COMSCORE, INC.SCOR
COMSCORE, INC. Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosure
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter as of October 1, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that fair value is below carrying value. The Company completed its annual assessment as of October 1, 2025, and concluded that there was no impairment of goodwill as of the assessment date.
In the third quarter of 2024, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of its reporting unit was less than its carrying value. In its assessment, the Company considered the decline in the Company's stock price, market and equity capitalization, operating results and projections. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using a discounted cash flow model (a form of the income approach) utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs, supported by a market approach. The Company relied in part on the work of an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company to provide inputs as to the fair value of the reporting unit and to assist in the related calculations and analysis. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test and as a result, the Company recorded a $63.0 million impairment charge during the three months ended September 30, 2024.
In conjunction with its annual test as of October 1, 2023, the Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test as of September 30, 2023. In its assessment, the Company considered the decline in revenues in 2023 which drove lower revenue growth expectations in future years. The Company also considered the decline in the Company's stock price and market capitalization. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using a discounted cash flow model (a form of the income approach) utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs, supported by a market approach. The Company relied in part on the work of an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company to provide inputs as to the fair value of the reporting unit and to assist in the related calculations and analysis. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test and as a result, the Company recorded a $34.1 million impairment charge during the three months ended December 31, 2023.
In the second quarter of 2023, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the estimated fair value of its reporting unit was less than its carrying value. In its assessment, the Company considered the decline in the Company's stock price and market capitalization, among other factors. The Company performed quantitative testing on its reporting unit using a discounted cash flow model (a form of the income approach) utilizing Level 3 unobservable inputs, supported by a market approach. The Company relied in part on the work of an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company to provide inputs as to the fair value of the reporting unit and to assist in the related calculations and analysis. The Company's reporting unit did not pass the goodwill impairment test, and as a result the Company recorded a $44.1 million impairment charge during the three months ended June 30, 2023.
The change in the carrying value of goodwill is as follows:
| (In thousands) | |||||
Balance as of December 31, 2023 (1) | $ | 310,360 | |||
| Impairment charge | (63,000) | ||||
| Translation adjustments | (1,350) | ||||
Balance as of December 31, 2024 | $ | 246,010 | |||
| Translation adjustments | 2,626 | ||||
Balance as of December 31, 2025 | $ | 248,636 | |||
(1) Goodwill balance is net of an accumulated impairment charge of $348.8 million as of December 31, 2023. | |||||
The carrying values of the Company's definite-lived intangible assets are as follows:
| As of December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (In thousands) | Gross Carrying Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | Gross Carrying Amount | Accumulated Amortization | Net Carrying Amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acquired methodologies and technology | $ | 154,433 | $ | (153,224) | $ | 1,209 | $ | 154,400 | $ | (151,982) | $ | 2,418 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships | 46,666 | (45,346) | 1,320 | 46,529 | (43,889) | 2,640 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intellectual property | 14,377 | (14,377) | — | 14,364 | (14,364) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acquired software | 9,765 | (9,765) | — | 9,765 | (9,765) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Panel | 3,134 | (3,134) | — | 3,102 | (3,102) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trade names | 747 | (747) | — | 739 | (739) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | 600 | (600) | — | 600 | (600) | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total intangible assets | $ | 229,722 | $ | (227,193) | $ | 2,529 | $ | 229,499 | $ | (224,441) | $ | 5,058 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $2.5 million, $3.1 million, and $5.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Of the Company's definite-lived intangible assets, net, all were generated by or located in the United States as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
The weighted-average remaining amortization period by major asset class as of December 31, 2025 is as follows:
| (In years) | |||||
| Acquired methodologies and technology | 1.0 | ||||
| Customer relationships | 1.0 | ||||
The Company expects to recognize the estimated future amortization expense of $2.5 million during the year ending December 31, 2026.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 6, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 12, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 2, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 2, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 10, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 28, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 1, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 23, 2018 | |
About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures
Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.
Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.