts with large, well-capitalized companies. It is generally considered to be of high credit quality due to past collection history and the nature of the customers.

The allowance for credit losses at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 was $0.7 million and is presented as part of accounts receivable, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Additional Disclosures

The following table presents additional revenue and contract disclosures (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2025		2024		2025		2024
Revenue recognized in the period from:
Amounts included in deferred revenue at the beginning of the period	$	5,204	$	1,703	$	10,653	$	3,708
Performance obligations satisfied in previous periods (1)	$	503	$	4,864	$	3,429	$	5,076

(1) Performance obligations satisfied in previous periods consist mainly of fees associated with releases for past patent infringement, settlements of litigation during the period, and revenue from past royalties owed pursuant to expired or terminated IP license agreements. For long-term and multi-year revenue contracts, the Company recorded revenue from the releases for past infringement during the three months and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 and expects to record revenue from the prospective license in future periods.

Remaining revenue under contracts with performance obligations represents the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) under certain of the Company’s fixed fee arrangements (in thousands).


	As of June 30, 2025
Revenue from contracts with performance obligations expected to be satisfied in:
2025 (remaining 6 months)		94,446
2026		91,357
2027		76,166
2028		66,191
2029		58,816
Thereafter		17,732
Total	$	404,708

- Definition

The entire disclosure of revenue from contract with customer to transfer good or service and to transfer nonfinancial asset. Includes, but is not limited to, disaggregation of revenue, credit loss recognized from contract with customer, judgment and change in judgment related to contract with customer, and asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer. Excludes insurance and lease contracts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 606
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479806/606-10-50-7

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
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Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 606
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Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 606
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Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
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-URI https://asc.fasb.org/606/tableOfContent

+ Details

Adeia Inc. 10-Q